martes, 18 de septiembre de 2007

LUNAR ECLIPSE 7c+ (6c+/C2) 420m SURI TONDO




The name of Lunar Eclipse was given after the spectacular event we saw from Base Camp in Daari. We didn't know it was going to happen since we saw a moon becoming darker from one side. Moon, earth and the sun alined to create a total Lunar Eclipse.
Our trip in Mali was very late in the climbing season, in march 2007. The temperature at the sun was 40· C and it was not possible to climb in south faces, if you'd bring 50 litres probably you'd drink all of it! We stared climbing a route in Wanderdebridou called Panic a Goyham City,6c+ starting at 2pm to get the shade all of the afternoon. After that we moved to the impressive north face of Suri Tondo. Climbing there the Arnaud Petit route called Blak Mamba 7a+. The rock in this wall with shade since 4.30pm the rock here is much better than the ones on the sun. The gress is like red solid granite,even harder. It's fully compacted quarzite. Black Mamba is almost totaly face climbing, we enjoyed that route with nice pitches. After that came back to the same wall and climbed,except the last easy pitches, of Le Cri 7a+.
Our main objective though was to open a new route. Firstable we thought in the north face of Hombori Tondo, with its mile of wall more than 400m high. Only three routes there, with an excellet compacted gress. But in the north face of Hombori Tondo we had a virgin piece of wall between Black Mama and Le Cri, that looked amazing with beautiful cracks, overhangs (many), and who knows what else. Also the Manya's camping was very close from there, only half and hour walk.
Probably it has been the hardest route we have opened. With no rest in any pitch, each one demanding a lot of psyche and offering spectaculat climbing. The wall is totally vertical with 6 or 7 roofs to deal with. Only the unprotected sections are equipped with 8mm bolts.