Ultima Perla added to Agner in the Dolomites by Nicola Bertoldo, Diego Dellai

Officially there's still a month to go before the start of winter, but last Thursday Nicola Bertoldo and Diego Dellai climbed what is likely to be one of the most important winter routes in the Dolomites in recent years. The pair climbed the obvious drip of ice that forms rarely on the yellow shield of rock on the north face of Mt Agner in the heart of the wild San Lucano valley.

Helped by the Rifugio Scarpa hut warden Marco Bergamo, the climbers reached the top of Agner last Wednesday in order to locate way to access the wall, then after a night at the Biasin bivouac, early the following morning the two members of the "Arsiero Gruppo Roccia 4 Gatti" climbing club made 6 abseils to reach a ledge and the start of the route.

This more or less follows the South Tyrolean route, but in winter. 7 hours of non-stop climbing were needed to reach the summit, past difficulties estimated at 5+, M6, 50°. On reaching the summit the climbers then started the long 4-hour descent back to valley.

The route is called Ultima Perla, the last gem, and after the climb Dellai said "Nature knows how to amaze us and always amazes me, but I have to admit I didn't think such a beautiful new line could still exist in the Dolomites."

Links: grupporoccia4gatti.weebly.com, IG Diego Dellai, IG Nicola Bertoldo