Idea Montagna Civetta Nord-Ovest climbing guide

Idea Montagna Civetta Nord-Ovest is a monographic guide entirely dedicated to the North-West face of the Civetta, known as the “Wall of Walls.” More than a technical tool for climbers, this guide represents a rightful tribute to the history encapsulated in the crevices of this wall, from the first explorations to the legendary Solleder-Lettenbauer, considered the first sixth-grade route in the Alps, up to the more recent ascents, some made by the authors themselves, characterized by extreme difficulties.

The volume recounts 78 routes, each accompanied by a detailed and updated report, and brings with it just as many stories of vertical adventure: bivouacs, risks, successes, and failures that have the imposing wall of the Civetta as a common thread.

The authors are two deep connoisseurs of the massif. Alessandro Baù, a freelance engineer and alpine guide, is a member of the Italian Academic Alpine Club. He has completed numerous traditional and modern routes all over the world, from the Himalayas to Patagonia, passing through North America, Africa, and Central Asia. He has opened many new challenging routes, primarily using classic protections and favoring free climbing. He is a great enthusiast of the North-West, where he has climbed many of the routes proposed in this guide and is currently among the leading experts of the massif. In Civetta, he has opened Chimera Verticale, Colonne d’Ercole, and Zuita Patavina, completed three first winter ascents, six first repetitions, and bivouacked 33 times on the wall. He currently has two other projects that are not yet completed.

Luca Vallata is a full-time alpine guide and has developed his activity mainly in the Eastern Dolomites, favoring less frequented routes. He lives and climbs in Valcellina, where he has found a balance between nature and mountains, but he has never lost his fascination for the Sahara desert, particularly the Hoggar massif. In Civetta, he has opened the route Capitani di Ventura and completed some first repetitions on the North-West.