Batteria Volante on Kafmannspitze established in the Rosengarten, Dolomites

Batteria Volante (Flying Battery), this is the name we chose for our route. A playful homage to Ottovolante, the famous and beautiful climb in the Sella group but also a reference to an episode that inevitably marked the first ascent of this climb.

Everything began this spring. During one of the many walks dedicated to researching and documenting the routes of the Rosengarten massif – part of a project I'm working on with Giacomo Damian – I came across the west face of Punta Kafmann. There, among the compact, grey lines, a series of black streaks flowed down straight from the summit, creating a natural and fascinating line. I immediately wrote to Gianpietro Todesco, and a few days later we were at the base, ready to start exploring.

Right from the outset we realised the wall had very few natural lines of weakness, hence our decision to protect the climb with bolts. The rock proved surprising: solid and full of pockets.

Pitch after pitch, we climb with enthusiasm and good rhythm… until the third pitch, when – in a tragically comical gesture – the drill battery flies off, all the way down to the base. Nothing to do but rappel down and postpone. Before heading back down the path, we retrieve the fallen battery (miraculously, it seems to still work!).

We return the following week, motivated to finish the job. But this time, the weather turns against us: a sudden thunderstorm forces us into our fourth retreat. We try again a few days later. We are almost at the end: one and a half pitches remain. But right at the crucial moment, the battery that fell on the first day, which had worked fine until then, fails us again and shows no signs of life. Game over, we have to descend once more.

It's only at the beginning of July, in almost wintery weather, that we finally manage to complete the itinerary. The result is a continuous, elegant route on medium difficulties, well-protected on the more challenging sections and longer on the easier stretches. The rock – with the exception of the last pitch – is excellent, compact, and pleasant to climb.

Batteria Volante is our small contribution to this still little-known but high-potential wall. The easy approach from the Rifugio Coronelle / Kölnerhütte (about 20 minutes) makes it an accessible route even on days with uncertain weather or for those with limited time.

The itinerary unfolds over eight pitches, with a maximum difficulty of 7a. The rock is excellent along the entire line, compact and featured, except for the last pitch, which ascends a somewhat dirty chimney. The wall faces west, so it gets sun from late morning onwards (it is, in fact, very cold early in the morning). Just be cautious of the first pitch, which can be wet after heavy rain.

- Michele Torresani, Bozen