EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

From Trad to sports climbingin Orco Valley

COLLANA LUOGHI VERTICALI

Valle dell’Orco

Maurizio Oviglia

www.versantesud.it

First edition September 2010ISBN 978-88-96634-21-9

Copyright © 2010 VERSANTE SUD S.r.l. Milano via Longhi, 10, ph. 027490163, Italywww.versantesud.it

All translation, reproduction, adaptation and electronicregistration, either totally or partially, by any methods, are rights reserved for all countries.

Cover image Adriano Trombetta, Elisir d’Incastro, Sergent (ph. Damiano Levati)

Text Maurizio Oviglia

Drawings and topos Eugenio Pinotti

Translations Alexandra Ercolani (Topos) Mario Baumgarten (Introductions and mountaineering histoy)

Symbols Iacopo Leardini

GPS mapping Paolo Seimandi

Printed by Monotipia Cremonese (CR)

AcknowledgementsFirst and foremost, I would like to thank Paolo Seimandi for having hosted and accompanied me throughout the time I spent in the Orco Valley in order to work on the guidebook. Here is a list of all the other people whom I wish to thank for their precious collaboration, advice and information: Gianmario Bellini, Valerio Bertoglio, Daniele Caneparo, Damiano Ceresa, Fabiano Contarin, Nicolas Favresse, Andrea Giorda, Rolando Larcher, Damiano Levati, Fabio Malosti, Cecilia Marchi, Gilberto Merlante, Marcello Merlo, Eugenio Pinotti, Bruno Quaresima, Tom Randall, Stefano Rapelli, Vincenzo Sartore, Marco Spataro, Adriano Trombetta.

NoteClimbing is a potentially dangerous sport, and those that take part do so at their own risk. All the descriptions in this guide have been based on information available at the time, but this should always be evaluated for yourself or by a qualified person before undertaking any climb.

ROCKMAP

Maurizio Oviglia

VALLE DELL’ORCO From Trad to sports climbing in Orco Valley

EDIZIONI VERSANTE SUD

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The success of Rock Paradise , proven by the large number of routes opened over the last years, and the ever growing frequentation of the Orco Valley, especially by people from abroad, have convinced the editor and myself to prepare the publication of an altogether new edition, both in Italian and in English. Personally, I consider the writing of the original book, Rock Paradise, an experience of its own, which is, under certain aspects, unrepea-table due to the particular historical background it was set in. Deep inside me, I wished to create something new, rather than merely re-editing the original guidebook with some up-dates. At the same time, I wanted to maintain some of those “historical” texts that had aroused such large interest, making Rock Paradise be appreciated as a somewhat “different” kind of guidebook.Before thinking too much about what my new book and its possible editorial line were supposed to look like, I simply set to work, starting to gather all the useful data and information. In general, I immensely enjoy working on the actual terrain; whoever knows me knows, that I like to do more than just have a look, take a couple of photo-graphs and collect new information. What I like to do most is go out and physically repeat each one of the routes I describe, besides, of course, ope-ning some new ones! As a matter of fact, I have always felt unable to return to this valley without trying to discover something new, some rock I just felt compelled to climb myself…Over the past years, I have developed a true passion for clean climbing, stronger than ever. I’ve travelled to England and Canada, and then it was in the United States that I had the opportunity to learn many things by testing my personal experience on that very ground that had historically given birth to clean climbing. Thanks to my new experiences, the Orco Valley appeared, once more, under a new light: wherever I looked, I managed to see both new lines and untouched possibilities; which is quite surprising, if one considers that this valley is one of the mythic sites of Italian rock climbing. That’s why I could hardly believe that nobody else was there, ready to seize these opportunities: all modern climbers’ efforts,

their eagerness to put up a new line, seemed to crystallize, over and over again, within the very same restricted areas, saturating the historical walls beyond all limits. It looked as though each single climber was just out for his own little piece of glory. Manlio Motto, the last person to go for the unexplored in the Orco Valley, had, some years before, stopped opening new routes; at present, there was no such leading figure to drive on the others and be looked up to… Although the publication of Rock Paradise had largely increased the frequentation of these rocks, and fulfilled one of the book’s original scopes, one cannot deny that the choice of innovative ideas, displayed on the tray of the present day, appeared to be rather limited. The Orco Valley too, meanwhile risks to give way to the latest of fashions: the fashion of pleasure climbs and of anything that is easy and safe. This trend was already raging throughout all the other valleys of the Piemonte Region. The attempt of re-launching clean climbing in the Orco Valley, and thus exploring it in a new way, seemed, to me, a worthy cause for writing a new book. And so I simply set out and started work, searching through each corner of the Valley, in search of rocks and walls suited for climbing in accordance with the philosophy of clean climbing. At the same time – believe it or not – a group of English climbers appeared to see exactly the same things I saw: they had already started to explore the most remote spots of the Valley, climbing up those minor rock faces that nobody had ever thought of tackling: things went so far that they eventually wrote on the website www.planetmountain.com that the entire Orco Valley was yet waiting to be explored! These most recent events definitively confirmed the grounds for my inspiration, making me believe that my idea was not at all wrong: the track I had chosen was definitely right!Through my books, which I consider to be so-mething more than common guidebooks - where you can read the grades and names of several lines - I have always tried to inspire the new generations by suggesting a direction to follow. Especially during the stages of climbing history, when one a certain creative weariness was in the air. The

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Maurizio Oviglia, Itaca nel sole, Caporal (Sara Oviglia)

