Parete Medale - Cassin route

Overview

This is, I think, the most climbed among all the rock routes of middle difficulty in the whole Alps Range.

I myself have climbed this route about 60 times ... it was one of the choices for saturday afternoons in winter, spring and fall, the traditional way to spend the Santo Stefano day and the New Year day, we climbed it even dressed with business suit, necktie included ...
When living in a town wherefrom, in little more than 1 hour drive, you can arrive near a 400m high wall, this is a good opportunity to make a little of stretching and training ...
The Lecco residents, of course, were much more lucky than us, and used to climb here in the late afternoon, after offices or plants closing, so many of them (first of all the "Ragni di Lecco") used to climb it even 30-40 times a year.

The route runs on a 330m high wall (about 400m development) on very safe limestone rock, somewhere looking like marble due to the thousands of climbers passed here, the exposure, with the exception of the "traverso", is low (we used to climb with mountain boots making only 4 pitches and, often roping only at the "traverso")
Climbing with rocks shoes is, of course, a little better, but, in any case this route must not be underestimated.

This was the first route on this wall, during an attempt Cassin had to make a bivuoac (at the 6th belay point).
In the late '30 two more routes were opened: the Rizieri and the Boga (much more difficult) but this route (the Cassin) became the "classic", the test for climbers before going out for Dolomiti campaignes: 30-40 years ago they say that who could climb this route in less than 1,5 hours was ready for it.


The wall is oriented SE so, in winter better climb here in the morning while in spring and autumn better in the afternoon, in summer the Cassin should be attached not before 5 PM

Getting There

From Lecco, once arrived along the SS 36 of Spluga pass, you have to follow for Valsassina using the old road, (not the new fast road under the galleries) to reach Laorca.
Here you must find a parking site for your car (usually near a school) and start walking, following the signs leading to Medale.

in few minutes to the old Rifugio Medale (once named "da Zaccheo"), and, along a marked path in the wood to a dirt road that must be followed to a place with some benches
Straight on to another dirt road than to the left to a fork.
Follow a path marked in yellow and black up to a small place with 3 big stones, on its right a steep path leads to a lay-by and, on the left, scrambling, to the starting point of the Cassin Route.

Route Description

P1 - follow a ramp toward right then toward left to a ledge hosting a tree. (35m)

P2 - Along a short dihedral then to the left, scrambling up to the beginning of another dihedral (30m)

P3 - The 1° dihedral (25m) - difficult

P4 - Straight up to a ledge (30m) 1 short difficult pass

P5 - The 2° dihedral (35m) - the most difficult pitch

P6 - Straight on a short wall then to the right ("the Radice") and, along short slabs and a dihedral to a wide ledge (Cassin bivouac) (35m)

P7 - to the left, a short wall then to the right along a small channel (35m)

P8 - Straight on on easy rocks with grass to a cave hosting a tree (20m)

P9 - The "Traverso" (see photos) - the key pitch of the route, much less difficult than it looks but in any case not to be underestimated
- very fine and good grips - after 10-12 m up to a dihedral to the belay (30m)

P10 - Straight on to a tree then along a ramp to a grassy ledge (30m)

P11 - along some short vertical slabs up to an easy rocky channel leading to a fork on the ridge where you can find the descending path (50m)

Warning : the descending path (somewhere aided) can be very dangerous when iced if wearing rock shoes ...

1° dihedral	1° dihedral	4th pitch	2° dihedral
2° dihedral	the "radice"	the "radice"	the "radice"
the "radice"	the "traverso"	the "traverso"	the "traverso"
the "traverso"	the "traverso"	the "traverso"

Essential Gear

a 40m rope, some (5-6) carabiniers

External Links

parete Medale

Difficulty table

UIAA	French	USA
1°	F	2
2°	PD	3 - 4
3°inf - 3° - 3° sup	AD	5 - 5.2
4° inf - 4° - 4° sup	D	5.3 - 5.5
5° inf - 5° - 5° sup	TD	5.6 - 5.8
6° inf - 6° - 6° sup	ED	5.9 - 5.11
7°	EX	5.11a - 5.11b

Images

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