we climb
MARCO PUKLI
“What kind of world will we leave to our children? Among all the questions going through my mind, this is perhaps the most important”
What kind of world will we leave to our children? Will they also have fresh air to breathe, will they know the concept of freedom and have a soil to live on without sinking into the oblivion?
“I often ask myself wether I have spent my life well”. Thus wondered Giorgio Bocca, with his unique and subtle art of telling the difference between the world as we experience it and how it could actually be.
Those are intense pages that we should go back to and read now and again.
As for myself, nowadays after fifty years of climbing experience, I am calmer than I once was and I have started taking pictures. Pictures of rocks and landscapes, of things and places that man has not managed to ruin, natural untouched environments where a healthy and peaceful future is still possible.
Images of my land, a land that is still livable.
Climbing in Triora
Among the open air activities of the Upper Argentina Valley, rock climbing is of particular importance. The rocky walls around Loreto, Rocca di Corte, Borniga and Mount Pietravecchia host many enthusiastic climbers, attracted by both the existing climbing routes and the exceptional natural environment. The Argentina Valley is in the middle of a large area ranging from Finale, main climbing area in Europe with over 2.000 marked itineraries, to the Loano hinterland (Toirano) and Albenga (Val Pennavaire) all the way to the South West of France. There are thousands of “practice walls” frequented by sports enthusiasts of all nationalities and the area creates a particularly favourable environment for the practice of rock climbing. It is certainly the most important in the world.
Trora – The Loreto Rocks.
The Loreto Rocks, a classic Upper Argentina Valley site, constitutes a series of little cliffs placed above a suggestive calcareous gorge at the bottom of which the Argentina river flows. It is a very pleasant and tranquil environment, well exposed to the sun. The climb takes place on beautiful plaques of grey limestone, on routes always perfectly equipped. The difficulty level is never very high: grades from 4+ to 6b are well represented.
Bolting: sectors re-bolted by myself.
In the Argentina Valley, by the Loreto and Borniga cliffs, I bolted over 100 pitches in total, between old (around 40 pitches) and new routes (more than 70 pitches) .
Equipment: INOX anchor bolts + chemical glues
For technical information
THE WITCHES’ ROUTE AT THE LORETO WALL
Route by G. Carbone & co.
The pitches were re-bolted by Marco Pukli and Roberto Scialli (ALA Sanremo) in the summer of 2001.
Equipment: All INOX/Chemical glues. Chains at each stop.
This is a difficult path with tough environmental features and is not to be underestimated. Level 6c is mandatory.
We advise undertaking this climb in mid-summer: this sector is almost always fresh and windy.
The day will end with a dream-like swim in the Argentina river!
