Canalone dei Mezzi Litri - An alternative route...

Saturday 23 February 2008

It's a sudden decision. Work, children, everyday commitments: D.R. and I talk on the phone in the grip of a withdrawal delirium. What do we do? Do we go? For weeks we have been dragging around an inexplicable tiredness, a work stress that has kept us under pressure for a long time. The forecast is spectacular: sun, sun and more sun. At the last minute we fix the meeting for the following morning. We decide to leave early and 5.30 seems to us a perfectly respectable time. The need, the deep longing for the mountains throws us out of bed without even the help of the alarm clock.

At 5.10 I'm outside Doriano's house, he is already there fiddling with his mobile... it makes us laugh to think that we are both so impatient... The Via Salaria to get to the foot of Monte Vettore is long, but in two hours and twenty minutes we reach Pretare, and we drive up the wide bends that lead towards Forca di Presta. At the foot of a wide open space we stop the car. - Look, from here you can see the Rifugio Zilioli. Blimey, you could go up this gully like a direttissima. We hardly have time to think it before the decision is made. We don't even get as far as Forca di Presta, we'll start from this open space and climb up the gully. A lone ski mountaineer also stops and points out the route to us, he says it's the Canalone dei Mezzilitri. Right then. We go straight up to the Zilioli and carry on along the ridge with Cima del Lago as our objective.

The sun is already high and it's decidedly spring-like warm, you can happily go in short sleeves. At the mouth of the gully, which lies slightly off to the right of the car park, we decide to carry on by a rock line rather than on the long tongue of ice that stretches down to the wood.

Spires and pinnacles mark the long ridge that runs alongside the Canalone dei Mezzi Litri.

Not a Dolomite route (obviously), but one that at times reminds us of the rocks of Monte Prena. We have fun climbing on the big boulders, at times venturing onto little grade I moves. It's a game, and caught up in a kind of euphoria we laugh and joke, photographing the rocks all around in amazement. We go back on the way towards the wide upper funnel of the Canalone dei Mezzi Litri. The higher we go, the more the gully tends to open out, giving us a wider and wider view.

We reach the edge of the icy snow and have to put on our crampons; it's a question of safety but it also helps to make the climb less tiring. A light wind coming up the gully forces us to put on our fleeces. Sunglasses are a must on the blinding snow.

In the gully we head straight for the Rifugio Zilioli to take a few panoramic photos of the Vettore. When we reach the Rifugio Zilioli the wind on the saddle is insistent. We carry straight on along the ridge that leads to Punta di Prato Pulito. The ridge is snow-covered, but the rocks sticking out of the snow show us the edge not to go beyond. We keep to the left side of the ridge, casting the odd glance into the sheer drop towards the Lago di Pilato. Once past the ridge the wind has practically vanished. We stop and sit down, a sandwich and a cup of tea, sitting in front of the fantastic view over the Monti della Laga and the Gran Sasso. For me it becomes a moment of intense, deep serenity. I manage to empty my mind, losing my futile thoughts in the vastness of the view.

The aim of the day has already been achieved. I'm happy. I don't even think about the summits still waiting for us. A hundred metres or so and we are on top of Punta di Prato Pulito (2373 m). We take the ritual photos and off we go again. In half an hour we are on Cima del Lago (2422 m). It's already midday, and to get to the Redentore we would still need more strength, which we don't have. We rack our brains over the riddle: carry on, or settle for an already splendid day.

We are both tired and we don't know why (perhaps precisely because of those 1200 metres of height gain we have climbed from the car park at the bottom of the gully?). We decide to settle for this. Next time the Redentore and the Pizzo del Diavolo (Devil's Peak) will be ours.

We stop for an hour or so, we drink, again, we are hotter than usual. We set off again at one o'clock, heading for the gully. We know that a long but quick step-kicking descent awaits us. The slope has an angle of no more than 30-35 degrees; we take it head on, at times sinking into the snow, which in the sun has now become soft and wet. In some places the snow is still icy and some important tests still await us. It had to happen sooner or later, and it is certainly good that it happens in safe places where the risk is still limited. I trip on the hard ice, face forward. I have the ice axe in my hand and I only have time to think - “The only thing I can do is try the manoeuvre...” - The ice axe self-arrest learnt at the CAI (Italian Alpine Club). I manage to turn over, plant the pick and put all my weight on the ice axe. The grip is secure, the ice is quite solid

and the braking is short. I've left a not very long track, about ten metres, but instead of being terrified by what has happened I'm overjoyed. I was able not to let fear take over, I just reacted and did what had to be done. It's one of those moments when, despite the danger, you develop the right self-esteem.

We carry on. The sun is  scorching and the gully has the classic mirror effect. I can feel my face hot, I'm probably getting tanned and must be all red. But laziness, as usual, stops me from putting on sun cream. We both fall into a few big holes in the snow measuring 1x1 metre, we pull ourselves out and carry on. In two and a half hours we are back at the car. Perhaps a bit tired, but so, so satisfied.

The Canalone dei Mezzi Litri route is perhaps the most interesting way up Monte Vettore, it's not the usual normal route. Interesting, varied, direct, immediate, airy and certainly panoramic. From start to finish it was one continuous improvisation. The mountains are this too: they teach us that we must be ready for sudden choices, and that sometimes these can give you wonderful hikes or save your life.