Pagliaccio Ridi 7a - Mandrea, Arco

 
 
In September I had the opportunity to take one week off and go climbing to Arco! After a good day of sport climbing at Comano with Silvan and Haf, we decided to use the perfect sunday weather  for a multipitch climb near Arco.  We wanted to do something around 7a and well bolted so Pagliaccio Ridi at the central wall of Mandrea seemed to be a good choice.

Approach

Parking at the end of a white street after Laghe ljust before a water well and a memorial tablet (Google Maps). Follow the street left of the water well or you end up bush whacking as we did. Keep left at the wall following a small path. The start of the route is marked with a metal plate and a red point.

L1 5c 20m

The first pitch starts with some loose rock and strange pinches. Protected by one piton, one bolt, and a sling left at the tree, we quickly climb to the first ledge where we make an anchor at the tree. 

Loose rock in L1

 

L2 6b+ 20m

Now the route starts. Boulder start on small crimps with a tricky move to a good jug. Afterwards sustained climbing with a small traverse at the end. Silvan suffers from the weight of their backpack and takes the first whipper of us on. Sun is burning.

After the boulder start in L2

 

L3 6b+ 20m

Good pitch on small crimps. The crux comes at the end, where the wall gets slightly steeper. Keeping left near the bolts is the trick.

Before the crux in L3

 

L4 6c 20m

Awesome traverse pitch. The first part is maybe 5b but still cool to climb until we cross the anchor of another route which is connected by an old rope. The 6c part starts here, where we traverse on small sharp crimps and underclings with bad footholds sideways and up to the anchor. Hard moves!

 Easy start in L4

L5 7a 20m

Crux in L5

 

Crux pitch of the route. Steep crack at the beginning, maybe 6a on good holds. The crux follows at the slab. Start with a thin sidehold with left and right, righ foot in the crack, left one on the slab. Then I try to reach a small crimp left up, match it, and straight up to a ok hold. Hard cross clip for me, since the bolt was on the right side. Afterwards you get really bad crimps which you use to stand up and finally reach good underclings in the little roof. Short rest for the final tricky move. Take the sidehold after the roof with the right hand, with the left a sloper. Stand up, reach up with the right to a crimp, put the feet a bit higher and further reach with the right to a good square shaped hold. Afterwards easy to the left to the anchor. Hard crux move in the slab, luckily found the crimp and onsighted it.


 

Small crimps after crux in L5

L6 6b+ 15m

Pumpy start with bad footholds. Then traverse left into the crack, which you follow until the anchor. Caution: At the end of the crack is a big loose rock.

Slab before the crack in L6

 

L7 6b 35m

Really good steep crack on limestone! Flowing upwards with the good holds until the tree. The crux follows after the tree on the slab, which is slightly easier if you keep right and take the holds behind the corner. First comfortable anchor after L1.

Silvan enjoying the crack in L7

L8 6c  20m + L9 6c 10m

Since our skin is already thin this pitch feels hard. You start on some good positive crimps which become smaller and sharper until the end and cuts down the last layer skin of our skin. Only the motiviation of my friends kept me fighting for the red point. We link it togehter with L8, which is similar fun on sharp crimps but nice orange red rock.

Start in L8


L10 6c 25m

The grey tower pitch. Steep and pumpy climbing and almost exclusively sidepulls. Sustained but fair if you find the holds at the first try. Keep left near the corner at the end. Comfortable belay under a tree in the shadow.

L11 6b+ 25m

Really cool pitch on big red rock blocks, which are sometimes a bit loose, so careful climbing is necessary. Crux after the second roof. Take the sidepull after the roof with left, step high reach further with left to a good positive crimp. Then easy to uncomfortable anchor.

Before the crux in L11

 

L12 6a+ 25m

Summit pitch. Climbed left to the crack to clip the bolt. Afterwards not  so easy move for 6a+ to step up the little roof. Then short slab part and keep left at the next roof and into the tree. Easy scrambling to the last anchor.

View from the top to Arco and lake Garda

Descent

Follow the stone men und small path into the forest to a big meadow in front of a house. Then take the street at the houses and follow the hiking trail back to the parking. Keep on the hiking trail and turn two times left to Laghel (1 hour).

Summary

Pagliaccio Ridi 7a (6b obl.) 300m (Avanzini, Maghella and Pasquali 1996) xxxxx/***

50m rope, 12 quickdraws, slings for the anchors

Perfect bolted multipitch climb with sustained difficulty. Had a really fun day with the two vagabonds Silvan and Haf and somehow managed to keep it together for a red point. The hanging belays after L1 until L7 are a bit uncomfortable, especially in a party of three. Hope to have a good adventure in three again soon!




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