In Val Badia (Dolomites) Simon Gietl, Aaron Durogati, Davide Prandini establish Felsenkeller

A month after the first ascent of the ultra-popular Avatar on Sass Pordoi with Andrea Oberbacher, at the start of January Simon Gietl established another mixed climb, this time above the hamlet of Longiarù in the Antersasc valley in Val Badia.

The story of the first ascent is somewhat intricate. During a ski mountaineering outing in Val Badia at the end of the year with some clients, Gietl noticed an obvious drip on north face of Mt Somamunt. He returned on the 2nd of January with Aaron Durogati and the pair climbed the obvious right-hand drip, unaware of the fact that it had already been climbed previously by Manuel Baumgartner and Simon Kehrer. It was only when Gietl stumbled across a bolt towards the end of the first pitch did he realise that it had been climbed before and, not knowing whether it was a summer or winter route, the two continued up to the summit. Back at home they did some research and realised they had climbed Schorschs Weinfall, established on 10 December 2017 by Baumgartner & Kehrer, who had turned back after three pitches where the flow ended.

Since Gietl and Durogati has established five new pitches while pressing on to the summit, and since it seemed feasible to climb the icefall on the left, Gietl returned two days later with Davide Prandini to add an independent start.

Two pitches of M7+ and M5+ respectively led the climbers past the main difficulties and at this point, given that Gietl had already climbed up to the col 48 hours earlier, the two descended. During the abseil they added two pegs and a thread to make future repeats somewhat safer. According to Gietl, the result is a 5-pitch mixed route "that has all the makings of becoming a classic."

The route is called Felsenkeller and, just like Avatar on Pordoi, was repeated immediately after the first ascent and its 5-star beauty confirmed.

Simon Gietl thanks: Salewa, Neolit, Grivel, Komperdell, Keaxl-Board, Hotel Schwarzenstein, Lyo-Foot,  Südtirol, Lowa, Gloryfy

Links: www.simongietl.it, FB Simon Gietl

TOPO: Felsenkeller, Val Badia, Dolomites