Aguja Saint-Exupery - West face


5. Chiaro di Luna

5.1 Los Angelitos
5.2 Supertrek


750m 6b+

Maurizio Giordani, Rosanna Manfrini and Sergio Valentini (Italy), 4-5/11/1987.

Description. For the grade it is one of the best free routes in the area. It starts 30 meters up the basalt dike. Twenty pitches aprox.

History. The first ascentionists descended in the moonlight, hence the name.
Solo ascent. Alexander Huber in 2011. He bivied right below the summit.

Approach. Polacos.

Descent.You can descend the route for which you will need to bring a lot of cord and a hammer. The faster descent is down straight from the base of the upper chimney to reach the Kearney-Harrington ramp and down this directly into the couloir. This second option requires that you bring boots and crampons with you.

Bibliography. Mountain Magazine 125 p. 13; AAJ 1989 p. 176; CAI-Rivista Mensile 1988/4 p. 76; Rivista della Montagna 96 p. 13; Lo Scarpone 1988/5 p. 7; Lo Scarpone 1988/11 p.11; Samas/Alpinismo Oggi (1991) p. 14-15.

5.1 Los Angelitos

In 1995 Thomy Bonapace (Austria) and Julian Hevia (Spain) climbed an 8-pitch variation start on the north face (300m 6b). They climbed a dihedral and cracks 100 meters left of the NW buttress, to join Chiaro di Luna at the obvious ledge half way up. The quality of the rock is questionable at times. While returning to camp at a very late hour Julian fell while traversing a snowfield without crampons and slid out of control 250 meters before managing to self arrest not far from a cliff band. As he fell, he saw many angels hovering around him: Los Angelitos. The first ascentionists descended the upper portion of Chiaro di Luna to the base of the upper chimney, from where they rappelled straight down to the Kearney-Harrington route. This has become the preferred rap line.

Bibliography. Gipfelsturmer 1996 p. 21.