sabato 17 ottobre 2015

Rocklands, South Africa

The trip in South Africa was amazing, probably the best experience in my climbing career for sure. I spent one month completely in touch with a amazing and super wild enviroment and I had the opportunity to climb on a perfect rock quality and understand all the process that the professional rock climbers lived during their trips.
The pass, Rocklands  Ph. Marco Zanone

Our crew was composed by Marco (my bro), Luca Rinaldi, Gabri Moroni and I.
We were extremely motivated to spent all the time possible on climbing, to be able to repeat the hardest and the more beautiful lines of Rocklands

On our way to get the Roadside sector  Ph. Marco Zanone
Here is my ticklist of all the boulders I was able to climb during the month, in order of grade:
-Golden Shadow 8b/+ ***
-The Vice 8b ****
-Mooiste Meisie 8b *****
-El Corazon 8b *****
-Black Shadow 8a+ ****
-Monkey Business 8a+ ***
-The power of one 8a+ ****
-Armed Response 8a+ ***
-First Blood 8a ***
-Gliding through the waves like dolphins 8a ***
-Shosholoza 8a ****
-Leap of Faith 8a ***
-Nutsa 8a ***
-Royskopp 8a ****
-Witness the Sickness 8a (Flash) ****
-Green Mamba 8a ****
-Tea with Elmarie 8a ***
-Barracuda 7c+ (Flash) *****
-Une rime stupide 7c+ (Flash) ***
-The Hatchling 7c+ (Flash) *****
-Hole in one 7c ***
-Splash of red 7c (Flash) *****
-King of covenience 7c ***
-Golden Virginia 7c ***
-Battle of the skink 7c (Flash) ***
-Caroline 7c (Flash) *****
-Pinotage 7b+ (Flash) ****
-Ulan Bator 7b+ ****
-Cedar Spine 7b (Flash) *****
-Ron ron et caramel 7b (Flash) ***
- The Rhyno 7b (Flash) *****

Armed Response 8a+  Ph. Marco Zanone

Black Shadow 8a+  Ph. Marco Zanone

Green Mamba 8a  Ph. Marco Zanone

Caroline 7c  Ph. Marco Zanone

The power of one 8a+  Ph. Marco Zanone

The Hatchling 8a  Ph. Marco Zanone

El Corazon 8b  Ph. Marco Zanone

Mooiste meisie 8b  Ph. Marco Zanone
Shosholoza 8a  Ph. Marco Zanone

The Vice 8b  Ph. Marco Zanone

Rocklands Ph. Marco Zanone

Roadside sector Ph. Marco Zanone

Stars  Ph. Marco Zanone
The Rhyno 7b+  Ph. Marco Zanone

Swiss is freaking awesome



Ticino is my favourite boulder spot during the winter season, it is quite near from my home (2,30 h) this year was the sixth winter in a row, I usually spent there one day a week to climb on perfect granite boulders.

 I spent as usual some days trying interesting lines like
-Miss Schweiz 7c+
-Wrap Artist 8a
-Blochx Addiction 8a
-Second Life 8a
- Conquistador 8a+
Second Life 8a  Ph. Marco Zanone

But this year was different, I felt myself ready for new “experiences” trying something harder to understand how my mind and my body work at the limit of my possibilities and to see that my training period has been paid off.
 One day in December  Marco, Bazoo and I checked Boogalagga all togheter, one of aesthetic line I saw in Chironico. It is composed by 6/7 moves on all kind of holds like pinches, crimps, pockets, hell hoks and toe hooks...incredible! The first move is surely the crux of the boulder. You have to start with the LH on a quite good pinch and the RH on a crimp and squeeze to high the feet. The LF is in the middle on a little sloper under the pinch and with the RF you have to be really precise to put in the best way a strange hell hook on a slopy crimp and do a dynamic move to catch a painfull two fingers pocket with the RH. In the first three days of work on it I felt really good on the upper part but the first move cause me some difficulties to find the right body position and make the first move as much precise as I could.

Boogalagga 8b  Ph.Stefan Kuerzi

March the 8th I came back in Chironico with the friends: Gabri, Bazoo, Max and my brother Marco after a good warm up in Schattentall sector we moved to Boogalagga, the conditions was perfect, I also remember that the snow covered some shadow part under the boulder, the cold was essential for me!
My shape was really good that day, I was able to climb the upper part really easy in the first go of the day, I immediately focused all the energies on the first move!
 I felt that something has changed that the start position suited me more “comfortable” than the before session. After good tries, I grabbed the pocket for the first time but immediately the hell hook slipped...”fack man, what happend?! I thought after the fail, I was really close what a bummer!” But at the same time I realised “today could be the right day, I can repeat the first move for sure, i had to be focused on the position and relaxed at the same time” these was the only words that I repeat in my mind for all the tries after the best one.
Boogalagga 8b  Ph.Stefan Kuerzi

After a bit of rest, Bazoo made a increadible go, sending Boogalagga with a perfect climbing! What a beast dude?!? I was so happy for he and he gave me the right motivation and energy to crush the boulder!
I put my shoes, I chalked my hands, I took a breath and I started...I squeeze the starting holds and I grabbed the pocket for the second time “wow” the focusing was extremely high and for all the moves I took a big breath, when I locked the last crimp I realised what I climbed....my little dream of this place, my harder boulder, my second 8B! and when I found myself at top all the vibes and the feelings spent under that beast caused me special sense of happiness and satisfaction for my performance.  Incredible two ascents in less than 10 min! Thanks all my buddies to gave me right feelings, the support and motivations to complete this important personal step for me! 


