Comici on cima grande

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 llanberis36 08 Jun 2020

Thinking about the comici route on the cima grande as one of the six north faces, and training, for those that have climbed it, do you think multiple pitches of say Darius on high would be fairly close thinking about grade and climbing style

In reply to llanberis36:

It has more pegs per pitch and a lot more loose rock but in comparative grade terms I would say about E3 5c.

Al

 duncan b 08 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

You might find the Comici pretty easy after multiple pitches of Darius! As I recall the Comici only has one hard pitch which I thought was easier, and shorter lived, than Darius. I think big days are the best kind of training for these kind of things. Maybe start climbing at first light at high tor and do a load of routes from HVS to E3. Then jog round to Wildcat and Willersley and do the same till dark.

 The Grist 08 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

I found the Comici pretty easy. As people have said there are loads of pegs on it. The crux is low on the route and you will probably be doing it at dawn not warmed up. There is likely to be a team behind you so you will probably feel rushed. A lot of people probably pull on gear on that section just to get on with it. The route felt a lot easier than Darius. Probably more like the HVS’s at High Tor. But that said being able to lead Darius is probably the standard you want to be to get on the Comici and enjoy it. 

 Dave Rudkin 09 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36

Yellow Edge on the Cima Piccola, and the Cassin on the Cima Piccolissima, are a little easier and shorter (and sunnier) then the Comici, which makes them ideal warm-ups and a good chance to get your eye in with the Dolomite Limestone.

Also worth while if you have a bit of spare energy, is to raz up the normal descent route off the Cima Grande, it’s just an exposed scramble with a few steps, but it makes the descending after any of the North Face routes loads quicker, as you’ll know where all the best abseil anchors are.

OP llanberis36 09 Jun 2020
In reply to Dave Rudkin:

Great thanks all

 dominic o 09 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

The Rucksack Club and Alpine Club are featuring The Six Great North Faces in two virtual slideshows taking place on 23 June and 6 July as part of a "Stay In There!" lock-down programme. Initial info here and links for the livestream to follow shortly: https://rucksackclub.org/stay-in-there/

I'll be covering Cima Grande in the July slot, with tales from the Comici and the Brandler-Haas if you want to tune in for some beta

Meanwhile I'd definitely confirm comments above about E3 for the crux pitch and laps on easier routes on High Tor being good training, and the advice to recce the descent is something I'd go back and tell my former self if they invented time travel (watch the show to find out why!)

Cheers, Dom 

OP llanberis36 09 Jun 2020
In reply to dominic o:

Brilliant thanks for this

Have a fairly loose plan of attempting four of these faces over the next ten years, having already done the casin on the piz badille, and that the north faces on the Matterhorn and Eiger will be to much and do will just do the standard routes on these

Looking forward to the slide show

 The Grist 09 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

Another point you probably want to consider for the Comici is the hut situation. I just could not get a hut space when I was there. I tried booking it a week in advance and got nowhere. Ended up wild camping for a week a short distance from the base of the Comici but putting the tent up and then taking it down at dawn. It is a very touristy area and crazy busy in peak season. I got the feeling that wild camping was not permitted (but got away with it anyway). Just worth bearing in mind as you need to be quite organised to get huts booked. Car parking is also a pain and expensive there. I parked outside the national park and caught a bus in. That saved money. 
I also got on the route in a shit weather forecast and drizzle. Just wanted to get it done and had a week of relatively poor weather. It worked out ok. Sometimes you just have to go for it to get things done out there.......but I also struggled on the descent. Ended up in a rail storm and quite stressed. Abseiled down a sports route we found in the end. Have since heard others say the descent is easy to find. I guess it is easy if you do not get lost. 

 John Alcock 09 Jun 2020
In reply to The Grist:

I thought E3 6a free, but probably only E2 5c with a couple of points of aid. Laps on Darius or a few long days at Swanage would prepare you well (Swanage is much more scary). We did the direct finish, which is technically easy but much bolder than the lower wall. Cold fingers can be a problem if you start early as it's (obviously) north-facing, so maybe try Darius in Winter..and with a sack!

 Heike 09 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

When I did it, we had psyched ourselves up before by doing other long mutli-pitches in the Dolomites, we got round to it and we obviously wanted to get on it early before everyone else and allow for time. We got there crack of dawn and it was freezing, but we were the first, it was amazing. First few pitches were the hardest, thereafter enjoyable climbing. Bear in mind, you then have to descend the normal route as well. The whole thing was made funny by the Dolomitic men's choir walking round the huts at the Cima and singing traditional songs! OMG

I'd say best training is long multi pitches and don't be afraid to pull on a peg or so if needed to aid timeliness (not that I did that

So, I am not sure Darius would be the best training, but then at least you can train (not like us here in Scotland)

In reply to llanberis36:

"Ended up in a rail storm and quite stressed."

Goodness, that does sound stressful.

It's kinda like doing eight sports pitches between 6a and 6b, with one harder move right by a peg at the bottom when you're freezing cold, followed by another eight or so pitches of VS, so say whatever grade that feels like to you. Darius is way harder than any single pitch you will encounter.

As to the descent, our experience was that it was obvious up to a couple of bolts in a gully above a void. We later learned that these were installed by a rescue team after another team attempted this abseil on fifty-metre ropes which didn't reach and one of their number had to spend the night hanging on the rope. Fortunately we had sixty-metre ropes and someone who judged well that they would reach.

