The Ghost Ship - Champorcher

The arrival of spring is often associated with hard times to climb in good bouldering spots like Ticino and many others. For April, May and June I think there are still good areas where it is possible to climb with cold and to keep the motivation high to bear the summer's arrival in the lower lands. For this season, the spots where I would have liked to go were Val Bavona, Barbara refuge, Fionnay and Champorcher.

As always happen, it is really hard visiting all these places before the vernal temperature becomes summer. So I opted to climb in two of them so far,  by selecting on my projects list. Unfortunatly  the weather in Val bavona was really rainy and after a fast day up there, I decided to dedicated my energies to Champorcher and to do some First ascent experiences.

Some projects were in my mind and I was syked to climb on virgin rock. The first time I was in Champorcher two years ago, I saw a futuristic line on the overhanging  face of the parking prow. I saw some crooked holds and I imaged a line on this wall. After three scattered sessions in 2011 and 2012, this year my aim was to figure out a possible beta and to understand if it would have been possible for my abilities. On Saturday 11th May I went there with a bunch of good friends. The first time of the season in Champorcher it is always good: The place is nice, the torrent is still wide and spring days are often crispy, in fact the valley offers good natural place with great light. In this pleasant  contest the orange rock and the boulder caos stands out in all its beauty.

In the afternoon I started to work out a possible sequence of my big project. The years before I did the first three moves so I was curious to check the second part. At the end of the day every move, until the last jug, were done and I started to dream about its possibilities. I brushed a bit the exit, since it was the only missing  section and I went home really happy. Champorcher immediately gave us the wish to come back, getting profit by this low temperature of may. In the same day also a new line was put up, called "Il Salto del Corazza", a big move to a lip which requires a good arms lenght. 

Wednesday 23th. Conditions were good again, by being 1400 m on sea level Champorcher is really dry in these days, especially in this month where temperatures are under medium season values. Before warm up, I bound the rope on a pine and I brushed the exit of my goal. We climbed some stuff around the huge boulder, like a nice arete of 6C which I would advice and some lines on the back side of my project, around 7A/+ which were quite good to get ready. I attempted the top out previously brushed and I found a easy way to do it. Only one move missed and I was almost sure that it wouldn't have been so hard. I was completely wrong.

The session before I completed every move except the last one, where I had a good hold but I was totally open with my arms. I should have know that it was still a hard move, in fact from that open position I should have kept the swing with only one arm using the good hold, and then linking to top out. I tried this powerful move and I did it after some goes. thinking about the whole line, last move looked too aleatory and I knew it would have been too hard from the bottom. I started to work out the first part, trying to do some links.

The evening session was positive since I fell down on last move but at the same time I had the confirmation that it was too hard for the link. I made good progresses on the lower part but the final was still enigma. Thanks to pushing of my friend Gabri, I tried more times this last doubtful  sequence and I wasn't able of repeating  one arm action. I left the place conscious about my doubts and I knew that the next session would have been dedicated to figure out a different beta for the last piece of my puzzle.

Friday 24th. Rudy was off as every Friday and he was motivated to come with me up there. The evening before, we checked the weather web site and it promised a max of 8 degrees, sunny and dry. Once we arrived in the parking, the day seemed perfect as we expected. Blue sky, dry air and cold were really motivating  factors for both. Few things started to be really household, as the strong sound of the river and the moans of the cows on the background. After the usual warm up, Rudy climbed "antrace" a 7A on the same boulder and I started my session. After some work I understood a good way to replace that incredible last move with a low per cent of success. This was merit of a pair of old jet7, a kind of shoes whit a great toe hook which suited to my foot really well. The new way was a double toe hooks which permitted me to do the last swing with two hands and not with only one, basically a totally different foot sequence than the first one thought days before. I repeated the last part two times then I started to try it from the bottom and I failed high enough since my foot slipped on the first slopy crimp. I took a rest for all afternoon long.

Rudy tried "cochese night" a nice crimpy traverse situated on the right side of a grassed trail and engulfed by trees, which make this boulder completely in shadow. He liked it and he wants to come back soon. In the evening I had another valid tentative but I made a mistake and I failed before last move. I had to quit since my skin was a bit hurt and I couldn't feel the first crimp.

