750m, 14 pitches.
Rockfax Description
Despite being of comparable length to the Fedele route, this climb is considerably less sustained and thus an easier proposition. This unfortunately makes the climbing somewhat discontinuous but does allow quicker progress to be made on what is undoubtedly a huge route.
Start by large boulders below a gully with a cairn, on the right side of a short spur.
1) III, 45m. Climb direct up an easy gully.
2) III, 35m. Continue left or right up the gully to a spike belay.
3) III, 50m. Descend left onto a ledge and follow this to enter a steep gully. Climb this direct (or move onto the ridge on the right if wet). Belay on the left-hand side wall at a ring.
4) III, 45m. Descend a couple of metres then traverse easily left, passing under a yellow niche to a stance below a ramp.
5) III, 45m. Climb the ramp, trending slightly left, keeping left of a niche to exit onto a vegetated ledge.
6) II, 40m. Continue direct over ledges and ramps to a stance below another niche.
7) II, 45m. Exit left from the niche and climb direct upwards easily, before following a ramp back right to a stance below a larger niche.
8) III, 50m. Move left from the niche and climb direct to reach a large scree ledge. Belay on a chockstone above a scree gully.
9) III, 20m. Climb a chimney above to a stance below a corner.
10) IV-, 50m. Climb the corner until moves left lead out to a good stance.
11) IV-, 45m. Continue in the same line then, at a ledge, cut back right over a black slab, making a rising traverse below large yellow roofs. Belay just before the right edge of these.
12) III+, 50m. Continue the traverse to beyond the right edge of the roof then climb direct before easier moves lead left.
13) I, 45m. Continue easily up the spur ahead to the right edge of the dark streaks.
14) III+, 50m. Cut diagonally up and left, crossing the streaked rock, to reach a good ledge.
15) III, 50m. Step left on the ledge to a crack and climb this direct to reach a chimney. Follow this left and exit onto easier ground just below the large ledge. Continue easily to reach the terrace. © Rockfax
UKC Logbook Description
West Face.
Dibona, Rizzi, Mayer 1910.
Ticklists
Feedback
| User | Date | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mikecollins | 9 Aug, 2019 |
Show βeta
βeta: For those interested, here is my guide (its raining so killing time): Start as per the guide books - few larger boulders beside a gully, marked with a cairn. 1. Climb up the gully - easy going to a cemented ring - probably about 45m, easy III. 2. From the ring, continue up the gully - it sort of splits so you can go left or right. Right, looking in, has a peg, but left is probably the way to go if you want to belay off the spike that is mentioned in some guides (2m high spike that cant be missed). Approximately 35m, easy III. 3. Move leftwards around broken, chossy, yellow rock, into another gully line and ascend the gully (from pitch 2 belay it runs rightwards up the mountain). As the gully is often wet, some teams / guidebooks suggest moving onto the ridge to the right (looking in) of the gully. What is important is that the actual belay is at the top of the gully on the left hand side wall - cemented ring. Approximately 50m, easy III - lots of drag. These last 3 pitches ascend a spur that gets you onto the main face. 4. Make a rising traverse left across the main face - a thread / tat is immediately visible, followed by a peg, then an old ring and a piton about 1m apart which we belayed from. Approximately 45m, III. 5. From here follow the direction of the piton and move directly up, continue this rising leftward traverse, in some places moving directly up but generally rising leftward. Some guides talk of ramps and vegetated ledges but this is deceiving as there are a number of more distinct ramps to the left, visible from pitch 4 belay, that take you the wrong way! Eventually you will exit into the first scree ledge. Immediately upon existing, look right and you will see a cemented ring belay. 55m, III. 6. From this belay you should be able to see a black water streak to your left and a head wall that you must surmount. We walked left for 40-50m and then climbed a vague chimney to bring us out on another screen ledge with a clear gully to the right. I guess that some guides would suggest climbing directly from the cemented belay ring at the end of pitch 5 as the climbing is easy going. 7. Again, there are numerous ways out of this gully but you must trend rightward. We initially walked up the gully which is blocked at the head by a very large chockstone. Climb the gully on either the left or the right, to bring you out into the main scree basin that is clearly visible on the various photos (second terrace). Upon entering this scree basin, you will see a collection of large boulders (centre left) where there should be some tat forming a belay. 8. To the left (looking inward) you will see a yellow chimney some 10-15m from the belay. Ascend this chimney (one peg) to a stance below a rising ramp / corner. Belay from a peg at the bottom. 