South Tyrolean climbers Josef Hilpold and Ulrich Viertler have established a new route on Sass de la Crusc in the Italian Dolomites.
The men made the first ascent of Wustenblume (400m, VIII+) earlier this summer, using a mix of pegs, fixed ropes and trad gear, climbing the upper half first before moving on to the lower section of the route.
Hilpold and Viertler tackled several pitches up the Mayerl corner to a large ledge from where they traversed 40m to the start of the line, ascending multiple demanding pitches before reaching the top and walking back down into the valley. Turning their attention to the lower half, the pair used fixed ropes to aid their ascent, climbing five further pitches and completing the line after a total of six days on the mountain. They then free climbed the entire route in eight hours, reaching the summit at sunset on September 28.