Route “Thank You Giovanni”
Dedicated to Giovanni Andriano, a friend who tragically lost his life in an avalanche last year. He was passionate about these adventures and had opened some beautiful lines in the Dolomites. This route partially follows an old summer route.

Route Details:

Opened on: November 16th
Climbers: Max Faletti, Marco Cordin, Paolo Valentini
Approach:
Park at the Piano de Schiavaneis crag. Ascend Val Lasties until you reach the plateau. Just after a pillar on the right, the line becomes visible; stay below it.

Difficulty:

M6+
V (rock)
WI 6+ (all to be confirmed)
Gear Used:
A complete set of Totemcams, plus two Wild Country blue #3 and #4, two green Aliens, a small set of offset nuts, and six bolts (8 mm) for belays. One belay is for the Simon Gietl & Messini route. We encountered two additional anchors: one with a thread and one with two pitons. For ice screws, bring 12 short, very short, and medium screws, along with a series of offset nuts. A few pitons and a hammer are advisable, as well as 4-5 ropes to leave for the last two hourglasses and the pitch before the recessed goulotte.

Pitch Breakdown:

First Pitch (60 m, M6):
Features two threads; the crux is about 50 meters up a rib, then traverses on ice to a belay with two bolts for rappelling.
Second Pitch (approximately 35 m, M6):
Starts with a traverse to the left, then straight up the ice, moving through the first crag and slightly right to an oblique crack where the crux can be protected.
Third Pitch (IV+):
Climbs to a belay with two threads, one of which is dug with a hammer.
Fourth Pitch (Goulotte WI IV):
Belay on a thread to the right, with a useless piton on the left, located beneath the ice festoon.
Fifth Pitch (Goulotte WI IV, then Rock chimney V):
After exiting the chimney, turn left to belay on the brothers' peg and our hourglass jig.
Sixth Pitch (30 m, wall WI IV):
A difficult candle section that can be tackled starting from the left with a rock move, then moving right over the pecker (M6+). Belay on two pitons from the brothers in a niche.
Seventh Pitch (approximately 70/75 m, difficult ice pitch):
Features a tricky spot before the exit and two threads halfway down for rappelling.
Note:
This environment is changing rapidly! After starting the first pitch, as Marco was climbing, large ice blocks began to fall. I untied myself and moved away from the wall to assess the situation. Two climbers were descending from above, creating a dangerous situation. A few of those falling blocks caused some bumps for me. The hourglass at the beginning of the gully remained unpunctured, but the two belays on the key mixed piece were incredibly helpful. Thankfully, after several shouts, the climbers decided to retreat, bringing down a significant amount of ice.

For the last section (70/75 m), we opted for the non-prepared line. Marco led a 70-meter pitch starting at 5:45 PM on this challenging ice route, battling until 7:40 PM. We reached the car at 9:40 in the evening.