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guidebook that is now in your hands has got the identical scope: it is not only a technical guidebook, as a matter of fact more technical than Rock Paradi-se; it is the attempt to realize a secret dream of mine and give way to a new chapter in local climbing history. But first... let us see how the public reacts to this new wave…I must admit that the quantity of work turned out to be far more consistent than I had imagined; since many routes had to first be opened and then repeated, the time necessary for the completion of the present guidebook grew considerably. In one whole climbing season I managed to collect no more than the material concerning the walls of Sergent! Also because I stuck to my resolution that I would not only repeat most of the routes, but write a new report for each one of them, according to my up-to-date evaluation of difficulties! Although I had planned several working sessions for the following year (sessions starting in spring and ending in autumn), it soon became clear that it would be quite impossible to collect the climbs of the entire Gran Paradiso massif in one single volume. As I went on thinking about the best way to divide up my work,

I eventually re-examined my very first guidebook of the Orco Valley, Arrampicate in Valle dell’Orco, published back in 1987. I realized that there was one thing that had not changed over the years. The name Orco Valley has remained associated, first of all, with the walls of Caporal, Sergent and the Torre di Aimonin, Along with all their satellite walls. That’s the part of the Valley that is still written with a capital V , the Valley which the majority of climbers continue to refer to as a key attraction.For this reason, the contents of the present gui-debook are confined to the rock faces of the Orco Valley, ranging from the crags of the lower valley to the epic walls of Sergent and Caporal, and, farther up, to the cliffs just below the Col de Nivolet. I have deliberately left some free room for material to be developed in the future. Unless I should lose the passion and energy that have kept me going so far, I will be writing a new book during the coming years, a work that will contain a thorough description of the entire massif, true to the spirit of Rock Paradise …

Buenos Aires, 22 February 2010

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THE ORCO VALLEY

The Orco Valley is one of the most important valleys of the Piemont Region. More than forty kilometres long, it gives access to the southern slopes of the Gran Paradiso massif, stretching out from west to east - that is perpendicularly to the valleys located in the Valle d’Aosta Region, on the northern side of the group. This fact is actually a bit strange and is supposedly connected with the unusually strong erosive forces of the river Orco, a river that did not adapt to the maximum slope, like the rivers of the Aosta Valley, but instead cut deep into the gneiss layer below, creating the typical landscape of the Orco Valley, characterized by beautiful rock gorges, as for example the gorge one reaches just beneath the basin of Ceresole. It must be the beauty of the Orco Valley that made it acquire its present fame; the side valleys form a special microcosm whose distinctive feature is the unusual gneiss rock that visibly fills every corner of the valley with slabs, walls and moutonneed rocks. This characteristic which it shares with the adjacent Val Grande di Lanzo contributed to transform the Orco Valley into one of Italy’s iconic climbing sites on granite, no less than the Mello Valley in the Central Alps. It is true that neither hiking and trekking nor mountaineering are unusual enough in the Orco Valley to distinguish it from any other valley in the Alps. As to the rock of the Orco Valley, the Gorge of Balma Fiorant is one of the most appealing sites for rock climbers, a place where several walls have already been explored at the beginning of the Seventies – rock faces that, up to then, had not even been noticed by man. The unique beauty of some of these walls has even led to a comparison with certain features of the Yosemite Valley in California, though on a minor scale. The first routes were put up on the most impressive walls of the valley, whereupon climbers continued their exploration above and below the gorge. Sergent was climbed, a mountain towering high above Ceresole; then came the so-called Aimonin Tower above Noasca, and, finally, a series of minor rock structures. Rock climbers eventually took to regarding this small granite island in the mid section of the valley as a distinct microcosm, as if the mountains in all the other corners of the valley did not exist; for many years the name “Orco Valley” denoted the area between the two villages of Rosone and Ceresole. It was only later on that also the mountains overlooking the valley, such as Percia, Courmaon, Monte Castello and Gran Carro, took on an alpine identity of their own. An analogous process was developing in the Mello Valley, where several granite structures located in the lower regions of the valley were being explored during the very same period…

The Orco Valley can no doubt look back onto a history of intense alpine activity: today, it owns the status of an icon - following the words of the men who have celebrated the historical alpine epoch of the early 1970s, named the “Nuovo Mattino“ (Nuovo Mattino was a movement during the seventies which influenced mountaineering and the methods used for climbing: emphasising freedom and transgression, refusing the mountaineering culture of reaching the summit at all costs: Nuovo Mattino followed the dogma of “free” climbing inspired by the Yosemite philoshophy”); an alpine history which, far from being continuous, includes some long periods of stagnation. Every wall described in this guidebook can be seen as a piece of this history, although it is humans who write history. The climbers who wrote this specific piece of history are so numerous that it is practically impossible to mention each one of them, without neglecting anyone. Whereas the most famous of these climbers have operated on close to all the walls, the more discrete ones were drawn to some minor rock faces which they ended up appointing as their personal gardens. This explains why it has not always been easy to trace reliable information, in an attempt to write what may be considered the minor history of the Valley – which doesn’t necessarily mean “less important than the official one”... Basically, one tends to speak of the Orco Valley in mere connection with the Nuovo Mattino , without realizing that there are 30 more years of climbing history to be told!The thing that made Rock Paradise, the former edition of Orco Valley, particularly interesting, is the fact that each single wall was linked to a specific person, a person whose portrait was suited to match the character of the rock on which he had expressed himself best. It is my wish to maintain this approach as much as possible in this new guidebook; I intend to speak of the more recent years as well, about all the tendencies that have emerged. Well aware of the fact that during the past ten years the leading figures whose charisma had contributed to inspire the upcoming generations, have altogether disappeared, as well in the Orco Valley as everywhere else. As I pointed out in the introduction, the present guidebook treats the technical aspects more accurately than the previous edition, attributing equal importance to both historical and cultural issues. All routes have been integrated with the respective technical accounts, and a considerable effort was made to improve the overall evaluation, aiming towards a more homogeneous result, matching the evaluation used worldwide for the most outstanding granite climbing sites. Back in the days of the Nuovo Mattino the Orco Valley was not much more than a sort of garden for a restricted

