Edited by:
redazione
From Courmayeur and back in 23 hours and 45 minutes
.Mountaineer and mountain guide François Cazzanelli and aspiring guide Giuseppe Vidoni shared an ambitious new project on Mont Blanc, which they had been cradling for some time. The man from Valle d'Aosta and the man from Friuli tackled the "one push" version of the Divine Providence, a historic route that was opened in 1984 by Francois Marsigny and Patrick Gabarrou and is a popular destination for those who love high mountains. It was the first time for Giuseppe, the second for François, who had already climbed it nine years ago. In the spring, the two mountaineers decided to go in search of new limits, to complete the demanding route in less than 24 hours. A goal never before achieved by anyone except the two mountaineers who set off in the middle of the night from Courmayeur, only to return late in the evening. It took them 23 hours and 45 minutes to cover 28 kilometres and put 3,900 metres of positive height gain behind them. It took 4 hours and 30 minutes to reach the base of the wall from the path leading to the Brenva bivouac. Only then did the complex and adrenalin-fuelled ascent of the Grand Pilier D'Angle begin, a vertical wall at over 4,000 metres, requiring 18 pitches (7A obligatory - maximum difficulty 7C). Arriving at the summit after 10 hours on the wall, the adventure continued up to the 4,810 metres of Mont Blanc, tackling the Peuterey integral ridge, another long and tiring section, due to the altitude and above all due to the great fatigue now accumulated. From the Divine exit to the summit of Mont Blanc, it took another four hours. A photo at the summit at 6.15pm, then the start of the long descent (5h 45') interrupted by a break at the Gonnella refuge, and then back to the valley. François Cazzanelli: "We trained a whole spring to try and achieve this ambitious goal. It was not easy and nothing was taken for granted on the eve of the race. There were a lot of unknowns behind the project, because it normally takes several days to complete this tour, but we wanted to start at night and arrive within the day, combining really difficult and treacherous sections. Record? No, we like to call it a beautiful adventure, achieved according to a schedule that we had set ourselves on the eve of the race. And that for sure, one day, some other well-trained mountaineer will be able to improve". Giuseppe Vidoni: "The Pilier D'Angle seen from Entrèves, with that red granite shield, has always attracted me. I finally managed to climb it in the best and fastest way possible. This climb is the fruit of constant training, commitment and dedication. This great passion for the mountains led me to climb the challenging route with my friend François: together we have achieved a great goal, hopefully the first of many."