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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
concord, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2008 - 06:41pm PT
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not familiar with falling ant slab...google returned bouldering area in the Tetons
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scuffy b
climber
On the dock in the dark
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Oct 15, 2008 - 06:50pm PT
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Too obscure.
In the guide to the Jenny Lake boulders, authored by Chouinard and Gill, it is said "Many an ant has lost his dignity if not his life tumbling down the Badile-like North Face of Falling Ant Slab."
It's about ten feet high.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
concord, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 15, 2008 - 08:04pm PT
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OK...got it...thanks for that poetic, albeit obscure, reference.
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Old Pantegana
Social climber
Italy Central Alps
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Oct 16, 2008 - 10:24am PT
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Hallo,
I'm an italian alpine guide,and I live in Chiavenna, near the swiss-border, Val Bregaglia and Albigna. I'm very happy that american climbers visited my home's mountains.I know very well Badile( more or less 30 times Spigolo nord,at least 10 times the Via Cassin, and more others routes in the N.E and N.W faces.
I can give details aboute climbing in this area.
For Spigolo Nord I use to climb it using more or less 12 to 15 meters of rope (The moreover rope I put in the bag), so I climb many fast little pitches that allow me to go ahed the others party. Remember that the first 300 meters are very easy, more 3th than 4th class. There are big steel rings at the belays and most of the parties use them, but is not a good idea because, expecially at the begining you have to wait. So for the belays use the normal pitons you find on the route, there are plenty of them,
Occasionally You can also use same cams (I bring two or three 0.5-0.75-1.0 BD).Usually , if I start at 7am at the base, at 11am I'm on the top. Also if you don't know the route, but if you are used to move on the mountais, the climbig would take abuot 5 hours.
For the aid routes:
The aid routes on the Alps are usually more easy that in Yosemite. If Zodiac is rated A2, there is nothing in all the Alps that is so difficult.
The routes I've read in the forum are abandoned in this years, because of the increasing rock-falling due to global warming.
For stay in a place near Badile with a better weather I can suggest you to visit Val di Mello(see valdimello.it) it is the italian "Piccolo Yosemite" plenty of wanderfull granite rock.
If somebody needs more info, can write me, I'll be very happy to help you, because I love Yosemite (I've been there 10 times) and I like to helpAmerican climbers
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
concord, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 16, 2008 - 12:39pm PT
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Old Pantegana: thanks for the beta. Both the Albigna and the Badile areas were impressive & spectacular. The accessibility to numerous, high quality, multi-pitch alpine rock routes at Albigna is amazing.
I was stunned by the scale of the NE face on the Badile. The fact that Ricardo Cassin & others could put up a route like that in 1937 is mind boggling. What do you recommend for the descent off the Badile?
We did not visit Val di Mello but the photos that I've seen posted on the web remind me of Tuolumne.
After the Badile, Bill McConachie and I went to Grindelwald and climbed the SE Ridge on the Moench. You can see some photos at www.flickr.com/photos/vic_madrid
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looking sketchy there...
Social climber
Latitute 33
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Oct 16, 2008 - 02:07pm PT
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Val di Mello has been on my list of places to visit for a while. Hope we can make it there next summer.
BTW: Very nice TR and photos, thanks for posting.
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Old Pantegana
Social climber
Italy Central Alps
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Oct 17, 2008 - 04:56am PT
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Toloumnee trasder: if you climb Spigolo Nord the better descent is the normal S.Face,because descent the entire ridge is long and more complex than the climb; if you climb Cassin you can descent the ridge whith a variation on the West face.
Yes, it is impressive the climb of Cassin of 70 years ago.Now is an amazing classic climb that you can rate 5.6-5.7.
Ciao
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Fishy
climber
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Oct 17, 2008 - 10:09am PT
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I am living in Zurich, and looking forward to getting up to the Albigna next summer.
I have visited Mello - I am not sure it resembles Tuolome much. Lots of nice granite, but equally lots more tree growth than the valley, and so none of the big/uninterrupted faces that you find in Yos. Imagine Royal arches, but with lots more bands of trees breaking up the face.
In case anyone is planning a trip over to this part of the world and needs some info about Switzerland or maybe even a place to crash not far from the Zurich aiport, just let me know.
Cheers
Pete.
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tuolumne_tradster
Trad climber
concord, california
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Topic Author's Reply - Oct 17, 2008 - 12:42pm PT
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Fishy: please post a TR after your Albigna trip. BTW, the nearby village, Vicosprano, is known for its excellent gnocchi...especially the 'gnocchi bregaglia' it's not only tasty but great for carbo loading.
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