SASSO / SAN VALENTINO - Gargnano (Bs)

Confused and rich rock-area with a lot of small faces and limestone needles, not always in good conditions. The view is wonderful.
Some information about slabs/buttresses are recoverable from the writings of Sandro De Toni http://www.sandrotedoni.it/climbing/gardao.html or in “Prealpi Bresciane” of Fausto Camerini, ed. Touring Club, in collaboration with CAI Association (some pages of this text can be readed at the following address: http://books.google.it indicating the autor’s name and the title of the text).

More details on CAMERINI F. – STENGHEL G., “Il Garda Verticale”, ed. Zeta-Beta 2002.

ACCESS

Pass Salò on the west side of the Garda lake and follow direction Gargnano (Bs). After the bus station and the entrance for the lakeside, turn on the left following Valvestino, Magasa, Navazzo. Go on for some kilometers, reached a crossroads, turn on the right for Sasso where you can park your car.
By Sasso you take a route near the cemetery; at the first crossroads you leave the asphalt road and take a small trail on the left that passes some vineyards and reaches a cultivation of lemons by Sisengla village. After that, on the right, starts a trail that reaches a voltage lattice where you can see the buttresses, and another crossroads where you have to stay on the left. You arrive at the base of the “Placca Rossa”, you continue on the left through the woods reaching the base of the “Paretina Micro” where you turn on the left again. You pass also the base of the slab called “Placca delle morose” and you will see the first cables with whom you climb a channel in the woods reaching a rock spur called “Pulpito di San Valentino”. Going on through an easy equipped route you can reach the suggestive hermitage of San Valentino.

 INFOs
From the left to the right: “Parete di Sasso”, “Settore Polimorfo”, “Placca Rossa”, “Paretina Micro”, “Placca delle Morose”, “Pilastro Sud”, “Pilastro di San Valentino”, “Pilastro Nord”, “Pilastro dell’Ago”.

 PARETE DI SASSO

This is a small and unknown cliff, south of the “Pilastri di San Valentino”. You can reach it following the itinerary for the Hermitage of San Valentino along the equipped route. After the cultivation of lemons by Sisengla you leave the trail and you reach the cliff where there is just one route opened.
First climbers: Francesco Magri, Alberto Moncigoli, Marco and Paolo Preti in 1982.
Length: 150 meters for 4 pitches
Level: V+
No pitons have been used and the belay is on nuts and tunnels. You climb on slabs which are often dirty up to a big dihedral of which you have to climb the right face.

in alto sulla destra è visibile il diedro di uscita

particolare del diedro, un po' invaso di vegetazione

 SETTORE POLIMORFO

Big yellow and gray rock , 15 meters high. From “Placca rossa” you follow on the left a very small trail, passing the base of the “Il giardino del Mago”. The names are written on the base . two routes on the left.

IL GIARDINO DEL MAGO

On the right of settore polimorfo.

  PLACCA ROSSA

Gray rock with red and gray veins, from the left to the right.

Sara Dottorini - CAPITAN UNCINO

The “Paretina Micro” and the “Placca delle Morose” are situated on the base of the south-west slope of the “Pilastro di San Valentino”.

 PARETINA MICRO

p.s: ancient belays

 PLACCA DELLE MOROSE

It is, after the “Paretina Micro”, on the right of the channel start.
You will find the names of three short routes: from the left
Pay attention to the old bolts.

PILASTRI DI SAN VALENTINO

For the slab on the right following Calzà-Cipriani-Vidali route.
First climbers: Paolo Calzà “Trota”, Eugenio Cipriani and Giuseppe Vidali in November 1991.
Length: 180 meters with 4 pitches; descent with three rappels along the route.
Level: VI+ and VII
Climbing time: about 2. 30 hours
The route, quite hard and vertical, develops along the rib and the right slabs of the buttress and it has been climbed with traditional nailing even if it has been equipped with bolts recently. The rock is very compact in some cases and in some points not stable.
From Sasso (546 meters) you follow the itinerary 3.13.2 along the equipped route up to the small “Parete Micro”. On the right you will find the base of the rock buttress. You start on the left of an evident niche reaching and passing two roofs (VII); after the second roof you go in oblique to the right (V) going near to a big dihedral (40 meters). You pass 4 meters on the right (IV) and you climb directly the dihedral (V+) and the end of which you will find a ledge that has to be followed for 4 meters on the left (30 meters). Go on another slab  up to the buttress top (30 meters; V/VI and a sequence VII – before the exit).

To “Pilastro di destra” (buttress) along Re Dabol route
First climbers: Mauro Zanagnolo and Gianni Garbelli in 1988
Level: IV/IV+ and VII
The route, which doesn’t arrive to the summit, but stops after three pitches, goes through a part of the face called “Placca delle Capre” (slab) and it is situated just on the left of “Calzà-Cipriani-Vidali” route; the route’s name is written at the start. You climb diagonally on the right on quite easy rock (IV/IV+) in the direction of a dihedral. Continue along an hard dihedral up to its end passing a final roof (VII).

From West along Linea Diagonale route
First climbers: Mauro Zanagnolo solo in July 1991
First repeaters: Mauro Zanagnolo and Ermes Berneri in 1992
Level: max. 6a+ on an overhang during the third pitch
You climb on the trail along the equipped route to the hermitage of San Valentino up to the “Placca delle morose” (slab). Attack just on the left of this along an evident gully that climbs diagonally up to the summit of “Placca delle morose” (S1, III). Continue diagonally with the gully that is narrowing, up to become a crack and continues up to the face’s end where begins the vegetation (S2, S3, S4; max.level 6a+).
If you would like to reach the summit of the “Pilastro” (buttress), continue on good rocks with sequences II and III for some tens of meters. Descent with three rappels of S4 equipped with bolts and sling.