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number of climbers who were part dreamers, part revolutionaries. A garden that might have remained little-known, had it not been so aptly described by the pens of Alessandro Gogna, Gianpiero Motti and Andrea Gobetti. In spite of the sort of halo that had always covered its legendary rocks, the Orco Valley remained an extremely provincial place throughout the years to come, a valley frequented mainly by climbers from Turin, if not by a couple of curious individuals coming from far away. It is only recently that things have changed; more and more strangers can be seen on the walls of Sergent and Caporal. Some cracks have become so celebrated that photographs of them appear on magazine covers and are highlighted in the opening pages of several websites, ever since the worldwide best specialists of this art have come to climb them from distant countries. It is about time that the Orco Valley occupies the place it deserves and is recognized as one of the foremost sanctuaries of European climbing. Its fascinating history will have to be transmitted and revealed to whoever comes from “outside”, for these walls cannot go on living forever on the splendors of the past. This guidebook is meant to both highlight the present splendors and suggest the opportunities of a hypothetic tomorrow. Without much ado it is you yourselves who will succeed in detecting all this by repeating the latest creations, often far away from the coveted walls of Caporal and Sergent. The future has yet to be written, and the responsibility that we’ve got today is greater than it has ever been in the past...

The Orco Valley begins right beyond the country town of Courgnè situated at the very foot of the mountains. Along the new clearway one quickly reaches Pont Canavese, which can be bypassed on the left-hand side. Note that in the centre of the village there is an “urban” crag for climbing, the so-called Rogge. If you follow the bypass instead, and look to the left beyond the river-bed, then you will note a dark rock face, the falesia di Luca, one of the most recently equipped sport-climbing walls, which was for many years frequented only by local climbers. Back on the main road, one leaves Sparone (��2 m) to one’s left and proceeds beyond the small Valley of Ribordone which opens up on one’s right-hand side. Hidden within the sunny slopes lies one of the most frequented crags of the region, Frachiamo, which can be reached on a narrow asphalt road. Driving on through the main valley one encounters the small hamlet of Bosco, situated at one’s right, just beneath the crag that has been given the same name. In terms of sport-climbing this is probably the best known crag of the area. Being protected from rain and relatively warm in winter, it is frequented practically all year.

Not far from here lies the chief town of the valley, Locana (613 m), 12 km from Pont, where the valley takes on its characteristic rocky and enclosed aspect. Just beyond the village one can enjoy a beautiful view of the Vallone di Piantonetto and the impressive Becco della Tribolazione. Having passed through a couple of hamlets consisting of very few houses, one reaches Rosone (71� m), at the beginning of the Valle di Piantonetto, 16.6 km from Pont. The narrow road for San Giacomo takes one to the rocks of Bugni at the beginning of the Vallone di Piantonetto, in a panoramic position overlooking the central section of the Orco Valley. After the village of Rosone the valley makes a bend towards west and changes character, becoming more and more enclosed. On one’s left-hand sight dark rock faces come into sight: among these lies the barely visible structure of Zeppelin. At its base there is a boulder split by an extremely difficult crack dubbed Greenspit, widely considered the most complex crack of its kind in Europe. After having passed through a tunnel one reaches the hamlet of Fornolosa (742 m) from where one can admire the rock faces to one’s left, many of them practically unexplored up to this day. Narrow granite ravines conceal high waterfalls, while a height difference of over 2000 metres separates the valley floor from the watershed above the Val Grande. Pass through some more hamlets one of which lies on the right-hand side of the road: Gera, situated at the bottom of several granite walls. This area can be identified as one of the last frontiers of the valley; having remained practically unknown up to now, it is generally known as Bambanero. It is only in view of this publication that I have finally managed to piece together a fairly precise classification apt to serve as a basis for future explorers. All these already climbed walls and rock faces have now got a name of their own, so they are clearly identifiable with the aid of photographs taken from the opposite slope of the valley. In the more distant background one can admire Courmaon, which appears on the left-hand side of the Vallone del Roc. By turning gradually north-west the road reaches Noasca (10�8 m), 2�.8 km from Pont, a village renowned for its beautiful waterfall. Before entering the built-up area of the village it is worth having a look at the beautiful rock face of the Torre dell’Alpe Costantino, as we catch a clear sight of the enormous slabs of the Torre di Aimonin, supported by a stony ground of large boulders.Two steep hair-pin curves give access to the “epic” heart of the valley: before our eyes extends a narrow tableland named Pian Dlera (12�0 m), at the very beginning of Balma Fiorant, a gorge famous for its rock faces. On the left-hand side we immediately recognize the large dark rock face named Parete delle

Giusto Gervasutti Giancarlo Grassi Danilo Galante

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Mountaineering historyThe original guidebook Rock Paradise describes the entire Gran Paradiso Massif, which is why large space was dedicated to the alpine history written about the southern slopes of the mountain. However, the previous book of mine focused on the rocks of Courmaon, the Becco di Valsoera and the Becco della Tribolazione, which Giusto Gervasutti had got interested in just after World War II. It was not until the very end of the Sixties that the rock faces of the lower Orco Valley were considered worthy of attention. In order to tell the history of the Orco Valley we must first of all tell the history of Caporal and Sergent: only as a result can we explain what the true significance of the Nuovo Mattino is, a movement which is commonly considered the origin of rock climbing in the lower portions of the valley. The real big bang is likely to have occurred towards the end of the Sixties, in an era when a couple of alpinists began to show concrete interest in those granite bastions below Ceresole. This is why our story not only begins but also ends at the car park beneath the shield of Caporal...

1972: the year of changes. For the first time in history the rock walls of the valley floor are taken into consideration.Let us record the first attempts carried out by Cotta and Saviane on the rock face of Ancesieu, in the Valle di Forzo, along with those of Machetto and Gogna on the Scoglio di Mroz at the beginning of the Valle di Piantonetto. The first ascent of Caporal, accomplished by two parties guided by Motti and Manera occurs at practically the same time, and marks the beginning of a new chapter.

