Dolomites

In the fifties there were no routes on the Eastern wall of the Torre Grande North Top. Alberto Alverà told me once, that they had tried to climb it, but had found it impossible using normal means, without expansion bolts. During the winter 1959 I wrote to my Austrian rope partner Walter Gstrein of the possibility of making the first ascension of the direct route on the Cima Ovest North Face, and he soon became interested in it. We were to meet in Cortina at the end of July. During the spring, however, the route was made after a fierce competitive climbing by the Swiss and Italians. It was a big disappointment to us, but we agreed to try the first repetition anyway.

I started in the beginning of July by visiting the Belgian Freyr cliffs and then continuing to Saussois, where I could climb the famous 'Echelle à poissons' and 'La directissime' with French friends. In the Cinque Torri group I met a young Italian poet Paolo Zannini and could make fine climbs with him. After that being alone again and still waiting for Walter to arrive, I spoke the master of the Cinque Torri hut - a young boy at that time - to help me belaying the long rope, when I tried to open a way on the virgin East Wall of Torre Grande.

M. Jokinen