PILASTRO NORD (North buttress)

Hermitage route  VII-/A0 or VIII+ (about 120 meters)
Technical slab at the beginning, a crack to protect with friend (no. 4 or 5 – Ande dimensions), an hard and overhanging slab which requires some aid climbing sequences (the alleged 7b), then broken slabs and the exit. The last belay, from whom it is possible to descent in rappel, is situated up to a pinnacle, between spikes.

PILASTRO DELL’AGO (Buttress)
This is a rocky wall situated on the right of “Pilastri di San Valentino” (buttresses). The rock is good even if it is a little bit dirty. From the summit it is possible to see the Garda lake  from Malcesine up to Sirmione or up to the morainic hills of Brescia and Mantova, which are often cloaked in fog during the fall. The routes are reported from the left to the right.
From Sasso (546 meters) you follow the itinerary through the equipped route of San Valentino Hermitage up to the small cliff called “Micro”. You leave the way marked track and you take a trail on the right which follows the base of “Pilastri di San Valentino” (buttresses). You reach the couloir which divides the “Pilastro di San Valentino” from the “Pilastro dell’ Ago” (20 minutes). Enter the couloir and climb to a sudden. Take then your right and through small rocks and woods you will reach the summit (II/III).

Orso Bubu route
First climbers: Renato Martinelli and Paolo Tellaroli during Fall 1998
Length: 125 meters up to S5; 210 meters up to the summit
Level: max. 6b
The attack is situated about one hundred meters on the right of the couloir which divides the “Pilastri di San Valentino” from the “Pilastro dell’Ago”, about 30 meters before the “Perla del lago”. The route key is the beautiful vertical face of 40 meters of the fourth and fifth pitch which presents the hardest difficulties. The route is protected with bolts and you could find some stinging plants (short trousers should be avoided). Return in rappel along the route.
You deal a slab climbing diagonally on the right for some meters up to the first bolt and you continue slightly on the left for 5 meters and then through a small and little marked crack up to the ledge (S1, 25 meters, 8 bolts, 6a, 2 pitons). Cross on the left for 10 meters on grassy ledge and go on for other 10 meters on slabs with some cambers (S3, 25 meters, 2 pitons, 6a/6b). you are now under a beautiful vertical face of about 50 meters that has to be climbed directly (S4, 25 meters, 6b and 6a). Continue straight on  (S5, 25 meters, 6c/6a) and then through broken rocks up to the summit.
Descent in rappel up to S3. Dive and cross the ledge up to S2 and then in rappel up to the base.

La Perla del Lago route VII (about 120 meters)
When you have reached the couloir which divides the “Pilastro di San Valentino” from the “Pilastro dell’Ago” (20 minutes) you cross it. Walk along the base of the face for 130 meters up to a belay where there is the attack, about 30 meters after the “Orso Bubu” route.
First climbers: Alberto and Edoardo Rizza in November 1999
Length: 195 meters with the last 60 meters of crumbling rock.
Level: VII max. with 1 sequence of A1
Tonoli and Rizza, by the second belay, found a piton related to the route that develops on the right edge.
Safety: slings on tunnel, pitons, some bolts recently integrated with fix. Kevlar useful for tunnels and 1 friend n. 2.
Good rock (only some buttresses are not stable), but it is disturbed by the vegetation.
L1 – Slab and surface cracks heading to a knife edge of a small buttress which has to be followed up to the belay.
Climb vertically 5 meters on little holes and then on a precarious tunnel on the right; head to the detached edge;  continue 20 meters on good rock and move yourself on the right on an edge for others 15 meters (S1, 3 bolts, 2 pitons, VI- 35 meters)
L2 – On the left of the belay you pass a small roof and you follow the next crack in oblique on the left up to a portal edge. Then other small overhang and crack in oblique on the right (35 meters – VI+)
Cross on the left to a small overhanging dihedral, climb along the crack up to a ledge, and climb again 4 meters to the roof in order to exit on the right on an aider walking then along the small crack (S2, 3 fix, 3 pitons VI+, A1, 35 meters).
L3 – Ramp on the left, bypass the edge with beautiful movements and climb going in oblique on the right up to easier rocks and reach the belay (30 meters – VII-).
From the tree continue diagonally on the left up to a roof, bypass it and climb vertical rocks with poor holds (S4, 4 fix, 3 pitons VI-, 30 meters).
L4 – Ramp on the left up to a small buttress, then the slab under a small roof that you have to bypass on the left, dihedral on its left and another slab up to the belay (30 meters – V+).
Continue then on broken rocks (60 meters) up to the summit (II) or in rappel on the route from S4 (better with just one rope in order to avoid possible jams).
 To the right edge
This is an old route of classical level, no more repeated that pass near the second belay of “la Perla del Lago”. No other information available.

FUN &PLEASURE
By Formaga, not far away Sasso, there is a restaurant called  “Trattoria La Cà Vecia” – tel. +39 0365 71322
CAMERINI F. – STENGHEL G., Il Garda verticale, ed. Zeta-Beta 2002.

Guardando verso nord, si scoprono nuove pareti forse ancora inesplorate ai piedi del Monte Comer e si sognano nuove traiettorie.......