Apuan Alps, Torri di Monzone, 'Fixe&Friends'.

Fix & Friends

That big dihedral had been there for ages and everyone who passed below it said 'look at that obvious line...who knows what the rock will be like? The mess is to get it, surely the rock in the white is not the best!"

While with Piero we were finishing 'Robespierre' from the belays I was constantly peeking at 'Il dihedralrone' and as soon as we descended we decided on a day of scouting to see if it was really possible to pass on the initial 'white wall'. To open a route from below by free climbing is, in my opinion, the ultimate skill a climber must have. Intuition for the line, experience in bolting and placing quick protections, the ability to climb on sight and last but not least a good dose of courage when placing protections spaced out. Those who complain about a badly placed piton or a route that is not too clean should try opening from the bottom at Torri di Monzone and will surely realise that the adventure of the first ascent has nothing to do with repeating! The first pitch of Fix & Friends at the opening was really rotten and the degree of commitment required was not even comparable to the others even if in the end, after a day of unpacking and brushing, it was technically the easiest.

Casa Vianello and Robespierre are routes opened with a plaisir style, in fact after opening we added several Fixes to make them usable even for those who do not master the grade away from bolts. Allocchio Bacchini and Ciauciciu were opened with only spaced Fixes (I didn't even bring the friends) and present a more "serious" character that requires morality and level. Fix & friends presents distant fixes plus the use of quick protections... requires morale, the ability to read the right holds to follow, and mastery of the obligatory grade even on 'delicate' rock.

It is a short but satisfying route on rock which, after two days of cleaning hanging from the fixed ropes, I would describe as 'on the whole good' and which has the particularity that it can be climbed even in the rain because it is protected by the large overhangs at the summit (we climbed it on Saturday 5 October in the pouring rain but without wind!).

In its current state it is still a little dusty but if repeated it will undoubtedly improve, we have done our best to clean it up but a few handholds are still to be checked.

The name Fix & Friends refers not only to the material needed for the climb but also to the days spent in friendship with Piero hammering pitons into walls that give nothing away to those who are not truly passionate!

Report.

"Fix & Friends"

Piero Gianfranceschi - Roberto Vigiani October 2013

Development: 150 metres

Maximum difficulty: 6c+ (obligatory 6c)

Commitment/exposure : RS4 (spaced bolts with long runouts)

Material: a set of camalots from 0.3 to 3 a set of stoppers ropes for some hourglasses 10 quickdraws, some of which are long.

Recommended single 70 metre rope plus a 30 metre return lanyard for the last pitch.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR THE DESCENT: the doubles are all about 30 metres, to descend the last pitch leave the lanyard or one of the two half-ropes (if you use these) connected to the penultimate belay to guarantee your return (it overhangs and is diagonal!). the other doubles require you to pass a few bolts on the descent to return.

Access: as for Allocchio Bacchini and Jungland then continue the fixed ropes to the right to the large holm oak at the base of the route.