North America, Greenland, Cape Farewell Region, Nalumasortoq, Non c'è Due Senza Tre

Publication Year: 2001.

Nalumasortoq, Non c’è Due Senza Tre. On May 25, Mario Manica (Italy), Giancarlo Ruffino (Italy), Francesco Vaudo (Italy), and Jèrome Arpin (France) established base camp on the shores of the Tasermiut Fjord, at the foot of Ulamertorssuaq. We set out for the west face of Nalumasortoq’s Right Pillar (2045m) the same day, putting up advanced camp after a three-hour march from base camp. A race against time marked the following days of the expedition. We had to make the most of the good weather. Taking turns, two of us would climb the wall and equip it with fixed ropes while the other two went back and forth to bring food, tents, equipment, and gear to the foot of the wall. We fixed rope for 450 meters of the 850- meter wall. In the first part of the ascent, we found the belays left by Nigel Shepherd and Ian Wilson, the Welsh party who attempted the route in 1996. After the first pitches, the route is very logical. It is so logical that it seemed impossible to us that nobody had climbed it before. Except for the first two pitches of face climbing, and a snow field of about 100 meters, the line follows the great dihedral that cleaves the center of the pillar. We used one bolt for progression in the opening of the 19-pitch route. Most of the pitches were free climbed. Very short parts of the route were aided. The rock on this wall is just wonderful, with difficulties up to 6c and A3.

On May 31, Giancarlo Ruffino was forced to give up the summit due to a knee injury. At 7 p.m. on June 1, in stormy weather, Jèrome Arpin, Francesco Vaudo, and I summited. We named the route Non c’è Due Senza Tre (When it has happened twice, it will happen again). On May 5, we reached base camp, hauling back all the equipment and gear from the advanced camps. On June 14, the expedition returned home.

Mario Manica, Italy