Apuan Alps, Pizzo d'Uccello, Bardaiano, 'ApuaniKa'.

APUANIKA - ALPI APUANE - MONTE BARDAIANO north-east wall
by Roberto Vigiani

1st ascent : Davide Benacci ; Roberto Vigiani - August 2005
Development : 490 m.
Maximum difficulty RS5-III - 7b/7b+
Obligatory difficulty : 7b
Material required:
- 1 set of friends up to the blue Camalot
- 1 set of tricam (TCU) metolius
- 1 set of stoppers
- a choice of mixed nails with a preference for bladed and extra-flat nails.
- 60 m ropes

THE STORY
It is in my nature to always look for new routes to climb and above all to look for new stimuli that push me to refine my mountaineering experience. Opening routes with bolts of high difficulty by bolting them from below in free climbing as I have done in recent years has been a great experience that has raised my level and also enriched me psychologically.
I wanted to find a wall that would allow me to test all the qualities that in my opinion a complete climber must have to see how far I could push them: mountaineering experience, the level of free climbing, the experience gained on long routes opened with bolts, the ability to climb on friable rock and self-control.
The only problem was finding a wall that matched these requirements and, given the short time available, that was not too far from my home.
The only problem was finding a wall that matched these requirements and, given the short time available, that was not too far from my home.
The N.E. face of Monte Bardaiano, located at the right end of the great north wall of Pizzo d'Uccello, seemed to correspond to the required characteristics. Only one route had been traced on it, climbed in 1970 by the strong Mario Piotti, Gianni Calcagno and M. De Bertoldi.
Approximately 400 metres high, it has an overhanging band of about 200 metres that leads to the final grey walls of water-washed marble. Looking at it through binoculars to the left of the route of 70, a kind of cracked ramp cut through the overhangs and then straightened out to creep into the final grey slabs.
My initial plan was to climb this line to see the quality of the rock in the overhanging section and possibly attempt a direct route over the yellow overhangs afterwards.
On my first attempt, I set out with the intention of not using any belay bolts either along the pitches or even at the belays if possible, but I soon had to change my mind about my present and future intentions for opening on this wall.
On the first day, I managed to climb the crack ramp with three pitches of around 60 metres and I already realised the poor quality of the rock and the difficulty of the bolting, so much so that, already on the second belay, I had to put in a bolt to make it sufficiently secure. On the fourth pitch, the music changed and the difficulties rose considerably.
Despite this I climbed another 20 metres or so, trying in several directions, but everything led me to a crumbly dihedral that barred my way. I saw that it was feasible to free climb but the risk was too high for my liking and in the case of a fall there would have been the possibility that no anchor would have held my fall except for the belay (with bolts) which was too far away.That day I climbed back down to the belay and decided that unfortunately I had to reach the compromise of using a few bolts to avoid finding myself in an orthopaedic ward quickly at best.
The next time I returned with the drill and as planned on the fourth pitch I used it three times to place as many belay bolts.
By now I had succumbed to the use of bolts as belaying but still I forced myself to use them only at belays and where I really felt they were necessary to provide me with a minimum of safety.
It took another three days of 'work' to get out on the Nattapiana ridge and they were certainly not easy and relaxing days of climbing, neither for the rock nor for the difficulties, which are never too trivial. Despite my best efforts I was unable to avoid putting in a few more bolts of protection, but as a meagre consolation I managed to climb the route all free and morally 'on sight! Morally, because in reality on the first hard pitch on the last section, where there is the third bolt, after about two hours of battle to place all the protections without hanging my feet had become completely numb and consequently I had to hang to get my shoes off and to be able to make the last few metres to the belay. On the second difficult pitch, on the other hand, a leaning blade was blocking my passage and since it was impossible to continue I had to hang to unclimb it. All the other pitches I climbed on sight and even to place the bolts I only used the cliffs for safety in case of loss of balance during the recovery of the drill which I did using one hand and my teeth as a grip.
In conclusion, despite these 'flaws' I am satisfied with my little adventure and I must thank Davide very sincerely for his patience during the opening of the route and for indulging me in my plan to open this not-so-perfect route!
A final note must be made about the eventual repeaters and the name I gave it!
Anyone going to repeat it should not expect to find perfect rock. Although it can be considered good in some sections, a maximum level of attention is required, the marble is unpredictable and even the best holds can break suddenly. If I had to use a scale to define the risk of this climb I would say grade R5 where, for the uninitiated, grade 5 stands for 'Route difficult to protect with poor, unreliable or distant protection. Possibility of long falls, and/or anchorage failures that can also cause serious injuries'.. With this I don't want to frighten or discourage anyone but merely to warn: this is not a sports route but, as the French call it, a 'Terrain of Adventure' for all intents and purposes. Several belay pitons have been left in place but some of them are of dubious hold and serve more to indicate the route than for their real effectiveness.
The name "APUANIKA' Instead, it was given because this route concentrates all the characteristics of the Apuan mountains: marble, paleo and difficult bolting.
Last but not least I would like to point out to those who had the walls of the Solco d'Equi the 'truly shameful' advance and defacement of the beautiful valley by quarries that are also destroying undisturbed the base of the north face of Pizzo d'Uccello. The only days where peace reigns supreme in this valley and where the mines that seem to cause the mountain to fall are the days around mid-August. It is only on these days that climbers can easily communicate with each other without shouting and in the silence finally hear the howl of the eagle circling quietly above their heads.

