Flora Alpina a new climbing route in the Dolomites, at Passo San Pellegrino

Group: Dolomites- Ombrettola – San Pellegrino Pass.
Summit: Buttress of Monte la Banca 2680 m.  South West face.
Route: Flora Alpina ( M. Bozzetta – R. Ausermiller. Opened from the ground up in 2017.)
Vertical height gain: 240m.
Total length: 260m.
Difficulty:  II° S3 6C+ (6B obligatory)
Time of ascent: 4-5 hours
Beauty: ****
Quality of rock: excellent
Gear: 10 quickdraws, one 60 metre rope, a few medium small sized cam.
Recommended period: June-October
Crowded:  low

General info: Beautiful itinerary which runs up the right side of the rock face on rough but very good rock, using the best sections and most compact sections of the face with varied and elegant climbing in a bucolic environment. Excellent bolting even if placed quite distant. All anchors are comfy and allow to abseil down easily.

For fit and speedy roped parties Flora Alpina can be connected to via Occhi d’acaua at Torre del Formenton, by crossing the large ledge on foot, it takes roughly 20 minutes, creating an extraordinary and very difficult combination.

Access by road : From Moena reach San Pellegrino Pass and drive down the opposite side of the pass till you find the first junction on the left with sign posts to Baita Flora Alpina. Follow this road till you reach a bridge which crosses rio Zigole, park on the left in a wide space.

Approach: From the car park, follow a road with sign posts to Rifugio Fuciade. Straight after the mountain hut a path sets off through the meadows with signs towards Forca Rossa. Follow it uphill going past a ridge (aqueduct) to then enter a plain through a beautiful basin from where the rock face is already visible. At the end of the meadow head up to the left along a little path which is not well marked (marked n° 670). Continue along this till you reach a junction with a pole in the middle. Turn right for 50 metres till you reach a small valley. Leave the path and climb up to the left along a ridge with large boulders. Reach an enormous overhaning boulder, go round it to the right and climb up the scree to the base of the rock face. Bolt with visible cord. 1hr 30.

Ascent:

• 1°   PITCH: 30m. 6C.    Beautiful pitch with difficult start
• 2°   PITCH: 30m. 6C+.  Start is dirty, then amazing grey wall.
• 3°   PITCH: 25m. 6A+.  Little dihedral and small overhang.
• 4°   PITCH: 25m. 6B.    Great pitch on grey slab.
• 5°   PITCH: 20m. 6A.    Crack and yellow wall.
• 6°   PITCH: 35m. 6B.  Textbook grey slab
• 7°   PITCH: 15 m. 6B+. Difficult start then red slab.
• 8°   PITCH: 30m. 6C+.  Great athletic crack
• 9°   PITCH: 30m. 6B.    Difficult start, then easy rocks, not very solid.
• 10° PITCH: 20m. 5C.   Nice grey pillar.