Only for old warriors

End of June 2006. A beautiful limestone rock face with no name in the Feltre mountains, near the village of Aune. Manolo, together with his friend Federico Gorda, opens from the ground up, “Solo per vecchi guerrieri”, umpteenth extreme line, latest pearl of a vertical art collection authored by the climber from the Trentino region (north-east Italy). 150 metres of  7c/8a obligatory, with maximum difficulties which flirt with 9a. We are obviously talking about the absolute top in world climbing. The setting of this latest masterpiece develops on the right hand side of another fantastic adventure achieved by the diabolical “Magician” last year, “Bisogna essere veloci per descrivere le nuvole” , 130 metres of 7b/c obligatory, where he free climbed 8a+ with the bolts being far apart from one another.
50 years without feeling them: has Manolo discovered the source of eternal youth without telling us? We no longer have any words to celebrate this ‘elf of the dolomites’ who each season leaves us amazed for the quality of his performances. Vinicio Stefanello from Planetmountain tells us the story.
Oscar Durbiano

In June we published the news report of Maurizio Manolo Zanolla's new multi-pitch in the Italian Vette Feltrine. The route in question, "Solo per vecchi guerrieri" attracted our attention because of it's beauty (as can clearly be seen from the few photos we published two months ago) and the way in which Manolo recounted this adventure. And also, last but not least, because of the difficulty of this super route... which touches upon the 8c/9a mark. All that was left to do was resolve the final riddle, i.e. to free it in a single push. And the other day Manolo did just that.

And so? Manolo told us "it was pretty demanding" - how could we believe that it wasn't. No doubt it was tough both physically and mentally. And the result? "I reckon the first three pitches are, give or take a touch, 7c, 7b+ and 8b, with 7b/c obligatory climbing." What about the final pitch? Well the last pitch, after much hesitation, caution and confronting remains what was said originally: somewhere in the region of 8c and 9a, with 7c/8a obligatory.
It's clear that the route now awaits a second ascentionist to confirm the grade. And it's equally clear the young Nicolò found the best synthesis of all: the wall with no name has now been dubbed "Gran burrone", or great void!
Vinicio Stefanello


Gran Burrone
 Ciao Daddy, did you go to the Gran burrone today as well? Yes Nicolò! And how did it go? OKish! Ah... This was this summer's refrain whenever I returned from “Vecchi Guerrieri”. But the other day, after having been out with Cristina (to whom I really owe a great deal) during a sunny and windy good weather spell - August was strange and rainy - when Nicolò asked me whether I had "beaten the route" I finally answered yes...
This proved a completely different undertaking to the first ascent... I almost immediately freed the first three pitches and think that they are more or less
7c, 7b+, 8b with 7b/c obligatory) but whenever I reached the fourth pitch I ended, sooner or later, falling...
I don't think it was due to lack of "energy", although for various reasons I don't really feel to have ever been on top form this summer, and also because during the first ascent I really strained by tendons and capsules.
I now feel as if a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can be much more objective, but nevertheless I think it's hard to grade the last pitch, I'm missing recent comparisons (this summer I climbed this route only).
The last pitch is a strange one, it has good rest points but it's also really touch and go and doesn't need great stamina... although good finger strength and footwork are paramount... Yes, it's hard to grade this pitch which I believe offers various solution, but perhaps my first impressions were right and this comparison could help explain: it's slightly harder that "Appigli ridicoli" because it's less continuous, and as such it resembles "C’era una volta a Cornalba" because of these interludes and really hard moves. I feel it also resembles "Bain de sang"... even it's not as compressed it's twice as long and fairly run-out (300m above the ground). Last but by no means least, it's the last pitch of a route which is never particularly easy right from the outset, and as such it's tough both physically and mentally. All this leads me to suggest a grade somewhere in the 8c - 9a mark, but naturally this is only a proposal...
I'm not sure, had I concentrated on this pitch only perhaps everything would have been easier but I preferred to climb the entire route instead of just that pitch... The only thing I'm certain about is that it's really, really beautiful, that it proved hard work and that my son suggested a good name for that face - "Gran burrone" - the great void!
Maurizio "Manolo" Zanolla

Route’s Description
Feltre Mountains, Cima senza nome (2000m)
South Face, route "SOLO PER VECCHI GUERRIERI"
F.A: Manolo and Federico Gorda, summer 2006 (1st two pitches Manolo alone)
Length: 150m
Face: South
Grade: 8c/9a max; 7c/8a obbl.
Gear: bolt protected, 10 quickdraws and 1 60m rope
Getting there: from Aune take the steep forest road north (closed to traffic) and continue straight at the fork following the red and white 810 markers to Casera Monsampiano. The road ends at a hut and a path leads steeply through the woods into the Aune valley. After circa 1 hour the path heads left: leave it and continue straight up the valley following cairn markers to the base of the aqueduct. Traverse right along the meadows which become steeper as you reach the airy shoulder (1.5 hours from Aune). From this shoulder (start of "Bisogna essere veloci per descrivere la nuvole") traverse to the center of the exposed wall and reach the start of the route by scrambling up broken rock (30m of fixed rope).