Roberto Vigiani

Report with photos

Access: From the A15 motorway exit of Aulla reach Casola Lunigiana and then the village of Ugliancaldo. From the village, a dirt road of about 4 km leads to the high quarries of the Equi Terme valley. Park just before the access barrier to the quarry and continue on foot along the quarry road that climbs up towards the Siggioli ferrata and the Zaccagna path (signs). At a certain point, leave the road and take the path that splits immediately. Take the track to the right that descends into the forest (signposted Sentiero Zaccagna) and, after an initial steep descent, follow it to a metal ladder. After the ladder, the path climbs steeply at first and then crosses at length to the right, passing two gullies of the rock face. When the path enters the wood below the Bardaiano rock face, leave it to climb steeply without any obligatory path to the base of the rock face at the right-hand end of the wood (on the right, the basal spur of the 1970 route acts as a reference point).

ReportClimb the grassy ramp to the right and return left onto a scree ledge which you descend a few metres and make the first belay to be equipped with pitons (we climbed untied). You are now at the start of the long diagonal crack ramp that gives the route its direction.

L1 : Climb to an obvious juniper and first straight ahead and then to the left to belay on a good terrace (belay to be equipped, only one piton left). 55m
L2 : again up the crack ramp with difficult obligatory and poorly protected passages until a last difficult traverse to the left on an unprotectable slab to the belaying bolt. 50m
L3 : Again to the left, following the crumbly and tiring crack to the belay on a good terrace with two bolts. 50m
L4 :Climb above the belay to the left (no straight above the belay, attempt!) to reach a crumbly overhanging dihedral, climb it to the left to a bolt and then back to the right to engage in the overhanging grey crack to the belay. 55m
L5 : Climb the flared dihedral above the belay and with difficult climbing exit left via grey slab. 45m
L6 : via compact slab with three bolts reach a diagonal crack to the right that leads to the belay terrace. 30m
L7 : a small plate gives access to the grassy ramp, follow it to its summit and stop. 35m
L8 : traverse to the right over marble slab with precarious and poor protection and then return to the left to the belay. 40m
L9 climb a few metres then traverse to the right to take a ramp which you follow until almost its end, returning to the left with a difficult, exposed passage. 45m
L10 : climb above the belay over a grassy couloir for a few metres, exit onto a slab to the right and return shortly afterwards to the left to follow the crack to the belay. 35m
L11 : Again via grassy crevice then to the right via difficult slab to the grassy ledge just below the ridge. 30m
L12 : traverse the ledge to the left and via an easy dihedral exit the wall.

DescentFollow the ridge to the summit of Bardaiano, descend on the opposite side and reach the Foce Lizzari. For the Sentiero attrezzato Zaccagna, descend towards the Equi Terme valley, skirting the Bardaiano rock face, passing the tree-lined ridge of the 1970 Via del 1970, reconnect with the access path to the rock face and follow it back to the car.