Two days later, on Sunday 26th I went there with Marco and I felt quite good since I rested well. We planned a halt in a little food shop before going up in the valley. This one was close and we went in a bar where we met a friend of us, Pero. His programs were to go to a cliff for rope climbing, but when he knew our destinations he changed his mind joining with us for a bouldering day. Same warm up of the previous three sessions and I put eight pads under the big wall. Some of them were left in a cave during this period of attempts.

Marco set the camera and I started. Everything went perfect until the last swing where I kept the body on and I did the exit. I was really glad, finally my vision of years before was done and this First ascent made me really joy for few minutes.  I loved this kind of experience and its climbing. My beta used every holds on that overhang and without one of them I wouldn't  have been able of doing. For this reason, I consider this sequence as one of the purest I have ever done. The name choosen was "The ghost Ship" and it might be a possibile 8B+ since I felt it harder than my previous boulders.

In the afternoon we moved again towards "cochese night", where Marco did fastly every move.  He started from the bottom and he missed the ascent on the mantle since the crimp was full of pine needles, postponing  the sure ascent on next time. Meanwhile I did the first ascend of another project which I called "calicot". It deals of a line brushed last year with Max, but really hard to attempt because temperature was too high. That day the conditions were quite good and my shape too and I took advantage by these facts. 

Champorcher starts to be an important bouldering spot of North west. The quality of rock is better than other places of the valley and there are almost 100 lines from 3th grade. Now other projects are waiting for a first ascent up there, but I would also like to go in other place like Fionnay or Barbara Refuge to change rock and environments.

The Ghost Ship FA, Champorcher. Photo Marco Pelle

The Ghost Ship FA, Champorcher. Photo Marco Pelle

Il Salto del Corazza FA, Champorcher. Photo Rudy Ceria

Training for summer

The first three months of this year have been set for training to get in a fine shape before my ten days in Sweden. The period of training worked well and in the middle of march I felt stronger than Dicember or January. I started to get in shape in the period of Gandalf il grigio and this feeling accompained me until the end of april. In Sweden, and during the few weeks later too, I felt good and agile as I wanted, in fact I was really glad for having climbed high quality stuff since this was my goal.

After april the 6^th I decided to take a month of rest or just climbing outdoor when it was possible. Rarely I had some fingerboard hangs.

The weather in the last weeks wasn’t so good. The first touch of spring seemed more like summer, in fact the medium season area in Aosta Valley were too hot, while the summer spots were still covered of snow.

I went once in Gaby with Rudy where we finished to brush a river arete.

I climbed it from the sit and he was close in the stand version. From the stand it has two moves on slopers which could be equal to 7A I though, while the sit adds two harder singles, really fun to do. The line remains on river sector, on the left of “Big Courier”.

Another time I was in Brione where Me,Marco and Aly tried to take the last freshness of the winter to grab the lovely Verzasca’s granite. In the morning I managed to do “the guilty of the hilti”, a Gaston line put up by Bernd Zangler. While in the afternoon I did the third ascent of “flash flood” on the river, just on the right of “ fake pamplemouse”. I climbed them both on second go from start, but in the first one I had to fight hard some tries to win the hard gaston move, which makes the hard part of the line. My back was destroyed the day after.

Marco showed me “Ballermaan” too, a stunning line with great rock. It deals of a compression boulder with a jump at the end where it is hard to keep the other hand on the slopy pinch. A really good line, probably one of the best in Brione around these grades, 7B/+.

Beyond these rock sessions, I climbed seldom until this week when I restarted training.

My next adventure will be in Rocklands this summer, from july the 7^th until August the 11^th.

My current aim is to get in a good shape before leaving, although I have just two month.

I have set a period of training where I would like to test some new stuff.

The first new thing in my program is Chris Webb Parsons hang advice, since his videos was on the web some weeks ago and it seemed really fun and useful. I think it could be worthy to try.

The second thing deals new exercises on PG, like some crossing moves or some changes on the previous exercises. As in the previous program, the first part will be all set in fingerboard, with three sessions per week (2 with hangs and one of Enchores). Over this, I will climb in the gym and on rock when it will be possible. While the second run the fingerboard will be linked on PG sessions. During All two months I also hope to get some rock climbing in Aosta valley and around, to climb new stuff for me and also to check how training works before SouthAfrica.

Flash Flood 8B, Brione. Photo: Alice Gariazzo

Sweden. First time in the north.

Baltic sea

Three months ago, My girlfriend and I decided to plan a little trip in the North to go in Scandivia’s landscapes and to do some bouldering.

