Claudio Migliorini: Space Vertigo, rotpunkt!

Ambassador Kayland Claudio Migliorini, climber, mountain guide, multi-purpose alpinist and Vibram tester, last September 27th opened a new route at Cima Ovest di Lavaredo together with two other mountain guides: Alessandro Baù and Nicola Tondini.

Opening a new path is an important goal, to retrace it to free it is a feat to be celebrated.
This is how Claudio, Alessandro and Nicola returned to their steps to free every pitch of Space Vertigo, a route opened strictly from below between 2016 and 2019 on the north face of Cima Ovest di Lavaredo, in the Dolomites. The route climbs independently to the top attacking the right of the Couzy, with a stop in common with the Alpenliebe, and is protected with nuts, friends and pitons except for the bolts at the stops.
Several times during the summer the three climbers had returned to “measure” the route; equipped with two portaledges and food on the wall, they finally left for free climbing together.

The first day of climbing presented unforeseen complications: the high humidity and the total lack of adherence forced the three climbers to descend after only three free throws.
The following day they started again and, after two nights spent in portaledge, they succeeded in freeing the entire route, during which each pitch was climbed as a leader by at least one of the three climbers.
The first three days were used to free the most challenging pitches in the “yellow” while, on the fourth day, in the climbing of the upper part of the route and the descent.

Space Vertigo is characterized by continuity of the difficulties and by many obligatory passages. The grades are still to be confirmed but for now we are talking about:
a key shot that gravitates around the IX+/X
five shots between IX/IX+
eight shots around VIII+/IX-

The upper part of the route has more “classic” difficulties: the pleasure of climbing in the spatial void of the beautiful north face of Cima Ovest makes you dream and is a pleasure that a lover of free climbing must try at least once in his career.