1973: an epic year during which the former difficulty standards are surpassed during some “symbolic”

climbs inspired by the philosophy of the Nuovo Mattino which Gian Piero Motti had elaborated. Together with Cerruti, Gogna continues the exploration of the Scoglio di Mroz by opening the Via della Torre Staccata, a line of remarkable beauty, although the enterprise of the year is no doubt the ascent of Sole Nascente on Caporal by Motti, Grassi and Kosterlitz. More or less the same team becomes the first to set hands onto the rock of the Torre di Aimonin. At the same time, Galante and Grassi discover Sergent, tracing “Cannabis”, a small work of geniuses in terms of free and aid climbing. Spurred on by the waves of enthusiasm, Manera puts up the Via della Rivoluzione on Caporal, a masterpiece of mixed climbing.

1974: the rock structures of the gorge of Balma Fiorant in the lower valley are being explored more intensely, but what is really new are the free ascents of Galante, truly extreme and audacious, representing a veritable jump in quality as compared to the era of Gervasutti.Galante and Bonelli ascend the Diedro del Mistero and the Fessura della Disperazione on Sergent, as well as the Diedro Nanchez on Caporal, where they most likely touch the limits of upper grade VI by placing as good as no protections at all. Manera explores the Parete delle Aquile and the Parete dei Falchi next to Caporal, rock faces that were however bound to remain in the shadow of Caporal and Sergent.

1975: compared to the previous years, this is a period of stagnation with very little to speak of in terms of new ascents; the two important openings are Motti’s new line on Caporal (Itaca nel sole) and Grassi’s Grotta Fiorita on the Parete delle Aquile.

1976: new climbers appear on the scene, Roberto

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Bonelli being the one person who accomplishes most, by climbing the Parete del Disertore and the Grande Ala. Following the pioneering events of the previous years, there seems to be a lack in continuation, although there are clear signs of wanting to carry on what was interrupted due to Galante’s accidental death in the mountains.

1977: one more year of stagnation. The new key figure among the upcoming new routers is doubtlessly that of Isidoro Meneghin, who stands out way from the beginning for having put up a couple of new lines on the Parete dei Falchi and on Sergent (Nicchia delle Torture). Note that Isidoro’s style is nearer to that of alpinism, far from the free climbing style inspired by Motti’s group, as it accepts massive recourse to artificial means. At the same time, several minor rock faces are explored for the very first time by Meneghin.

1978: after 8 years of attempts, Roberto Bonelli succeeds in repeating the Fessura Kosterlitz. As for Bonelli, he enjoys the opening of a new route on the Parete del Disertore.

1979: grade VII is at last reached on Caporal’s rock, by an the emerging young climber Gabriele Beuchod who boldly accomplishes a free ascent of the Orecchio del Pachiderma, an enterprise that outdoes the ascents of Kosterlitz and Galante. Bonelli and Beuchod gather up into a small group of climbers who secretly continue to explore the valley according to the philosophy of the Nuovo Mattino, even though they do not seek difficulty as an end in itself.

1980: the scenery splits up. On one hand the scene of the lower valley’s rock walls, which a talented

young climber named Marco Bernardi appears on. On the other hand the mountain as a whole, where Manera and Meneghin continue the exploration of the entire mountain group, trying to transfer the enthusiasm born in the days of Caporal and Sergent to high-altitude climbing. They will soon be joined by Grassi, giving way to a new period of exploration.Bernardi free-climbs the Diedro Nanchez on Caporal, one more grade VII, then the Camino Bernardi on Sergent, graded VII in absence of protections. Together with Grassi, Bernardi manages to touch the same grade in high altitude, on Monte Nero, proving to be a complete climber. Meanwhile, Beuchod and Bonelli don’t just stare into space but set out with Gogna to discover first the Parete dei Cavalieri Perdenti and then the Parete delle Ombre, thus initiating a series of high-class new lines, though scarcely resonant.

1981: the key attention is shifted to the unexplored and barely discovered rock faces of Noaschetta. Meneghin and Manera climb the large rock face of Ancesieu, and the south arête of the Torre del Blanc Giuir. Manera joins up with Sant’Unione to tackle the untouched south face of Monte Castello while Grassi sets out on a thorough exploration of the Cresta dei Prosces, in the area of Noaschetta.In the lower valley Bernardi touches grade VIII (7a) by climbing Incastro Amaro on Sergent, whereas Mario Ogliengo places the very first bolt on the Placca del Cacao. Gabriele Beuchod proves more discretion as he puts up his masterpieces dubbed respectively “Nocciolina prigioniera” , on the Parete delle Ombre, and “il Principe” on the Serpente di Legno.

1982: Bernardi’s young emulators open Rattle Snake on Caporal, while Manolo and Bassi free Via Cochise

