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Val Farina Tower
Giochi di potere (Power games)
Italian version  |  PHOTO GALLERY  |  Printable version 
24/05/1997 Paolo Vitali & Sonja Brambati
 

Lots of people in Lecco are climbers or trekkers, but there are still some unknown places to discover, or revist in moder view: the Farina valley is one of them!... How many people in Lecco should have never listen this name? The Val Farina tower is an extremely hiding place; it is clearly visible in its beuty only from the "Forcellino" view-point at Piani Resinelli (m 1300), seventeen chilometers from Lecco. Only two other teams climbed on its limestone in the past (1980): Daniele Chiappa, Carlo Duchini, Giacomo Stefani and Annibale Borghettti climbed a route on the left-end of this face, but they stopped 30 m before the top to not use bolts; while Roby Chiappa, Luca Borghetti and Mario Valsecchi climbed on the right-end of the face, reaching the top through a chimey.  Our 5th pitch is common with the left one of these two routes, we asked "a permission" to Daniele Chiappa before rebolting it; he, together with his brother Roby, expressed us his approval for our revist.  In our opinion, "Giochi di potere" (Power games) is one more time the demostration that modern routes are not a break-point with the past but its logicall evolution, and they also permit to re-evaluate frogotten places, routes and their climbing history.

To reach it: from the Lecco-Ballabio road, at the locality Via Quarto, take the path n°52 to the Mount San Martino. Overpass the church and the refuge at the top of it and go on in direction of the Val Verde and Piani Resinelli. After an equipped downhill chain you are at the bottom of a rocky valley (Val Rovina) that leads to the base of the pillar; follow the squeeze valley for 15 minutes then go right to the pillar rock-band, a 20 m fixed rope leads to the beginning of the route. 
The route: is 200 m long, difficulties are F6a/6b (max F6b+) but obliged. 
It is bolt-equipped with 34 10mm fixes plus 16 for belays (all with chain to rapell), to repeat it 6 "quicks" and a 60 m rope (for rapells) are sufficient. 
Descent: 7  30m rapells (+ 2 avoidable on the rock-band). 
Notes:  the wall is south-west faced, its top receives the sun late in the morning, while the first two pitches only in the afternoon. The site is quite fresh in spring and autumn and too hot in the summer (altitude is about 1200 m). The rock is a grey and black limestone, not perfect in some sections; most lose rocks and grass have been removed but is better to be careful during the repeats.