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.

Global warming, a new line in Aosta Valley

Hi there.

I write some words about one of my latest bouldering adventures. This time, the topic is a first ascent, probably my hardest one and my first one about a roof with this kind of moves. The place is the “new” area of Donnas and the line is that one I wrote on the last blog spot. I wanted to come back to finish the problem in order to put the first ascent on this cool line in a place kept unknown. On friday the 11^th I went there with Marco,Aly and Rudy. It was a really good day for me.
In the morning we climbed just before the parking of the back sector and we warmed up on “profezia Maya”, a really nice pillar with brick pinches. Me and Marco climbed it fastly, thinking that it could be around 7A instead of 7A+, while Rudy worked it for one hour without any success, falling on the hardest part. In the first afternoon we took the long path toward the project and we stopped just below it, doing a fine line called “era nuova”. It deals of a traverse of 6C with pretty good holds which rudy flashed and Aly managed to do every single move. For sure, the next time she can crush it. Then I moved on the project. I reclimbed the six last moves twice, to get confidence since they are not so granted. I also tried the crux move, a compression with a crimp and a sidepull lip where the hard is keeping the swing and not touching the pad or the spotter. I did two failures on it and I imagined that it could be hard from the bottom since it adds six moves before the crux, although they are quite easy. I started positive and I did it on the first go from the start during this second day of work. When I squeezed the lip and I kept the swing, I knew that the hardest was done, but the exit last time gave me some troubles and I had to stay quiet. When I did the toput, I was so glad and cheerful to be at the top of this one, doing the first ascent and putting a sign in this area of Aosta’s Valley. The name choosen is “Global Warming”, thinking about the crazy temperatures of this winter, and also other reasons.
The grade like every time is really hard to propose. I felt it much harder than “klettermachine” or other 8A which I have climbed in this period and probably it could be also harder than some 8A+ so physical like “scarred for life high”,”touch by the devil” and others, so I thought that 8B could be correct and I hope that the first repeaters will give their honest opinions. Unfortunately, my camera is in reparation and I couldn’t make some shots or a video. I have just a photo with the toe hooks at the end, taken by the mobile.

By the way, talking about my FAs, some of them are still unrepeated or still unattempted, I hope that someone can do it to tell me if they are worthy or less.

This is a short list of lines still unrepeated:

Powerslave                       8A+ proposed          Gran San Bernardo

Happy birthday totò          7C+ proposed         Chironico

Capitan america                7C proposed            Champorcher

El raton matado                 8A proposed           Gaby  

The big courier                  7C+ proposed         Gaby

And now global warming. If someone is interested in these ones and someone wants to get some info about the place where they are situated, doesn’t esitate to contact me!

global Warming, Donnas

Mithril and the beginning of a new year

Hi everybody!

After this period of festivity I write a blogspot to tell about Mithril and new projects which I would like to try during this winter, although the temperatures in these days seem more like vernal.

The fall in Ticino was really empty of successes concerning my goals set at the end of the summer, but the year ended beautifully for me. After the lines climbed in Varazze and in Donnas I came back once to Cresciano to find a project to work. This was Mithril, a little roof just below “la prou”, opened by Dave Graham years ago.

Mithril 8B, Cresciano. photo: Adriano Ceria

Mithril 8B, Cresciano. photo: Adriano Ceria

It deals of a really powerful line, with three strong moves, which make it 8B, and then a easy topout on a slab. The mantle is considered really easy respect the moves before, but I am really shiftless and clumsy on that kind of moves, in fact I felt it as hard as the previous ones. I tried it two years ago but I did a fast session because the first move was too hard for me. This winter I was psyked to come back and the first day which I put my hands on it, the mantle was damp; so I decided to try the first part since it was completly dry. At the end of the session every move was done, except the mantle which I did in 2010 with fatigue. On friday the 28^th I came back and all the boulders were basically wet again. After two hours of sun and magic wind, they became completly dry and climbable, in fact the motivation was high again. I tried the mantle and surprisingly I did it quickly. For who doesn’t know mithril, I write a little description of its great movements. The first one is super cool, it starts with a crimp for the right hand, a pinch for the left and with a little balance you have to grab the first crimp. After that, it requires a lot of body tension whereas the second and the third move are two slaps with the right hand on a slopery rail in hard compression. The fourth hard move is the footwork to put the heel-hook on the edge,take this one with the left hand and then doing the mantle.

