Pilastro Vincent - Grassi Meneghin
View route detailsAlagna is one of the few places where I have ever thought about moving to live… Why? I don’t really know. There are no major climbs in the immediate surroundings, it’s far from everything, and it has a vaguely melancholic feel. And yet, every time I pass through, I find myself gently entertaining the idea. This time we choose to climb a pillar carrying a famous signature, on this lonely and isolated face. We start off slowly, with the whole day ahead of us to reach Capanna Gugliermina, a true eagle’s nest perched above the rocks from which the Sesia glacier is born. The approach is long and our packs are heavy; Federico, not used to this kind of hauling, catches up with us just as dinner is practically ready. After a great night’s sleep—far more restful than those in the Milan sauna—we set off at first light. Snow makes the first rope lengths slow and awkward, then comes water, and finally solid, high-quality red rock. Unfortunately, the less-than-perfect conditions make us miss the cable car on the way down, but in the end we can’t complain—especially when, near Pianlunga, the sky fades out while the moon comes up…
