Memories from Finale Ligure

After one month of  bouldering In Ticino and in some areas close to my home, I decided to came back to do some Sport Climbing so my brother and I went to Finale Ligure to do a full immersion of 8 days of climbing. I was super sycked!

We rent a small apartament in Finalpia and everyday we had to drive for about 10-15 min to reach the cliffs that are situated around Finalborgo

Finalborgo Village  Ph.Marco Zanone

In the first days my bad stamina caused me a lot of difficulties to climb the routes but also the bad weather didn’t helped us.

The third day, after the rainy day we decided to check a small cave near the classic Alveare sector hoping that it was dry. The cave looked really beautiful from the first sight and it is composed of two 8b+ and one 8b that started into the cave and some easier routes in the both side out of the cave.

We decided to try “Da Berlino non si scappa” a not so long route graded 8b+, that starts in the left side of the cave to finish at the top of the right side of the cave.

In the first go I felt it really good, but I just climbed the single moves, so I was focused on the second attempt. I climbed the first part, the easy one, so fast to get the first boulder in the best conditions, I did the first boulder and I reach the first rest in the middle of the cave, I shaked my arms and I started for the second boulder that ends at the last jugs before the anchor, I felt quite good at the middle of the boulder but three moves later I burst as a firework! AHAHAHA!

The third try of the day was the same of the second, I climbed really good until the last boulder and than I felt pretty much tired so I fall down again. I decided to leave project  for one day and than come back more refresh.

The next day we went to the Vascello’s sector, one of the best sector that I visit in Finale. I tried Nazgul 8b+ and Avada Kedavra 8b but I felt myself really weirs????, I was not able to be focused on climbing so I decided to try these routes just for training and to recover a bit of endurance.

In four days of climbing I ticked 0 routes of my ticklist, so I decided to came back in the cave to try to attempt the 8b+.

In the first try of the day I felt better than the two days before and the route was completely dry. I put my quickdraws ,I brusched the holds and I wait for the second try.

The first part and the first boulder went really well, I shaked a bit my arms and I start again on climbing, I felt qiute pumped but I was able to fight with the fatigue and reach the final jug. I was really happy because I used all my energies to climb the route! Crazy.

The day after I decided to get a day of rest because I was basically without skin and I had to give a bit rest to my body.

Belgarath  Ph. Marco Zanone

Finally I could focused my mind on “Belgarath” 8b, because in the first days it was completly wet and unclimable and only the time and the sun could dry up this thing.

I felt my mind under pressure again, as if it wouldn’t give me the right “power” to climbing my projects. It was a strange mental process that I’m not able to explain. This route consists on a first part of easy climbing on jug and follow by  6 hard moves around 7b+ boulder on little tufas and crimps and then a technical climbing to get the chain.

On my second go I fell to grab the last little tufa with the right hand but I felt this move harder that before so I realized that this was not the right beta for me. Instead to use a smooth right foot, I decided to squeeze with my right foot on  a little tufa.

In the next three tries I felt again in the same part also with the new beta, so I decided to take a rest a bit longer then the others to do the last try of the day.

I was really disappointed and frustrated, so I started climbing relaxed without any expectation, I climbed the first part of the boulder and finally I got the last little tufa and the good pocket to enter in the last part. I was so incredulous when I clipped the chain because I thought to have zero possibilities again, what a joy! When I touched the ground I felt myself so slight and without a big heavy on my stomac.

The last day we went to Monte Cucco, in the same sector  called Il Grottone where I climbed during the Finale for Nepal Challenge. I warmed up on a 7b and then I tried an 8b called “Cucco in alto”, probably one of the most discontinuous route I ever done, even if It is 35 meters long.

This route is composed of a 7a+/7b boulder in the first part,  a 6c+/7a boulder in the middle and a technical section on small pockets to reach the easy slab before the chain, each boulder is divided by a really good rest-point. On my second go I was able to climb it and I realized that after a week of ropeclimbing I was finally prepared for harder stuffs but the trip was over.

We came back to the flat to take our stuffs and prepare the car, we went to the center of Finalborgo to eat the last delicious ice cream of the holiday and we came back home.

Finale Ligure # Climbing from Marco Zanone on Vimeo.