After taking fly tickets, we had the certainty about the trip and I started to think many rocks and new places where to climb. The fact to have the possibility to climb in new spots is really motivating and the north Europe isn’t such a frequented area.

So a lot of stuff is new for our eyes, the sectors are unknown for us and this discovering is one of the most important things for my bouldering view.

The destination choosen was Vaestervik, a city three hours south of Stockolm where most part of lines are opened by Stefan Rasmussen. The Travel was really adventurous for me and Giulia since we just had a Guidebook from 27crags, but we didn’t know exactly where the boulders were. Sometimes we took some hours to reach a line and we got lost more times among the woods. The trip was made more adventurous by the climate, since the week before a big storm overran the north and we found a great wintry view . Every lake was iced and in many woods had 50-60 cm of snow upon the ground. Beside this, the weather was perfect. Every day was completely sunny and crispy, with temperatures between –2 until 4 degrees and really dry.

I wrote I little diary day by day.

Day 1

We woke up really early, 5.10 AM because flight time was at 10 AM From Bergamo. My dad carried us at the airport and we took a large advance to avoid delays, since we should have passed the critical point before Milan. We arrived in the airport and we had some troubles with our pads because the flight company didn’t want to consider them as normal bagage. They are completely mad, as pads were widely in the fair size and the day before I called them to be sure. After some insists there weren’t anything to do since the lady on check in didn’t want to change her mind and We had to pay a extra cost for them. We pass over this thing and we left thinking about Sweden. We arrived and we took our Toyota Yaris, driving From Nykoping towards Rumma, the place where we lived.

Just before arriving we stopped in Bjornblocket, the hourglass zone. We checked it and I was surprised by its beauty just as I thought. We arrived in Rumma and Immediately, the lady of our house, got out to give welcome us heartily and to show us the room.

We fastly left Bags and we went to Marstrand. We parked in the snow and we went up the hill to climb after the long trip. We found the boulders after some minutes but our feet were already wet and I realized that the Etnies shoes weren’t not suitable to those lands. After hard times in warm up I started to have my hands ready for climbing in this cave with a great granit. I decided to try “animal act”, a cool 8A+ I wanted to try for long time and I climbed it on my first try. Basically I flashed it but I previously climbed the 7A on the right, which has the easy exit in common. The climbing trip started well, I liked the spot, the rock and I felt in a really good shape. After some attempts on “goofhead variant” we went home tired.

Day 2

knowing Marstrand, we went there again. This time I had more clothes on and the warm up went better. On first try of the day I climbed goofhead variant and I moved the pad under “primitive” which starts stand and the sit was still a project. After some goes I climbed the upper part and I started to work the move in the sit. It looked hard and I wasn’t able to touch the pinch after the second hold. The time to “the hourglass” finally arrived and I was so syked. We arrived under it and I climbed “the office” a nice arete to the right. After this one I was ready. I knew the Hourglass would have been my style and I wanted to try it in a flash attempt. I felt really good, the conditions were perfect and my skin too. I put the pad and I touched more times the hold with chalk thinking well every kind of move. The videos were all printed in my mind and I tried. I sat and I knew the the first move would have been one of the hardest for me, and then it looked quite ok until the last two ones. When the line was opened the start used the low undercling and a high sidepull for the left hand. Apart a couple of ascents, I think the new start version was with the left hand in a lower sidepull. In this case every climber can start sitting and the shorter can start without double pads.

I did the first move and I tried to take better the second hold three times until I had it correctly. I went on, I pulled really hard with my right foot to the second move and I went into the compression section which passed pretty quietly, reaching the last hold before the dyno. There, I had a bit of indecision and I saw the lip really far. I don’t know how but I tried to jump as high as possible and I got the sloper in my hand. I couldn’t belive. I put my foot up over the edge I did the mantle which I brushed previously. I was really glad and satisfied. Concerning grade it is not simple to say in the flash go, in fact I was more for 8A+ than 8B proposed. But when I tried the single moves for the photos I wasn’t able to do some of them and I thought that it could be right. Hope to hear some opinions from other climbers who will climb it.