Evidently we must have lost the usual ascent route as such, but subsequent threads have suggested this is a common way down. Bearing in mind the fact that by this point it may well be dark, raining, and/or a thunderstorm, I dare say there is something to be said for reconnoitring the descent, although it does all look a bit the same on that side; I'm not sure you'd be able to remember the route exactly.

jcm

 Martin Hore 09 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

Thought I'd chip in as I've done the route, but please don't glean too much from my experience. It was a long time ago (mid 80's), I suspect there were rather more pegs in place then (and in better nick) and I had a stronger partner (Richard Toon - though we did alternate leads throughout). I usually admit that I "brought it down" to my level by unashamedly peg pulling.

We actually started the day at Sella Pass (before 5.00am), drove to the highest parking near the hut, walked round and started as last team at around 9.00am. The first team was already at the scree ledge so we had to dodge some stonefall to reach the base - not clever in retrospect. Richard led the crux move low down - I can't remember if he pulled on the peg - I certainly did. Thereafter we made good progress and kept up with other teams. 

We went to the summit - a mistake at the late hour - and did much of the descent in the dark. We got it right I think. We were back at Sella about 1.00am - quite a day!

Taking my peg-pulling into account I reckon I climbed it at about VS - albeit a very long VS. I was confident at HVS on Peak Limestone at the time, with occasional forays to E1 (a few of which have since "drifted" to E2). With hindsight, I definitely would NOT consider tackling the route again today with that level of ability, certainly not without a stronger companion.

Good luck if you do get on it. It's a fine route.

Martin

 ian caton 09 Jun 2020
In reply to The Grist:

You can park for free if you go up after 8pm.take a ticket at the barrier so you are legit and leave after 8pm.

Was that way 2 years ago. We parked up uop there for 5 days or so. Lots do. Use a free standing tent in the car park. Loos in the hut for a small fee. Loos in the car park in day time.

It can be bitterly cold or really warm. 

 tebs 10 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

I'm well placed to answer this as I did both Darius and the Comici within a month of each other in 2013. Or more accurately I didn't do Darius, I couldn't even dog it it was so hard, but happily onsighted the crux of the Comici on lead, with a pack. So don't be put off the Comici if you find Darius hard!

 dominic o 18 Jun 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

I'm following up with more details on the livestreams as promised:

The Rucksack Club and Alpine Club, two of Britain’s oldest mountaineering clubs, combine to take you up the classic Six Great North Faces of the Alps, with accounts from 6 different members. As ticklists go this is short, sweet and an easy one to remember, but containing formidable and historic routes, it's not such an easy one to complete and has become the benchmark for the serious alpinist. It's the Matterhorn, Eiger, Grandes Jorasses; the Petit Dru, Cima Grande di Laveredo, and Piz Badile. 

7:30pm on Tuesday 23 June ’The Six Great North Faces’. In Part 1 we are hosted by the Rucksack Club to celebrate what has become known as "the trilogy": Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses, and the Eiger, with speakers Andy Kirkpatrick, Martin Cooper, Nick Wallis, Bill Deakin and Cec Rhodes. As usual, we will finish with a Q&A.

You can watch the livestream at the following YouTube Event link: youtube.com/watch?v=VKy9HKhFwTU& and also pose questions to the speakers via the comments function.

7:30pm on Tuesday 7 July ’The Six Great North Faces’. In Part 2, we are hosted by the Alpine Club to tick the remainder of The Big Six: the Petit Dru, Cima Grande di Laveredo, and Piz Badile, with speakers James Thacker, Dominic Oughton and Ian Bryant. As usual, we will finish with a Q&A.

You can watch the livestream at the following YouTube Event link: youtube.com/watch?v=KGT8dgjXI0Y& and also pose questions to the speakers via the comments function.

'See you' there! 

Cheers, Dom

 dominic o 05 Jul 2020
In reply to dominic o:

Following up on my previous post:

The Rucksack Club and Alpine Club, two of Britain’s oldest mountaineering clubs, have combined forces to take you up the classic Six Great North Faces of the Alps, with accounts from 6 different members. As ticklists go this is short, sweet and an easy one to remember, but containing formidable and historic routes, it's not such an easy one to complete and has become the benchmark for the serious alpinist. It's the Matterhorn, Eiger, Grandes Jorasses; the Petit Dru, Cima Grande di Laveredo, and Piz Badile. 

Part 2 is at 7:30pm on Tuesday 7 July and we are hosted by the Alpine Club to tick the remainder of The Big Six: the Petit Dru, Cima Grande di Laveredo, and Piz Badile, with speakers James Thacker, Dominic Oughton and Ian Bryant. You can watch the livestream at the following YouTube Event link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGT8dgjXI0Y& and also pose questions to the speakers via the comments function.

Meanwhile, if you missed Part 1 - "The Trilogy": Matterhorn, Grandes Jorasses, and the Eiger, with speakers Andy Kirkpatrick, Martin Cooper, Nick Wallis, Bill Deakin and Cec Rhodes, you'll find a catch-up version at:  youtube.com/watch?v=-5uY4fWL3ng&

'See you' there! 

Cheers, Dom

OP llanberis36 07 Jul 2020
In reply to dominic o:

That was great

even more inspired than before to get most of them done

thanks

 Sean Kelly 07 Jul 2020
In reply to dominic o:

Can't get any sound from either video.

 dominic o 08 Jul 2020
In reply to llanberis36:

Glad you enjoyed it - be sure to stay out of the crap  

Cheers, Dom 

 dominic o 08 Jul 2020
In reply to Sean Kelly:

Hi Sean 

Sorry to hear that - I've just checked the link from last night and it works OK on my phone. I'll put the video up on the Rucksack Club Vimeo page when I'm back in WiFi range in a couple of days, so try there if the links still don't work. 

https://rucksackclub.org/virtual-meet-gallery/

Cheers, Dom 


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