Vertical-Life
Camillotto Pellesier
Redpoint ascent of Via Camillotto Pellesier 8a+ (5.13c) on the north face of Cima Grande by Dirk Uhlig and Alexandra Schweikart
Text: Alexandra Schweikart, Fotos: © Bernardo Gimenez
On August 24th and 26th Dirk Uhlig (29) from Erfurth/Thüringen and myself, Alexandra Schweikart (25) from Bad
Rippoldsau/Black Forest made two of the rare free ascents of Via Camillotto Pellesier on the north face of Cima Grande (Tre Cime di Lavaredo) in the Dolomites (Italy):
Cima Grande di Laveredo
11 pitches 7b+, 7c+, 8a+, 8a, 7a, 8a+, 6c+, 6b, 6a, 4a, 5a (5.12c, 5.13a, 5.13c, 5.13b, 5.11d, 5.13c, 5.11c, 5.10c, 5.10b, 5.1, 5.6) 400m, followed by 150m 3+ along the Dibonakante to the summit (2999m).
The route was bolted in 1967 as an aid climb from Enrico Mauro und Mirko Minuzzo and first ascended between July 20th and 29th in 1967; they used an amazing 340 (!) bolts for the upward progress and dedicated the route to Pellesier. Mauro Bubo Bole rebolted the anchors and did the first redpoint ascent in 2003. Via Camillotto Pellesier is the hardest route on the Cima Grande and got few free ascents up to now, among others Duan Janák (first repetition), Marco Luciæ, Kurt Astner, Ines Papert and Stefan Köchel.
The challenge consists in climbing the first 6 rather overhanging pitches redpoint in particular the very exposed 6th pitch which includes a roof crux 200m above the ground. The climbing is awesome and quite tricky, dominated by crimps and vertical holds in a rock of not always perfect quality. Protection is the second challenge: the bolts are countless but frighteningly rotten (not surprising after 41 years in the north face) and one has to choose between either wasting too much energy on clipping or risking a fall on the belayer at the last anchor.
After 6 days of working the route together and at least as many days in our base camp Ford Escord Combi at the parking of Tre Cima die Lavaredo beside Refugio Auronzo -often in bad weather (rain, snow, even blizzards)- we started the redpoint ascents and succeeded both on our first attempt! Dirk climbed on August 24th with and wind: he had to repeat the 1st and the 6th pitch that day (although he did all pitches in the second go during the days before) and succeeded in the end! My attempt on August 26th, to manage the second female ascent of Via Camillotto Pellesier,
started with warm temperatures (no matter what warm means on a north face...) but bad conditions: the climbing turned risky due to many humid holds. Surprisingly, I redpointed all pitches in the first attempt that day, although I hadnt redpointed the 6th pitch (8a+, 5.13b) before (thanks to adrenaline and motivation from Dirk).
Alexandra on the 8a+ crux pitch
We thank Enrico Mauro, Mirko Minuzzo and Mauro Bole who, by their previous work, allowed us to sign the summit book of that beautiful route.