The Hourglass 8B, Bjornblocket. Photo Giulia Paoletti

Day 3

I opted to get a morning of rest or probably all day long. We went to check a really famous area called “falla taket” where it is situated “david or goliah”, a classic I wanted to try during those days. We left the car in the parking near the horse ranch and we walked into the wood. The place was great with nice trees and ground was cover by a lot of snow. I knew there was one km of path to reach the crag but I didnt know where it was. We got lost and after almost 2 hours of attempts we quitted without having seen any rocks. We went to Lysingsbadet, a sector on a hill really close to the camping where it is possible to look out the Baltic sea on the back side. Here there are 5 blocks with a lot of easy stuff until 7A+, a really good place for Giulia’s approach. She climbed some hours there, trying a slab and touching her first rock. In the late afternoon, I felt rested and we decided to check another sector called VO. The lines which I would have liked to try were “namaste” and “delirium” since I knew this last would have been dry. To reach the spot we walked on the ski track which was completely praticabile with skiing, a nice wintry scenery. I found “Namaste” in front of me completely dry but the mantle was covered by to snow, which made it impossible to try. We tried to go on to search “deliruim” but also in this case we weren’t able to find it and our feet were wet again.

We started to understand that it would have been a really adventurous trip whit a lot to discovered in unconfortable place. But this wasn’t so bad, even if a bit nervous though.

Giuly on her first rock in Lysingsbadet

 Day 4

It was time to go to the south of this bouldering area and the plans were to check “Solstadstrom” and “Tunablocket”, two sectors which have basically one block for each one. We arrived in the first one and the searching started. The snow made always hard the path but after one hour and half we reached it although it is close 150 meters to the parking. We seemed really stupid.

My goals were “awake the unkind”, a fine crimpy wall put up by Gu, and “le pacte des loups”.

At the first sight, the lines didn’t look possible with only two pads and I was disappointed, but since we were there it was worth to try at least. After a fast warm up I felt ready and the climate was perfect: Sunny, dry and cold. I tried the upper part of “awake the unkind” and I did it on 1^st try without pad’s problem. After some mins I climbed the whole line from the sit, which didn’t add a lot, In fact I had to try it flash from there but I was worried for the pads. I also climbed “le pacte des loups”,“all hope is gone” arete and then we moved towards “Tuna” where Stefan was waiting for us.

The boulder is really close to gravel road and I saw it just when I arrived. My goals for it were “Frost” an 8B established by Stefan and repeated by Gu. Unfortunatly a principal sidepull for the left hand was wet and I couldn’t use it to do try the original beta. I tried with another way, still more morpho and I did every move after one hour, except the last one. After my rest, also the last crimp started to drop since the top was covered by snow and the sun hit it. also this crimp wasn’t possible to use.

I figured out another beta, completely different by the FA and I couldn’t say if it is easier or harder. I fell on the last move with this sequence and I did after another rest time.

Before leaving, I climbed “hot tuna” a cool arete which has the start in common with Frost, and “king’s speech” a slighty overhanging wall completely red with one of the most compact granit I have ever touched. After some pics in this crazy places, we took the road to Rumma again.

Awake the unkind 8A, Solstadstrom. Photo Giulia Paoletti

Day 5

We were in Lysingsbadet in the morning, to get profit from the sun and the temperature were ok. Giulia climbed the slab tried two days before with a great effort in the mantle. Later she tried also another line which she failed before exit. In the afternoon I reached Stefan in Marstrand, with the intent to try the big project of “game of shadow”. It was covered by an icefall, probably with the picks would have been interesting.

We changed the plan and I tried again the sit of primitive. After some attempts really far to touch the holds, I started to understand the position to do this big span to the pinch. Stefan said me the beta tried by other climbers and I changed it a little bit until I finally grabbed the holds. The move is simply amazing and really particular. I was really glad to put up a new line in the north. I would have liked to try other projects there, But having just ten days I have preferred to dedicate my energy to classics before.

Primitive sds 8A+, Marstrand FA. Photo Giulia Paoletti

Day 6

Another perfect day under climate’s aspect. The sky was always clear and every day had an amazing friction as I have never seen before. The day for Fruberget came and I was really curious to check this zone. It is the biggest sector of the area, it counts about 90 lines and the rock looked really good from photos and videos. We left the car in the southern parking, near the baltic sea. Fruberget sector is really peculiar, it develops up and down between two hills. The wood is different in the south side, chestnuts and trees similar to swiss’s country. On the other side the wood is like Fontainebleau with conifers,moss and pines. From our guide the boulder’s sector seemed hard to understand in fact we spent one good hour to find “stora grotta” where there is “cave man” and “Fysyologi”. This last was one of my goals and the rock in this sector is probably the best around Vastervik. I climbed it and, although it is a real lowball, the moves are pretty fun and the rock is beautiful.

