Sardinia, Punta Giradili,
'Without Hindrance'

'Without delay'

Three days with arrival by ferry on Friday morning in Olbia and return on Sunday evening from Olbia. A grey limestone pillar with a view of the Mediterranean a clear idea in the mind of a perfect dihedral halfway up the wall. Carlino Malerba roped up with me again 25 years after the opening of Paperoga al Procinto...the first route we opened with the use of cliffs to plant the bolts...by hand! This time the techniques have evolved and the drill has replaced the hammer, so given the short time available we have to proceed 'without delay'. I was missing the fourth 'seal' on Punta Giradili and had been eyeing its hypothetical route for some time. I wanted a new route that would start from the lowest point and reach the summit, and naturally it had to be on perfect rock like the sisters already opened on the same wall. The grade didn't matter but the line had to be elegant. One thing that gives me satisfaction is, after spotting the line from below with binoculars, to pass right where I had imagined. At 12 noon on Friday we started the route at the lowest point of the Giradili point and at three o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday we emerged on the summit with an almost drop-deep line via that perfect dihedral I had spotted halfway up the wall. 67 fixes plus belays were needed for these 350 metres of perfect limestone. Difficulty is regular from 6b to 6c and just as regular are the pitons set at a distance of 4 to 6 metres from each other. A final note to highlight is that the route leader should master the 6c on sight well because a fall at some points could be inadvisable!!!

Via 'Senza Indugio'

Open from below on 19-20-21 March 2010

by : Carlo Malerba and Roberto Vigiani

development: 350m

difficulty : max 6c+ (6c obbl.) S3/II

material: 12 quickdraws, some kevlar for a few possible hourglasses on some pitches, a single 80m rope is sufficient even when retreating (note that some abseils are 40m, tie knots at the ends!) all belays are equipped with abseil chains except the first and last.

Approach: as with the other Giradili routes (see the Parthenia report), the route starts about 50 metres lower than the Gullich at the left end of a band of yellow overhangs (visible and obvious bolts).

Recommended descent: on foot from the summit

Report :

L1 40m - 6c/6c+ - 9 fixes

L2 15m - 5c -2 fix

L3 45m - 6b/c - 10fix + cless.

L4 40m - 6b - 6 fixes

L5 40m - 6b/c - 8 fixes

L6 30m - 6c - 8 fixes

L7 43m - 6b - 8 fixes

L8 30m - 6b - 7 fixes

L9 40m - 6b+ - 9 fixes

L10 30m - 3rd