Ascensions dans Piatra Altarului

Layback central

Pitch 2A of the topo. The giga-alveole is really cool

Pitch 2B of the topo, to minimize time spent in the rockfall-exposed next belay

Pitches 3 and 4 of the topo. The chimney was amazing

Pretty cool flake pull here

At this point I was beginning to wilt. Coffeine helped as usual.

Aidered the entire starting crack, climbed the dihedral but rested on the rope a lot.

2 10mm singles. The rope drag.

2 10mm singles. The rope drag.

2 10mm singles. The rope drag.

By this time my hands were not closing on the Biscuit anymore so bailed out on a nut and switched with Cosmin

did it in 2 pitches

First time I do this pitch clean, even as a second. must mean drytooling is aid

Completely different fucking story on irons - all my footsmears no longer work. Got super pumped on the biscuit (still can't do a pullup), took me some time until I figured out I could get my right foot behind it. After that, pulled on a draw in the traverse and struggled a bit for the rest of the pitch.... really pumped

Kinda similar to the summer chimneying version

Waited for nighttime

For the first belay station there just one old rusty hook and there's a tree that can be used as a point. I used a friend together with the existing hook. You can also set up the station on the other side of the rock.

Second pitch is a climbing start, then scrambling all the way to the next belay station.

Third rope is a short and nasty one. Relatively hard climbing start and easy walk to the next station.

This is the most interesting pitch, all climbing, with a key point.

Scrambling on loose ground, then climbing to the last belay station, just below the peak. I've used elongated quickdraws to avoid rope friction.

Short and easy climbing to the top

In approach shoes. Soaking wet, after the rain of the previous day.

In approach shoes. Soaking wet, after the rain of the previous day.

In approach shoes. Soaking wet, after the rain of the previous day.

In approach shoes. Seconding on Mara's lead. Onsighted it like it was nothing.

In approach shoes. Seconding on Mara's lead. Onsighted it with ease.

In approach shoes. Decided to swap leads, because of mud and the wet chimney.

An initial moment of worry and pulling on quickdraws

Did it in 2 pitches to minimize rope drag and avoid simulclimbing through p3. Lots of wrestling my mammoth of a sport climbing rope

Saving some time by having the much faster climber do this one

Got pumped at the start, got panicked, improvised an aider out of a sling through the first peg.

\m/

I've seen the crux flake less sewn up on all trad runs. 2 friends and 1 nut for 3 meters of 6- between bolts that feels airy and committing in a way the rest of the pitch isn't. Placed a quick friend so I could calm down enough to place a good nut, didn't trust the nut enough to commit to the move either until I rested on it to know it at least holds body weight, found my balls back (what was left of them) after I could at least imagine the gear would hold a fall, did the move easily (2 jugs on the flake right above one's head means you don't need to layback anything unless you're even shorter than I am), placed another friend as a quicksave and balanced out to the right to the next bolt. Smooth sailing from there on.

No real difficulties left. Placed a nut for morale on the chimney, slithered my way out of it and off to the top