Richiodatura: Monte Procinto Via 'Confessions of a Witch
The re-pointing, agreed upon with opener Carlo Malerba @ProroRockoutdoor, was carried out by Roberto Vigiani @ProroRockoutdoor with Enrico Tomasin @apex_ thanks to the contribution of the @refugiofortedeimarmi climbing club. It was redpointed in an extremely conservative manner: a few runouts that require decision, obligatory moves protected by cyclopean hourglasses which, as is the local custom, will welcome your dives with open arms, but Kinobi 316L stainless steel fixes in place of the old corroded plates and Vertical Evolution belays with orthogonal ring and 316L nuts with threadlock. The old guards were all removed (some with a single turn of a spanner, others with artifice and great effort) and where possible the protruding pins were plugged with grey putty.
Notes: "Confessions" is a very beautiful and athletic route on the East Pareste of Monte Procinto, bolted by Carlo Malerba @prorockoutdoor and Federico Schlatter. The original route would continue with a further pitch that climbs A1 over the large roof above the ledge, belaying in common with the Gamma route and exiting with the last pitch of the latter. However, the most recent redpointing (with some modifications to the route, which recovered some sections of the adjacent Via Ratti) did not affect this pitch, which has only the old protections.
Description: Attack on the left edge of the first large cave encountered after crossing the small bridge that leads onto the belt path (C.S. sign at the base).
Height difference: 130 m
Difficulty, 6°+\A2: L1 6b, L2 6a+/6b, L3 5c, L4 6b
Descent: abseiling on the route, with two abseils from S4 and S2. It is also possible to abseil with a 70 m single rope, all belays are equipped with a chain and abseiling ring, or from the via ferrata
A little info and a little history interests you...?
At 1,177 metres, Monte Procinto is the most characteristic rock structure in the Apuan Alps, shaped like a gigantic quadrangular 'panettone' with walls that rise vertically 100-150 metres above an equally vertical plinth.
Between the plinth and the tower proper runs a circular ledge, the so-called 'belt'. , on which a convenient path makes it possible to complete the complete tour of the walls without any difficulty.
The Procinto is separated from the higher mount Nona by the mouth of the Procinto, where a characteristic small wooden bridge allows one to cross a deep crevasse, thus giving access to the Cintura, easily reached in about 20 minutes from the Forte dei Marmi refuge at the Alpe della Grotta by ascending the A. Bruni path carved in places into the rocky basal slopes of the south-west face of Monte Nona.
On the west side, two other smaller towers, the Bimba and the Piccolo Procinto form the aerial 'Cresta dei Bimbi' .
The first ascent of Procinto is attributed to some local woodcutters in 1848; the first alpine ascent is by A. Bruni and C. Dinelli with guides E. Bertozzi, E. and G. Vangelisti on 17/11/1879 from the southern slope where, in 1893, the CAI section of Florence inaugurated the via ferrata with steps carved into the rock, which was once accessed by means of a wooden escalator that was leaned against the rock face by the "Gherardi" guides, the "Keepers" of Procinto, upon payment of a toll: the first via ferrata in Italy.