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GEOLOGYAs a rule, alpine guidebooks always include a section on geology, even though it often proves difficult to understand by climbers. However you needn’t be a geologist to follow a few concise remarks concerning the rock which the crags of your choice are made of. A certain amount of specifications are necessary in order to avoid a couple of common misunderstandings. It is not my intention to give a complete picture of the group’s geology: for this, the readers are asked to refer to specialized publications. What I want to do is provide the instruments enabling one to distinguish the various types of rock.Although one has always used the term “granite” in the past, while referring to all styles of rock climbing on these mountains, as well as the mineral structure their walls are made of, and although the same term continues to be used in the current language of today’s climbers, it is a well-known fact that the rock of the Gran Paradiso massif is (mainly) Augen gneiss. Very similar to granite, which it derives from, this gneiss variety is characterized by white quartz, albite, biotite and white mica crystals displayed in parallel lines. These are accompanied by larger crystals of potassium feldspar which are named “eyes” (Augen , in German) which explains the term Augen gneiss. This type of rock presents itself in various colours, depending on the lichens and minerals it contains, as well as the altitude and exposure of the rock face, on which it is found. For example, there is a reddish Augen gneiss in the area of Piantonetto and the Punta Marco on the Aosta side; there is a light-grey one on the Torre di Aimonin, a light-green one on Sergent and the Scoglio di Mroz and, finally, a blackish one on Monte Destrera in the Vallone di Valsoera.But the Gran Paradiso massif is also formed by other types of rock that are easy to recognize, especially on the side of the Aosta Valley. Apart from a small percentage of minute gneiss, it appears evident that the mountains of the Grivola area, along with those of the Val di Rhêmes and the lower Val di Cogne, are composed of mineral structures that are very different from any type of gneiss. Here calcareous schists can be found, together with greenstones or ophiolites. Since these rocks are easily subject to erosion, they have only survived on the borders of the massif and, in general, in the valleys’ lower portions. The calcareous schists and ophiolites are easily recognizable beneath Locana in the Orco Valley and in the Valle di Campiglia. Due to their loose consistency they aren’t very suited for climbing, whereas greenstones and other minerals that have sometimes been mixed with gneiss, enable one to climb up small walls, provided one cleans them beforehand. The crags of Bosco and Pont Canavese are examples of this type of rock.

CLIMBING STYLEAs the rock faces are composed almost entirely of metamorphic rocks, the right climbing style is basically that adopted on granite, an exception being the crags of the lower valley, where gneiss allows a progression along protruding and/or sloping holds, requiring a good forearm continuity.Typical granite climbs can be found on the rock structures of the upper valley, where slabs, dihedrals and cracks abound. Cracks: the presence of distinct and regular cracks on most rock faces has largely contributed towards the development of the myth originated in the Orco Valley. The fame of some of these cracks, above all the Fessura Kosterlitz, has wandered beyond the national boundaries, encouraging numerous climbers from abroad to visit the Orco Valley and try to tackle them. The most famous cracks demand a perfect mastery of the jamming technique, which has made them even more feared and coveted, considering that throughout the past twenty years this technique has, in Italy, remained a distinct gift of few chosen climbers and/or aficionados of the granite sanctuaries. Less common are the cracks that have to be laybacked, some of them providing just enough room for the fingertips. On this kind of cracks it is quite frequent to find bolts in place, although one can use other protection devices – which will make things considerably easier. A chart listing the best-known cracks of the valley along with their gradings is included inside the section dedicated to the evaluation of difficulties..Dihedrals: even if they aren’t as famous as the cracks, there are some splendid dihedrals in the Orco Valley, of all difficulties but limited height. Some of them, as for example the Diedro Nanchez, consist of more than one pitch, others are no longer than 1� metres and provide a rough and strenuous climb, as for example the renowned Diedro del Mistero. Nevertheless the very nature of gneiss rock, rich in footholds and protruding handholds, rarely forces one to continuous laybacking; more often it is possible to spare a lot of one’s energy by bridging between the two corners of the dihedral.Slabs: in spite of being less common than in the Mello Valley, slabs are quite important in the local history of the Orco Valley. As it often happens, climbers have specialized in one style rather than another, each climber having chosen a terrain of his own. The presence of small holds and crystals even on the smoothest of slabs, has enabled climbers to tackle sections steeper than the ones commonly mastered with the smearing technique, which makes the ascent of similar terrains less monotonous than elsewhere. Fortunately the practise of carving handholds along slabs, has remained a localized and limited phenomenon. On the rocks of the Torre di Aimonin and Sergent, some top-

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notch slab climbers push the difficulty levels well beyond the standards that have so far been reached on cracks. It is obvious that all granite slabs require good technical skills, good finger strength and... good climbing shoes, preferably rigid ones.Overhangs: on the rock structures of the upper valley there are very few overhangs that have been climbed and/or equipped. This is still a little-explored terrain, except for overhangs run through by cracks, like in the case of Legoland or Greenspit. As opposed to here, one often finds oneself climbing overhanging terrain on the crags of the lower valley, using the providential handholds provided by the gneiss rock. It is a pity that the carving of handholds has become quite common on the majority of crags, having been a general habit back in the Nineties, when the crags were actually being promoted. Most of you will acknowledge that handholds were not only carved where progressing without them appeared impossible; often this practise was simply a way of making an itinerary more homogeneous, by eliminating the boulder moves. This philosophy which was very fashionable in the Canavese area at the beginning of the Nineties, has still not been overcome in this specific part of the Piemonte. Many climbers are still convinced that those who equipped the routes have actually acted in the best possible way. It remains a fact that routes graded higher than 8a are very rare in the Orco Valley … and this is, in part, due to the systematic elimination of all (apparently) impossible moves.Bouldering: despite its enormous potential, bouldering has up to this very day remained an absolutely sporadic activity in the Orco Valley, limited to the surroundings of Rosone where some areas are undergoing a phase of further development. Note that, among all the boulders located in the upper valley, Masso Kosterlitz is the only one providing a series of moves, attractive enough to make this particular boulder known via publications over the internet, which eventually made it accessible to the entire climbing community. There is still an awful lot to be done and, here and there, it is a climber from abroad who cracks an isolated move... but up to this very day there is not any such thing as a community of boulderers who are regularly exploring and promoting the opportunities of this specialty.Aid climbing: in the Orco Valley aid climbing experienced its boom during two strictly defined eras, whereas today, it is only practised by a handful of addicts. The first aid routes go back to the beginning of the Seventies, the golden epoch when Caporal and Sergent were being explored. It is a fact that no more than ten of these routes have become classics, being regularly performed in this style, although they have been free-climbed during the last years. We are basically referring to climbs graded A1 and A2, sometimes

