Mauro Bole leashless

Mauro Bole discards leashes and repeats X-files, M10.

info Erik Svab

January 2000

News about Mauro 'Bubu' Bole once again, and once again concerning X files, the difficult M10 in Val di Cogne, repeated by the Italian on 6 January. This time Bubu pushed the limits one step further by climbing X files without leashes!
This Stevie Haston route, first ascended in 1997, is considered hard for its grade, not only because of the type of ice that forms, but also because the last 15m cannot be protected and are run out to the belay.

On 22 January Bubu discarded his leashes and charged up X files. Things didn’t go too well on his first attempt, as he took a whipper, leaving the ice axes dangling in the ice high above! He set off immediately for his next attempt and this time things went far more smoothly, as he sent the route second go.

Bubu’s last couple of weeks have been fast and furious: after having made the first M9 onsight, (Welcome to the Machine) he then went on to make the first onsight of an M10, Quartier Nors. And on the 20 January Bubu established a new route on his first attempt, 20m to the right of X files, Val di Cogne, again without leashes.

This new route, called Twin Peaks, is 45m long and is protected by 3 bolts, some pegs and nuts. The suggested grade M9 awaits confirmation.
Twin Peaks is the first route of this calibre to be ascended in this style, reflecting Bubu’s new ethic of 'No more leashes'.

At this point we are left with the almost obligatory question of "what next?"

Bubu Bole’s most recent ascents: