Cittadini della Galassia 1st ski descent for Lafranconi, Pina and Marazzi
On 23 March Fabrizio Pina, Alessandro Lafranconi and Alberto Marazzi skied the route "Cittadini della galassia" (V/4) on the NW Face of Monte Legnone. In doing so they made the first ski descent of this long gully high above Collico, Italy.
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Cittadini della Galassia 1st ski descent by Lafranconi, Pina and Marazzi
arch. Fabrizio Pina
A day of pure fun on Monte Legnone
by Fabrizio Pina
"Ohhh... Fibra, come on, let's climb up Cittadini next week" is what Alberto says to me on the phone... "Conditions finally seem right... lot's of snow, it's settled, most has already descended to valley... and the temp has even dropped and the forecast is good!"
When we climbed the route 4 years ago with ice axe and crampons we immediately thought about skiing it, but conditions were never really ideal and we always had other things to do and so we never got round to it... but with so much snow this year we simply couldn't miss out on it again, and so we did it.
We met early at the station at Colico with Ale and dumped our car for the return. Then we went up to Roccoli where we skinned up the normal route and - not without technical difficulties and problems orientating ourselves - we managed to cross these sheets of snow to reach the steep gully which chutes down to Colico... down we went... pure fun!
The upper section is great to ski, which the lower is more complex... side slip, 4 abseils off deadmen to get down the vertical ice barriers, some ice climbing and drytooling into the woods, vertical-expo-danger...
We had a great day. We really enjoyed ourselves and laughed a lot, because doing these useless things make you a child again. And also because we've made peace with the Alps and no longer want to suffer all that much... instead, we want fun and adventure and above all we want to share this together.
What remains from this day out in the mountains is definitely what we said to each other. laughing after the abseil, skis strapped on down the vertical leap, like an opposite skilift... and the beauty of skiing in the Alps... incomparable!
The only problem: we took longer than expected and needed to get back to our obligations without celebrating over a beer... big problem!!!
Ah, I almost forgot... Alessandro and Alberto descended with 192 telemark skis!
Fabrizio Pina
Photos and film: www.orizzontiverticali.eu
by Fabrizio Pina
"Ohhh... Fibra, come on, let's climb up Cittadini next week" is what Alberto says to me on the phone... "Conditions finally seem right... lot's of snow, it's settled, most has already descended to valley... and the temp has even dropped and the forecast is good!"
When we climbed the route 4 years ago with ice axe and crampons we immediately thought about skiing it, but conditions were never really ideal and we always had other things to do and so we never got round to it... but with so much snow this year we simply couldn't miss out on it again, and so we did it.
We met early at the station at Colico with Ale and dumped our car for the return. Then we went up to Roccoli where we skinned up the normal route and - not without technical difficulties and problems orientating ourselves - we managed to cross these sheets of snow to reach the steep gully which chutes down to Colico... down we went... pure fun!
The upper section is great to ski, which the lower is more complex... side slip, 4 abseils off deadmen to get down the vertical ice barriers, some ice climbing and drytooling into the woods, vertical-expo-danger...
We had a great day. We really enjoyed ourselves and laughed a lot, because doing these useless things make you a child again. And also because we've made peace with the Alps and no longer want to suffer all that much... instead, we want fun and adventure and above all we want to share this together.
What remains from this day out in the mountains is definitely what we said to each other. laughing after the abseil, skis strapped on down the vertical leap, like an opposite skilift... and the beauty of skiing in the Alps... incomparable!
The only problem: we took longer than expected and needed to get back to our obligations without celebrating over a beer... big problem!!!
Ah, I almost forgot... Alessandro and Alberto descended with 192 telemark skis!
Fabrizio Pina
Photos and film: www.orizzontiverticali.eu
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