A3, routes with plenty of gear in place. Only rarely do they require specific gear of the latest generation in order to be repeated, and nearly all of them can be completed on a single day. It was during the Nineties that an explosion occurred, that of new-age aid climbing – essentially thanks to Valerio Folco who imported the American techniques onto the walls of the Orco Valley. The routes of this second generation, or new-age lines (as you prefer), are hardly ever repeated at present and remain the prerogative of few enthusiasts. Whoever wishes to repeat any one of them should turn to the website www.valeriofolco.com where adequate advice can be found, as to what kind of gear is most appropriate.Sport climbing: the Orco Valley is certainly not the most beautiful place for a sport climbing vacation, since granite is not the best-suited rock for the addicts of this discipline. However, the crags located in the lower valley, especially Frachiamo and Bosco, are very much frequented during the winter season, by climbers coming from the Canavese area and even from Biella and Turin. These aren’t crags of exceptional beauty, but the fact that they are exposed to the south and can also be frequented while it is raining... besides offering medium-to-high-level pitches which are excellent for training purposes… guarantees that they will always enjoy the favour of a bunch of enthusiastic addicts. Due to their restricted number, the crags of the Orco Valley are generally well-equipped and kept in perfect condition by the local climbing community. Good paths make them easily accessible, there are sketches with lists at the base of each one of them, along with benches to rest on while belaying one’s companion, and fine gravel to prevent the ropes from getting covered with dust.Clean climbing: clean climbing was discovered during the last years, some will say re-discovered, as it is a discipline of Anglo-Saxon origin. One can put it into very few words, saying that a clean climbers climb free, placing only natural protections (such as nuts and cams) as they climb higher and higher. Over the past years the number of routes that have been opened according to this concept, has multiplied, although the climbs of this sort barely extend beyond one or two pitches. Americans call them “short climbs” , climbs on which those who enjoy this very style are able to get accustomed to placing natural protections. In practically all cases the belay stations have already been bolted, at times one or two bolts can be found along brief sections of a pitch where no other kind of pros could be placed – which actually involves that one could no longer speak of clean climbing. Up to three or four years ago, there were only very few cracks and/or brief sections of a single route, throughout the Orco Valley, which could be ascended in this style, and even on these it could happen that one set eyes on a bolt, during progression. Today this ulterior oportunity, which cannot but add to the

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fascination of the Orco Valley, seems to be collecting more and more addicts, which results in increased respect (and care to keep the lines conceived in this style clean) also on behalf of those who consider this to be a dangerous activity for a restricted elite.Single-pitch routes: single-pitch routes can often be found on the basic rock structures of the valley’s most renowned walls and faces; some of them consist entirely of bolted slabs, others are to be climbed in mixed style. As a rule, one should therefore choose the appropriate gear beforehand, including a set of mobile protections wherever specified, and not let oneself be fooled by the term single-pitch, which does not mean that the route must at all costs be tackled with the aid of quickdraws only. Ever since they have been freed, the single-pitch routes of the Orco Valley have been regarded as a sort of expedient, though today things are beginning to change: more and more climbers treat themselves to an entire day spent in climbing single-pitch routes on the walls of the upper valley. Let us add that in the Alps there are plenty of long routes to climb, whereas the places in Italy, where one can enjoy climbing single pitches on granite rock, with or without the aid of bolts, are still altogether rare. From this point of view, the Orco Valley has still got a lot to offer, and it is here that the future will show what is to be expected in the following years. Modern multi-pitch routes: this new type of routes started to develop and become popular at the beginning of the Nineties, mainly thanks to the impulse given first by Manlio Motto, and then by Maurizio Oviglia and Adriano Trombetta. The style is basically inspired by that of the lines opened, in the Mont Blanc massif, by Michel Piola; summarizing, we can say that bolts are used on the slab sections, while cracks are preferably ascended with the aid of mobile protections. These routes are generally opened from the bottom, involving single rests on cliff-hangers as

well as balancing on one’s feet while placing the bolts. As a result, every new router will attribute a certain character to his line, making it more or less severe according to the skills he has proven and the philosophy he adopted. The commitment of the route opener is most commonly reflected by the distance between one protection and the next, which determines the obligatory grade of each single route – that is the most difficult move or section the climber is forced to master between two protections, without having recourse to any additional aid but his own ability to free-climb. Having said that the obligatory move or section is expressed in a certain grade, it must be clear that there are various interpretations as to how the grading must occur; these interpretations vary according to the route openers, which is why the adopted parameter remains highly subjective and altogether indicative. It is up to the repeaters to shape their personal opinions about the routes opened by one climber rather than another, similar to those who are compelled to determine the brand of a product. In reality, the determination of the “correct” criteria for route opening is very near to utopia: each one of us has got his own concept of safety, as well as an individual way of considering a certain line. If you want to get the best-possible idea of what the line you have chosen involves, then turn to the so-called S scale (see evaluation of difficulties) which I elaborated together with Erik Švab and Nicola Tondini, a scale that has already been adopted for various years in the guidebooks published by Versante Sud. Keep in mind that S1 corresponds roughly to the bolting distance generally adopted on crags, while S2 refers to a distance ranging between 4 and 6 metres. Any route graded S3 or more is highly demanding from the psychological point of view, and requires the absolute mastery of the obligatory grade; the latter is the grade you normally master on-sight on a crag or on a mountain, on any type of terrain.

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GPS mapping, which has by now be-come a habit while driving, is also becoming a popular aid for moving around in the mountains. First of all it was the world of mountain bikes, but trekking and mountaineering are now discovering the practical and safety aspects of assistance from GPS technology.

This is why Versante Sud and Garmin have joined forces to start the impressive work of mapping the itineraries covered in mountain guide books. We want to give everyone the chance not to get lost, to easily find the start of a route or the path to reach a crag in order to enjoy their adventure fully.This guide book is part of this project.

On the relevant page of the website www.versante-sud.it, you can download a few of Valle dell’Orco’s GPS itineraries.