After the attempt on the topout, I tried it from the bottom and I fell at the end taking the lip. I rested and I try to keep in a good shape my skin with the sandpaper, since mithril ruins it a lot. The second go was the best one, I failed on the mantle when my hand was upside down on the edge. I knew that I could miss it in that point but I hoped that it wouldn’t be never happened. After that, my skin was so bad, I tried it twice in the evening and I fell again at the end because I touched the pad. The day was over and we went back home.

The day after I was really jaded by it, but I would have liked to finish mihtril before the year ended. So I took a weekend of resting and I went there on the last day of 2012. I woke up in the morning and I felt that I hadn’t rested enough, in fact when I reached Cresciano I was still weak. I was negative for the day, but I tried. I warmed up in the square of “la nave va” and after a half an hour of stretching I did some easy lines. The sensations were really bad. I climbed twice “dove osano i cachi” and I felt that my skin wasn’t ready enough to try mithril. When I walked down after the easy climbings, I saw mithril in front of me and then I always gave a look to my skin shaking my head. I knew that I would have had just one possible attempt and then I could have picked up the pads and gone home. When I felt warm enough I moved under mithril and I brushed the holds carefully. it was a mental battle. I obviously knew that I could have done it, but I also knew that I would have had  just one go. I was so tense. I took some deep breaths and I started. I climbed it very well in the first part and I felt my mind off by every other though, I took the lip and I knew that I could have still failed it but I was super focus on it. I took the crimp on the slab, I turned my hand and the position was better than the other day. I did the mantle and I was so satisfied for the mental fatigue which I felt the days before and the moments before the climbing. The line didn’t give me a lot, it is not so logical, but the movements are so lovely and I like them very much.

Mithril 8B, Cresciano. photo: Rudy Ceria

Mithril 8B, Cresciano. photo: Rudy Ceria

topout where I fell. photo: Rudy Ceria

After mithril me and my dad moved toward “kirk windstein”, a cool 8A which I waited for trying it over three years because I wanted to attempt it in flash style. The moment arrived and I put the pads under it. I missed it on the last move, I don’t know why but for sure one of the causes was my frozen fingers, in fact after 5 mins a strange green ball under my skin’s medium was born. Probably there was a litlle necrosis of some skin cells. I stopped to climb and we went to home putting an end to this climbing year.

The first climbing day of 2013 took place in Donnas. Me and Giulia went there in the afternoon on thursday the 3^rd and my plans were to check the new line of Andrea Zanone called “doomsday”. This part of Donnas is behind mucca pazza’s sector and the path to reach is another one. After 25 mins of walking we were there and we met Luca, a friend of mine who had just climbed doomsday. I warmed up just on the right of this one since I saw a easy line with some chalk. This boulder also has a possbile first part in a roof and I started to figured out the beta because it hit me. It looked hard, but after some goes I quitted and I move the pads under doomsday which I climbed on the third go. Andrea said that it could be 7C+ and probably it could be correct, but we have to wait for some repetitions to know it surely.

Later, me and Luca tried again the project and we got the right beta to try it from the bottom. It is not so easy and it is pretty cool. The first moves are quite simple, then there is one a bit harder and then the crux move. After that, the exit of this roof is a bit complicate because it isn’t the same of the easy warming up boulder, it requires a footwork to stay on. I did every single move and from the start I fell on the crux but I felt it possible. I hope to come back really soon because it is really worthy.

On friday the 4^th, we went to varazze and I met two swiss guys which I knew under “scarred for life”. One of them is Nils, which stayed in varazze for few days and we decided to go to try alphacentauri 8B. He tried the stand start and he did every move, I think that the next time he can do it. Instead I wanted to understand the move of  the sit start whereas the last time I had little time. After some minutes they were done, I had to link the two parts. I did many attempts but I always failed on the second move of the stand bacause for me it is really hard since it requires a lot of flexibility for the taller.

