New mixed climb on Monte Cogliàns, Carnic Alps

Winter 2015/2016 had a hard time starting and now - well into spring - it seems like it’ll never end. Confirmation about excellent winter conditions throughout the Alps comes not only from the Western Alps, but also the Eastern Alps, in particular on Monte Cogliàns at 2780m the highest mountain in Italy’s Friuli-Venezia-Giulia region. On Sunday Claudio Betetto, Mirco Grasso and Luca Iacolettig forged a new mixed route up the North Face called “Altro che in Scozia”, located between the via ferrata Klettersteig der 26er and the route Koban-Prunner.

ALTRO CHE SCOZIA by Claudio Betetto

As everyone knows, good things often come about a bit by chance. We went to the north face of Cogliàns to climb the "classic" winter route but, after have climbed a great variation start across the hanging snowfield, we were struck up a line which, line a raindrop, plummeted straight down from the summit. Absolutely enraptured we managed to breach it during 8 hours of elation and pure enjoyment alternated with suffering, backed up with perfect teamwork.

The route started up a first M4 pitch (75° minimum), joined the circa 55° snowfield, ascending a 70° WI2 gully, then dealt with three pitches (M4, WI4, 85°, one section 90°) and a steep finish up crusty snow which we sunk into at times (55°-60°, one section 70°). We finished to the right and quickly followed the ridge to the summit. Conditions were poor at the start and on the slender drip on pitch 1, but improved on the upper section that always remains in the shade.

The route owes its name to our obsession with Scotland and its mixed routes. Its crazy characters are a recurring topic every time we start swinging ice axes. Given the literally breathtaking quantity of spindrif, the snow thundering down, the continuously changing weather from snowfall to sunshine, we were reminded of what happens in the UK and realized that maybe it’s not out of reach after all, provided we keep dreaming.


TOPO: Altro che in Scozia, Monte Cogliàns