Historical Introduction

The mountains are mute masters and make silent disciples. (Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe)

What better sentence to convey the atmosphere one breathes along the confined slopes we so much love? The mountains, our mysterious masters. Either arduous or with a gradual gradient, covered by thick woods or by barren bushes, they will never stop teaching us something, even after thousands of ascents, even when we believe we can conquer them. And the Apuan Alps fit right into this description, their indisputable uniqueness confers them with a deep romanticism. Their profile, unusual for a typical Apennine ridge, looks like the jump on the ECG (electrocardiogram) chart which has been regular for a long time. The rebellion of nature, which tired of drawing gradual lines, has woken up for an instant giving us harsh peaks with fascinating shapes. Just like the humps of the Gobbe del Cavallo, the imposing towers of Corchia and the window of Forato. Or like Procinto, the “panettone” where nature’s inspiration seems to have found fertile land creating a rocky spur shaped like a quartz wedged in the woods. All under the protection of the King (Pisanino) and the Queen (Pania) majestic pyramids with features which are on a par with the more popular alpine high lands. And it is right on these peaks, among us their silent disciples, there is someone who has dared leave a mark in our memory by opening routes which even now still brighten our days. These are the stories of the great alpinists who succeeded one another on these mountains which due to their peculiar morphology and specific geology of “slippery limestone rock subject to karst erosion” have always represented some fascinating challenges for each one of them. Initially object of exploration on the part of the brave cartographers or daring woodsmen, the Apuan ridges became terrain for the first climbing attempts only towards the second half of the XIX century immediately attracting the attention of the major Italian and foreign alpinists (if you think of the great Douglas W.Freshfield, English alpinist and his fellow countryman, Richard Henry Budden, known in the environment as the apostle of alpinism, so in love with the Apuan mountains that he contributed decisively in promoting their tourism and mountaineering as president of the Florentine section of C.A.I.)

End of the 40’s ↓

This is how the first feats were accomplished signed among many by Aristide Bruni, Efisio Vangelisti and Angelo Bertozzi (first ascent of Procinto) Emilio Quésta (winter ascent on Pania Secca and the ascent of Punta Secca) and Lorenzo Bozano (first ascent of Contrario and Cavallo) until the first attempts of “violating” the north face of Pizzo d’Uccello by the climbers from Genoa A. Sabbadini, A Daglio and A. Frisoni as well as the brothers Sergio and Vinicio Ceragioli, true legends of alpinism in those days, to whom we need to thank for the ascent of the North East arête of Procinto, the first V° grade of the Apuan mountains and the route on the west face of the panettone. But the Ceragioli brothers deserve the merit of achieving their great mountaineering activity which leads, among other things, to the opening of two important routes: the route of the same name on the west face of Monte Contrario as well as the West arête of Monte Penna di Sumbra, this last one is a classic for many alpinists but when it was opened (10 June 1935) it was for those days a true feat as well as being one of the very first ascents on the north face of Pizzo d’Uccello, subsequent only to the feat of the climbers from Genova. On the base of the itinerary set up by the two brothers, in 1940 the route Oppio- Colnaghi was born (by Nino Oppio and Serafino Colnaghi from Lombardia) and is currently the most popular route to conquer the steep and arduous north face of Pizzo. It is on the first pitches of this very well known ascent, that the alpinists Nerli, Biagi and Zucconi, opened the route via dei Pisani which shares the terminal part of the route. Angelo Nerli as well as having opened many classic Apuan routes among which Canalino Nervi, fascinating and accessible route on the north east face of Grondilice, the route Nerli-Amadei-Scatena on Altissimo, Nervi on the north face of Pisanino is remembered for his guide book “Alpi Apuane” (Guide ai Monti d’Italia-Club Alpino Italiano and Touring Club) a proper description of the history of alpinism on the Apuan Alps and still to this day one of the reference texts for those who wish to tackle the protected Apuan routes. For the second edition of this guide book, in 1979, Nerli collaborates with Attilio Sabbadini and with alpinism’s legend in those days: Euro Montagna. A unique figure and unforgettable alpinist, as in the case of Nerli, Montagna leaves us an imposing and meticulous heritage with the bibliographic copy of the Apuan mountains, the basis, obligatory, for any successive publications.

Pizzo Saette, 1969 Monte Nona, 1972

In mountaineering terms, one of the most fascinating classic routes of the Apuan mountains is his: the Pilastro Monatagna on Pania Secca, opened in 1963. Fifth grade, long ascent and difficult to retreat while the approach walk, certainly spectacular for a passionate alpinist, is very difficult and quite adventurous. Likewise for the route’s equipment which in some sections is the original one. Gian Carlo Dolfi, born in 1930, is among the leading characters, deservedly so, of Italian alpinism of the 50’s and 60’s who counts many first ascents which have to this day become real classic ascents. Above all the route Luisa, better knowns as Dolfi-Rulli, on the east face of Procinto. A masterpiece of beauty and logic. But this is only one of his many feats which we remember vividly. Other ascents linked to his name are Torre Francesca (known as spigolo Dolfi) on the buttress of Pizzo delle Saette or the routes of Corchia as well as the first solo ascent of the route Oppio-Colnaghi on the north face of Pizzo d’Uccello. In these days of mountaineering legends the only bastion to resist untouched is the south west face of monte Nona, for this reason considered impossible to climb. The very strong Ceragiola brothers had to succumb to this terrible ascent allowing it to carry that divine aura which resisted for years. It was only thanks to the introduction of technological innovation, the controversial compression bolts, that it was possible to conquer it. It was the brothers E. and G.L. Vaccari (from here the name, via Vaccari) in 1966 that reached the summit conquering the terrible ascent. After them Agostino Bresciani and Mario Piotti followed opening the route in 1969 Via Licia and in 1971, to the left of via Vaccari, Giovanni Bertini, Emi- lio Dei, Michele Lopez and Mario Verin passed by tracing the route via dei Fiorentini. During the 60’s it was Mario Verin, from the Dolfi school, who made the first repetition, solo of the route via dei Pisani together with the alpinists G. Bertini, L. Beninca- si, A.Bresciani, G. Crescimbeni and M.Piotti contributing to opening the routes Gamma (the original name was G.A.M.M. using the initials of the climbers who opened the route), Stefania, Gabriella and XXV Aprile on Procinto.

