Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Mauro Bole repeats the Spanish route

Same style, same north face for Mauro Bubu Bole, who at the start of October completed another of his projects on the immense Cima Grande di Lavaredo. This time he climbed the historic Spanish aid route, put up by the Gallego brothers together with Lozano, Carillo and Gomez, way back in 1977 and graded VI A3.

After 26 years the 450m route had still not been repeated... and so this summer Bole worked the (somewhat friable) line, re-equipping the pitches with pegs and adding bolt belays in the hope of making the coveted first free ascent. Things went according to plan up to the great roof, where Bole tore off an enormous flake, resulting in an 8a+ with three points of aid (AO).

As Bole himself states: "I feel that something is missing in my ascent. Those pull ups on the pegs interrupt the natural flow, perhaps more morally than physically, but the rock is as it is, you have to be able to accept defeat, and never say never. Perhaps one day someone will manage to free it completely."

The Spanish route brings Bole's tally to four hard ascents on the Tre Cime: the 1999 FFA of the Couzy , 8b, the FFA of the "Camillotto Pellesier", 8b and the first repeat of Bellavista, 8c. Bole feels the time is ripe to move on... but knowing Bubu, this "love affair" will no doubt continue.

"Via degli Spagnoli" Cima Grande di Lavaredo 2999m North Face
FA: M. A. Gallego, M. Lozano, J. Carillo, A. Gomez. (1977)
First repeat: Mauro Bubu Bole solo (2003). He then freed the route leaving 3 points of aid A0.
Length: 450m
Grade: 13 pitches: 6b+, 7a+, 8a+ and 3 points of A0, 6c, 7c, 7c, 7a, 5+, 6a, 6b+, 6b, 6a, 5+