Amazing New Ice Route Climbed in Dolomites
It took a lot of effort to reach this 375-metre line, but the end result was more than worth it
As we head into the second month of ice climbing season in some parts of North America’s mountains, it’s great to see that places in Europe are starting to freeze. During the first cold snap in the Dolomites, two experienced ice climbers have opened a stunning new route.
Last week, Nicola Bertoldo and Diego Dellai, who are members of the Arsiero Gruppo Roccia 4 Gatti, made the first ascent ascent of a long series of drips on the north face of Mount Agner in San Lucano Valley. The 2,872-metre peak is popular in summer for rock climbers. Bertoldo and Dellai had to reach the top of the peak in order to find a way down to their objective.
After a cold bivy, they made six rappels to gain the base of their line, which is also the start of a rock climb called the South Tyrolean Route. They then spent seven hours piecing together the 375-metre M6 WI5+ before reaching the top. Their descent took another four hours.
They called their new route Ultima Perla (the last gem) in reference to it being the last obvious unclimbed line of this calibre. See photos by Bertoldo below.
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