Good days spent in Swiss

The Ticino season started seriously, my brother and I went to Cresciano and to Chironico to try some ticklist projects.

In Cresciano we went to try the Dagger , it is an amazing and hard roof composed of super aesthetic and difficult compression moves with crazy toe hooks but it didn’t siut me  from the first attempt but  I was motivated to try it the same.

The first day of trying I climbed the middle part quite well but I felt it a bit hard for my standars, the first part caused me some problems, in fact I didn’t grab the big step that allow to get into the middle part.

The second day, three weeks later , I tried it again  I felt it a bit better then the first day and I was able to do the  first part and I did good links on the second one. After one hour session  was really pumped and destroyed from the physical moves but I was really happy anyway because I enjoyed this great famous line that one day could become a serious project! 

In Cresciano I climbed also an awesome line called Jungle book from the stand start 7c+ and 8a from the bottom.  It was a pleasure climbed on it because it’s such a cool line composed by slopers and a weird hell hook.

Jungle Book  Ph. Marco Zanone

The other days I went to Chironico with 3 friends of mine in Paese sector, we warmed up in the classic stone of Souvenir, the Aviator etc. I climbed the Aviator and Los cursos and when I felt ok I start to try Souvenir. I immediately felt it climbable, I did all the single moves really quickly, I relaxed a bit and then I did the first go from the bottom but I fell to reach the undercling for the left hand, I tried the mantle and I rested bit again. When I felt ok I got another try and I finally hold the undercling, I taked the sloper with right hand and with a good lolot I grab the weird pinch with my thumb on the pocket, I taked the final jug and I was on the top of the boulder! I was happy because everytime I went to try it, this boulder didn’t siut me really well, but this time I had the right strenght to complete all the moves.

After I tried Blochx Addiction, another 8a in the same block. I think it is a bit harder than Souvenir composed of a difficult shoulder move and an hard swing to hold the last good undercling before to get into the end of the Aviator. It took me some tries to styck the shoulder crimp and on my best try I was able to hold the swing quite well, I took the good undercling, but I felt pretty tired so I fall down with the Aviator’s jug in front of my eyes, I was dissapointed but the day was still long.

From the warm up boulder we moved toThe Pocket problem because Stewe wanted to try it so in the meantime my brother went to Boogalagga, but the two slopy pockets were wet sowe decided to changed our project. We moved to Freak Brothers!

Freak Brothers  Ph. Marco Zanone

I decided to try to flash it, but I knew that I had few possibilities of success but I was focused the same  so I put my shoes and I started! I arrived to the crimps, I matched it, and I pull up to get the edge but the right hand slipped off, what a pity! The next tries I wasn’t able to grab the final edge and I felt it much harder then the flash attempt. I relaxed a bit and  I froze my fingers with the snow so I start for a new try, I get the left crimp really well, I matched it and finally I reach the good edge before the mantle, I stayed relax and I did the exit well, what a joy, I was so happy, one of my “dreams” of Chironico was done, YES SIR! 

Freak Brothers  Ph. Marco Zanone

Then I come back to Blochx Addiction but I was too tired to get the swing again ,so, I came back to home with a great smile and no skin on my fingers.

Three days later, Matteo, my brother and I came back to Chironico and we went to Centrale sector, we warmp up and then we moved to 101 sector to try Delusion of Grandeur 8a+. The endurance part suited me quite well, this part consist in weird climbing on a slopy edge where you can reach the final  scary top out with a small undercling and  with a right foot really high. I had some  difficulties to do the first part, where you have to do a dynamic move to a good pinch from a small undercling with the left hand and small crimp with the right one that allowed to enter in the middle part.

After having figure out all the moves I started to try it from the bottom. I climbed all the first part and I  basically arrived at the end of the endurance part, I grab the slopy jug just before the scary top out but my right foot slipped off. it was really unexpected and I fell down, I was so disapointed because I had good possibilities to climbed it. The next try was the same but this time was the right hand that slipped off, I was really incredulous and quite frustrated in fact I decided to change boulder.

We moved to Tricky a funny 8a boulder close to Delusion, I felt tired and pumped after that two tries on the 8a+ so I ate something and I relaxed a bit. After 20 min of rest I decided to “back in the game” and with some explanation of my brother for the right beta I flashed it, It was a great fight because I felt tired and my fingers were frozen. I think that this boulder is not 8a for sure, but I know that is difficult to say something about the grade in the flash attempt, so in my opinion 7c is appropriated. 

Tricky  Ph Marco Zanone

An exhausting hiking was waiting for us, because from 101 sector we had to come back to Centrale sector because I wanted to destroyed myself on the last boulder of the day, and I chose Le vent nous portera 7c+, not the best line in this sector but the holds are not sharp, in fact it was good.

