A few days ago, Yannick Glatthard from the Bernese Oberland managed to climb the legendary Greenspit crack route in the Valle dell'Orco. In an interview with LACRUX, Yannick reveals what the ascent means to him and whether crack climbing gloves change the style of the route.
Was for three weeks Yannick Glatthard out and about with his partner in a campervan. The two stopped in the granite climbing areas Val di Mello and Valle dell'Orco. In the Valle dell'Orco in particular, Yannick had a clear goal in mind: the route Greenspit. After about a week in the area, the 23-year-old managed to repeat the route, which he says he feels strongly connected to.
Interview with Yannick Glatthard about Greenspit
- What is it about the Greenspit route that fascinates you?
- You say you feel strongly 'connected' to the entire history of the route. Can you do this something
- A detail that is still interesting at Greenspit: Did you place the placements during the inspection or were they already there?
- A completely different question: climbing with Kneepads is now very common. The climbing scene agrees that - depending on the route - the difficulty of a route is changed. Do you see a parallel here with crack climbing gloves? Can crack climbing gloves - compared to taped hands - make a route easier?
- How do you rate the matter in the case of Greenspit? Do crack climbing gloves change the style and / or difficulty of the route?
- Which routes / projects do you still have in mind and would you like to tackle soon?
- What are your plans for the coming year?
Via the Greenspit route in the Valle dell'Orco
Green Spit is one of the most famous and most difficult crack routes in Europe. The line in Italian Valle Dell'Orco was set up in the eighties by Roberto Perucca with green bolts. In 2003 the Swiss removed Didier berthod the bolts and climbed the route for the first time on September 14th of the same year with previously attached mobile safety devices.
Two years later Didier returned to the route and cleared it again, but this time he laid the securing points during the ascent. Greenspit is still considered to be one of the most difficult crack routes in Europe.
Yannick Glatthard inspecting Greenspit
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Credits: Cover picture Michelle Klee