Ninja Skills - Sobrio (Ticino)

Ninja Skills 8B+, Ticino. Photo Giulia Paoletti

When I was in Albaraccin I started feeling my shape reviving a bit, especially on the very steep boulders. Getting the positive feelings back was simply a wonderful emotion. After the week spent in Spain, I set a little goals-list I wished to complete before the end of the year. My plan was to complete a couple hard sequences; they would have been special and gorgeous as I desired. The list included  5 problems to work and the goal was to finish two of them before 2015. Since I have to work them more than usual, I had to chose something not so far from home. The 5 names came up quickly: The big project in Bavona, "From dirt grows the flowers" and "Big paw", both in Chironico, "The Story of two worlds" in Cresciano and "Ninja Skills" in Sobrio. I previously had other sessions on these problems during the years like one session in From dirt and ninja skills, eight days on the story in Cresciano, four ones in the Bavona project and an endless number of working days on Big paw. Something like ten or more for this last I guess. Frustrating.

One point where I have a lot to learn and a lot to understand is to set the working days closer and to dedicate a long period to work on a single hard project. This approach would sound better than trying one single line for a full day and then come back to attempt it one year later or six months later. Using this manner, I basically feel that the previous session almost didn't count and the work I dedicate before is almost useless. It doesn't need to be a genius to understand this process, but after years I am still not getting used.

So in this period I was really thinking to start this process, but at the beginning of December I felt it was time to go into the training mood and for this reason I hadn't time to go on the rock. Anyway, I had few sessions before the program in the month of November. I started with FDGTF in Chironico. The session went much worse than last spring, when I was able to climb it in 3 parts. This time I was no more capable of finding the beta and the good feelings I had. Moreover, the sweating troubles increased a lot and all my finger thrown out water after few goes. Seeing how the skin is bad in these months, I immediately set aside this one: The holds are sharp, small and incut so it is not the best if you have soft and wet skin. Big Paw was the same story of years ago. In 2011 I was getting really close, but after that incredible and positive session I was not even able to repeat the single moves. I opted to work it with another big beta, skipping some moves and going directly to a hole when the right hand is still really low. I have never been able to stick the move; I went close a couple of time, but never stuck it.  In the same time when December started, I began to follow teamoftwo training program where I do just indoor climbing, gym, trx and other stuff.

Just before Christmas, I had a couple of days off from training and I went up to continue the selection of the problems to work. I went again to big paw, but the bad feelings went on, without any kind of progress. Seeing the bad and poor results, I decided to set aside this one as well, together with From dirt. Ninja skills would have been the next to try. For this problem I was more positive. Together with Giulia, during an afternoon of rest, I went to check it out again with one pad only. Fortunately, I was able to remember the path correctly and after just 15 minutes of hiking I was under it. I let the pad for the day after, it was supposed to be a great day since Nils and other couple of guys wanted to check it. On December 23rd we woke up with great temps: not to cold, dry, sunny and the feelings of the winter in our veins. I met up with Nils in Nivo, to get warm before going up to Sobrio. The warming up went good, I felt positive, free and focus to start a session of work in "Ninja Skills". I really hoped to find a boulder to work for more than one day, without having bad feelings like on "big paw".

The picturesque village of Sobrio was still in the sun. It is crazy to see how this peculiar place is far from the society and it is located in such a cool mountain. The hiking was memorized good; I reached Ninja in 10 minutes or so, walking down quickly for the excessive motivation we had. The sun was still hitting it; so we took profit to sign the holds, put the chalk on, remember the beta I tried in 2011 and eat a bit after the downhill. Ometz brothers reached us when the shade came and we started to try it all together. I figured out a smart and good beta for the finish. I did the ninja move on the first go this time, while years ago it required me something like 15 goes. The first two moves compose in my opinion the hardest part of the line: big move to a bad sloper and then a "go-again" action to a pretty positive edge. These two moves can be considerate around V11/12, which lead you into the second part of the same difficult but really longer, composed by 12 moves where endurance and precision can make the difference between sending it or not. I started working from two moves into the start and I quickly reached the top, climbing the hardest move of the upper section. Feelings were great.

After a quick break I tried again the first moves; I was able to do them singly. This was awesome too, since 4 years ago I was not even able to hint none of them. I felt I could start to work the line from the proper start and see what would happen. Surprisingly I linked the second move from the bottom, I got the easier part and I felt on the ninja move, missing the correct sloper to use for the jump. I felt immediately stupid since it was a great occasion. If I would have taken the proper slopy pinch, I would have probably had opportunities to complete it or at least to stick the crimp in the ninja move. A bit disappointed I rested and I reset my mind. The skin suffered a lot from the slipping, since the wrong hold slipped fast. But I was trying to not think about it.

Rest time was over and I went into another go. With more troubles than before I got again into the ninja move, this time with the proper hold but more tired than before. The attempt was vain. I opted to rest again and to do another session of working in the upper moves to get even more confidence, since I felt to have no chance from the start. Baptiste figured out an interesting beta for the ninja move, basically skipping it. From the same two holds, instead of going up with the right hand to the positive crimp, he tried to go with the left one, using a left heel hook on the rail. After few attempts I managed to do the move using this beta. It looked to be big and as hard as the other way, but it definitively requires less precision on your feet and less body coordination. I repeated the single move for 3 or 4 times, then I rested. I felt it was the last possible shot from the start, hoping that the new way could have given me the last chance. Surprisingly I grabbed for the 4th time the second hold and I ride the rail which leads into the third crux. Using the new beta I grabbed the good crimp and I started to think about finishing the whole line. The only thing that could have stopped me was a flash pump, but the breathing helped my mind to believe in the sending and together with this "mate" I sent it.

Climbing "ninja skills" was awesome. The problem is gorgeous and the feelings at the top were sweet. I complete this goal, but not the main one. I wanted to search for a line to work hard and falling in its obsessions, but I was not able. Fortunately, during the Christmas day I started for a solo mission to Chironico again and I probably found two problems where to invest time and energies, testing my skills under this aspect that I felt is missing in my climbing life. The first line is called "The great shark hunt" in Nivo, while the second seems to be "Big kat" in 101. Moreover, I would still have to check the project in Bavona and "The story of two worlds". I will still have other few days to go up in Ticino before the 7th on Jan, when I will start the program again. If the skin and the weather will help me, I will go to attempt them.

Ninja Skills 8B+, Ticino. Photo Giulia Paoletti