Maurizio "Manolo" Zanolla (born in Feltre, 16 February 1958) is an Italian rock climber and mountaineer, and a pioneer of sport climbing in Italy during the 1980s and 1990s.[1]
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 8b (5.13d) 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 8a (5.13b) 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.
Bimbaluna – Saint-Loup (SUI) – 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.[2]
Appigli Ridicoli – Vette Feltrine/Baule (ITA) – 1990. First ascent; Manulo reclimbed it in 2001 without using his original drilled one-finger pocket hold, and regraded it to over 8c (now considered 9a).[6]
Malvasia – Dvigrad (CRO) – 1988. First ascent;[7] now considered 8c+ after some of the holds broke.[8][9]
Il Maratoneta – Paklenica (CRO) – 1987. First ascent, and only two yeaars after the first-ever 8b+.[7]