In the evening, when we walked back to the car we passed close to “il tempo delle favole” and the path goes on some rocks beside the river. Unfortunatly they were really humid and the soil was really slippery. I walked with attention but it wasn’t sufficient and I stumbled. I started to fall toward a pool of the river and I don’t know how I was able to stop just before falling into it. Unfortunatly my camera slipped from my pad and it went down into the puddle. I shouted more times “SHIT!!”,strangely without blasphemes and I didn’t want to belive at this unlucky fact.

If it will be repairable, I hope to do the video of mithril and filming the new project in Donnas. If I will have to buy another one, probably it will pass more time to film them.

Doomsday 7C+, Donnas. photo: Giulia Paoletti

project, Donnas. photo: Giulia Paoletti

crux move of project, Donnas. photo: Giulia Paoletti

Rudy on Minerva 6C, Varazze. photo: Giulia Paoletti

News from Varazze and Donnas

Hi there!

After a month and over my blog reborn with new words about my bouldering adventures. The main topic is about the first half of December, since in November no important things happened. In fact November was a month of training except some little rock times with poor results. I had three weeks really full of mixed traning sessions, with 6/7 sessions per week, by using different kind of trainings like fingerboard, pan gullich, climbingym, a bit of rock and in addition of these things also three or four hours of stretching per week. After this period I took one week of rest with 3 sessions of mild training. The sessions on the rock took place in Gaby (Aosta Valley) and in Chironico. The first place is the spot where there is “el raton matado” a really nice line I opened in April and other stuff are waiting for a brush and for a first ascent. I went there twice, the first time I  tried a great project. It deals of a white and smooth wall, at the beginning lightly overhang, then vertical until the top. It has just some little slopery crimps which make it possible in my opinion. It counts four moves and the first two ones are quite simple, while the last ones seem really hard. The third single presents a wide span from the second crimp to another one and the last move is a big dyno which I tried with two really high footholds. I managed to do it just with a big push up given by my brother, but I feel that it could be possible. I have to work it more to understand some little new things and I hope to try the whole sequence next year. A crimp on the proj signed my right fingers a bit and I stopped to try. I moved down to another great boulder, a huge roof six meters long which looks climbable at the edge with a cool exit on a prow. I used the rope to brush the last part in the pillar and I put the chalk on. After few goes, I did it and it seemed quite easy, having no idea about what grade could be. The second move is awesome, from a good pich for the right hand I had to take a bad sloper for the left one and it looked like a font-style move. I tried the first part in the roof, which I also attempted in April but it seems too hard for me now. The second time I was there I brushed another line on that boulder but after the removal of the moss it was completely wet and I let it dry. Unfortunatly the week later the snow arrived and I have to wait for the next season.

I took also some occasions to go to Ticino, expecially Chironico with Marco and Alice. My main projects of the fall were shadowfax and collateral but unfortunatly I wasn’t capable of doing nobody of these. Marco did a great line after some sessions, it is called “serre moi fort” 8A. He climbed it really well during the right attempt and I was happy for him since that line gave me a big satisfaction when I did it three years ago. I am sure that serre gave an important satisfaction to him too.

In December I decided to check some lines in Varazze, a spot where I stayed only once last year and this winter I hope to visit it more frequently. I went there on Tuesday the 4^th and it was a cool day of climbing. I met Christian, Stella, their little daughters and one of my ex-competition mates, Marcello.

In the morning, after a good warm up on the gioia’s boulder I climbed “raptor” a good line opened by Christian two years ago and I probably made the 5^th ascent from the stand. I think that it could be a right 8A+ as Christian thought. The plans for the afternoon were to try Gandalf 8A, but it was really wet. So I moved toward “scacco al rè nero”, a peculiar 7C which always rejected me years ago. This time I climbed it after few attempts and then I also crushed “phantom” 7C+.

