Ice Climbing

(probably already climbed in the classic version with exit on the right)

Difficulty: Ice II / 5

Length: 45m

Location: Lago Santo at Monte Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: from the Vittoria refuge, reachable by car, the waterfalls are already visible at the bottom of the lake on the left. To reach them, go along the lake on the right until you reach the flows. Avoid crossing the lake directly, even if it is frozen.
Once you reach the first flow, go up the small canyon on the left.

Time 30 minutes.

Material: 2 x 60m ropes, normal mountaineering equipment, entirely protectable with ice screws

Report: A first delicate passage leads onto the 70° / 80° ice slide of about 20m, up to the base of the ice column under the large stalactites.

From here you can exit comfortably on the easy ramps on the right, or as in our case, directly tackle the ice pillar up to its end under a rock roof. Delicately hook onto the stalactite suspended on the right, and on this reach the providential tree that protrudes from the edge, then with an acrobatic passage of wood tooling exit into the woods.

Descent: with a comfortable 50m rappel from one of the summit trees. Keep to the right to avoid getting the ropes stuck.

General considerations: The route is a real mirage, as waterfalls of this type rarely form in the Apennines, and the exit suspended in the void with a hook onto the tree is a truly acrobatic passage, which makes this waterfall truly fun and unique.
The difficulties of the column decrease significantly after the first passages.
The entire flow is very well protectable with screws on excellent ice, at least on the day of our ascent.
It is recommended to climb this route only with excellent ice conditions, the final stalactite is very delicate.

Difficulty: ice IV / 3 M3 exit; rock IV

Length: 55m

Location: Lago Santo on Mount Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: From the Vittoria refuge, reachable by car, the waterfalls are already visible at the bottom of the lake on the left. To reach them, skirt the lake on the right until just below the flows. Avoid crossing the lake directly, even if frozen. Time 20 minutes.

Equipment: 2 x 60m ropes, normal mountaineering equipment.

Equipment left: A rock piton placed about three meters above the end of the ice, and a belay cord on the summit tree.

Report: Climbing up ramps of ephemeral ice, you reach the stalactite fringe that hangs from a rock roof. This fringe, too thin and delicate to be tackled directly, we bypassed it on the left, with mixed passages on unstable rocks held together by the cold.
Once past this delicate section of rock, you start climbing up the ice again until its end, crossing to the right of the ice pillar that leads to the source of the waterfall.
You climb a couple of meters beyond the end of the ice and still on the right you overcome a rocky overturning of dubious solidity (nail left at the top right), with which you gain a sloping terrace, and then trusting the frozen earth you enter the terminal dihedral.
You climb with great caution up to the summit forest, in fact the exit fully represents the "perfect conditions": broken, dirty and unprotectable rock (watch out for the feathers).

Descent: with a comfortable 60m abseil from the summit tree.

General considerations: The itinerary, not extremely difficult, requires however, excellent mountaineering skills both on ice and on rock and the ability to move on treacherous and practically unprotected terrain. On the entire length apart from the rock nail left, only 2, 3 points of ice offer decent guarantees of safety, and for the most part the protections are always far from the most delicate passages. It is recommended to climb this route only in excellent conditions of continuous cold over time.

Difficulty: II / 2+

Length: 20m

Location: Lago Santo on Mount Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: from the Vittoria refuge, reachable by car, the waterfalls can be glimpsed between the trees above the lake on the left end of the same looking from the Vittoria refuge.

From the refuge, skirt the left of the lake, enter the borra dei porci, and leave it immediately to head into the woods on the right. The route “meglio che niente” is located high up, wedged between rocks, the central stalactite is clearly visible.
The routes “tra una speranza ed un desiderio”, “petit couloir” and “la paretina” climb the first lower rocky buttresses just above the lake. 15 minutes from the refuge for the lower waterfalls, 20 for the one above.

Equipment: Normal mountaineering equipment.

Description: Some steps on slabs and thin ice, lead into the narrow gully that will take you to the summit woods.

Descent: On foot or with a 25m rappel on one of the summit trees.

General considerations: This is a small but nice couloir that without great difficulty will be able to provide a few meters of fun.
The line, which can be equipped from above, can be a good start for those who are new to this discipline.
For the more experienced, however, who have come here to climb "between a hope and a desire" it will serve as a warm-up or simply as a diversion to pleasantly distract themselves for a few minutes.

Difficulty: II / 2+

Length: 10m

Location: Lago Santo on Mount Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: from the Vittoria refuge, reachable by car, the waterfalls can be glimpsed between the trees above the lake on the left end of the same looking from the Vittoria refuge.
From the refuge, skirt the left of the lake, enter the borra dei porci, and leave it immediately to head into the woods on the right. The route “meglio che niente” is located high up between rocks, the central stalactite is clearly visible.
The routes “tra una speranza ed un desiderio”, “petit couloir” and “la paretina” climb the first lower rocky buttresses just above the lake.
15 minutes from the refuge for the lower waterfalls, 20 for the one above.

Equipment: Normal mountaineering equipment.

Report: The small wall, which can be climbed in various ways, is mostly made up of a few meters of ice slabs and a fun vertical rise.

Descent: On foot or with a 20m rappel on one of the summit trees.

General considerations: It is precisely a small icy wall without great difficulty, certainly valid as a gym for school use, where you will learn to use your feet well on the ice of modest thickness, glued to a rock slab, rather than brandishing ice axes.

