Mixed climbing at Tonale

Mountime | 09 nov 2023 |

If we talk about mixed climbing in the Tonale area we mostly mean the long and jagged ridge that, rising from the Paradiso pass (at the arrival of the first section of the lift), separates the Presena valley from the Tonale basin. There are three peaks along the ridge, Monticello, Monticello di Mezzo (2539m) and the Upper one (2609m), the Devil's canal separates the lower one from the upper one.

Until about ten years ago these minor peaks were not very successful from a mountaineering point of view, and in fact, if compared to Busazza or Corno di Lagoscuro, they do not stand out. Then, almost by chance, it was discovered that they could offer respectable climbing with a very important common factor: ease of access. Let's face it, even we are climbers dedicated to masochism more than others, sometimes on Sunday mornings we want to sleep at least until dawn, well when climbing "the big walls" this is not possible.

 

    

Here is a story told by Francesco Salvaterra, a Mountime guide, about a day of climbing at Monticello Superiore.

Wake up on time depending on the route you take by car - if you pass through Val di Sole, don't miss a Sicilian cannoli at the marzipan house in Pellizzano. At 8.30 AM the Paradiso ticket office opens and you can take it to the first section. You go down with crampons on your feet along the slopes, and in 10/15 minutes you are at the start of the routes; skis and snowshoes are not needed and the tracks are always very recognizable. The climbing ranges from medium to advanced difficulty up to the edge of the ridge, after which there will be a descent on the opposite side and a walk that is at times exposed and tiring if the snow is deep to return to the lift. What are you saying huh?!

After the first explorations dating back to the first war (if not earlier) and a brief excursion by Pericle Sacchi in the Monticello di Mezzo area, the subsequent mountaineering attentions were in a "modern" key, primarily by Massimo Faletti and Mauro Mabboni.
We're talking about not many years ago; even if the area in terms of numbers "exploded" with the Mafia Bianca route, which had hundreds of repetitions in a single winter.
Also in the area, Max Faletti and Cain Olsen have also opened several trad rock routes for the summer period.

 

 

 But let's go into more detail... here is some useful information on the Monticelli wall and one of the most sought-after and repeated routes.

- Access to Monticello Superiore

The wall of the mounds is to the O of the Paradiso slope, descending from the slope on the right. You can go up on foot from the bottom (about an hour staying on the edge of the slope) or more comfortably you take the first section of the climb and then walk down the Paradiso slope and go up the conoid that leads to the start (about twenty minutes).

- Come back

On all routes, you can rappel down but it is definitely preferable to reach the summit ridge and descend on the opposite side. In this way you get out of the risky environment sooner (always a good rule), you are faster, you avoid congestion on the way up and you make a loop by being able to take advantage of the cable car even on the way down.

 

White Mafia, a route by chance.

There are routes that are carefully studied in the line and preparation and others that arise by chance. This is the case of the White Mafia.
That day of November 25, 2018; Rossana Tomasi, Alessio Tait and I headed to Tonale to repeat the Pernice. The idea was to remove some rust from the ice axes without worrying too much about the approach, and the M6+ grade declared by the first climbers seemed a guarantee of engagement.
We had decided to go up on foot instead of by cable car and it was my fault that we went up too far, overcoming the attack. I was convinced that the channel was the right one but after a stretch of climbing without finding any material and without any feedback from the report we realized we were completely off the route.

Not bad, one nice pitch after another we reached the edge of the ridge, piercing the notable cornice accumulated by the southerly wind. We had very little material to abandon to equip the abseils, but fortunately, by scratching in the snow, stuck stones or spikes allowed us to quickly return to the track.
I must say that initially, we were not enthusiastic about the route, we were looking for something more difficult that day, but the "good-natured" nature of the trip made me think that it would be very successful... however, I would never have thought of such a turnout!
In the following years, I happened to return several times and probably today it is the route I have repeated the most times ever. To realize how frequent the route is, it is sufficient to take a look at the rock on the key passage of the overhanging chimney. It is so scratched by crampons that it looks like a passage from the Hornli ridge to the Matterhorn.

Mafia Bianca is a route to start picking up ice axes and crampons on mixed terrain, a transition route, with a crag approach but a high mountain environment and length.
Some have asked why the name... “White Mafia” is a good film by Luigi Zampa, but it is also the mafia without any deaths (cit. Raffaele Cantone).

 

   

Here is the report of the classic: White Mafia.

Passo del Tonale
200m 70° M4+
Francesco Salvaterra, Alessio Tait, Rossana Tomasi - 25/11/2018. 

Description of the route:

A fun and satisfying medium-difficulty climb that quickly became a classic with hundreds of repetitions. Even though it is located above the Paradiso ski slope, the atmosphere is truly mountain and you can almost never see the slope because the route is set in a side gully.
The real gem of this route is the very convenient access, it can be climbed even in less than optimal conditions with a lot of outcropping rock and powdery snow but you often find compressed snow or even ice. There is a crucial passage: The crux, a vertical dihedral to be crossed in a split, protected by cords on stuck stones. You climb up to a shoulder, and from here a mixed dihedral leads to another couloir which you follow with two steep jumps up to the summit ridge.

Climbing Equipment:
Initially, the route was opened with little traditional material, subsequently, all the belays were equipped with 2 10mm stainless steel fixings. On the pitches there are some ropes passed over stuck stones. Bring friends and stoppers, it is difficult to find ice for the screws but it can happen.

 

And if you also want to be among the many to undertake this meticulously mixed route, write to [email protected] or fill out the questionnaire on the site.

Happy adventures from Mountime!