The dark was arriving so I fastly decided to climb the whole line of “messa delle streghe” that is a bit high but with a really easy topout. The day is completly reported in this Video on my Vimeo’s channel.

I felt really good in Varazze because it was a long of time since I hadn’t climbed in “new” spot and during the last times in Ticino I haven’t relaxed my mind from my hard projects. I really needed to climbing on new kind of rocks, new lines and in new woods. For these points I really hope to come back to Varazze this winter in January to check some new sectors I have never stayed in. 

 Raptor stand 8A+, Varazze. foto: Christian Core

Raptor stand 8A+, Varazze. foto: Christian Core

 The weekend later I went to Donnas on saturday and I came back to Varazze on sunday. Donnas started to be haunted by climbers from just one year and I have never had occasion to check the area, considered a bit secret for unknown reasons. On saturday the 8^th I finally reached this spot and I climbed after few goes “mucca pazza”, a little cool pillar opened by Alberto Gnerro. The grade could be around a 7C+, probably soft, but still in 7C+ range in my opinion. Max got a great performance crashing it in a day. In the afternoon we moved to a nice cave where there is a fine problem called “klettermachine” 8A. Also this one was opened by Alberto. When we reached the boulder I was really cold after Mucca pazza and my hands were frozen. Despite this fact I decided to try a flash go and I failed it on the last move, where the hard was completely finished. I didn’t feel the good crimp in my right hand becasue it was too frozen and I fell down miserably. After some rest I did it on the third go.

The darkness came and we went on to brush a new bouder where two lines seemed possible. When the visibility was too bad, we decided to go back to the parking. The day after I moved again to Varazze with my dad. The plans of the day were to check “tai lung”, an 8A+ in Cava sector. Christian told me that it is very worthy and proud and finally an occasion to try it arrived. The rock is very good, maybe better than the druidi sector’s rock. The walk to reach it doesn’t exist and we parked among the boulders. After a good warm up I tried it and I did every movement really fast. Unfortunately I couldn’t do it from the bottom and I did my best attempt falling in the last dyno from the start. In the afternoon we went down to gioia’s sector and I climbed after 20 minutes Gandalf 8A, which has good moves but the rock is bad. After this one I really wanted to try “alphancentaury stand” 8A. It is situated in a cool cave with a fine kind of rock. I tried it two years ago and it was really hard, in fact one single move missed in my beta. This time I was more relaxed and more optimistic since the hardest move for me is an heel hook which require a bit of flexibility and in 2010 it was impossible for me. After some attempts I managed to do the single move and I worked the squatted start. I did it with a hard effort and I felt it like one of my hardest 8A. Now I’m pretty syked to come back to try the whole line which adds two hard moves and it becomes an 8B.

During this passed week I have had just an occasion to climb out on the rock. I went to Donnas again to try the lines brushed days before. Marco sent the FA on a really cool line called “ricochet” in honor of a song of Faith No More. During the day, I did it and I confirmed the 7B+ grade suggested by my friend. I also brushed and opened a new line called “kamino78” which Marco repeated and he thought that 7B could be appropiated. This week I climbed twice in the gyms and the weather for the weekend wasn’t good, in fact on Friday night the snow arrived in the lowlands.

klettermachine 8A Donnas. foto max Buvoli

klettermachine 8A Donnas. foto max Buvoli

alphacentauri 8A, Varazze

  

alphacentauri 8A, Varazze

A poor trip to Font, but always a great sandstone!

Hi there.

It’s finally ready a little video reportage about my week in Valais at the end of september. It is 7 mins long,it includes the historical radja and other ones. 

 Seven minutes of Valais from niky_ceria on Vimeo.

