SERENELLA FACE- Riva del Garda (TN)

Dedicated to Serenella and Grola

ACCESS
From Riva del Garda follow direction Limone, before the first tunnel starts, on the left, the old street to Ledro that today is closed. Park your car and take the old Gardesana street (on the left Hotel Excelsior). Take by walk the first tunnel which is closed by a railing that you can override or pass on the right.
In June the sun goes down before 16.00

INFO
Poesia d’estate route
It has been defined “a small masterpiece of aesthetics”.
First climbers: Stenghel during spring 1994
Level: from IV up to VI+
For descending to the attack point you have to go down after the first tunnel, on the old Gardesana street. From a small rock promontory begin a long traverse on the left, with overhanging passages at the beginning, but with a lot of holds and then, when the rock becomes yellow, with more difficult passages on little holds (sometimes you can find some pitons that allow you to belay, having of course an harness, with clipper – about 150 meters). But if you go on the right  you can traverse on grey rocks, very compact and with holds moving yourself with the feet near the water and on level not higher than the fourth grade (only a passage is difficult but you can avoid it going into the water until your belt using a rock under the water). This traverse is good for people that cannot do difficult climbs but they can anyway try to climb in such a beautiful environment. It ends by the statue in bronze called “Il Cristo del Lago” (by Brother Silvio) which is located at few meters from the Residence. Then you have two possibilities, you can climb on the right, direction statue and Hotel Excelsior with few difficulties or throw “in the hard” by the opposite site; in both cases it is important to be able to swim or to use a life jacket. If you would like to overnight by the Residence you can go to the climb attack through the lake.
This traverse of about 300 meters long near the water, which is wrongly not attended so much, has to be considered the most beautiful climb of all the Garda Lake and probably of the whole Sarca valley. It is funny to move yourself forward and backward along this cliff: the magnificent rock, very compact and eroded, permits exposed moves not so far away from the water in a very beautiful environment. It has been defined as a small masterpiece of aesthetics.
This is a difficult climb because, even if there are a lot of holds, you are always overhanging.
“I see the water under me, so closed to me that I could touch it with my feet; I would let me fall and bathe, but I cannot leave the wall” (from the shortfilm “Il Bimbo”).

Taz Acqua route: S1, 30 meters, 7a; S2, 10 meters, 7a
Navigante route: 40 meters, 7b.
Material: 2 quick draws, rope of 60 meters, sleeve karabiners, material for abseil rope.
On the cliff of the second tunnel two routes have been nailed by the brothers Mauro and Diego Mabboni  (with bolts and chains), which climb all the face (40 meters) reaching the old highway for Ledro valley which is not used anymore. For the very high level of difficulty and the water high, these routes need a suitable climbing equipment (rope, harness and quick draws), it is therefore advisable to reach the attacks rapping down (if you lean you can easily see the bolts and the climbing routes). The access is from the old way to Ledro valley; after the first tunnel continue on the street for 100 meters, from the kerbstone that borders the side of the street (rappel of 40 overhanging meters).

Sten & C. route
Route setters: Stenghel, Sartori and Baldessarini in 1981
Length: 40 meters
Level: V+
Material: 2 pitons
The route is located on the cliff of the second tunnel, at the end of the long traverse called “Poesia d’Estate” or at its beginning if you start from the south to the north. To reach the attack you have to descent a steep ramp with trees of 20 meters (after the second tunnel – direction Limone) up to a stony beach. At its north side, after some meters near the water, climb for ten meters a vertical dihedral made of strong yellow rocks. Leave it on the right with a short traverse (5 meters) in exposed face going to another dihedral which has to be climbed athletic up to the old and not used anymore Ponale way. Very beautiful beginners route with solid rock, from which, by the first dihedral, it is possible to dive in the fresh lake (maybe after climbing the “Poesia d’estate route”); anyway, in order to be able to climb the whole route, a full climbing equipment is needed (rope, harness, etc).

FUN & PLEASURE
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From
CAMERINI F. – STENGHEL G., Il Garda Verticale, ed. Zeta-Beta 2002.
 

the start on the left

the start on the right