Gladiator, new icefall in Valle Riofreddo

GLADIATOR AND THE RIOFREDDO VALLEY by Dejan Koren

There’s nothing better than returning to where we feel best. The valley of Riofreddo has remained etched in my heart. There’s silence and few people, and this contributes in giving the valley a severe appearance. I had been there two years ago and had written: eight years previously, when I still knew little about steep ice climbing, a friend of mine had sent me pictures of the Riofreddo valley. He had indicated the impressive drip taken by Mr. Risk and climbed by the two local alpinists Romano Benet and Luca Vuerich who had first seen the possibility of climbing this line. Immediately repeated by Gricar Prezeli and Markic. Then, for eight years, no one else had succeeded.

I returned in 2011 with my friends to repeat it. An overhanging face, free-hanging ice, everything you might expect from a route like that. In just one word, "wonderful," and we are enchanted by setting. We returned the following week and established a 100m variation  to the left, Mr. Luca, in honour of Luca Vuerich, the alpinist who died too young.

Over Christmas and New Year we "played" on the Vipava cliffs and took part in some ice climbing competitions and then decided to pay "our" valley another visit. There were four of us and beneath the face with Tine we discovered exactly why this valley is called Riofreddo. Bostjan and Elvis climbed a new route, Alpine 2014. Tine and I repeated Contrasto and the following day, with Bostjan, I climbed the monstrous Benet-Vuerich route Balance which crosses through the entire amphitheatre and finishes at the lip. Even then we realized that we’d be back before too long.

Sunday, January 27, 2013. Bostjan  and I stood below the face, the idea was to forge a new line. It seemed nice and logical and not too difficult. But yes, it turned out to be difficult and demanding, especially in the final pitches… we recommend repeat ascentionists brings pegs and friends (C 0.5-1). Gladiator is a fantastic route and offers everything, from vertical ice to mixed terrain. We left one in-situ peg and descended down the icefall. This route now completes the collage of icefalls in this valley.

Gladiator, Cima delle Cenge, Valle di Riofreddo
Dejan Koren - DeKo and Bostjan Mikuz (MONTURA, Singing Rock) 26/01/2013
Length: 205 m
Grade: IV, M7-, WI6, X, R

VAL RIOFREDDO icefalls
1. Polvere bianca - Marco Milanese and Alex Franco 80m IV, 1L WI 4, 2L WI 5
2. Mix and rasta tricks - Marco Milanese and Fabrizio della Rossa 80m V, M5+, WI 5+ (March 2011)
3. Per Leila - Luca Vuerich and Marco Milanese 120m IV, WI 6+/7- (January 2009)
4. Tridente - Alessandro di Lenardo and Luca Vuerich 90m IV, WI (6 March 1996)
5. Super Stridente - Luca Vuerich and Federico Compassi 100m IV, WI6 (February 2009)
6. Equilibrio - Luca Vuerich and Romano Benet 205 m, IV, WI6 February 2003)
7. Gladiator - Dejan Koren and Boötjan Mikuû 205 m, IV, M7-, WI6, X, R (26.1.2013)
8. Alpino 2014 - Boötjan Mikuû and Elvis Furlani 200 m, III, WI4/5 (29.12.2012)
9. Canale - Alessandro di Lenardo and Luca Vuerich 600 m, IV, WI4+ (January 2002)
10. Contrasto - Alessandro di Lenardo and Luca Vuerich 150 m, IV, WI6 (January 2002)
11. Vibra - Andrej Magajne and Simon Slejko 180 m, IV, WI6-, X (February 2003)
12. Mr Luca - Dejan Koren and Boötjan Bizjak 100 m (140 m), III, M7, WI7, X, R (January 2011)
13. Mr Risk - Luca Vuerich and Romano Benet 140 m, III, WI7, X, R (February 2003)
14. Riofreddo - Alessandro di Lenardo and Luca Vuerich 500 m, III, WI5 (March 1996)