In the afternoon I wanted absolutely find “soulfly” a cave with brick pinches and good features. We left Fysyologi at half past one and we reached soulfly at five o’clock with a lot of nervous and the snow until the knees.

When I was under it I was fain to have find this line and it looked like a great one. I climbed it after some goes but when I come back home I checked some videos where climbers didn’t use the left vertical part of the cave for the feet and they went straight in the middle of the cave. so I came back the day after.

Fysyologi 7C, Fruberget. Photo Giulia Paoletti

Day 7

We came back to Fruberget and I climbed “soulfly”. Afterwards, Giulia tried a really good 6A but it looked hard and after one hour she quitted. She climbed for her second time outdoor and she had already occasion to climb on one of the best kind of rock I have ever seen, I was happy for her.

In the afternoon I checked again Falla taket but also this time I got lost.

Day 8

Rest and turism day. We woke up at seven o’clock in the mornig and we travel three hours towards Stockholm. After having visit a bit gamla island in the center, we walked for 4 km and we went to visit “houdini”. It is An awesome roof on another island really close to city center but at the same time completely isolated in the green near to the baltic sea. Sick place and cool line with a project on the back side, I hope to come back with climbing stuff to try it one day. We came back towards Gamla and then we went home again in the late evening.

Day 9

Last day in Sweden. Stefan was free to carry us to Falla taket and finally I could see this spot. When we arrived all the crag was covered by a strong stratum of ice and every exit was impossible. “david and Goliah” had the last hold totally in the ice and the high snow on the ground made it really lower than how it appears on the videos. All the spot is good and many lines to climb looked really fun. When I will come back one day I would obviously like to come in this classic place to try those problems.

The only one possible was “by the book” although the exit wasn’t available, it was possible standing up on the last slopery rail at the top, before the easy slab.

“by the book” is worthy one with a good sequence of moves. Body tension, strange holds and a knee lock  characterized my beta and after a long session I finally crushed it.

The morning was really cold, probably the coldest moment of the trip, with the spot completely in the shadow and some fresh wind. We in fact decided to leave it going in Lysingsbadet where Giulia got other three lines and fun moments of climbing.

In the late afternoon we went up to the north in Risebo, where I was attracted By “arcanum” an 8B opened by Gu which seemed quite good to check. The approach with the car was magical and we saw amazing natural place tipical of Scandinavia. The road is gravel and the forests close to it are really thick. When we parked the car we found Arcanum in front of us and for all the session there haven’t been any kind of noise, just natural silence which made that really awesome.

The rock on “Arcanum” is not the best, since it has a strong granit, but the line is really nice and the move to the crimp is great!

The principal crimp was a bit wet, but I dried it with a cloth and it stopped to drop. The problem was the mantle since there was the snow above the jug and it was a bit wet. I did the stand and on the exit I found some troubles but with the nails on the snow I was able to do it. So I knew it was possible and I climbed from the sit after few goes. Although I think that it is easier than the grade, I liked it and the forest around too.

We went home and we began to pack the bagages for the return.

 

Arcanum 8A, Risebo. Photo Giulia Paoletti

Day 10

We left early and we went to supermarket for a fast breakfast. We had to deliver our rental car at 1 o’clock so we would have had just two hours of climbing. We opted for Forsby, a sector on the way for the airport. The two hours planned for climbing became time to search some lines without any succes. We went to nykoping and we flew in the evening saying “bye bye” to Sweden.

Every return is obviously a bit malinconic. Sweden experience gave us so much, many natural adventures and really good granit to grab. I would like to link the site of our B&B close to Gamleby since you can live there economically and they are really kind. You can also find the link on sidebar. If someone is interested to go there, for sure this B&B is really nice.

http://www.bjoerkhyddan.net/en/welcome.html

In second way, thanks to Stefan who carried me to iced falla taket although he didn’t climb.

I have to say the biggest thanks to Giulia again to this fun time. I was impressed by her patience to search boulders and to stay ten days in cold lands. 