Boogalagga 8b  Ph.Stefan Kuerzi

The Ticino season ended as every year too early, so we decided to spent one day in one of the coolest spot for bouldering during the spring/summer period, Magic Wood.
I felt in love with this place from the first time, The environment is awesome, the wood is composed by conifers and bluberry plants  and also the style of  of climbing and the rock quality are relly good!

In September I tried Electroboogie 8a/+ so we moved togheter under this line to make some attempts! The conditions were a bit warm so I had some difficulties to make the harder moves on slopers. I figure out all the moves again and after some great tries falling with the last slopy-pinch with the LH, I was able to crush it and put in my pocket another amazing line of this wood.
Electroboogie 8a/+  Ph. Marco Zanone

I the afternoon I tried Steppenwolf 8a+/b, I was really satisfied because in just one session I was able to make all the moves quite well and link the moves all togheter without the first move, for me the crux of the boulder!
To finish my energies I tried Riverbed, I was too tired but I was satisfied to climb in one shot all the harder part and understand that it could be one of my proj for the next tim.

martedì 2 dicembre 2014

Frankenjura part 2




The Frankenjura is the place I visited most this year, I spent almost one month there everytime with Gabri Moroni and my brother, visiting the amazing environment and climbing on that weird kind of limestone.
I love that style of climbing, short and intense routes on small pockets, but this time was different I wanted to focus primary on a hard proj and in the meanwhile climb on easy stuff.
My project was “Penumbral Solar Eclipse” graded 8c situated in a really small crag with just 3 routes,  one 9a open by Markus Boch, an 8a+ and the 8c that is the link of this 2 routes
P.S.E start like the 8a+ and then after 3 quickdraws it goes right just under a big roof where is situated the crux of the route composed by an amazing swing from two good pinches and a big move from a weird undercling to a good edge almost at the end of the wall where you can clip the chain.
I tried it for the first time the day before we moved to Stuggart for the Adidas Rock Stars, but just to try the moves and figure out the beta for the days after the comp but I had really difficulties to grab the fucking edge.

Penumbral Solar Eclipse   Pic. Marco Znone
                                                     
In Stuggart I took part in the “Gore-tex be a Rockstar” competition, not the real one "Adidas Rock Stars" but it was one of the best amateur competition I did in my career! I was a bit stressed during the competition beacuse I was in the 2nd round so I knew how many mistakes and how many boulder problems I had to do to get into the first three positions and took part in the finals!
I climbed 6 problems over 8 but in too many tries so I finished in 5th position. I was disappointed but happy at the same time to have climbed in that competition with many strong guys. 
The day after I saw the offical competition as a spectator and it was super funny and emotional.
 Gore-tex Be a Rockstar Jam Session    Pic. Christian Waldegger

After 4 days in Stuttgard we came back to Franken for other ten days, I climbed two routes that gave me positive thought like “Bastard” 8a+ 2nd go open by J.Moffat in the 1989 featured by just one hard move to grab a good pockect, the name say everything, and “Spiderman” 8a+ also on my 2nd attempt sending this 2 hard testpieces in two hours.
 I tried for other 3 days the proj but everytime the big move cause me serious problems so I started to be nervous and stressed about that move so I decided to leave the route for a while and take some days of rest! My motivation in that days was so low so I climbed on easiest routes but I had hard problems to focused my mind on climbing, I was completely off and exhaust. After a couple of days we went to check  Maximilian Wande sector, one of the best spot in my opinion, where, in May, I tried “Boiling Point” 8b, but I fell off at the very last move. This time was another story and I took down this classic on my 2nd go of the day and a bit of motivation came back.
In the afternoon Gabri wanted to try the 9a next to my project because he was so closed on it, so I decided to make one try on the 8c
My mind during the effort was really free and without pressure so I grab the crux hold in the best way and finally I managed to keep the swing, lock the undercling and stick the edge! I was so incredulous and with a scream of joy I clipped the chain! Everything went in the best way and I couldn't describe my happiness and my satisfaction, for all the day I got a big smile on my face and that strange sensations of weakness and the low motivation was blown away.
In the last days of the trip I was really tired, I had bad skin and my muscels were really destroyed so I climbed everyday but just for the pleasure of climbing trying as many routes as I could.
Surely the Frankenjura will be a place on my list for the next years because I have a lot of routes that one day I would like to climb.
See ya the next! 
The Forest