Via delle Guide  5.5

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Type:  Trad, 4 pitches, 300 feet Consensus:  5.6 [details] FA:  Pietro Dallamano, Renato Ghirardini. July 15, 1930. Season:  spring, summer, fall Submitted By:  Jason Halladay on Jul 29, 2009 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (7) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Inez on the start of Via delle Guide on Torre Gran...

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Description 

This is the easiest of the multipitch classic routes in the Cinque Torri and is very “Hollywood” in that hikers and diners at Rif. Scoiattoli have a perfect view of climbers on the route. The climbing is never difficult, the rock is decent and the summit is nice, flat rock summit.

Pitch 1, 30m: Start up easy ground and head slightly right to clip a piton below the roof. Move more to the right of the roof to clip another piton and take the easiest-looking line through the small roof. Continue up and slightly right on easier ground and look for a big ring belay. We didn't find it but I found a nice horizontal crack for medium cams from which to belay.

Pitches 2 and 3, 58m: With a 60m rope these two pitches can be combined easily. Climb up and pretty well right of the small buttress and loose corner system on scrambling ground. The rock you climb on these pitches is solid but small rocks on the ledges should be treaded upon lightly to avoid knocking them down on the hikers below. I felt a bit nerve-wrecked on this pitch as I tried very hard to not knock anything down. The climbing, however, is easy. Clip the occasional piton to a big ring belay on a good ledge. Route-finding isn't very obvious but it's hard to find terrain harder than 5.6 so no worries.

Pitch 4, 20m: A short, easy pitch to the top where you may find a piton or two. Bolts just over the top of the summit serve for a fine belay anchor. The summit is a sloping but smooth rock summit that again offers great views of the surrounding mountains. Be sure to wave for the cameras of the hikers at the Rif. Scoiattoli.

Location 

Hike downhill from the Rif. Scoiattoli for a few minutes and then hike up the short trail to the top of the grassy ridge that leads to the base of the route.

Protection 

8 to 10 runners with some double-lengths for threads. A very light rack of small to medium camalots to supplement in-situ pitons. Belays are bolted with rings.

Descent 

Three 25m rappels down the north side with a short hike back around the tower's west side to the base of the route. Bring your hiking shoes for the descent. Locate a big rap ring on a small ledge on the north side of the tower. Do NOT use the rings up on top of the summit as pulling your rope will likely result in a stuck rope. Rap down 25m to a good ledge and a big rap ring and crazy-looking rappel “snake” rod on climber's left. A second 25m rappel gets you into the notch between Torre Grande West and Torre Grande North. Scramble down 20 feet to another big rap ring and do one more 25m rappel down to the ground. Hike back around the tower's west side to the base of the route. A short 5 minute hike back up to the Rif. Scoiattoli for a beer is the classic finish that should not be missed. You might even get to dole out a few autographs to the patrons that watched you climb the route.

Photos of Via delle Guide Slideshow

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Matt starting the first pitch of Via delle Guide o...	Pitch 3 of Via delle Guide.	Typical belay anchor in the Cinque Torri. This on...
Pitch 4 of Via delle Guide.	Little Joe "Pete" Miller watching his dad climb th...