20m, III. 9. Climb the corner (best pitch) to a cemented ring immediately above the starting belay. Numerous pegs and threads. 30m, IV-. Some guides indicate that you should continue onward, and then move left to a stance. I think this is wrong - the overall length is about 60m and the drag will be terrible. 10. Continue up the corner which now feels more chimney like. An obvious left exit will become apparent which you should follow to a cemented ring belay. 30m, IV. 11. From the belay, trend leftward for a few meters, making a slight rising traverse below a large yellow roof. As you reach a vague ledge, only a few meters from the belay and as the wall starts to turn more vertical, start to head rightward (this obviously creates drag but on twins you can flick over your right rope). You should see a peg with some yellow tat, and further up, a collection of tat forming a thread. You are making a rising traverse aiming for the top of a small outcrop / buldge of white/yellow chossy looking rock that is approximately 5m below and right of the apex of the yellow roof. From the collection of tat you will see a peg that is approximately 5m right, 4m up. Do not head for this peg - the rock is badly friable and dangerously loose. Instead, head more or less straight up from the tat to reach another, new peg that is not immediately visible. At this point you should be able to see a slight ledge leading rightward (very slight) that will bring you to the corner of the wall. Ascend this and belay on a cemented ring. 55m, IV+. 12. Make a rising rightward traverse to clear the face / yellow roof, do not rely on the tat on a thin spike/flake (it all moves!) before climbing direct for a few meters and then moving back left over easy ground on the top of a buttress, loose and no fixed belay. Initially IV-/ III+ then I / II. 50m. 13. This takes you onto the third terrace / scree bowel. We couldn’t make much sense of the various guides- RockFax’s written description does make some sense but their photo topo doesn’t. What you will see in front of you is easy, scree ground, a slight headwall full of water eroded holes, with a vague ledge above running more or less the full length of the bowel, then another head wall with three or four distinct black vertical streaks / ‘waterfalls’. Trend rightwards over easy ground up a vague gully line and belay off a thread (not in-situ). Approximately 45m, I. There is no in-situ gear or belays on this or the next pitch to give you any indication you are on the right path. 14. Start to make rising left traverse by the easiest and most logical path crossing various waterfalls (streams in reality). Lots of drag again and limited options for protection but easy going. You are aiming for an obvious yellow chimney approximately 10m left of the left most black streak. Belay at the bottom of the chimney off a peg. Approximately 50m III-. 15. Ascend the chimney, initially vertical with good threads and chockstones, which then trends leftward to bring you out, easily onto the main scree terrace. Belay off blocks at the top. 50m III+. Be careful of dislodging rocks, particularly when taking in rope. The traverse of the scree terrace looks a little daunting. We scrambled up to the main head wall and followed it, moving right (looking in) most of the way. There are some sections that are more tricky / loose / dangerous. Although it feels like it, I don’t think a slip would progress into something more serious. Eventually you will come out at the start of Via Maria from where you can descent to the Pordio Pass. I jogged back to the van in 30mins through the forest - easy downhill running though beautiful forest paths. | βeta? | |
|
Show beta
βeta: For those interested, here is my guide (its raining so killing time): Start as per the guide books - few larger boulders beside a gully, marked with a cairn. 1. Climb up the gully - easy going to a cemented ring - probably about 45m, easy III. 2. From the ring, continue up the gully - it sort of splits so you can go left or right. Right, looking in, has a peg, but left is probably the way to go if you want to belay off the spike that is mentioned in some guides (2m high spike that cant be missed). Approximately 35m, easy III. 3. Move leftwards around broken, chossy, yellow rock, into another gully line and ascend the gully (from pitch 2 belay it runs rightwards up the mountain). As the gully is often wet, some teams / guidebooks suggest moving onto the ridge to the right (looking in) of the gully. What is important is that the actual belay is at the top of the gully on the left hand side wall - cemented ring. Approximately 50m, easy III - lots of drag. These last 3 pitches ascend a spur that gets you onto the main face. 4. Make a rising traverse left across the main face - a thread / tat is immediately visible, followed by a peg, then an old ring and a piton about 1m apart which we belayed from. Approximately 45m, III. 5. From here follow the direction of the piton and move directly up, continue this rising leftward traverse, in some places moving directly up but generally rising leftward. Some guides talk of ramps and vegetated ledges but this is deceiving as there are a number of more distinct ramps to the left, visible from pitch 4 belay, that take you the wrong way! Eventually you will exit into the first scree ledge. Immediately upon existing, look right and you will see a cemented ring belay. 