Matteo Gambaro frees Azione Diretta 8c+/9a at Piatta di Montemale, Italy

In some repsects "La Piatta" at Montemale resembles Germany's Frankenjura: a small crag immersed in the forest, a small overhanging sector and a magic line which reminds you of another... far more famous...

In the latter case we're obviously talking about Action Direct climbed by Wolfgang Güllich, in the former we're referring to the nigh namesake Azione Diretta, the route equipped by Matteo Gambaro in spring and freed a few days ago when conditions were finally perfect.

Gambaro explains: "The route is located in a tiny crag, there are just a handful or routes. It's funny to think about the Frankenjura with its hundreds of crags, but this really does resemble them. I saw the line close to Adelanta, a historic 8a and it seemed climbable. I bolted it and since the rock isn't perfect had to consolidate a handhold and foothold. It's short and intense and starts off up a 7c+ before breaking left where the difficulties begin: 16 moves to the top. I'd describe the route as a mix between a boulder problem and a route, a game which I trained for specifically on one and two finger pockets. I've proposed the grade 8c+/9a because I've never climbed 9a so I can't really tell, but up till now I've climbed four 8c+ and 18 8c. So I've got a rough idea about how hard it might be and I hope the route will stimulate the other strong climbers to come and give it a go."

Superfluous to say that with a curriculum like this one, the 35 year old policeman from Borgo San Dalmazzo is one of Italy's strongest climbers. Recently he's been transmitting his passion via his Posto di Blocco, the first climbing village in his local town Cuneo. Who knows, perhaps one day we'll see him active further north, on an extremely famous route which is 6 moves longer...

- Clicck here to see the photos of Matteo Gambaro climbing Azione Diretta.