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Ice: an extraordinary and fickle element. A necessary ingredient for this sci fi, gobsmacking structure, created once again by Maurizio Gallo in Valle di Daone. A jungle of steep walls, each different and unique, just like ice itself. An open invitation to be climbed, by the best. If last year's structure was incredible, this year's creation is superlative. Powerful, 15m high contorted formations and overhanging towers make the structure look not like last year's dinosaur, but like a giant grasshopper. Frozen in time!
Artificial structures for ice climbing. One of the major problems that ice climbing competitions face is the actual competition structure. The reason for this is obvious: ice transforms continuously. So the challenge lies in creating a solid structure that remains “climbable” over time, even if the temperature changes significantly. Furthermore, one mustn’t forget that some of the best ice climbers in the world will be competing on this structure, meaning that the routes must be extremely difficult. And since Valle di Daone will host the ice bouldering event, with short but intense routes, the ice structure takes on a completely different importance altogether…
Creating ice requires total dedication. And constant maintenance, usually during the coldest hours deep into the night. A skeletal structure is built and then, with the help of plenty of water, intense cold and artificial snow making machines, the ice is “fabricated”. And then it’s time to use ice axes and shovels to “mould” the ice. A lot of hard work is needed to create the best possible conditions for a competition.
News and dry tooling. This year, to make things as clear and fair as possible, the dry tooling pannels will varnished with a granite paint. Athletes will not be able to plant their ice axes or spurs into the wooden pannels, and the next competitors will therefore no longer be facilitated.
There is another important and spectacular addition: athletes will toprope the first section of the routes, and then continue leading the upper section. This new rule change will probably be adopted in the ice difficulty competitions to eliminate the different rules governing the bouldering and difficulty events.
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Above: the 2002 "dinosaur" shrouded in the snow machine's fine mist during the construction phase. On the left, Romolo Ghezzi, secretary of the Pareti di Cristallo Committee, and Maurizio Gallo, the ice structure architect.
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 Click to enlarge
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ICE CLIMBING STADIUM
Location: Pracul.
Idea: Maurizio Gallo
Work carried out: Maurizio Gallo Placido Corradi 'Paio' and the Pareti di Cristallo volunteers, in collaboration with the SAGF (Soccorso Alpino della Guardia di Finanza) di Tione.
the structure
description: three towers plus two 40° columns. The towers are joined together in the upper sections with wooden panels with holds for 'dry tooling'. The structure is buffered by an upside down 'V formed by two 45° columns.
Height max: 15 metri
Overhang max: 8 m from the top
Angle max: 35°
boulder area
description: round ice monolith with just a few dry tooling panels, characterised by large roofs and overhanging dry tooling pannels.
Diameter: 5m at the base, 10m on the to section.
the tribunes
An area reserved for the for the crowd. The stepped ice arena measures 40x60m.
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