One Month ago, my first 8b+

Hi Everybody

This is my first blog on my new website and I want to talk about my adventures.

I start with one of the my best goal in 2013.

In the half part of October I decided to try with my brother Marco an old “famous” route called Invidia and graded 8b+ in Aosta Valley in a crag called “I Biellesi”.

This route was bolted by Alberto Gnerro in the 1998 but until today this route has not been so much repeated. It’s not definitely  the best line that I tried but it was a good powerful, endurance and fingery test for me.

In my opinion all single moves are hard and even harder to link it up in fact when you up your feet from the ground you have to fight until having clipped the chain! The first part is the most powerfull part of the route,that consists on long moves on crimps and the hardest move is to grab the slopy undercling with the left hand  and getting a good crimp with the right one.

Invidia 8b+  Ph Marco Zanone

Instead the second part is more technical with a strange heel hook that allowed to get the final slab. This was the second crux and actually the hardest part for me, that consists on a weird boulder with vertical crimps and slippery feet .It took me some attemps  to figure out the right beta because I was too outstretched so I was not able to put up my right foot on a small foot prop that was hidden by an undercling. 

Invidia 8b+  Ph Marco Zanone

The day of my birthday, or rather November the 8^th, I went to Donnas ready to complete the proj. The conditions was amazing and a dry wind blew all the cliff carrying out the moisture.  I was so motivated but quite nervous to try the route because I knew that I could do it, but fortunately  the personal battle ended. My first 8b+ was done. THE BEST BIRTHDAY PRESENT EVER! HELL YEAH!

After this great challenge for me, I was ready to leave for 10 days in the magic forest of Fontainebleau.

In the next few days I will publish a blog about my experience in Font, stay tuned.