Piz Badile - ENE Face - via degli Inglesi

What can I say about a climb awaited for years ? That was a real adventure like I haven't done much recently. Climbed with my pal Benigno Balatti, right in those days it's 10 years since we met for the first time, on mount Disgrazia, of course.
I phoned Ben on Wednesday proposing the idea; he had to think about it; sent him an sms "come on, don't keep me on tenterhooks, there are good chances to climb it"; few minutes later I receive his reply "let's go for the via degli inglesi then".
On Thursday evening we are at the Giannetti hut, the day after we leave at 5:00, at 6:30 we are at the col, at 7:00 we start the rappels, point of no return, at 9:00 we start to climb. We encounter few wet pitches, the more you climb the steeper it becomes until maximum exposure on the final pitches.
At sunset we are out of the dificult part, we climb the final easy slopes in the darkness. At 21:00 we are on top of piz Badile where we stop at the little Redaelli hut, for a beautiful night.

Climbed by Benigno and Lorenz on 9 September 2011

Pictures by Benigno and Lorenz, text by Lorenz