martedì 22 aprile 2014

Italian Cup in Rome



The first bouldering Italian Cup took place in April the 16th in Rome.
My brother and I went to Rome the day before the competition to meet Valerio, our good friend that live in the capital, because he was so available to offer us to sleep in his home. He also was an excellent tour guide because he lead us around the historical monuments that make this city fantastic.
The next day, we woke up at 7:30 am because Valerio and Marco had to compete at 10.00 am for the qualifications round while I had to wait till the afternoon to compete because I was already qualified for the semifinals, it seemed  that the time would never pass so I was bored and stressed to wait the semis. At 14.30 pm the isolation zone finally closed so 25 athletes were ready to fight to get a place in the finals.
Third boulder of the final round

Finally my time arrived, I felt myself focused on the matters and ready to climb.There were 4 boulder problems in the semis on different styles of climbing; the first one consisted on really tension moves on pinches, I had some difficulties to reach the bonus hold. The second one was a technical boulder on slopy holds but I was able to flash it, so I got some important minutes to relax a bit my body  and mind before to passed at the problem number 3. The third one was not so hard and pretty much my style of climbing because it was composed of a dyno at the start followed to two small crimps to reach the Top. I flashed this one too. The fourth was probably the hardest and the strangest problem of the semi, just Gabri was able to get the Top and few people was able to grab the bonus hold.
I was happy for my effort but I wasn’t sure to be  in the final, so I waited the charts. When the judge published it I saw that I was in the final in the 5th positions with another athlete.
At 18:00 pm  the isolations zone closed so I took my stuffs and I reached it with the other athletes, we were six males in total: 1) Gabriele Moroni 2) Stephan Scarperi 3) Marcello Bombardi 4) Marco Gozzi and in 5th positions Michael Piccolruaz and me.
I was the first athlete to compete, so after having checked the 4 boulder problems I put my shoes to start my final round. The first one was a slab, the second one a big dyno, the third one was a great boulder with only volumes piramid shaped and the last one was a overhang wall with little crimps and with a dyno to the Top.
Fourth boulder of the final round

In the first one I was completely unable to start so I took zero points, the second one was the dyno but I wasn’t able to get the swing and reach the bonus hold, zero point also on this one! The third one was like the first one completely a disaster so I was disappointed for my bad performance on the first three boulders but I knew that the competition ended at the last boulder so I focused on the 4th problem. I climbed really motivated because the 4th was completely  my style of climbing, I reached the bonus hold very well with no feet moves, so I got the last two volumes and I maked the dyno and I grabbed the Top, I screamed for the joy because I was happy to back in the game with my mind and I knew that just Gabri and Stephan had surely more points than me so I had some possibilities to get the podium.
Just Stephan and me were able to climbed the last boulder in the first try and I realised that I was surely on the 3rd step of the podium! What a joy and what a crazy moment! With this competition I understand that you have to stay focused until the last boulder because everything can happend.
Cograts to all the athletes that competed in this competitions and to the boulder setters for the great problems!
Now I have to back on training because thanks to this performance I can take part on my first Boulder World Cup in Grindelwald(SUI) in May, I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!
The Podium

giovedì 3 aprile 2014

Three in a day


Last Saturday Luca Bazooka, Marco and I went to Brione to spent one of the last bouldering days before the hot season.
The conditions were quite good in the shadow, especially near the river where a faint wind blowing making the fiction really great.
After the warm up we  went to try “Forever more” a powerful 8a composed  by just two hard moves (The first two moves) and then a delicate reestablishment before the scary top out where you can’t make mistakes.
Unfortunately I wasn't strong enough to climb the hard moves, so after 20 mins we decided to change line. We moved to the classic river stone where there are Frogger, Fake Pamplemousse etc,because Marco and I wanted to try “Frogger” and “Fake Pamplemousse”.
Fake Pamplemousse  Pic.Marco Zanone

We started to try “Fake”graded 8a and after 15 mins I re-climbed all the single moves so I taked a bit of rest while Marco tried the last move to get the sloper just before the jug(Top).  When Marco finished his tries I did a good try but I fell with the sloper in my left hand because I didn’t stay enough solid with my body to get the swing, the next try was the right one, I get the swing and finally I grab the Top. After this funny line we moved to another line graded 8a and called Frogger a tricky boulder composed by a fantastic little pinch and good pockets on an awesome orange rock.

Frogger Pic Marco Zanone


I remember that when I try it the previous times I had some difficulties on the last two moves when you have a crimp-pinch with the LH and a good vertical pocket with the RH to get a the last pocket with the right hand just before the final jug. So I try that moves and finally I found my beta that consist in a toe hook with the left foot in a good pocket in the middle of the boulder to crimp in the best way the sharp hold and to complete the last two moves.

Frogger  Pic. Marco Zanone
After having configured out all moves I sent Frogger in my first go from the bottom and I was really satisfied to have climb it because It is in my opinion one of the coolest rock feature I've ever seen.

 Also Marco and Luca were able to send Frogger so we leave all togheter with a big smile and motivated for the last boulder of the day “Limited Edition”
This boulder is situated in a privat area in fact in the morning the owner of the field told us that if we wanted to try it we shouldn’t be too many people in order not to make much noise.
We taked our stuffs and we reach the boulder, in the first time that I saw it I said WOW! No others words came out from my mouth.
So we opened our pads and we started to try it. Marco did a great flash attempt falling to grab the first sloper before the weird mantle. On my first attempt I had some difficuties to stick the good vertical rail reachable with a fanstastic “ninja move”!  
The mantle siut me really well in fact I climbed it in the first try, I relaxed a bit and then I tried it again. I was able to do the dyno to the right rail so I understood that I had some possibilities to solved it,in fact with a bit of fear I climbed the mantle and I found myself at the Top of this icredible 7c+.


Special Edition Pic. Marco Zanone
The skin was finished and all the muscles of my body were weak so I decided to “call it  a day” and came back to home.
Now it’s time to take part in some competitions and after come back in other projects on rock, I’m Sycked! 


Special edition ~ Brione from Marco Zanone on Vimeo.