ROCK MAP PROJECT

ROCKMAP

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THE VALLEY’S ETHICS

“... ethics are the unwritten rules for climbing. They are really more about style, what you can get away with and what you can’t. Over time they change and things you might get away with at one time you might not get away with in years to come. Your own ethics change too...”Jerry Moffatt (Revelations, Vertebrate Graphics Ltd, 2009; published in Italian by Versante Sud with the title Topo di Falesia, 2009)

Bolts or no bolts: in the Orco Valley the ethical issue has always been held in high consideration; as a matter of fact, this is one of the few places in Italy, where part of the (local and non- local) climbing community fiercely opposes the use of bolts (or expansion bolts). Over the years, the Orco Valley has alternately experienced periods during which the use of bolts was tolerated or even encouraged, and periods when it seemed to be fiercely opposed. In fact, it is quite common to find bolts hammered to pieces, or to witness the disappearance of the small metal plates from one day to the next... All this could probably be prevented, if one established a few simple rules to follow, preferably as the result of a commonly reached agreement. On the other hand, the present conditions do not seem sufficient to come to a similar agreement, even if we ignored the known fact that climbers are chronically allergic to any sort of imposition.The simplest rule to follow would be that of maintaining the classic routes, which have been opened with the aid of traditional protections, in their original state; if at all, one could make the belays more secure by placing bolts, along the most frequented routes. However, during the past years several interventions to “make routes safer” have been carried out by alpine guides and other individuals, interventions which often went well beyond this simple “rule” which is generally shared in most countries of the world. It must be said that the north-western regions of Italy cannot be compared to England or the United States. The local climbing communities of this area generally have a mentality that agrees on the use of bolts and protections placed close to each other, exactly like in France, a country which Italian climbers have been strongly influenced by, ever since the beginning of the Eighties. The new bolting system used at the belay stations of classic routes, and along pitches that would otherwise not be protectable, were immediately welcome and accepted by the majority of climbers, who did not think much of how to place protections nor worry about reaching or not reaching the top of a route… In the last two years though, the situation has reached

a critical point: some climbers are induced to remove the bolts already in situ, and they are extending their raid to routes on which bolting was already accepted by everybody. The issue has developed into a heated debate, people are threatening each other on the Web forums and words are leading to actions worthy of guerillas... All in all, it seems possible to stop the fighting only by re-establishing the original state of the classic routes, which can only occur, if both parties give in to less extreme attitudes. On one side those who oppose bolting in general, fear that the metal plates might spread out everywhere, which would involve the loss of the local cultural tradition, on the other side the majority are afraid that climbing in the Orco Valley might become restricted to an elite and that the removal of bolts might make it impossible to repeat many routes which have, over the years, turned into desirable objects of collection...Far from feeling entitled to establish a set of rules, and in no way willing to take on a sermonizing tone, I shall now try to write down some facts and aspects which, in the specific case of the Orco Valley, seem to have been accepted by the majority, as they have sunk into the local culture over the course of years. It is obvious that some of these may not apply to other places, but they might be able to provide a guideline for the future, making it possible that the rights of all are respected. Let us remember though, that the Orco Valley is a unique place, as it offers the opportunity to climb with the aid of natural protections (which has become near to impossible in other places).

Classic routes: most of the so-called “classic” routes were opened in the Seventies and are frequently repeated on account of their beauty, logical nature and historical value. On these routes, bolting is generally accepted for the equipment of belays, whereas it must be strictly avoided along the pitches. The old, traditional pitons that are still in situ should only be removed from places where it is easier to protect oneself with the aid of nuts and cams. Avoid splitting up pitches by adding too many belays and in no case alter the line of the original route in the attempt of adjusting it to the present times. Do not change the name of a route, as this would cancel its historical memory.

Mixed and/or aid routes: many of the routes in the Orco Valley were opened in mixed or aid climbing style. It must be able to aid-climb them today as well, so it is important not to remove pitons that are already in place, nor should one trace a completely new line in order to tackle them free. Apart from some rare exceptions, one is advised not to add bolts

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Let us talk about two small walls, which have become famous thanks to two great cracks. The first, Bianca Parete, was free climbed by Marco Bernardi and graded 6a. After numerous protests the difficul-ty was regraded to a more honest 6b+, considering the climbing style, which is very unusual and no longer fashionable. And it is still considered by many too stiff! It is funny to mention that a few French climbers wrote about the crack on a magazine saying how the route could be graded 7b!The second crack is the famous “Sitting Bull”, and it is not known who found it, a few legends attribute it to the Troussier brothers but was instead almost certainly discovered by Andrea Giorda. Sitting Bull is a beautiful crack which presents a single and very difficult section on an overhang. Even this route many claim a much higher grade…The crag which is characterized by the Bianca Parete crack was known during the eighties as Parete Blanchetti, this was the Hotel’s name where people parked their car. It was never too busy even if as well as the crack, there were other old routes. The usual Roberto Perucca added some aid routes in the impressive (but short) white diamond shape on the right. But he probably climbed up a series of dihedrals between the Bianca Parete crack and the aid route called “L’escargot”. In 2001 the talented Giovannino Massari added a few bolted routes but he fixed a series of cracks some of which had already been climbed up by the Sartore brothers’ routes. The Dado seemed to take on a new lease of

life, but this was short lived since nobody knew it. Other difficult bolted pitches carry the name of the German climber Toni Lamprecht and his friends. In 2008 Maurizio Oviglia and Paolo Seimandi climb the evident chimney, naming it Mr Green. Finally in 2010 Marzio Nardi achieves important free ascents. Even if the Dado is a potentially interesting crag as well as being one of the easiest to access, its visits are sporadic and it will probably never become one of the valley’s most popular crags. It should probably be cleaned and fixed better, re-equipping anchors and opening new routes. However it will never become the valley’s popular crag, even if a couple of the routes really deserve to be repeated.Sitting Bull which has been declared by many as Val-le dell’Orco’s most beautiful crack will never become as famous as the Kosterlitz crack as Alessandro Go-gna had said in Rock Story. Even if some people find it very difficult, a lot more than its declared grade, it is rarely climbed and is slightly out of the way.

