Pymà, M9+.
Modern mixed climbing by Anna Torretta.
I got it!
This morning I get up and a little voice tells me…«you can do it».
It is one of those special days, when the verb “to want” combines well with the verb “to succeed”. If I manage to link the first movements, I redpoint the pitch, I am sure.
I have been trying for three days now, and yesterday I was pretty close…
December 21st, Haston Cave in Valnontey. Today it is my last day in Courmayeur, tomorrow Turin and Christmas lunch with my family are waiting for me. I arrive late to the cave. Ezio Marlier and François Damilano are here, they are preparing a film. I get slowly ready. I put on the harness, light a little fire to warm up. Shortly afterwards I am climbing, with the intention of rehearsing the moves.
François is belaying. Ezio advices: “Don’t get tired straight away!” Unexpectedly the first movements feel better than usual, while the little voice in my mind suggests me not to give up. I decide to continue. I climb panting. I reach the long clip and I almost fell.
I climb further, until I make a foot hook and have a breather. The last two hard moves come like in automatic gear. After a few seconds I have both ice axes in the ice: it’s done. I have succeeded in climbing Pymà, my first M9+.
After the report about this day, I’d like to make a few considerations about the development of ice climbing in the last years.
In the world of mountain sports a new activity, originated from mountaineering, is growing fast: “modern mixed climbing” or “dry tooling”. Practically it is the evolution of what was called “ice climbing” a few years ago. A kind of species evolution, started from the rock and mixed routes in the Seventies, going through frozen waterfall climbing in the Eighties and Nineties, until the recent exploits on always shorter and more overhanging routes.
We can say that the new activity is following the same transformation path of sport climbing a few years ago. In fact, like in the period in which the first one pitch routes were equipped, today the first crags are developed, which have been designed for modern mixed climbing, equipped with good pitons, bolts and chains at the belays.
A completely different reality, far away also from frozen waterfall climbing, although the kind of movement and the equipment continue to be called with the same names.
The trend has transmitted a strong shock to the environment, with beneficial effects in several directions. To begin with the evolution of the equipment, that has showed a fast acceleration, going through the progression technique, always more evolved and refined, to finish with the mental attitude of the climbers, aware of being immersed in a new world, all to be discovered.
The number of the mixed ice climbers increases every season. The request of new equipped areas is growing and always more people want to know the modern trend of dry tooling.
With all this interest you begin to wonder different things, like for instance: will mixed climbing in crags become the winter version of sport climbing?
It is still too soon to answer. Today the only certainties about the issue are the state of ferment and enthusiasm, amplified by the positive example given with the recently equipped areas, where the “risk” of the past makes place to the bomb-proof belays.
Seven years have passed, since the opening of the first route that can be considered the genesis of modern mixed climbing: Octopussy of Jeff Lowe. Many things have happened since then. It is the story of a mutation, sign of the times.
Today, with the creation of the first crags with routes of every difficulty, the transformation seems to proceed in the right direction. The difficulty scale starts with grade M4, the equivalent of (about) 4° grade on rock and continues to grow, because it is an open scale. For your information, the last performances of the top athletes reach already to M12, like Vertical Limits of Robert Jasper and Musashi of Will Gadd.
The interesting aspect is the appeal of the novelty, with all its faceting. In this context ice climbing competitions have had big importance for the evolution of technique and materials. The specialized companies, after the first years of trials, have begun to put on the market the “weapons” tested in the competitions: ultra light shoes, crampons to be screwed on the boots, spurs, ergonomic ice axes, designed for overhangs. Then what are you waiting for, to take away the leashes? What are you waiting for, to put a hook on the grip of the axe, to make a back spur and screw it, together with small front crampons, under the old climbing shoes, while waiting for the last novelty expected for the next season?
Approach the new world, with curiosity, without forgetting caution and common sense. Don’t forget that ice is a continuously changing material and the rock is often rotten, where water is flowing. Therefore precaution and always wear a helmet. Remember that the tools, ice axes and crampons, are as sharp as blades and the risk exists, to drive one into a body part. This is an invitation to this sport, try to believe.
Anna Torretta