Tsaranoro Atsimo, Never the Same, and Various Ascents

Africa, Madagascar, Andringitra National Park
Climb Year: N/A. Publication Year: 1999.

In September, Italians Rolando Larcher, Marco Stemi, and Erik Svab established the 670-meter route Never the Same (V 5.13c/d A0) on the east face of Tsaranoro Atsimo. The 13 pitches of the route range from 35 to 60 meters each; 122 bolts were placed on the route, including 26 for the anchors. The team established the route and then worked it, freeing all the moves on the most difficult pitch (Pitch 8, 5.13c/d), which they climbed with one rest (but did not redpoint). On September 24, they made a one-day, eight-hour ascent of the route. Descent was made with double ropes. The route has obligatory moves of F7b (5.12b). Two other members of the team, Ermanno Francinelli and Mario Cavagnini, repeated five established routes on Tsaranoro, including Gondwanaland on Tsaranoro Be. A full report on Never the Same appears earlier in this journal.