Risebo

Gandalf il grigio - Varazze

The temperatures are growing up and the last moments of the winter are leaving room to the first days of spring. Fortunatly I could still take a good saturday of friction in Varazze as I hoped. After the last session on “Gandalf il grigio” on saturday the 2^nd I thought that there was not possibilities to come back to finish the problem, since the first heat was arriving. Luckily, the weather for last saturday looked dry and cold to attempt a climbing day there. Two days before, climate was sunny and I knew that my task would have been dry enough. I went there with my brother and after the path to reach druidi’s sector, some big clouds started to cover the sky menacingly and they promised a strong rain,but this fact didn’t happen and after one hour the sky started to be clearer. I had a slow warm up, I did some stretching and some campus on “cassiopea”, a cool 6C on the main buolder. Meanwhile, Rudy started to warm up more convinced, since He wanted to try his long project called “messa delle streghe”. He took a good session and he finally understood how to do the 6^th move. The pricinpal hold is a pinch-hole, which is possible to pinch in three points, and he decided to take it in the lower part, by grabbing it like a large pinch with thumb and three fingers. He previously tried to take another little pinch just below this one, really smaller, and  he was almost convinced that it could work, but I had doubts about this crazy beta, in fact my mind was right. He did all the moves except the last one going to the jug. For sure it could be a long project to work, but it would be fine seeing him climbing this one. In fact he is motivated to come back.

After that, we moved under Gandalf, my aim. I tried the second part to get a good temperature for my fingers. I changed a bit the beta for this part and I retourned to use a toe hook to do a principal move. I had my minds really clear this time and I was really positive. I tried from the start and I climbed the first section as well as I have never done before and during the climbing I was almost certain to do it. When I had to do the last hard two moves I was focused and I took the intermediate hold really well, but I failed on the last crimp. I rested and I covered my fingers since they started to be frozen. I was a bit disappointed because I knew it would have been the attempt with more chances of succes. I tried to keep relax, convincing me that I would have had another try as good as the first one, but truely I thought that it wouldn’t have been the same. After some minutes my hands were ready, so I took them out from the pockets and I started to refresh my skin. I decided to go and I was aware that it could have been my last opportunity. I did the second move really worse then the previous attempt but I tried to go on. I missed the right foothold at the 4^th  move, but this fact didn’t change my concentration a lot. When I took the intermidiate hold again I felt better than before and I did it. The sequence of movements in this boulder is really good, but the line itself didn’t give me a lot of satisfaction.

Concerning grade I think it could be a right 8B+. In my opinion the first part is the harder section of the line, in fact I think it could be a hard 8A+ into an 8A.

Rudy took me some shots on it.

After gandalf we moved again on the pricinpal boulder where Rudy started to work “le chiavi del regno” and, together with Christian, we finished this cool day in Varazze.

Just before leaving we went to check another sector on the river where there are some interesting lines but I was too tired to try them seriously.

Gandalf il Grigio 8B+, Varazze. foto Rudy Ceria

Gandalf il Grigio 8B+, Varazze. foto Rudy Ceria

Gandalf il Grigio 8B+, Varazze. foto Rudy Ceria

 

Gandalf il Grigio + Tai Lung from niky_ceria on Vimeo.

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.

Motivation for Cubo after some years!

Hi there!

After climbing “Global Warming” in Donnas, for all January I kept on my training program based on fingerboard. From February, I shift my sessions in a period of pan gullich, since my dad set new kind of woody holds last week. We did two new kind of crimps, one of 1cm incut and another one of 1.5 cm, always incut since the other two crimps which I still had, are lightly slopery. The third kind is a series of slopers with 15’ slant and they seem really good to use. Beyond the training, I also took some sessions of rock climbing in Aosta Valley since after the last line opened in Donnas, the motivation for these spots became a bit higher. On Thusday the 22th I came back to Donnas with my brother in the first morning where he kindly snapped some photos on Global warming and these are the results:

