Valle Orco: Valerio Folco, Massimo Farina climb B.A.T. (A3 aid) up Caporal

The Italians Valerio Folco and Massimo Farina have established a new aid route on the Caporal, a 250m high granite cliff in the Orco Valley, Gran Paradiso National Park. The two needed seven days to complete the five-pitch route, which weighs in at A3 and has been named B.A.T. This acronym stands for Basically Absurd Technology, after the climbing gear developed by Warren Harding, who made the mythical first ascent of the El Capitan's The Nose in 1958.

Folco explains: "...all belays are excellent and some gear has been left in-situ for other ascents. The wall is extremely overhanging and the environment it's in is fantastic. With B.A.T. we've now got a small part of Yosemite in our backyard."

Sponsors: La Sportiva, Camp, Cassin and Mello’s.
Photos Marco Spataro