Apuan Alps, Monte Pesaro, 'Maktub'.

Apuan Alps - Monte Pesaro

MAKTUB

Ascent in April 2014

Roberto Vigiani and Luisa Siliani

Development: 250 metres (8 L)

Difficulty : 7a (6c obligatory) - S3, R2

Material : One set of C4 to 3, one set of C3, Nuts. 60m half ropes for the descent, also long quickdraws.

Access: two possibilities

1. from Carrara reach the Lorano marble basin (directions or ask) leaving the car at the beginning of the marble quarry (private road) reach the house/workshop of the Lorano high quarry and at the next hairpin bend take the track that passes through an old quarry and leads to the base of the evident wall that can be seen long before ( about 1 hour of dusty road ).
2. From Carrara to CampocecinaFrom the bend before the Soccorso Cave infirmary (parking space for one car), climb over the guardrail and descend the obvious ridge that slopes down towards the wall (an obvious rusty metal tank), following it a little to the right into a wood until, having returned to the edge of the wall, you find an obvious cairn and two fixes with a ring indicating the first abseil (20/25 minutes down, 40/45 minutes up).

Of the two, the second is recommended because the abseils on the Baraka must be made anyway and you are spared the horrendous quarry road up and down.

Report:

L1 attack at the highest point of the fixed rope, climbing immediately above the penultimate anchor to a nice little crack to protect, continue in a little dihedral and along an edge to the belay on a comfortable terrace ( 40m ;2 fixes ) 6a+

L2 climb above the belay over a slit blade until you reach a slab of splendid rock which, with technical moves, leads to the belay on a convenient ramp. (40m ; 4 fixes ) 6b

L3 follow the ramp to the right until you reach a fix, pass it directly and tackle the next overhang with a difficult overhang on a slab. Via articulated slab obliquely right to the belay below the flint overhangs. (35m ; 4 bolts) 6b+

L4 traverse to the right and negotiate a tectum via a nice interlocking crack, turn over and traverse horizontally to the right a few metres and then tackle the overhang directly with nice but not dangerous steps. (30m ; 5 fixes ) 7a

L5 follow a ramp for a few metres and then go out into the open wall to the right following the spaced out fixes until a last small wall with obligatory passages which leads with a traverse to the left to the belay under the dihedral (40m; 6 fixes + an hourglass not left... to be found!) 6c+

L6 climb the dihedral diagonally to the left as far as under the roof and traverse to the left to reach the belay. (30m; 2 bolts) 6b

L7 overcome the overhang to the left of the belay with decisive and not easy movements, return to the right, overcome two consecutive small tethers and with a nice runout reach the belay. ( 25m ;

3 fixes) 6c

L8 as many guidebooks cite, 'via easy rocks you reach the summit' (15m ; 4°)

Rappelling from the Baraka descend a few tens of metres down the ridge to the Baraka abseils, which are distinguished by two fixes with a ring (large cairn).

• short abseil of 20m;
•  abseil 30m off the route to a chain on the edge of the overhangs;
• abseil 55m into the void, absolutely pass the fix under the overhang a few metres from the start or else remain in the void without the possibility of reaching the next belay
• with two more abseils you reach the fixed ropes at the base