From Hell to Heaven, Hervé Barmasse and Stefano Perrone climb new route in Piantonetto Valley, Italy

After a few years hiatus Stefano Perrone and I teamed up together to establish a new route in Vallone del Piantonetto, a rugged valley in the Canavese area of North-West Italy. The opportunity was too good to be missed! The mountain we chose to climb was Torre del Gran San Pietro which, 3692 meters tall, dominates the entire valley and still offers the possibility of venturing into virgin terrain without having to criss-cross other routes.

We decided to try our luck on the lefthand pillar; 250m high, vertical, at times overhanging even and extremely beautiful So much so that it almost felt impossible that we’d find space to add something of our own. Was there something that we were missing? Would the rock be poor, or devoid of holds and therefore impossible to climb free? The only way to rid these doubts was to get up close and see for ourselves.

Of course, leaving the Pontese hut is always difficult; Mara, Tania and the entire staff pamper you, the food is divine and luckily there is no shortage of red wine, but nevertheless... Buckled beneath the weight of our heavy rucksacks we quickly made our way up the steep path, past some verglas here and there to reach the base of the grey wall split by long reddish corners.

The line was obvious, all we had to do was set off and climb straight up, as if on a smooth, holdless motorway where the white dotted lines were replaced by splitter cracks that breached slabs and roofs. The climbing was sublime and for those who like me have often had to deal with the loose Matterhorn rock, it almost didn’t seem real to me.

Stefano as always proved his innate skill as a rock climber and first ascensionist. Whether on rock, ice or mixed terrain, he’s always in his element. The first route we established together dates back to 2014, on "my" Grandes Murailles: Bon Noel. We’ve never published anything about this line, but it is a gem for those who love mixed climbing past lots of rock and little ice.

But back to Piantonetto. We reached the top of the pillar on Torre del Gran San Pietro and finally the grey rock gave way to rough, red granite, similar to that found on the other mountains nearby. At the top there was only just enough space for our feet, sore from cramped climbing shoes. Around us nothing but the void, with Gran Paradiso in the distance, Becchi della Tribolazione and and Becco di Valsoera below us. It was the 18th of August and we were completely alone, during one of the busiest summers on record, when the mountains seem to be literally overrun by tourists, mountaineers, by everyone. It hardly seemed real to me. What a great present!

The route is called From Hell to Heaven, Dall'inferno al Paradiso, because Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdown demonstrated how easily this virus can catch us off guard and how fragile we are. A virus that unfortunately proved to be deadly, leaving in its wake a shadow of fear. On the other hand, the return to the life and freedom that we had lost has given us happiness, shown us heaven. Which for Stefano and myself is in the mountains.

Many have asked me for a detailed report, grades and what gear they need to repeat the route. Before going into some details I’d like to paraphrase Gary Hemming: "... To those who want to follow in your footsteps, don’t give any specific details: only the start, the finish and the overall difficulties..." The route line can clearly be made out in the photo, we didn’t climb anything harder than 7b and the first bolt you’ll encounter is the one we placed during our descent. Have a good summer.

by Hervé Barmasse

Links: SCARPA, Garmin