55m, III. 6. From this belay you should be able to see a black water streak to your left and a head wall that you must surmount. We walked left for 40-50m and then climbed a vague chimney to bring us out on another screen ledge with a clear gully to the right. I guess that some guides would suggest climbing directly from the cemented belay ring at the end of pitch 5 as the climbing is easy going. 7. Again, there are numerous ways out of this gully but you must trend rightward. We initially walked up the gully which is blocked at the head by a very large chockstone. Climb the gully on either the left or the right, to bring you out into the main scree basin that is clearly visible on the various photos (second terrace). Upon entering this scree basin, you will see a collection of large boulders (centre left) where there should be some tat forming a belay. 8. To the left (looking inward) you will see a yellow chimney some 10-15m from the belay. Ascend this chimney (one peg) to a stance below a rising ramp / corner. Belay from a peg at the bottom. 20m, III. 9. Climb the corner (best pitch) to a cemented ring immediately above the starting belay. Numerous pegs and threads. 30m, IV-. Some guides indicate that you should continue onward, and then move left to a stance. I think this is wrong - the overall length is about 60m and the drag will be terrible. 10. Continue up the corner which now feels more chimney like. An obvious left exit will become apparent which you should follow to a cemented ring belay. 30m, IV. 11. From the belay, trend leftward for a few meters, making a slight rising traverse below a large yellow roof. As you reach a vague ledge, only a few meters from the belay and as the wall starts to turn more vertical, start to head rightward (this obviously creates drag but on twins you can flick over your right rope). You should see a peg with some yellow tat, and further up, a collection of tat forming a thread. You are making a rising traverse aiming for the top of a small outcrop / buldge of white/yellow chossy looking rock that is approximately 5m below and right of the apex of the yellow roof. From the collection of tat you will see a peg that is approximately 5m right, 4m up. Do not head for this peg - the rock is badly friable and dangerously loose. Instead, head more or less straight up from the tat to reach another, new peg that is not immediately visible. At this point you should be able to see a slight ledge leading rightward (very slight) that will bring you to the corner of the wall. Ascend this and belay on a cemented ring. 55m, IV+. 12. Make a rising rightward traverse to clear the face / yellow roof, do not rely on the tat on a thin spike/flake (it all moves!) before climbing direct for a few meters and then moving back left over easy ground on the top of a buttress, loose and no fixed belay. Initially IV-/ III+ then I / II. 50m. 13. This takes you onto the third terrace / scree bowel. We couldn’t make much sense of the various guides- RockFax’s written description does make some sense but their photo topo doesn’t. What you will see in front of you is easy, scree ground, a slight headwall full of water eroded holes, with a vague ledge above running more or less the full length of the bowel, then another head wall with three or four distinct black vertical streaks / ‘waterfalls’. Trend rightwards over easy ground up a vague gully line and belay off a thread (not in-situ). Approximately 45m, I. There is no in-situ gear or belays on this or the next pitch to give you any indication you are on the right path. 14. Start to make rising left traverse by the easiest and most logical path crossing various waterfalls (streams in reality). Lots of drag again and limited options for protection but easy going. You are aiming for an obvious yellow chimney approximately 10m left of the left most black streak. Belay at the bottom of the chimney off a peg. Approximately 50m III-. 15. Ascend the chimney, initially vertical with good threads and chockstones, which then trends leftward to bring you out, easily onto the main scree terrace. Belay off blocks at the top. 50m III+. Be careful of dislodging rocks, particularly when taking in rope. The traverse of the scree terrace looks a little daunting. We scrambled up to the main head wall and followed it, moving right (looking in) most of the way. There are some sections that are more tricky / loose / dangerous. Although it feels like it, I don’t think a slip would progress into something more serious. Eventually you will come out at the start of Via Maria from where you can descent to the Pordio Pass. I jogged back to the van in 30mins through the forest - easy downhill running though beautiful forest paths. |
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Route of Interest
Via Normale 2
Grade: IV- ***
(Cinque Torri)