Larcher makes solitary winter ascent of Cima Ovest

On 15-16/02/2004 Rolando Larcher made a solitary winter ascent of Akut on the impervious north face of the Cima Ovest di Lavaredo

Planetmountain.com

March 2004

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On 15-16/02/2004 Rolando Larcher made a solitary winter ascent of Akut on the impervious north face of the Cima Ovest di Lavaredo.

The Italian, renowned for his long list of hard alpine first ascents, started climbing on 15 February, battling against the technical difficulties of the route and the extreme cold. He was forced to rest on the in-situ gear to defrost his hands, and spent a night beneath the roof on the Cassin belay. Larcher continued the next day and topped out at 17.00, after having encountered difficulties on the easier but run-out finishing pitches.

Larcher had repeated the 8a route last summer, and had downgraded the obligatory sections from 7b to 7a.

	Akut Cima Ovest di Lavaredo
	Climbing in the Dolomites
	News archive Rolando Larcher

top: Rolando Larcher (ph A. Gallo)
right: the Cima Ovest in summer and the line of the route

AKUT
Length: 15 pitches
Height: 500 m
Grade: 8a max, 7a obl.
Time: 12-14 ore
Gear: bolt belays and pegs along the pitches. A set of wires and friends may be found necessary as the in-situ gear can be run-out.
First ascent: Kurt Astner and Urban Ties over a 5 day period in August 2000.
First free ascent: Kurt Astner 13 and 15/08/2001.