Parete del Cabanaira, two new routes in Piemonte

Last summer Daniele Macagno and I bolted two multi-pitch climbs up the Cabanaira ace, located in the Cabanaira valley and clearly visible from the Col di Tenda tunnel, perched high above Limone Piemonte in Northern Italy. In winter we work as ski instructors and since we examined the face close-up every day, we decided to check in out last summer. Between August and September 2013 we made the first ascents, ground-up, of Welcome to Cabanaira (7b max, 6c+ obligatory) and NoWork Team (7a+ max, 6c obligatory).

While the routes aren't particularly long, only 4 and 5 pitches respectively, they're fairly demanding and the rock is almost always superb. Another plus point is the short approach: if the road that leads to Baita 2000 is free from snow you only need to walk for 5 minutes. The routes face NNW and, given the 2000m altitude, are ideal on sultry summer days.

This area, like all of Limone, is famous above all for its winter skiing (and in particular for the beautiful off-pitste run through vallone Cabanaira) and for its summer mountain bike routes. These two new climbs prove that there is a potential for climbing, too.

by Enrico Turnaturi


TOPO: Welcome to Cabanaira

TOPO: NoWork Team