The route was opened and cleaned over two separate three-day periods by Berni Rivadossi, Matteo della Bordella, Max Faletti, and Tommy Lamantia. As usual, it was cleaned with a blower. For a repeat ascent, you’ll need a set of Totem cams, a 60-meter rope, and a 60-meter rappel cord. The rappels are somewhat complicated; the second-to-last rappel reaches the belay station of the route on the left.

After the death of Cristian Brenna, the bond that united us with him drove us to find a way to remember him through what, more than anything else, belonged to his life: the mountains.

Berni Rivadossi and I therefore decided to dedicate a first ascent to him, calling it “Senza Filtri” (“Without Filters”), because that was exactly how Cristian was.

It was May when I called Matteo della Bordella to involve him in the project. Matteo agreed.

June 5, 2025.

Our destination was the mecca of technical climbing in Switzerland. We arrived at Wendenstöcke.

We were there also thanks to Matteo’s deep knowledge of the wall and the valley. His brother had already spotted a promising line in the Maren sector, to the right of a temporary waterfall formed by the melting of the spring snow cascading down from the upper channels of the wall.

It is a magnificent and formidable place. In the center, the wall rises into a large overhanging section that immediately captures our attention.

That morning, we began the approach.

We climbed steep grassy ramps, slabs of rock, and beautiful rocky terraces. The approach already had the character of the wall: exposed terrain, delicate passages, and sections where a mistake leaves no room for a second chance. Here, a fall means going all the way down to the valley.

When we finally reached the base, we realized that an existing route already crossed the wall. We decided to follow it for the first three pitches, until we reached the overhang.

And that was where we found a fixed rope.

The line continued to the right, into a huge corner.

Yippee!

The overhang, however, was completely unclimbed.

We didn’t waste any time.

Berni and Matteo began taking on the “Bombettone,” making their first attempts. On the crux pitch, they spaced the bolts farther apart: the runouts quickly became significant, and the wall immediately demanded to be taken seriously.

I tackled the overhang with jumars. I wasn’t yet able to climb it free, but I wanted to be there—I wanted to see that line up close.

Berni managed to get out of the pitch, and I engaged with another slightly overhanging section, which Matteo would later complete.

In three days, we reached the summit.

It seemed like the beginning of the story.

Instead, more than a year would pass before we returned to that wall.

In the autumn, after Climb & Clean, we had planned to return to Wenden with Matteo. But some family commitments forced us to postpone the trip.

It was during Climb & Clean, over dinner with Matteo’s friends, that I met Tommy Lamantia.

We told him about the project.

We invited him to join us.

Tommy agreed.

And so we set off again.

Another three days.

This time, the lower section of the route still had to be opened. I bolted the first pitch. Tommy tackled the second, while Berni returned to the crux pitch, which still had to be freed, using the fixed ropes we had left the previous year.

On the second day, we achieved the first results.

We managed to free the two pitches.

Then Berni focused on the crux pitch.

Four attempts.

Four times the wall demanded everything from him.

The skin on his fingers was worn away, his strength was beginning to fail, but he kept trying until he was forced to stop because of his physical condition and the less-than-favorable conditions.

The next morning, the temperatures were finally on our side, so Berni returned to the crux pitch.

This time, the wall gave us a little more.

He climbed.

Step by step, move by move, he overcame the pitch that had kept us there for so long.

Then we continued together.

And eventually, we reached the summit.

The line was complete.

“Senza Filtri” remains there, on the wall of Wenden, as a small mark left for Cristian.

No words are needed.

Only the rock, friends, and the mountains.

Thank you, Mountain.
Thank you, Nature.