Global warming FA Donnas foto: Rudy Ceria

Global warming FA Donnas foto: Rudy Ceria

Global warming FA Donnas foto: Rudy Ceria

Global warming FA Donnas foto: Rudy Ceria

Global warming FA Donnas foto: Rudy Ceria

The following rock session took place in Cresciano where I wanted to come back to try my life-long project, “the story of two worlds”. I was there in the late morning and the temperature was really crazy. I think about 13 degrees with the sun on this amazing dagger. In fact I decided to take the work day in a slow way, keeping some energy until the sun would be gone down behind the mountains. The session anyway went a bit better then the previous ones. In all the day I was able to do the first entrance boulder four times, which could be an 8A/A+, before entering into “the dagger”. My best try was when I fall at the third move of the dagger, in fact after that I thought that it was better if I would have tried some sequences of the higher problem. The second part of it was ok, I climbed it twice really easly and also the first one was quite good. My problem was to find a new beta to do the second part of the dagger, because although it is not so hard, from the bottom it could be a problem whereas you arrive there after ten hard moves. At the end of the day I almost climbed it with a new beta, but I was so tired to do it, anyway I understood that it could be easier than my previous method I used to climb the dagger last year. The next session I will have to work it more to get confidence with this kind of sequence, before trying it from the sit. I think that this long project will remain a personal project for long time. The same days, Nils favre was really close to do “the dagger”. In fact he climbed it some days later, congratulations!

The weekend later, I went twice to Cubo. An area in the low Aosta valley where I climbed some problems years ago. I was there on friday the 1^st with Marco, Rudy and Teo, one of my old schoolmate who is becoming interested also in outdoor bouldering. It was a great day, because we brushed up some old lines which were completely forseken by the people that climbed in Cubo. Nonetheless, they could be some of the nicest in this area. The first one we tried was “brad spitt” a low 7B opened By Alberto Gnerro five years ago and after a climbing contest, a farmer started to cultivate some tomato plants just at the base of this boulder. After that contest, I always used to check if the plants and the coltivation sticks would have been removed, but the farmer seemed to be sure to let his vegetable garden under it forever. This time, after some years, me and Marco checked it again and a part of the sticks for tomatoes weren’t anymore, so the climbing of “brad spitt” seemed possible. I took a brush and I started to remove the filth which was accomulate there in these years of coltivation. After some tries we climbed it, being happy for this old little line, possible again. Now, with chalk on it, there is the risk that the farmer could close again the boulder, since the soil is of his property and I don’t know if the climbing will be possible there. For climbers, that line is for sure better than seeing the plants just in front of this cool wall. In the afternoon, my plans were to brush up another old line, called “Viva il cavaliere”. It deals of a crazy granit arete, opened many years ago and later a hold broke, making it abandoned. This time I really wanted to put the chalk on, to check if it is still possible to climb. After a fast brushing and some chalk, it could shine again after much time. I took a little session to understand how the moves on this arete were and I managed to do the singles after half an hour. I rested and I crushed it. When I was at the top I was really glad for this one, it is really beautiful to climb and it reamains a bit hidden from the other boulders, in fact also the place is different.

In the evening we moved towards “Los Angeles takers”, a traverse 25 moves long of 8A. The rock there is really bad, but the movement aren’t so shitty. It was one of the few boulders left out by my ticklist in this area, so I decided to do it. I tried it years ago at the beginning of the summer but at the end of the traverse my hands were really damp in fact I quitted. I belive that it was june 2009. this time the temperature was ok and I climbed it on the first go from the start, after having tried a bit some middle moves. When I do the mantle I felt it as one of the worst line I have ever climbed.

The day after I rested and I came back there on sunday were I climbed another historical line of this area called “materiale resistente”, 7C. In the afternoon I brushed with a rope the impressive arete of “megaloman” 8A, maybe one of the best line in all the valley. It is a high arete with compression moves at the beginning and then super cool pinch holds that you have to squeeze to stay on. I tried it a bit two years ago with Gabri, but I wasn’t able to do it. It is really rare seeing it with some chalk on this marvelous arete and this time I was really syked. On the first go I did the stand version, then after half an hour I climbed the whole line. From the sit, my only problem was the absence of chalk when I had to use a pinch in the middle. In fact, to do the last attempt, I waited a bit, in order to have my skin colder.

megaloman 8A Cubo. foto: Camilla Ceretti

megaloman 8A Cubo. foto: Camilla Ceretti

megaloman 8A Cubo. foto: Camilla Ceretti

The day was over and I really ejoyed passing these two days in Cubo, because I climbed four lines really worthy and they gave me a lot of satisfaction. Now I would like to come back to finish my last intersting line, called “doctor alaban” a traverse of 7C with some holes which I have never tried. After that I would also like to try another slopery project on right of “brad spitt”, hoping that the farmer leaves the soil free from tomatoes.