Maurizio Zanolla


Maurizio "Manolo" Zanolla is an Italian rock climber and mountaineer, and a pioneer of sport climbing in Italy during the 1980s and 1990s.

Climbing career

Manolo came to international attention with his free solos in the Dolomites. In 1986, he became one of the first Italians to climb a route of grade with l'Ultimo Movimento in Totoga in the Pale di San Martino. In 1992, he became one of the first Italians to free solo a grade route, with Masala Dosa on the wall of "San Silvestro" in 1992. In 1981, with Alessandro Gogna, he climbed the Aguglia of Goloritzè in Sardinia, initiating the original development of the Selvaggio Blu trekking route.

Notable ascents

Redpoint">Redpoint (climbing)">Redpoint

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  • * Bimbaluna – Saint-Loup – 20 January 2008. Repeat of Fred Nicole's 2004 route; Manolo was almost 50 at the time and the hardest routes in the world were only at 9a+/b.
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  • * Eternit – Vette Feltrine/Baule – 24 August 2009. First ascent; continuation of O ce l'hai...
  • * – Saint-Loup – 2006. Repeat of Fred Nicole's 1993 route.
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  • * Roby Present – Val Noana – 24 March 2012. First ascent; dedicated to Roberto Bassi.
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  • * Eroi Fragili – Val Noana – 5 March 2011. First ascent
  • * Stramonio – Val Noana – 10 October 2010. First ascent
  • * Thin ice – Terlago – 25 April 2009. Route freed by Nico Favresse, 2007
  • * El sior Favonio – Fonzaso – 2006. First ascent
  • * Diabloluna – Fonzaso – 2006
  • * L'Arte di Salire in Alto – Celva – 2002. Rare repeat of Rolando Larcher's first-ever Italian 8c route from 1992.
  • * The Dream – Val Noana – October 1991. First ascent
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  • * Appigli Ridicoli – Vette Feltrine/Baule – 1990. First ascent; Manulo reclimbed it in 2001 without using his original drilled one-finger pocket hold, and regraded it to over 8c.
  • * Malvasia – Dvigrad – 1988. First ascent; now considered 8c+ after some of the holds broke.
  • * Il Maratoneta – Paklenica – 1987. First ascent, and only two years after the first-ever 8b+.
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  • * O ce l'hai… o ne hai bisogno – Vette Feltrine/Baule – 1990
  • * Ultimo Movimento – Totoga – 1986. First ascent and first-ever in Italy.
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  • * Terminator – Totoga – 1985. First ascent and first-ever in Italy.
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  • * Il Mattino dei Maghi – Totoga – 1981. First ascent, and possibly one of the earliest 7c+ routes.

[Onsight]

Rock and Blues, Kalymnos – 19 June 2009. Manolo was 51 at the time.La Pista, Arco – 1989.La Fissure Serge, Buoux – 1988.

[Free solo]

Masala Dosa in Totoga, in San Silvestro cliff – 1992.La Gatta, Mount Totoga – 1990.

Extermal links

  • , ''PlanetMountain''