Paolo Seimandi, Cochise, 6b (ph. P. Soave) 30�

N4� 26.004 E7 1�.407

10-20 min.

Torr. Orco

masso Kosterlitz

DANCE IN TRAD

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Description: the Dado is a recognisable white wall situated above the village of Prese di Ceresole, carved out by a wrinkle, covered by an aid route named “L’Escargot”. On the left hand sector, which is less imposing, unexpectedly a beautiful crack emerges, the route “Bianca Parete”, originally clim-bed aid. To the left other great cracks which have recently been revalued. Above the Dado the wall of Sitting Bull is situated, half hidden by the woods.

Rock: granite, sometimes loose.

Climbing style: athletic in cracks.

Aspect: south.

Ideal season: summer or autumn.

Height: �0/60 m.

Equipment: the routes need to be protected with nuts and cams, but you will also find a few bolted single pitches.

Eating and overnight facilities: Hotel Blanchet-ti, where you leave your car.Approach: from the village of Prese di Ceresole

climb up the meadows towards the base of the two rock structures (from 10 to 20 minutes). To reach Sitting Bull you need to a follow a trail in the woods to the left of the Dado but even if the itinerary is short, it is not evident and easy to find for first timers, especially during the summer sea-son when it is invaded by vegetation. Alternatively it is possible to continue along the road towards Ceresole for roughly 400 metres beyond the Hotel Blanchetti, going beyond the first petrol pump and then Hotel Scoiattoli’s large wooden sign post and shortly after turn right into a steep paved road which climbs up the side of a few Chalets. Follow the road (pedestrian access) till it ends, near a small group of restructured huts, cross the stream on their left and find a trail in the woods which climbs up obliquely towards north-east, to the meadow situated at the base of the unmi-stakeable Z shaped crack. Descent: abseil down the route.

Other routes: to the right of Escargot there are two single pitches with a few bolts, but they look dirty and as if no one has ever climbed them. They have probably been bolted by German climbers.

N4� 26.161 E7 1�.482 (route nr 7)

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1 SITTING BULLprobably Andrea Giorda, end of 70s. First free ascent by Manolo, 1982. 6c+/R1/I30 mGear: you need friends up to 3 BD, double n2 and 3. The crux is easily protected with a 0,3 BD. Anchor with bolts and maillon.

Great crack, one of the Valley’s best. The crux, which overcomes a bulge, uses the crack with a finger jam.

2 APOGEOGiovanni Massari 2001. �c+/R1/I20 mGear: a series of cams up to 3 BD, bolted anchor with maillon.

Great crack with a section which is not easy. Ideal to start climbing on more difficult cracks.

3 IL MAIALONEGiovanni Massari 2001 6a+/R2/I30 mGear: you need cams up to 3BD. Bolted anchor with maillon.Nice clean pitch, not easy and with a few obligatory move.

4 COCHISE (1st P)Giovanni Crotti, Vincenzo Sartore, 1976.�c/R1/I20 mGear: cams up to size 0,3 (alternatively use nuts) to 2 BD. Bolted anchor with maillon Via Cochise’s first pitch, in an interesting dihedral crack. The second which is better, starts from the le-dge

4.1 COCHISE (2nd P)Giovanni Crotti, Vincenzo Sartore, 1976 6b/RS1/I30 mGear: cams up to size 3 BD. Bolted anchor with mail-lon.Via Cochise’s second pitch, re-styled in 2001 by Gio-vanni Massari so that you can climb it as a single pitch from the upper ledge, which can be reached on foot. Beautiful and spectacular and equipped with two bolts, the second one is superfluous. It offers sustained climbing on a very vertical wall and with good footwork you don’t use your arms too much. It will definitely become a Valley’s classic.

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5 ROBIN HOODGiovanni Massari 2001First free ascent G. Massari 7c/S1/I2� m Gear: bolted.Single pitch on crumbly blade with difficult exit

6 ANESTESIAGiovanni. Massari 2001.First free ascent M. Nardi.7c+/S1/I2� m Gear: bolted.Wall with bouldery move.

7 BIANCA PARETEVincenzo Sartore, G. Zanet 1976. First free ascent Marco Bernardi, 1980. 6b+/R2/I2� mGear: a series of friends up to 4BD, double up n.2 and 3. Beautiful crack, with fist jam, quite painful. When it was first freed it was graded 6a, today many consider it harder, even a 6c! maillon for abseil.

8 STOP PRESSWainja Reichel 2001 7b/c /S1/I30 mGear: the route is bolted.

Great single pitch on an amazing square shaped colu-mn, to be climbed using the two arêtes with difficult bridging and compressions.

9 MISTER GREENMaurizio Oviglia, Paolo Seimandi, October 2008.6a/R1/I3� mGear: a series of cams up to size 4 BD, a few nutsNice chimney, particular, to be climbed entirely pla-cing gear. Exit on the left following an undercling crack. Anchor is bolted and in common with “Stop Press”.

Paolo Seimandi, Mister Green, 6a (ph. D. Demichela) 309

10 L’ESCARGOTRoberto Perucca, Monica Degli Espositi, G. Soffien-tino, 1997. A2/R2/I70 m (3P)Gear: one �0m rope, one �0 metre rope to recover gear, two series of camalots to n.2, 1 series of TCU, 1 series nut-balls to n.2, � micronut, � LA, � KB, � angle, 2 cliff (Talon BD) and 20 carabiners.Climb up the fine crack to the end, follow a series

of bolts and with a pendulum reach the first anchor, S1. Traverse to the left along a smooth vertical slab using the cliffs, and a series of chipped pockets till you rea-ch the second anchor, S2.Follow a series of bolts till you reach a crack which ends on top of the wall.