Francesco Ratti wants to climb over 6,000 meters
Mountain guide Francesco Ratti chooses the Karakoram range for his next challenge. The departure? It is scheduled for June 27, 2022, destination Trango Towers, the imposing granite pinnacles that surpass 6,000 mt.
The goal is to climb Trango Tower, the granite tower first climbed in 1976 by British professionals after an epic failed attempt the previous year. The Brits’ route was graded VI, 5.10 A2, 1100m with about 80 percent of the climbing done free-climbing-at the time this ascent contained free sections with difficulties never before surpassed.
Other routes were then opened over the years, extremely difficult paths. In order to reach the summit of Trango Tower, in fact, Francesco will have to consider which route to climb depending on the weather conditions. A big dream would be to climb the world-famous Eternal Flame, or Via Slovena, or at least a route that guarantees the possibility of being climbed mostly free, reducing artificial climbing. Weather permitting, the plan is to also reach the summit of Shipton Spire, the striking granite spire, to the east via Women and chalk, the route opened in tribute to women and magnesium.
As Francesco Ratti also argues, climbing Trango Tower and Shipton Spire is unlikely to have time to open a new route and vice versa, because it will be the conditions of the mountain, the weather and the possible presence of other climbers on the routes to be climbed that will dictate their choices. In fact, Ratti will have Leonardo Gheza and Alessandro Baù as his companions, and together they will climb the Alps with Millet – a brand synonymous with mountains, technical clothing and outdoor gear – which has carefully selected the most suitable equipment for this Karakorum adventure.
Ratti chose the Millet products that make up the Trilogy line, which are highly technical, functional and lightweight, developed to satisfy all types of mountaineers-from experts to enthusiasts-providing the ideal protection even in the most extreme conditions.
The name of the range recalls the winter trilogy of Christophe Profit, who, with Millet gear, soloed three of the most challenging north faces in the Alps – Grandes Jorasses, Eiger and Matterhorn – in less than 42 hours.
