Viola Battistella strolls up No Siesta, historic Italian 8b at Muzzerone

Precisely 31 years have passed since Roberto Vigiani bolted and then made the first ascent of No Siesta, the historic 8b at Specchio di Atlantide at Muzzerone, a beautiful cliff located 15 km from La Spezia in NW Italy. Over the years the route has become an absolute reference point, primarily because during these three decades it has been repeated less that a dozen times, one of the most recent being Britain’s James Pearson who made a swift second-go ascent.

The climbing is old school - tiny edges that need crimping like there’s no tomorrow - and the route has now been repeated by someone who is anything but old, namely last season’s Italian Under 16 Lead Champion Viola Battistella. In doing so the 15-year-old happens to follow in the footsteps of her father Davide Battistella who in 1994 pulled off one of the first repeats. This is also the first female ascent of what can only be described as an important milestone in the history of Italian sport climbing.

TOPO: climbing at the crag Muzzerone