Murgtal in a day

Hi,

I want to dedicate a paragraf to tell about an incredibile and great day in Murgtal.

Murgtal is the valley of Murg, a little village situated on a small peninsula of the walan’s lake, in the north-est of Swiss. Once passed it, a road follows the valley until another cool lake among the mountains and the place is beautiful to watch as I described on the last blogspot. The rock is verrucano, which usually doesn’t give to climbers a good quality of rock and holds, But some gems are scattered in those woods and few of them present nice lines to climb. I was there on the last sunday of september when my friends and I went there from magic wood to check it and in the evening I was impressed by “Entlinge”. It is a wonderful overhanging wall with lovely pinches, crazy toe hooks and a quiet environment around it, because, although it is close to road, it remains partly hidden by the trees. On the right side of it there is a nice green grass, on the left one there is the wood of murgtal. I like so much this location because it is almost completely abandoned by the climbers, the rock is a mix of red,green and pink colours. The line seemed really pure and great and after a session I felt every moves possible. The hardest one for me was the fourth for the hands and the feet change in the middle. I really wanted to come back before fall ended, but I didn’t know if I would have had any other occasions. The third week of october my dad had some days off and he was helpful to carry me in Swiss for some days. My plans were to go to Chironico, Magic Wood,murgatl or maybe Sustenpass if the weather was good. Unfortunately it wasn’t and we had just a possible day of climbing. For sure, in this bunch of possibilities, I would have choosen Murgtal but I knew that it would have been too far from my home to reach it in a day, mostly for the journey, four hours of car to go and other four to come,it may not have been worth for only a few hours of climbing.

On second thought, we decided to risk the journey on sunday the 14^th. We started early from Valdengo, at half past six in the morning and I was pshyched, really pshyched. Maybe my dad wasn’t so pshyched since he doesn’t climb but he approved to go. We reached murgtal after four hours and half and the air seemed a bit humid. I was worried about the conditions because I thought that the boulders which I would have liked to try could be completely wet. We parked and we immediately went to check Entlinge. Fortunately it was totally dry except the top out since the vegetation covers it. the last jug, for the toes, was a bit wet because from the mantle the water dropped down but not so excessively. I took the pads then I started to warm up and I made some moves on it because there aren’t many lines where it is good to warm up. I looked for doing some stretching and some exercises because I found some hard times getting warmed up. When I was ready I started a session of work. Like the passed time, the crux seemed very far of doing it. The sun went out of the mountain,the air began to be really dry but I wasn’t still capable of doing the single move. Then I understood the first little thing that succesly would have done the different: I had to take the fourth hold differently. The thumb had to be where before I put the three fingers and they had to take the hold higher. From that point my body position was different,I felt really better the first crux of foot but when it was on foothold, it still seemed hard stopped the other foot, the right one, in a slopery toe hook and I always crushed down to the pads. I took some rest times alternated with little sessions of attempts. I understood another little thing, I had to keep me as low as possible with my body during the hard move. In this way I was able of putting the left foot correctly and I felt the good position to leave the right one to pass it into toe hook to stay on the boulder. Every moves was done, I had to link them. I changed something on the first part, I take the second hold a bit different and I took the third one better in the specific point where I had to take because if I didn’t take it there, it was impossible to go on for me. I put the camera to film, not because I felt that was possbile, but to film me and trying to watch I missed. Fortunately the camera brought a bit of lucky and during the attempt I was in the middle of the line, with the crux done and I had to do the spectacular move head down. I was calm, but not so much. I didn’t really want to fail, I wanted to reach the top. I grab the jug with the toes and very slowly I took it with the hand. It was done! I was extremly happy and glad. I removed a pine cone on a jug in the mantle and I stood up. I had to climb it really static otherwise I would fall off. I didn’t make other videos to do the details because I have wanted to let it uncut. The journey very quickly paid off. 

entlinge 8B/B+

entlinge 8B/B+

Entlinge gave me a big satisfation, I like it so much, its style, its holds, its sequenque and the nature around it. A mix of good stuff which makes it really special for me. Concerning the grade I didn’t know. For sure I felt it harder then all other 8Bs I have ever done and probably 8B+ could be right but the fact is that I don’t know how an 8B+ of six moves could be, I have not a good comparison whereas the last 8B+ I did, was the dagger in february, a completely different and far period. The only thing that I can say is that it could be 8B+ or an 8B/B+.

In the afternoon we moved towards the lake and I went to check out bourgignon, a funny little river prow. It seemed really cool but I prefer to keep the energy and the skin for “L’ombre du vent”, an amazing shield that when I saw it I immediately tried it. The exit is easy but it was completely full of water so I tried to dry it a bit but it didn’t change a lot. After some mins I did the stand and after one hour and half I put it together from the sit, climbing another great line and I made the day worth the long trip. Also this one was graded 8B+ but it is impossible that it can have this grade. I think it could be more like 8A, but it’s a really fine and great line to climb. It also is very estetical to watch and it was really cool to climb it.

L'ombre du Vent 8A

L'ombre du vent 8A

 The day was over and my dad had to drive other hours to come home. we left murgtal and we got home at ten minutes to midnight but still on sunday the 14^th. Murgtal in a day was done, and two great gems too. I was really glad about this day and I really want to say a big thanks to my dad because, along with this demanding adventure, he makes every possible things to support me and thanks to him I can do what I really love in this period of my life, without him I think that it wouldn’t be possible. He has always followed me, in every passion that I have had and he goes on to do it. thanks a lot.

Sunday I will leave for Fontainebleau with Marco, Alice and Max. It’s time: the Forest is waiting for us.