250m of difficulty, 5b/c obligatory, 6a max depending on the variants. Allow 7-8 hours for the loop from the Bavella car park, including the approach, ascent, abseils and return.
Equipment: About ten long quickdraws, 5-6 slings, possibly 2-3 medium friends. Hardly any equipment in place, but plenty of taffoni (worth testing!).
Since August 2023, when I set foot in Zonza to work in the Bavella canyons, my eyes had been fixed on the two very distinct needles in the Aiguilles de Bavella, Punta di l'Arjettu and Punta di l'Acellu. Each has an obvious ridge on its south-west flank, the Quenza ridge and the Zonza ridge respectively. The latter caught my eye, as I was staying in the village of the same name. But after reading the topos, it was the Quenza ridge that seemed to have the greatest interest in terms of the consistency of the climbing difficulties and the beauty and variety of the rock.
We set off at 7.30am from the village of Zonza. 8am departure from the Bavella car park. It's August, but the NW ridge remains in the shade for a long time, at least for the first half, and the sector is well ventilated. So we won't suffer from the heat. Approximately 1h15 approach from the car park, following the alpine variant of the GR20. We leave the GR following a path through the scrub to the pass between the Arjettu and Acellu points. Then we descend to the SW (and not SE as incorrectly indicated in the C2C guidebook!) to find the obvious start, at the level of the small detached needle. If you look up, you'll see a ring of pink rope 5 metres above the ground, threaded through a taffoni. It's hard to go wrong.
The climbing takes place on these incredible holes, magical grips and a forest of tubs. However, be careful not to forget too quickly to test their solidity, and think twice before installing a belay on a handle that rings hollow. The route is fairly straightforward, it goes everywhere and you don't necessarily have to follow the length descriptions in the guidebooks exactly. Remember to adjust it according to the level of the rope party to stay in sight, and according to the strong pull that can result from the rope rubbing on the abrasive granite. The route of "Bavella Corsica - Escalade Choisies" (Bavella Corsica - Chosen Climbs) gives a good indication of the itinerary to follow on the face, then open your eyes and look for polished rock, lunulas in place... and trust your instincts!
After 3-4 pitches at the bottom in the taffoni, the ridge begins to set. I opt for a crack on the right, protected by two friends, to reach the top of the 5c described in the guidebooks. A few bolts hang around on the right, but once again... it goes everywhere. The ridge becomes horizontal and we follow it for 3m, straddling the wire until we reach a small spur. A spit protects an amusing 5m descent in 3, which changes side via a cat flap. You end up on a large terrace that you cross to reach the foot of the last bastion.
Here the original route goes further to the left, through a crack system. We choose to follow a 6a variant that begins with a slightly athletic but easily protected pitch. Following this small recovery, a straight ascent leads to the foot of a large chimney chute, pierced by taffoni on the sides. It's an incredible climb with small skylights to look through, heading for Calanca Murata. I pull a long pitch up to a tiny balustrade, where I do a relay with my butt in the void, to keep my climbers in the chimney in sight. Note that 5 metres higher is a spit on a beautiful wall with a terrace. The end unfolds, an easy final 3-4 pitches to the summit.
From the last belay station, you can see the handrail leading to the first abseiling station on the right, opposite S.
A trad route, with a mountain feel, that I absolutely recommend for its panorama, the quality of the rock and the great climbing!