After some tries to figure out all the moves I started to do some good attempts on it. Two times I felt to reach the small crimp with te right hand just before the dyno to the jug and one time I felt to grab the jug. I felt really destroyed but I was motivated to climb it. I decided to make the last try of the day so I froze  my hands with the snow again, I put liquid chalk and I started. I taked all the holds in the right way and finally I did the  dyno to the jug! Yesss, Finally.This line was done too and I finished the day in the best way. It was surely the unexpected ascent so I was really satisfied.

I hope to came back as soon as possible to finish my “ battle” with Delusion of Grandeur and to have the pleasure to climb other awesome lines.

Global Warming

When I went for the first time in the high part of Donnas to search some new boulders I see the Incredible roof that now is called Global Warming, but I didn’t think that it could be climbable. Some months laters I spoke with Niky Ceria and He told me that He was trying that proj and I said WOW! I was hopeful that Niky could put up the proj.

Middle section of GW Pic. Marco Zanone

One day I saw Niky again  and he said me that the proj was done..good job! He has been a great visionary because the line is really logical and each hold is in the right position..Congrats! I saw the video about his ascent and the moves didn’t seem suitable  for my level and I decided to wait to try it because it seemed too hard for me.

When I came back to Spain, I was quite focused to try Global Warming but I know that I was not alone because  Gabri Moroni and Luca Rinaldi wanted to try it too. Two weeks ago I went with my friends in Donnas  to start to figure out the moves and to understand if it was possible for me. In the first day of trying I spent about three hours under the roof to get the moves, at the end of the day I was super satisfied because I climbed all the single moves , getting too two great tries from the bottom to the last hard move, that  consists in a fantastic dyno to a good triangolar sloper-egde and to hold the hard swing! I was sicked and exciting to came back as soon as possible.

Two weeks later all of us came back to the proj and I was really motivated but a bit frustated because I wanted to repeat at least the hardest single moves like the past session. 

The swing of GW  Ph. Marco Zanone

After a fast warm up  Gabri, Marco,Alessia and I  went  directly to GW, we ate something, we brushed the holds and put the pads. The rest of the crew was coming and immediately we put up the climbing shoes and we start the “fight” with the boulder. In the first time I felt a bit tired without energies and strength in fact I had some difficulties to reclimb the single moves in the middle of the roof and I felt  the “famous dyno” to the sloper-egde so hard.

Meanwhile I felt heavy like an Elephant instead  Gabri was able  to send the boulder easily on his second try of the day, Nice Work DUDE!  I decided to take a bit of rest and do a relaxing walk around the forest with my friends to show them a nice boulder that I found two weeks ago. We came back down to GW and I felt ok to try  it again, fortunately the holds were brushed and cold. I put up the climbing shoes and I focused one minute under the line to repeat in my mind all the single hands and feet moves..I started, my skin was cold enough and the fiction was super good I climb the first part really well and I arrived at the crux, I get finally the slopy –edge and the swing I did the crazy toe hook to the edge and I climbed the mantle….I couldn’t believe! Global Warming was Done! What a Joy..Thanks all my friends for the incitement, their support was essential. For the next hours I was incredulous to be able to do it, it was one of the best moment ever of my climbing career.

Toe hook of GW  Ph. Marco Zanone

Now it’s time to train hard and to focus on some other project.

 The Link of the video of GW: http://vimeo.com/85436055 

España en el corazón

For the fourth year in row my family and I went to Spain during the Christmas Holiday, I was really exciting like every year and a lot of incredible routes are waiting me!

After 12 hours of travel we arrived in Cornudella de Montsant and we meet Carmen, the woman from which we rented the house for ten days, we put up our stuffs, we had a dinner and we wait  the next day.

Siurana village  Ph. Marco Zanone

Day 1

We went to Siurana in a fanatstic sector called Siuranella Sud because it was a windy day and this sector was covered by the wind, during the firsts climbing I felt a bit tired from the travel, and not able to push myself as I wanted, but I decided to try an amazing 8a+ featured by a blu straight with a fantastic limestone called “Try me” but my  first project ended in the worst way, becuase a friend of mine broke the key hold and all my possibilieties to send it vanished, I was a bit sad for the route that now it became a project for everyboby but the trip was just started.

 

Spanish "house"  Ph. Marco Zanone

Day 2

We went to Margalef precisely in the Espedelles sector, one of my favourite and I had an old uncompleted route from the past year, “El Ball del Triceps”that is probably one of the best route I tried in that grade. On my first try I dust off the moves in the first part because there is a weird campus move to get a pocket and some physical moves the reach the first rest point. In the second go I climbed the first part and I got the first rest where i could  shake my arms a bit. From that point to the chain there are still 30 endurance moves around 7c/+ that there are ok if you start from there but I had some difficulties to link the first physical part to the endurance one in order to reach the final rest point just before the easy slab to the chain. I fell  just  before the second rest point.

The third go went like the second so I decided to review the part where I fell two times in a row and I found a new beta but it was getting dark and my skin were a bit cut from the sharp pockets so my enemy was still not climbed.

