Iron Butterfly

New route on Peak Darwin - Val Cameraccio

During the scorching hot summer of 2015 Oszkár Nádasdi and Eniko Szentirmai, from Hungary, has climbed a new route on the East face of Darwin Peak, in Val Cameraccio (Val Masino, Lombardy). The route, called Iron Butterfly, unwinds between Via Jimmy and Memorie del Futuro. After a first attempt in 2014, which failed due to bad weather, the climbers came back at the beginning of August 2015, jumaring up the fixed ropes they had left during their previous attempt. After three bivouacs, they managed to fulfill the project.
The first three pitches can be free-climbed, while the higher section requires aid climbing. The weather is crucial: a few days of dry conditions are essential, because otherwise the lower section is flodded by water streams.
According to the authors, it's possible to repeat the route in a single day, without the need for a bivouac.

Val Cameraccio, Western Rhetic Alps (Lombardy)

Darwin Peak 2442 m – East face
Eniko Szentirmai, Oszkár Nádasdi, August 5th-8th 2015
330 m (10L). 6b A3

Materiale: 2 series of friends, 2 series of TCU, 2 series of nuts, standard aid climbing equipment (pegs, hooks, copperheads...)

Approach: from S. Martino in Val Masino through Val di Mello, passing Casèra del Cameraccio (2,30-3 h). See the details on Solo Granito vol.1 (M. Sertori, ed. Versante Sud).

Pitches: L1, 6a A0, 30 m; L2, 6b, 30 m; L3, 6b A2, 25 m; L4, 5b A2, 20 m; L5, 5a A2, 35 m; L6, 6a, 30 m; L7, 5c A2-A3, 35 m; L8, A2, 35 m; L9, 5b A1, 30 m; L10, 5a, 30 m.

Descent: three rappels following down Via degli Invalidi, then along Iron Butterfly, starting from S7. A rappel straight from the top section is inconvenient, due to the overhangs in the final pitches.

Topo and photo by Oszkár Nádasdi