May 8, 2014

Pilier Lomasti - Via Sylvie - 6c+, 180mts

A masterpiece in the context of modern climbing, continuous and very exciting...

"the pilier Lomasti offers a mixture of vertical plates, diedrini holes, a stone wall of real pleasure with technical moves. Systematic nailing allows you to "try" the necessary measures, but it is a good minimum"




If you are looking for a nice steep climbing area to start up the climbing season on, this might be it!
Nice approach with the view overlooking vallee d´Aosta. A nice and cheap restaurant on the way and very well bolted to reduce the meters of free falling.
And, not to crowded either in my opinion
Just don't take the grading to serious, its almost Val d´Arve grading...!



The drive in is very forward and easy. Just take the highway A5 south and turn off at the Verres junction. Aoste via Tunnel du Mt Blanc or du Gd St Bernard - Verres - Arnad.
A small parkings 1km à l'E du village and then just walk up to du Paretone
Follow the signs for il Paretone, which just at the old village with an old fort takes a sharp turn right. Clear obvious path. Takes about 45-50min to the base of the cliff

Signs arriving le Restaurant

The climbs it self is very straight forward, every route has it own metal sign. Which on the other hand  is quite useful cause the routes are very close to each other. But not over bolted  would say, and the bolts them self are in most trustful shape and very close to the next one as well. Most of the times at least...



We took a late departure after the regular lazy coffee morning and headed for a very lazy mont Blanc tunnel. How ever, the toll police had some other ideas! We was quickly polled off and asked to hand over all types of documents. Luckily both of us had remembered, by pure luck, to bring both our ID´s this time. Since its about every 3-4 years between that I have been stopped for a regular control. But, the trip could go on finally
Passing tunnel after tunnel after...finally arriving Verres junction for a descent espresso brake a la Italien!

Anna fighting the crimps on voie Sylvie...



The rest was fairly easy, finding the route trough Arnad and up to the Restaurant "P". Which has its fair amount of visiters so a free space for le Voiture isn't to easy to find at lunch time
The path is a masterpiece of hand built allée!

Local Italian hero

And, when turning the last corner the Pilier it self is just obvious. Specially at this time with climbers here and there...so just rack up and crimp on. Cause crimping is a fact on this piece of stone. Beware!!!

Anna on the last pitch of Via Sylvie

Voie Sylvie is a 180 or 250mts (depending on which topo used) But it has a number of great pitches on most perfect kind of limestone. With superb friction over all



The first 4b is just a passage bout then it starts full on, the next 6c is a bunch of technical finding. Which might be a little easier for a taller person...or maybe its just an excuse!?
Anyhow, every pitch is a finger killer for someone thats been the last couple of month on skis, lifting ski poles at the most or swinging ice axes in a harmless action





Torture is a better word, but a positive one!
And with a couple of local heroic Italians the day is just pure joy
Arnad and pilier Lomasti, I can very much recommend it!
Just don't miss the ice-cream in Arnad at the "Bar du Gelato" and the neighbour Pizzeria Restu

Gelato et Cappucio!


Equipment
50m rope (if you rappel off the route 2x50m)
10-14 QD´s
Free biners for the belays

More info at camp to camp



/all lycka har sin motsatts


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