The line, if necessary, can be easily equipped from above to allow even ice novices to climb in complete safety.
For the more experienced, however, who have come here to climb the route "between a hope and a desire" it will serve as a warm-up or simply as a diversion to pleasantly distract themselves for a few minutes.

Difficulty: III / 2+

Length: 25m

Location: Lago Santo on Mount Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: from the Vittoria refuge, reachable by car, the waterfalls can be glimpsed between the trees above the lake on the left end of the same looking from the Vittoria refuge.

From the refuge, skirt the left of the lake, enter the borra dei porci, and leave it immediately to head into the woods on the right. The route “meglio che niente” is located high up, wedged between rocks, the central stalactite is clearly visible.
The routes “tra una speranza ed un desiderio”, “petit couloir” and “la paretina” climb the first lower rocky buttresses right above the lake. 15 minutes from the refuge for the lower ones, 20 for the one above.

Gear: Normal equipment, medium-small friends useful, screws are useless unless you find particularly thick ice.

Report: Climbing on almost unprotectable ice slabs, you reach the obvious stalactite, which seen from the refuge will have attracted you, like us on the day of opening, up there. On the right of the column there are good possibilities for protection, so you lower yourself to the base of the same and climb avoiding great stresses. After passing the few fun meters, with a few steps on paleo ice you reach the summit tree that will serve as a belay.

Descent: with a 25m abseil.

General considerations: Certainly more beautiful to look at than to do. It is an itinerary of little climbing interest, perhaps more appreciated by a classic Apennine mountaineer than by a modern ice climber.
However, precisely because of the precariousness of the structure it is not a pitch to be taken lightly.
It will be a good training for those who want to prepare for mixed climbs in the mountains.

Difficulty: 2 / I or 2+ / I

Length: 18 m

Location: Lago Santo on Mount Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: On the road that leads to Lago Santo, at the last bend, take the path that leads to Rondinaio. After about 20 minutes, you reach Lago Baccio. From here, looking up to the right immediately above the summer climbing gym (palestra dei celti) you can see the obvious flow.

Material: A single 60m rope and some ice screws.

Material left: None

Report: The waterfall can be climbed in two different ways. The first, simpler one, consists of starting on the left where the slopes are less steep and exiting on the right. Vice versa, starting on the right and exiting straight on the column, the difficulties increase slightly, making the waterfall a little more challenging and interesting.

Descent: With a rappel from the small tree immediately above.

General considerations: Both itineraries are quite simple and with excellent possibilities of protection, these factors make it a classic quite repeated of satisfaction and with a beautiful panorama.

Difficulty: 3+ / III for the right line, more challenging with some mixed sections the left variants.

Length: 18m

Location: Lago Santo on Mount Giovo, Tuscan-Emilian Apennines.

Access: From the road that leads to Lago Santo, at the last bend, follow the path that leads to Rondinaio. After about 20 minutes, once you reach Lago Baccio, go along it on the right, climbing. Where the wood ends, about 100m above the lake bordered by canals, you can spot the waterfall, which from here does not appear very important.

Gear: 60m single rope, some screws and a medium friend.

Gear left: Belay cord.

Report: Looking at the flow, climb keeping to the right, looking for the weaknesses of the route. You overcome a ramp supported with thin ice and you get under the vertical jump, then you overcome vertically (crack in the rock for good protection) to reach the delicate terminal ramp with ephemeral ice that leads to the belay.
The left variants are almost identical in the basal and summit parts, but with mixed technical difficulties to overcome the central roof.

Descent: Abseil from the tree above.

General considerations: The waterfall is rather wide and lends itself to various interpretations, however only the one on the right is climbable with relatively limited difficulty and with decent possibilities of protection. The climbing is never obvious and the thin ice makes it delicate, but at the same time fascinating. The left variants on the other hand are practically unprotectable with traditional means such as screws and jams, therefore I recommend climbing them with the rope from above, since all the lines end at the same belay. These variations represent fun alternatives for those who want to try their hand at some dry-tooling, looking for jams and hooks with ice axes and crampons even on rock.

Difficulty: ice II / 2+

Length: 30m

Location: Monte Giovo al Lago Santo, Modena Apennines

Access: From the Vittoria refuge, the waterfall is located high up in a w direction just above the intermediate plateau that acts as a ledge to Monte Giovo. Follow path 525 and as soon as you leave the woods, head right uphill, towards the north, as if to go to the obvious canal that descends from the rocky offshoots of Giovo. Take the canal and after a few dozen meters, the waterfall appears clearly on a rocky ledge to our left as we climb. 40 minutes from the refuge.

Material: A single rope and some ice screws, more normal mountaineering equipment

Report: A few meters vertically, lead onto an ice ramp that with narrow passages and ledges elegantly climbs between this narrow notch in the rocks.

Descent: If we want to limit ourselves to doing the waterfall, it is better to descend with a bit of caution on the right to the starting gully and then descend through this, otherwise once you exit the waterfall, it is possible with mountaineering sections, to continue to the summit of Giovo and from there to the valley with path 525.

General considerations: The itinerary requires a good evaluation of the ice, since it does not form every year (hence the name), and also evaluate the stability of the snowpack, since these channels can discharge. The subsequent climb to the summit of Giovo makes this climb more complete and interesting.