Italian guides Francesco Rigon and Mirco Grasso have opened a 170m-long ice route on the Croda di Cacciagrande on Mt. Sorapiss in the Dolomites.
They dubbed it Solo per un Sorriso — “Just for a Smile” — a warm name for a cold endeavor. Unlike other routes opened recently, this one lies in a less visited corner of Italy’s climbing mecca.
“The approach [compares] to those in Patagonia,” Rigon wrote. They took five hours to approach the north side of the peak, where they had spotted a potential line while ski mountaineering some days before. It then took another hour to reach the beginning of the line. They were already very tired, but once on the wall, the excitement of the route kept them going.
During the long approach, at sunrise. Photo: Francesco Rigon
A sunset summit
The line first climbs an ice gully (AI3, 60m), then continues up an ice wall for four pitches. Rigon lists the details, partial grades proposed, and the gear used on his website. Overall, the climbers propose WI 5+ for the new route.
They summited at sunset. It was already dark by the time they rappelled down to their gear depot. They were still three hours from the car.
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