South face - Via Soldà ****
FIRST ASCENTS:
Gino Soldà, Hans Kraus, 1959
FIRST REPETITION:
Gianni Gianeselli,
Giorgio Garna, 1966
SECOND REPETITION:
Gianni Costantini,
Roberto Lagunaz, 1966
FIRST WINTER:
E. Ferrazzuto, R. Liberato,
G. Verrati, 1969
FIRST SOLITAIRE:
Renato Bien, 1977
FIRST WINTER SOLITAIRE:
Pier Angelo Verri
DEVELOPMENT: 350 m circa
DIFFICULTY: TD+ R2; 6°
ESTIMATED TIME: 5 hours
MATERIAL:
normal mountaineering equipment
IDEAL PERIOD:
May-October
Classic itinerary, very beautiful and popular, which climbs the severe vertical slab wall characterized by two dark flows that completely mark it. In terms of audacity, logic and climbing beauty it is certainly one of the greatest ascents left by Gino Soldà. Even today, in fact, the south face of the Pala delle Masenade, vertical and visually without points of failure, inspires the mountaineer who faces it a feeling of anxiety and profound respect. The climb is currently aided, however, the advice is to have some pegs with you just in case. Pay attention in the last stretch (above the high ledge), where it is easy to confuse the original itinerary with the exit of the clearly more demanding "Sergio Arban" and "Marsanga" routes.
ACCESS
From Rif. Carestiato following the Alta Via n. 1 towards Rif. Vazzolèr, in a few minutes you can reach the long scree that descends under the wall. Following the latter with difficulty, with an obvious trace, you can easily reach the base of the Pala delle Masenade. A large landslide that broke off from a forepart in the autumn of 2010 broke down the scree, inquire at the Carestiato Refuge on the feasibility of this access. Alternatively, go up the Ferrata Costantini then traversing with some difficulty at the base of the Pala delle Masenade (0.40 h).
connection
At the center of the large rocky amphitheater of the Masenade which forms a gray dihedral tilted to the right.
DESCENT
Reached the large upper detrital ledge, cross to the right reaching the Ferrata Costantini, which quickly takes you back to the Carestiato Refuge (1 h). Alternatively, with a longer route, you can traverse the ledge to the left and descend by comfortable banks on the rocks of the Scalet delle Masenade with a track highlighted by red stamps (2 hours to Rif. Carestiato).
