This year's ice climbing season comes early

On 26/11 in Valsavarenche (Valle d'Aosta) the Italian Erik Svab repeats 'Welcome to the Machine', M9 and 'Never say Never', M8+ leashless

Erik Svab

November 2000

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Photo Andrea Gallo: Erik Svab last year climbing 'Never say Never' (M8+) with leashes

This year's ice climbing season has opened in style and much earlier than usual in Italy. Thanks to the torrential rainfalls and the intense cold the Val d'Aosta, famous for its hard mixed routes, is now in great condition.

The Italian Erik Svab paid a short visit to what has become known as "Stevie's cave", where some of the best and hardest mixed routes have been established in recent years.

On 26 November he redpointed 'Welcome to the Machine' without leashes. This route, first climbed by British Steve Haston, was the first ever M9 and flashed by Svab last year with leashes. He then turned his leashless attention to 'Never say Never', M8+, a route he had repeated, with leashes, last year after Bubu Bole's first ascent.

Conditions are good in "Stevie's cave". According to Svab 'Welcome to the Machine' had more ice than last year, but 'Never say Never' was thinner and more like M9. It's all good training for this year's Ice World Cup, which gets underway in Chamonix in December. Svab will compete; last year he placed an excellent third in Kirov and 11th in the final rankings.

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