Among these, we have to mention Mario Piotti born in Genova and decorated with the recognition of CAI Academic and in those years a legendary figure in alpinism. He always climbed and trained on his own as if climbing meant more to him than simply sport. In the climbing world he is remembered above all for having “tamed” more than once the steep imposing north face of Pizzo d’Uccello so much so that he made it seem easy. The routes Gran Diedro Nord, via Piotti- Calcagno, the winter ascent of the via dei Genovesi and the Fessura Obliqua carry his name. If the past is illuminated by the light of these legends the present is equally so. In fact it is thanks to their example that many youngsters have approached high level alpinism, creating a group which has nothing to envy the more well known alpine locations. To the new generations of climbers it is thanks to the introduction of modern technique which, together with technological change (above all the introduction of the expansion bolt) have once more allowed to raise the bar, making it possible to climb routes that were once considered impossible. On an imaginary line dividing the past and present, the first name which deserves to be mentioned is that of Claudio Ratti strong alpinist and then Mountain Guide who achieved many ascents among which the Ratti-Guadagni and the Ratti-Martini on the North face of Pizzo d’Uccello. In this period (70’s) G.Crescimbeni, S. Trentarossi and G. Banti climb the entire route via dei Genovesi achieving the first winter ascent of the North face of Pizzo d’Uccello. But it is the 80’s which mark a true revolution in the Apuan alpinism. In those years Roberto Vigiani born in 1961 draws attention to himself, and it is thanks to him that we now have two of the most extreme ascents on the Apuan scene: Muro delle Ombre (with Federico Schlutter) on the north face of Pizzo d’Uccello, a difficult route due to the long run outs on loose rock, but above all Nona Sinfonia, developed on the south-west face of Monte Nona, definitely the most difficult multi pitch to this day on the Apuan mountains. But it is also thanks to Roberto Vigiani that many routes on Procinto have been bolted, and that he has made the ascent more accessible and ideal for sports climbing.

Torrione Figari, Scarpe al tennis, 70's ↓

During the 80’s remarkable steps forward are made in terms of winter alpinism: Massimo Boni opens the first modern ice routes of high difficulty. The most well known now is the difficult Canale Elisabetta (with Giuliano Pasqui) on the North face of Pizzo delle Saette. Of equal merit the very well known Stefano Funck, following in his father’s footsteps, opened many routes on the Apuan mountains (north face of Pizzo d’Uccello, Contrario, Torri di Monzone, etc) but his merit is especially bolting the routes vie Fantastica al Nona and Dimensione Montagna on the south of Simbra (still untouched in terms of a free ascent) until that moment a wall which had not been climbed on much. Between the II and III millennium the partnership made up by Mauro Franceschini and Fabrizio Recchia (who have sadly left us in 2017) bolts numerous routes on the Torri di Monzone and on the south face of Pizzo d’Uccello as well as the routes Pinacolada on the Torre Torracca (Garnerone), Scorzausei and D’Angelo Custone (this together with Antonella Gallo) on monte Campaccio. Finally it is the turn of the Monte Forato school, among whom we find Alberto Benassi, Claudio Bacci, Giancarlo Polacci, Alessandro Angelini and many others, all very active in the opening of mountaineering routes in the Apuan mountains. Among the various achievements: E se fossero stati gli alieni? sul Monte Croce, Bacci e Abbracci al Procinto, le vie Amico Almo, Stella Polare, Per un pugno di spit, Indietrotutta, and Spinix al Corchia. Always on Corchia, among the most repeated, there is Padre Corchia and La Volpe e la Folaga, by Alessandro Bertagna, another important person in the Apuan scene of the 90’s. And coming to the present day, handing down the feats of the great climbers of the past, there are mainly 3 groups of climbers present on the Apuan territory: the school of Monte Forato, the Guides of ProRock Outdoor and Versante Apuano who organize courses of ski-mountaineering and climbing and act as spokespersons on many initiatives to promote the territory.

Biagi, Nerli, August 1971 ↑

Garnerone, September 1973 ↓

Many are the names which we were not able to describe in depth, such as Bruno Barsuglia, Paolo Bertolucci, Fabrizio Convalle, Giorgio Giannaccini, Massimo Innocenti, Giampietro Lucchetti, Albino Malerba, Cesare Maestri, Leonardo Piccini, Cristiano Virgilio, the climbers from Carrara Andrea Marchetti, Renzo Gemignani, Fedele Codega and Silvano Bonelli. We apologize to anyone who has not been mentioned, but we can assure you that there will be future occasions for remembering your unforgettable exploits.