'Polvere di Stelle' added to Sarca Valley, Italy

I’ve always loved wild, untouched places, and honestly, even though it might sound surprising, finding a spot like this in the now super-popular Sarca Valley wasn’t as hard as you’d think. The first time I walked under the tower, I looked up at the central slabs and immediately pictured a direct line straight through the middle.

Besides wild places, I’m also a sucker for clean, logical lines. I love it when a wall has just a few routes, but they’re well thought out, when they respect what nature gives us, and try to be as clean as possible. I’m not a fan of variations or routes that cross each other, unless they’re absolutely necessary.

There were already two routes on the tower, and with one of them, we ended up sharing about 5 meters and a belay station—just because it made sense for the climb. We respected the existing bolts, so in the last few meters of the fourth pitch, we left the original bolt and sling as they were. Other than that, the rest of the route is completely independent.

Figuring out the line from the ground, meter by meter, wasn’t easy, but it was such a thrill to climb it exactly how I’d imagined it.

I’ve got to give a huge shoutout to Cesare Lotti, who jumped into this with me, and to all the friends who put up with the cold, dust, falls, and long hours, patiently belaying and sharing in this awesome adventure.

The name, Polvere di Stelle ("Stardust"), reflects the style of the first ascent (in this case, Polvere del tassellatore – "The Setter’s Dust") and ties into the idea of wishes coming true (Stelle – "Stars"). Cesare finished the route as a Mountain Guide, and I got to start it! It’s a reminder that if you can imagine it, if you can dream it, then you can make it happen—with patience, dedication, and a little bit of luck. And that’s how Polvere di Stelle came to life.