The famous smooth slabs that characterize the central section of the south face of the Marmolada d’Ombreta (3230m), Italian Dolomites. On the left in red is the line of Colpo di Coda (5.11c A2, c900m and 28 pitches, Giordani-Faletti, 2006). To the right in blue is the renowned Fish (aka Attraverso il Pesce: 5.12c, 920m and 33 pitches, Koller-Sustr, 1981), which finishes just right of the summit cable car station. [Photo] Claudio Cima collection
Maurizio Giordani, guidebook author and guru of the Marmolada in the Italian Dolomites, has added another major route to the massive south face. Climbing with Massimo Faletti, Giordani completed the ca. 900-meter Colpo di Coda on Marmolada d’Ombreta (3230m) during August. The route went almost all free in 28 pitches up to 5.11c, with two short sections of A2. Colpo di Coda is situated on the left side of the famous, slabby wall containing the legendary Igor Koller route, The Fish (aka Attraverso il Pesce: 5.12c, 920m and 33 pitches, Koller-Sustr, 1981). It lies just left of the serious Via dell Ideale (5.10c, ca. 900m and 30 pitches, Aste-Solina, 1964) and right of Abrakadabra (5.10c, c900m, Iovane-Mariacher, 1980), an even more serious route with all the hard climbing on very loose rock with poor belays. This area of the face is often wet, due to water running down from the summit chimneys. It is rarely in condition before August, but even this year there were two wet sections high on the overhanging part of the new route, where Giordani and Faletti had to resort to aid.
Colpo di Coda is around the eighteenth new route on the south face for Giordani, who is known for his bold climbing and very minimal use of bolts: while opening one of his more well-known offerings, Specchio di Sara (climbed free in 1989 at 5.12d, 500m, Giordani-Manfrini), he took numerous thirty-meter falls. Giordani reports that his new offering is an excellent route and entirely in keeping with the established ethics used to put up other routes on this face (for that read “adventurous”).