Day 3

I came back to Espedelles to complete my proj, in my first try of the day I got the “crux” where the day before I fialed, but this time I fell 3 meters from the chain because I was a bit cold and I was really pumped when I’m falling  I thougth “Fuck , what are u doing man?!” I was a bit frustrated for some hours but I couldn’t surrender myself so I started to climbed it for the last time and as I had hoped I clip the chain with a big smile and my pumpy arms I sent “the deal” with this amazing 8b.

One our later I also sent a new short 8a called Innuendo on my flash attempt, a bit soft for the grade but really nice climbing featured by  pockets and great white rock.

So I completed my 2013 in the best way and I changed my focus on the year-end party! YEAHH

 

El ball del triceps, Margalef  Ph. Pierre Zanone

Day 4

Rest day after the crazy party my family and I went to the high car park in Siurana to take some pictures and some timelapes

Day 5 

The climbing trip start again after the rest day and we decided to come back in Siurana  in a known sector called Can Pigui Pugui with Gabri Moroni, because my brother was so closed on a proj named “Bou i prou” 8b, the line just on the right of the famouse “A muerte” graded 8c+/9a

I was agree with my bro to try the 8b togheter but I felt myself a bit tired and I had the difficulty to climb one single move of this great route that consist to get a slopy crimp  with the right hand and to up your left foot and do a strange heel hook to reach the good hold before the last boulder. I tried it 3 or 4 times but everytime I fell in that fucking move because my fingers had not the right power to lock the slopy crimp.

But I was happy for my bro because he climbed it really well and he did his first 8b in Siurana, good effort mate! 

Day 6

We came back to Espedelles sector because we bougth the new Margalef’s guidebook and we saw that in the most right there was a lot of new lines. I warmed up on fanatastic 6c and on a 7a but we were “hungry” of  something harder so we were advised from Luca L a friend of our, to try a 8a bouldery-route, really steep and powerful called “Ser purista a me despista”. I was so lucky because my brother gave me the right beta for the boulder, so I Flash it  feeling it a bit harder than the first 8° that I flashed.. I was really satisfied, but the day wasn’t over, I took my stuffs I came back to the Espedelles classic sector.

I had in mind a beautiful route that my brother climbed some days ago called Braguetasso 8a+. In my first go I felt really tired in fact when I arrived at the chain I though, ok today is not the right day to get this route.I relaxed for one hour an half  and my mind back in the game.

I climbed the first part with fatigue but I was determinated and I get the big rest point, I shaked my arms and I decided to climb really fast the second part, I felt a bit better than the first part, I did the long move quite well to reach the final good pockets and after some easy moves I get the chain! I was sooo happy, because I was  determinated and it gave me the happiness to say I climb this amazing route.

 

Braguetasso, Marfalef  Ph. Pierre Zanone

Day 7 

We check a new crag for everybody called El balcon de l’Ermita, a awesome wall with crazy rock, I was so tired during the warm up but after my muscels went well and I climbed one of the best route of the trip called  “Gotim Bru”7b  with an amazing blue limestone.

I wanted “to call it a day” but I was motivated by my brother to climb again, in fact we on-sighted  a superb  7c+ called Mirtoglicerina, WOW! Surely unexpected ascent, YEAHHH!

Day 8

Last day in Spain, I was motivated to climb on-sight because I was more affinity with the rock, I went to Espedelles to try some endurance route, and I focused myself to try Malasombra a 7c+ just on the right of Braguetasso, I try to figure out some moves from the ground following the chalk on the pockets, butvI hadn’t understand some moves in the first part . I thought it doesn’t care, the on-sight climbing is funny because you have to take the decisions quickly when you climb, I prepared my stuffs and I started for the attempt. This route  is featured by a mono and slopy pockets in the first part but it is not so hard that it looks, a good rest and than endurance climbing and a weird single move , because you have to take a three fingers pocket and to understand which one is the best way to do the sequence in order  to reach the exit from the slight overhang and to take the jugs before to clip the chain. I was so happy to have understood almost all the moves of the route and to have onsighted it!

Just after this cool route we move with other four friends in a  small cliff, famouse for its short and powerful routes called El Laboratori, we decided to destroyed ours arms definitely.

I started to try La Bombi an ex 8b, I say ex because it was 8b but someone broke a hold and now the grade is around 8a/+.It is probably the shortest route I ever climbed for a total of 4 spit plus the chain, I climbed it in my third go, I want to make the congrats to my bro to have Flash it!

After La Bombi my brother decided to try Absolut another 8a+ it  basically consist in one single move to get a good two finger pocket but it is really long, you have to give the right push with your feet and arms and to be so precise and focus to do this dyno. I try it three/ four times to understand the right position and with some screams during the climbing I get the chain when the sun was setting, I was pumped with a bit of blood on my fingers but with a big smile on my face. I was really satisfied because I pushed myself to the limit sending some hard stuff in a single day but also because it was the fourth day of climbing in a row!

Landscape of Morera de Montsant  Ph. Marco Zanone

This trip was a blast like every year I passed here in Spain, I hope to come back as soon as possible!