Manolo is fast, like the wind
Maurizio “Manolo” Zanolla, one of the “historical fathers” of Italian climbing, has spent his life looking for the world’s smallest hold and for speed. Climbing and long runs in the forest, climbing and Dolomites passes by bicycle, climbing and ski-mountaineering. A life of bread, stone and physical effort, in short. But also rich of satisfactions, harvested on the field, that have allowed him to live out of his passion and his vertical talent. It’s the life Manolo loves, the one outside the traditional schemes, and he has succeeded living it. Manolo loves speed combined with effort, but also with lightness, as well as imagination. “You must be fast, to describe the clouds” is the name of his last creation on the home walls, 130 meters of 7b/c obligatory, 8a+ free and bolts far apart. A story of rock, speed and imagination, told with his own words, in collaboration with friend Vinicio Stefanello of Planetmountain.
Oscar Durbiano

You need to be fast, to describe the clouds
Vette Feltrine. A face that doesn’t even have a name, but only an elevation, says Manolo. A new ascent, born almost by chance. The company of three friends, Diego Dalla Rosa, Walter Bellotto and Daniele Lira. A wonderful climb, in a far away and lonely environment. The route “You need to be fast, to describe the clouds”, 5 pitches, (8a+, 7b/c obligatory), has been established by Manolo on 16 and 25 August 2005, and he has redpointed it on September 14, 2005. Magnificent rock (see picture). And wonderful climbing, assures the Magician. We should believe it!
A route with few and scarce bolts, we should add, therefore “pay attention!”. But may be this is only a detail, because “you need to be fast, to describe the clouds”.
Vinicio Stefanello

The report
Every time I hiked through the Vette Feltrine, along one of the most beautiful alpine trails I know, I couldn’t avoid looking up to the impressive rock circus that closes the valley above Aune, and finishes with a sharp and wild profile toward the flat. It was a vertical spot in my mountains, hiding something I could still dream of.
One day I tried to discover something more and got lost in a dense fog, when a wind blow opened for one second the thickest cloud and I noticed that I was sitting on a sharp and very exposed arête, above a smooth and fascinating wall. The fog became thicker straight away and with some snowflakes the evening came, and everything remained covered … for a few years.
Diego has been one of my first climbing partners, even “my” climbing partner, until life and the grades brought us to different places. But all this, and many other things, happened almost thirty years ago…I think he war very curious to see how things had changed.
Walter accompanied me in many ascents, including the long ones on the Dolomite hairpin bends, following our other great passion, bicycling…. I think he was also curious to see… Daniele came to make me a pleasure and to finally breathe a little fresh air, at least for one day.
The route follows the weakest sections of the sharp edge, in a particular environment, near home and far from hypocrisy.
What can I say more? Perhaps that in the second pitch I could have spared one bolt, to add a nice “obligatory” section, but that slab, not very steep, seemed so easy and I continued on it until I crashed against the hardest crux of the route. Result: I’m getting old, with scratched arms due to the hasty decision. In the fourth pitch, instead, I have added a bolt after the obligatory section: what a pity, it was a little masterpiece, but when I have redpointed the route I have really appreciated that bolt.
It is a very beautiful route, subtle and elegant, free like the clouds, also if probably socially useless…
Manolo

The itinerary
First ascent: Manolo, in two days, accompanied by Diego Dalla Rosa on 16/08/05 and by Walter Bellotto on 25/08/05; redpoint ascent on 14/09/05 accompanied by Daniele Lira.
Length: 130 meters
Difficulty: 8a+, 7b/c obligatory
Rope lengths: L1 7c (28m 4 bolts); L2 8a+ (30m 6 bolts); L3 7b (27m 3 bolts); L4 8a (25m 4 bolts); L5 7a/b (20m 3 bolts)
Gear: 6 quickdraws and 60-meter rope
Kind of climbing: quite technical, it doesn’t require special physical training, only good finger strength, but because of the distance between some protections the aspiring repeater should master the required difficulty, in a couple of sections the falls could be very dangerous.
Best period: the top of the wall reaches the elevation of about 2000 meters, with southern exposure; therefore it is climbable for most of the year, depending on the conditions of the snow.
Approach: From the village of Aune (891 m) follow the signs to trail nr.810 (paved road at the beginning), in direction Casera Monsampiano. When the trial makes a sharp right bend continue straight in the valley in the direction of the “Ferrata del tubo”. After reaching the Ferrata continue to the right on the wide grassy ledge until its end, where the wall begins. About two hours. (Toward its end the ledge becomes always more sloping and narrow, pay attention to the slippery grass).
Descent: rappelling down the route (belays with bolts).