Two pretty nice lines.

Hi!

As I previously wrote on february the 10^th, these last weeks has been set for a period of Pan gullich and it was fine devoting twice per week to this kind of training which is probably my favorite one. With the new holds assembled at the end of January, I can train more campus moves than in the previous sessions, In fact I was motivated to start. I usually did eight exercises for each session using four different holds. Every exercises was repeated for three times for each arms, resting 30 seconds for the change of arm. Between one exercises and another, I rested 3 min. During all this period I have done the same eight exercises for all three weeks and I was finally able to do my first one-five-nine on the crimp 2cm large although the edges are not as far as the standard length. In fact there are 20,5 cm between every crimps. Other cool exercises I inserted in my traning were some jumps. For example, I tried to do a coordination thing and it deals to jump from the first until the three, just touching this one, and coming back to the second edge. At the beginning I was really clumsy in doing this, but after some attempts I started to get more coordination. The other six exercises are the same which I tried during the training periods before the new holds. Now the PG period is finished and I would like to do three weeks of mixed sessions, like two sessions of fingerboard, one of PG and another one of resistence-strength in climbing gym. In this way I would like to do 4 session per week and I will dedicate other time to climbing outdoor before Easter since I am planning 10 days in Sweden, hoping that the weather could be merciful.

Beyond pan gullich, I also trained in climbing gym and I climbed on the rock too. On saturday the 16^th I went to Chironico with my dad and in the afternoon we moved in Nivo Bassa, a sector where is possibile to find some lines a bit different than the classic style of Ticino. After trying a bit “the great shark hunt” one of the imperishable enemies of Swiss, I put the hands on a line I had never tried before. It was “the crackline”, an amazing line that traverses a huge overhanging wall. At the start it presents a little low traverse with some crazy pinches, afterwards there is a painful and hard sequence on three crack holds where you have to put inside the fingers and lock them to stay hung. My immagination about it was really negative because I knew its holds would have been far from my style of climbing. At the end of the day, surprisly, I managed to do every single move on it and I was so glad. In the first part I hadn’t so much troubles but I found some hard times in the middle when I was with my left hand in the first crack and I had to take a fundamental crimp to do the subsequent movements. After that there is another crack where I had to lock my index and to go to the last one putting inside the ring finger and it was a bit painful. In fact after some tries without tape some blood started to drop down from my fingers and I couldn’t try it again for the pain. The week later I came back with Gabri, Marco and Aly and after 2 hours of work I was able to do this particular line. The day was splitted in three important sessions of attempts and after each of them I always understood something more precise about it. Every little difference was really useful to reach the succes. When I was at the top I was fain to do this thing and from that moment I didn’t have to put my fingers in those cracks anymore. 

The Crackline 8B, Chironico. foto Alice Gariazzo

The other adventure I want to write is about “tai lung”. It’s a line situated in the first discovered sector of Varazze. I had occasion to put my hands on it at the end of the last year and after 10 minutes I had every piece of the sequence. Probably that day I was a bit tired to link the complete line and after one hour and a half of attempts I quitted. This time I came back with Nils and when we arrived there the heat was leaving us, in fact there was a prime friction. The holds had a perfect grip and my skin too. After a really fast session where I found a different feet sequence, I was positive and during my second go from the start I crushed it. It’s probably one of the best line in all Beigua’s area and its movements are interesting. It starts stand from a good undercling and a sidepull and the holds are really lovely to use until the end of the problem. The last move is a big dynamic to a slopery pinch pretty funny to do. I will edit a little video during the next days, meanwhile I share some pictures kindly shot by Nils.

Tai Lung 8A+, Varazze. Foto Nils Favre

Tai Lung 8A+, Varazze. Foto Nils Favre

Tai Lung 8A+, Varazze. Foto Nils Favre

The day after we went to Druidi sector again and in the afternoon Nils wanted to check the moves on “Gandalf”. Whereas I climbed it some months ago, I decided to try the extension problem which become “gandalf il grigio” 8B+. I felt the first part really harder than how it looks from videos. Probably I had some problems due to my length because I am really compressed in the first part of the traverse. After 10 minutes of attempts it started to rain a lot , but we could go on to try it for other two hours since it is sheltered enough. At the end of the session I did every single move but with a completely different beta from other climbers who have climbed this line. Last sunday I came back there with my dad, just to try it before the spring come. I was rested. In fact I was able to do a good session of work on it. I managed to do the first part with the original beta although I had my legs really close to my body when I climbed. My best attempt was falling at the end, just before the last hard move. In The last part of the session, I used some attempts to try another beta in the middle part and I was surprised in finding another way which is a bit more convenient. For sure this problem is not the best one, the rock is bad and it isn’t worthy, but the movements on this climbing are pretty good, really physical and I had fun to try them. it will be in my projects list for winter 2013, although I am still hopeful to find some “cold” and dry days in March.