[Hide Comment] 5.10a/b & A0 would be a more accurate grade. The crux pull off the deck on the first pitch is burly - harder than 6b/5.10c (maybe .11a?). Word on the street is that Bridwell first freed it back in the day. Most pull through on a fixed pin. Otherwise, the route cruises along at mostly 5.8 with a some 5.9/.10a sections here and there. Look up Mario Vannuccini if you want to hire a local guide to show you around - he is cool as a cucumber and great fun to climb with. May 11, 2020

[Hide Comment] An outstanding line, similar to Mötorhead in having sustained corners and some spicy friction slab but not as long of a day overall. The upper pitches are truly fantastic/memorable with the most difficult part of the route being finding it to yourself. Apparently the route is one of the first to dry after rains given its exposure to the winds. Below is a detailed recap of the route.

P1: Straight up on easy terrain towards the fixed piton/nut in an angling finger crack. 6b boulder move to the belay on a slung spike/flake. Boulder is probably accurately graded at 6b but assuming you know where the hidden holds are. 15m 6b

P2: Traverse L into the chimney and scoot up to transition onto the face with a piton under a small overlap. Above the overlap an arching traverse begins to the R with many fixed pitons. The traverse is rated 6b and good friction/conditions will help feet to stick on the worn holds. At the end of the corner go up 10 feet or so to an awkward hanging belay. Be careful to extend your gear near the end of the traverse to avoid getting your rope stuck. 20m 6b

P3: The first of three beautiful liebacking pitches. The hardest moves are off the belay, and then the difficulties ease until the crack pinches down. Here, it is possible to traverse to the right on a good ledge towards a shrub and a series of stacked blocks. Choose from one of a few belay options. 30m 5b

P4: The hardest of the liebacking pitches. Take the higher of the two arching liebacks to the right which leads to another long but harder liebacking section. This next section needs thinner gear so don’t place it all on the arching lieback at the beginning of the pitch. End on another hanging belay off of several pitons in the crack. Alternatively there is the “historical” belay on an obvious block to the right that requires a small traverse. 40m 6a

P5: After following a short arching lieback traverse under an overlap, pull some unprotected moves to get established under a roof with a piton. Follow the roof to the right to another long stretch of sustained liebacking. The belay is on a small ledge which gives a break from the previous hanging belays. 40m 5c+

P6: This pitch begins with some face climbing and thin liebacking protected by pitons and stuck nuts. Then you follow the hand/fist crack for a few meters into a chimney like feature. The crack continues up to make the “falcon’s eye”, but looking left you should see some slings/cord around a horn feature. Clip a long sling to the tat on this anchor point and clip one of your ropes to it to protect the follower. Then traverse left and down on the sloping foot ramp to make contact with the wide crack on the left of the "eye". Shortly, a line of holds appear taking you onto the left side of the “bat flake”. Follow this wide crack around 15 m to a belay on fixed pins. Clipping your other rope into a #5 works perfectly to protect the most exciting moves on the wide part. Many reports recommend a #4 but it won't fit until you’re almost at the anchor. With this setup, your follower can yard on the rope clipped to the #5 to gain the left side of the bat flake while enjoying a toprope on the other rope. 50m 5c

P7: An amazing crack pitch that goes from hands to fingers to tips all in a wonderful position. Belay on three fixed pins to be integrated. 50m 5b

P8: Traverse to the left on the obvious vein. A bomber .75 can be had halfway. This pitch seems super intimidating from photos, but it’s all there and goes relatively smoothly. Finish where the vein meets a crack/seam running diagonally to the right. If you choose to belay here it’s a natural anchor on 0.4-0.75 sized crack. Choosing to belay at the bottom of the seam didn’t appear possible as the crack is totally pinched down, but there are good options where there upper seam intersects the diagonal crack. 45m 3a

P9: A short pitch to the end of the diagonal crack where there are two pitons. Many reports suggest linking this to the top but it appears that with a 60m you might have to simul. It would be without a doubt longer than the 45m quoted above. 15m 4a

P10: From the belay, spot the line of worn holds up the friction slab running more or less straight up to the large black band running horizontally above. It looks totally mental but good holds appear a few feet sooner than the black band. That said, the moves off the belay to the band are probably in the 5.6/5.7 range with no pro. Once at the band it is basically over and progressively easier terrain can followed diagonally left towards the trees. A warning: 5 meters horizontally to the left of the belay one sees a line of black incuts rising up to the left. Don’t get suckered out here as the fall would be… not pretty. Basically from the belay you step 1-2m left onto the face and then climb more or less straight up always staying on a well-traveled line heading towards the band. (~)50m 5a/b (no pro)

The descent and approach are described in detail elsewhere. One warning is to not descend into the gully directly under the climb. Rather when you see that the trail forks and turns right steeply this way (after maybe 5 minutes on the descent trail) look instead left uphill to see some granite boulders where the other branch of the trail runs. Follow this latter option which takes you easily but with some exposed sections to the base of the climb in ~30 minutes.

Rack: Doubles C4 .3-2, single #3 and #5, larger brassies and dmm offset aluminum (yellow size most helpful). Optional triples .3-.4 and a black totem sized cam. Double ropes strongly recommended. Most belays on fixed pins always to be inspected. 12 quickdraws and a few long slings for the traversing pitches.

See Also: Val di Mello by Mario Sertori and Plasir Sud Jun 13, 2021

[Hide Comment] Best crack line in Italy hands down!

Colussiv's beta is the best of what I read. Totally stupdenous climb. First pitch has some nice fingerlocks but definitely more like 11b,c. There's a pin entering the crack now and the fixed nut's wire has exploded recently.

Linking his pitches 8 and 9 is pretty straightfoward. Then the last pitch, wild! I fixed an anchor the rightmost in the group of trees on the left and looked down and saw I had the halfway point of the rope just below me ( so like 38m no pro). We had a single 70m confident we wouldn't have to bail and that worked nicely.

Doubles was fine from .4 to 2. Single .1-.3, 3 and a 4. wishing we could have traded that 4 or a 5 on the wacky downclimb / batwing pitch 5. you're pretty runout after that downclimb and traverse and a 4 only gets you pro just before you reach the anchor. Oct 9, 2023