Not all climbs are vertical. Capo Noli, southwest of Genoa, can be traversed by linking three climbing routes, which add up to 35 pitches and 1,000m. Typically, it takes around eight hours for experienced climbers. Filip Babicz just climbed it in an incredible 22 minutes and 56 seconds.
“I exceeded my imagination,” Babicz admitted. He shocked the climbing world too, averaging just 39 seconds per pitch.
Better than planned
Babicz’s goal was to complete the traverse within an hour. “I held on until the end to see how fast I would go, I gave 100% and didn’t give up until the last second, and here’s the result,” he told UpClimbing.com.
Filip Babicz was elated after finishing the traverse even faster than he had planned. Photo: Philippo Falco
The three routes and Babicz’s times:
In Scio Bolesomme: 11 minutes 1 second
Connection to the next route: 23 seconds
Searching on the Sea: 2 minutes 33 seconds
Connection: 3 minutes 47 seconds
Traverso Del Capo: 5 minutes 12 seconds
Babicz had made the traverse at a normal pace last year. He fell in love with the location and started to plan his speed climb. “Tackling [the traverse] this way is a hybrid climb between a free solo and a deep water solo,” Babicz said. “It is always above the water (between 2m and 30m above the sea) but the walls are not overhanging (important for deep water lines) so the feeling is closer to a free solo than a deep water solo.”
Part of the combination of routes along the cliffs, between 2m and 30m above the water. Photo: Filip Babicz/UpClimbing
Proof
Babicz promised he will share further details and his tracker. That is “the least you can expect from someone who declares a record or FKT [fastest known time],” he recently posted. He also had at least one witness. Photographer Filippo Falco filmed the traverse.
Babicz is a well-known speed climber with an impressive resumé. Two months ago, he soloed Grand Capucin in the Alps in 49 minutes, following parts of O Sole Mio and the Swiss route along a 750m line to the 3,838m summit. He posted his tracker on Strava.
“These are sports performances and as such, must follow well-defined rules. This is a necessary condition for two performances to be compared with each other,” he explained. His comments echo our conversations with Kilian Jornet and Francois Cazzanelli.