This blogspot is dedicated to my week in Fontainebleau, although there isn’t a lot of stuff to tell since it was a really empty trip for me. We were in 4, me, Marco, Max and Aly and we left Biella on sunday the 21^st. I thought that I could take profit by my good shape after the ascent of Entlinge, but it wasn’t. The first symptoms of the shape’s drop appeared two day before the starting when I did a training session in Silea. I did three hours of training, I suspected that it was too much for that day because my skin was still hurted by entlinge and maybe the good shape was leaving me. The first day in bas cuvier was basically a rest day, the lines was still a bit wet by the long rain and I felt already tired at the beginning of the trip. The second one we went to apremont, together with Anita and Stefano, two really nice peolple who climbed with us in Biella some years ago. I climbed one of the best 7Bs of the forest advised by the guide, “onde de choc”. For sure it is a really great line, but I don’t think that it can be one of the nicest of Bleau. Unfortunately, Alice took an ancle twist and she wasn’t ready for the day after.

On wednesday we went to fata morgana block where I had to try satan I helvete whereas last season I almost grabbed the crimp on the left. This fall it went worst. I wasn’t solid enough to set up the dynamic move,I felt really out of shape with bad skin and a drop of power so I quitted. Then me and Max went to “elephunk”, a marvelous 8B which is often humid and wet. After a fast checking, it wasn’t at the top of conditions but dry enough to try it. I set the pads and after a session I understood that it is hard but possible. The rock is perfect there, maybe one of the best boulder of the forest. The second single move looked the hardest one for me and I wasn’t capable of taking the intermedium to do the jump. After some tries on that single move we moved under “hip hop” but after few goes I prepared the pads again to come back home. Hard beating again. 

Marco on "double axel" 7A+ Cassepot

I decided that I had to take a rest day. On thursday we went to cuvier rampart where Max went close to climb “noir desir” 7C and in the afternoon we moved to bas cuvier where I did a bit of stretching to recuperate faster my tiredness. Meanwhile Marco climbed a really good one near biseps mou, called “vent claire” an awesome 7B+ with great and lovely pinches. The morning later I rested again and we went to Cassepot, maybe my favorite sector, then we reached Rocher Saint German where I started to warm up since in the late afternoon I wanted to try “the island”. I did some easy and cool boulders then I went to “megalight”, a little arete with a really nice dyno at the end. I climbed it two times because that move was so great to do.

"megalight" 7B roche Saint German

We left the sector and we went to “the island”, the famous compression roof opened by Dave Graham four years ago. Last spring I was able to do every single hand moves and just one footwork was left. This time I took a session to remember the right beta which I used and I was still confused for the higher part of the line. I did the footwork which missed last season, then I tried the last part after the crimp but I couldn’t do it rightly. The day after we went to cusiniere and the plans for the afternoon were to come back to “the island”, in this way, I would have tried it again to understand every new possbile thing for the next year, since I knew that it was impossible to climb it on this trip. My right hand hadn’t skin enoguh and I was a bit signed by the session of the day before. In the late morning I warmed up then  I crushed “Karma”, the famous and historical line climbed by Fred Nicole seventeen years ago. I tried it in 2010 but just for few attempts since it was too hot to try it in fact I left it quickly. This time the conditions were really better and I did it on the 5^th go of that day. Karma was graded 8A and I think that it could be considered like one of the most important boulders about that grade in the world. Some years ago, I think in 2001, A mad person chipped and broke the slopery crimp of Karma and from that time, it is also considered like an 8A+. He also broke “carnage” and “fatman”. After Karma, Max and Marco climbed another 7B called “pensees cachèes” a wonderful prow just belew the square of Karma. 

"Karma" 8A Cusiniere

"Karma" 8A Cusiniere

 At 4 o’clock Max and I went to the island and when we arrived the light was perfect, from that hill the view was fantastic and he took the occasion to make some photos. The session was important for me, because although I didn’t the island, I understood other things about it, trying new changes of beta and I was capable of doing it in two sequences. I was anyway happy of that, in fact I would like to thank max to have carried me there. When I will return there probably it would be at the top of the list together with “elephunk” and “atomic playboy” since this time we never went to Buthiers. On sunday we took the way home with few lines climbed and no projects done. Probably I missed the plans for this trip, I had to know that the both conditions, the physical and the climatic ones, weren’t so good to dedicate the whole week to project on my limits. I should have dedicate the climbing to many moderates since there is a paradise to climb on a medium grade, probably it would have been better and more satisfactory.