Östlicher Mur De Pisciadu, "Dalla Chiesa" (IV-)

Published on 2024-07-23 by Michael Stanton

Warm up day (July 22)

I thought it would be fun to revisit the "Tridentina" via ferrata that I'd climbed years ago with Kris, once alone, once with Kris and the boys. From the base of the route to the hut in 2 hours. I was able to send pictures to a couple guys I met on the route. I also descended the route, thinking it was late enough in the day that I wouldn't bother many people (this worked out fine).

I made an Instagram "reel" of this day:

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First attempt (July 23)

I decided to climb the "Via Dalle Chiesa", a grade IV- route with a walk-off.

From the same parking lot, I hiked up in what I hoped was improving weather. Halfway up it started raining again. I hid in a cave for 20 minutes. Then it was okay all the way to the base of the climb. I roped up and climbed the first pitch, just dragging the rope behind me. Before I got to the anchor, it started raining again.

Big sigh! I realized it was not smart to continue, downclimbed, and walked home. Looking at the GPS recording, it was still 520 meters up and down, so I decided to go a different way next time.

Looking up at the Exnurturm and the Tridentina via ferrata on the way to my route

Success (July 24)

This time I parked at Colfosco, preferring to hike a bit more elevation but with less up and down traversing the hillside. It was a nice hike on the left side of a raging stream, sometimes requiring use of hands.

My route in the clouds, as seen in the morning...

On abseil from the 3rd or 4th pitch

Looking down from pitch 4

A similar shot

The weather was good, so I started up to the base and got my gear ready. My plan was to trail the rope behind me for the first 2-3 pitches, then do a self-belay when needed. As I started, two girls walked up to climb the route too. They were nonplussed that I was soloing the route. I reached my high point from the day before, and continued, happy to discover the several Sanduhr formations (hourglass formations) in the rock referred to by my topo. The third pitch looked steeper and had a good Sanduhr anchor at the start. I may as well use the rope for this pitch.

This is my fourth time to use a rope-solo rig, and I'm gradually getting more comfortable with it. I'm not ready to offer any advice, though I've consumed much advice about different methods. It's not for everyone, but somehow for me, it's a reasonable way to proceed, at least for a while. On uncertain terrain, it's nice to know you've got clips to protection behind you, so the risks of downclimbing in case you went the wrong way have some kind of boundary around them!

I abseiled down, then reclimbed, cleaning my gear. I believe I placed one cam and clipped 3-4 Sanduhr. The fourth pitch also made sense to use the rope. This was probably the crux. Steeply up, wending a little bit right then back left, I came to a clean dihedral/crack, very enjoyable to climb. Then a vertical crack, which I thought I should avoid on the right, though I did place a cam before veering off. Indeed, my choice was a good one, as evidenced by a few more Sanduhr over there, then a natural line leading back left to the anchor. The steeper abseil was rather thrilling.

For pitch 5, I trailed the rope as I climbed a grade 3+ slab to a point near the crest of the ridge. The 6th pitch escaped from an overhang belay point on the left into a grade 3+ chimney, then gradually emerged on a grassy crest and easy terrain. A bit of walking led to steeper ground and the last pitches, all grade 3 and very reasonable.

At the top I switched back to running shoes, put my gear away and admired the views. I'd thought about climbing the Pisciadu by a curious route wending up the north face, but decided not to because I wanted to fully use the good weather the next day and not be too tired.

On top of the route

Looking at the North Face of the Pisciadu.

A panorama of the local peaks, Pisciadu on the far right

Another Pisciadu image - I have to come back for the North Face

I traversed over to the trail which led down to the Mittagstal ("Noon-time Valley"). Most of the way down, I heard a couple boys shouting and playing in a boulder field near a river. Suddenly one kid started wailing. I got down to discover a boulder had rolled over his leg, and now his mom was holding him. They thought he was okay, and I guess he was because I didn't hear a helicopter coming over. Yeah...those places are full of shifting rocks and might be unpleasant, especially if you are only a meter high!

I continued down, connecting with the route I followed up, then had a late lunch by a ski lift, looking up at the fun route.

Looking down on Corvara, I can see my apartment!

On the way down into the Mittagstal

A rough line of the route...