Pietro Bassotto (61) frees 'Mata Leao' (8c+) at Novalesa in Italy

A few days ago, seasoned climber Pietro Bassotto freed "Mata Leao" at Novalesa in Val di Susa in NW Italy. The line is a link-up of two existing climbs, "Mistification" (8a+) and "Karate Kid" (8c), and the connection is thought to be 8c+. This is a significant grade, made even more impressive by the fact that Bassotto was born in 1963, meaning he is 61 years old!

This isn’t the first time Bassotto has redpointed 8c+: after starting climbing over 30 years ago, he managed to send his first 8c+ at the age of 59, "Extrema Cura Plus" in Gravere, in 2022. "Mata Leao" however isn’t a repeat, but a first ascent, and this makes it all the more out of the ordinary. Success shows how commitment, consistency, and dedication can lead to incredible accomplishments, relegating age and grade to nothing more than mere numbers.

Pietro, can you tell us a bit about the route?
It's located at the La Terrazza crag in Novalesa, in the Cenischia Valley. It’s a link-up between the 8a+ Mistification and the 8c Karate Kid. It starts up Mistification, then trends right past a very hard traverse that leads to the start of Karate Kid. Essentially, after climbing an 8a+/b, you then climb an 8c.

When did you start trying it?
About two years ago, thanks to my friend Paolo Leoncini, who first thought about the possible link-up. Initially, I was a bit skeptical because I reckoned the traverse couldn’t be done, but after trying it together, I found the beta. From there, I started to believe in it and never gave up.

How did you approach this project?
Even though I had climbed the two climbs individually a few years earlier, I have to confess that repeating and linking them wasn’t easy. My last attempt was in November 2024. A few days ago, after checking the weather, I saw that conditions were good in Novalesa. I felt physically strong, and even though it was earlier than the ideal season, I went to try the project. Sensations were good right away, and on the fourth go of the day, I managed to send!

You’ve been climbing for quite some time. Can you take us back to your beginnings?
Well I started climbing way back in 1987. At that time, climbing was mostly outdoors, either on crags or in the mountains. In 1988, I took part in my first climbing competition, the Italian Indoor Championship at the Palavela climbing wall in Turin. Over the years I competed a lot in lead, speed, and bouldering. I always enjoyed competing because I felt it was also great training for outdoor climbing.

Having said that, in 2021 I stopped competing because the route setting was shifting more toward parkour. In my opinion, those movements don’t reflect climbing on rock, and they no longer helped me improve my outdoor performance.

In my early years, I mostly climbed onsight. At first, I didn’t have a method for redpointing and couldn’t understand why I wasn’t sending hard. The only explanation I gave myself was: I’m not strong enough. This discouraged me, so I only tried routes I could do in a few attempts.

Over time though my mental approach to working routes improved. I started to concentrate solely on redpointing, which allowed me to work my way through the grades. At the same time, I began bouldering outdoors, which helped me improve not only strength and technique, but also tactics for dealing with individual moves.

What stands out about you, Pietro, isn’t just the level — 8c+ — but this difficulty combined with your age. How do you explain it?
There are many differences between now and when I was young. Back then, I dedicated less time to climbing; at best, I climbed on rock once a week and trained once a week. In recent years, I climb on rock two or three times a week, mixing routes and boulders, and train once or twice. Also, I used to onsight a lot, but now I'm almost exclusively working routes.

It can’t just be about quantity though....
You know, climbing more often has also increased my motivation. Having a goal or project always pushes me to train as best as I can.

You’re a great example of longevity in this sport.
There are certainly physical differences compared to the past: my max hangs on the fingerboard have decreased, my flexibility has worsened, physical fatigue has increased, muscle soreness lasts longer, and recovery is slower. But I’m not complaining at all. And as I said before, my motivation and mental approach have improved.

Looking back, is there a climb that you particularly proud of? Redpoint? Onsight?
If I think about all the boulders and routes I've sent, there are plenty of climbs I'm fond of, but honestly, I prefer to think about the projects I want to do in the future. That said, the hardest route before Mata Leao was Extrema Cura Plus (8c+) at Gravere in 2022. As for onsight, it’s no longer my preferred style. It’s hard to find routes of a certain level where there aren’t already videos or photos of the crux, or chalk marks or quickdraws that give obvious hints about where to go. Nowadays, even some guidebooks provide information about the route. So I’d rather highlight my best flash, Terzo Tempo (8a+) done in 2015 at Narango in Arco.

What does the first ascent of Mata Leao mean to you?
Climbing has always given me so much, and this is undoubtedly a great personal satisfaction.

So what’s next?
I have other projects, both in lead and bouldering, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. Above all, though, I hope to keep climbing and that my health continues to stay with me as it has done in the past.