Aguja Bifida - North summit - Northeast buttress

2. Espolón NE

350m 6b C1

Paula Alegre (Argentina) and Oriol Baró (Cataluña) , 12/2011.

Description. A very direct and esthetic line in beautiful rock. Well worth repeating. Climbs 350m to join the Bonapace-Dunser and then the Lüthi-Bresba (700m altogether).

History. In January of 1992 Italians Casimiro Ferrari, Manuele Panzeri and Corrado Valsecchi climbed 600 meters up the northeast buttress, left of the Lüthi-Bresba route, encountering dificulties to 6a and A2. They had previously fixed 300 meters of rope with the help of Luciano Spadaccini. Over two days then climbed to a bivy 300 meters from the summit but they woke up to bad weather and were able to climb a further 200 meters before having to retreat.

The initial reporting of this attempt claimed an ascent and later an ascent to very near the summit, but after some time the details got clarified. After the ascent of a new route Austrians Tommy Bonapace and Gerold Dünser (see Bonapace-Dunser route) descended down the NE buttress and found Ferrari’s highest anchors about 100 meters from the summit.

Maurizio Giordani, Mauro Mabboni and Rosanna Manfrini had attempted a parallel line in 1989 climbingh 300 meters (9 pitches) before retreating. They started climbing just to the right of the obvious crack system that leads to the col between the two summits, traversing up and right after two pitches.

In 2011 Alegre and Baró climbed the lower buttress, joined the Bonapace-Dunser route along which they continued to the Luthi-Bresba which they followed to the summit. They completed the climb in a single day, fixing one pitch the previous evening. Their's was the forth ascent of the peak.

Approach. Niponino.

Descent. Straight down from the summit at first, then down the same route.

Bibliography. AAJ 1993 p. 184; Alp magazine 84 p. 23; High magazine 127 p. 7; CAI-Rivista Mensile 1992/5 p. 81.

Photos (click to enlarge)

Aguja Bifida, Punta Filip, Cuatro

Dedos and CAT - overview

Aguja Bifida - northeast face

Aguja Bifida - north face

Aguja Bifida - east face