GEO!

Bad weather is still here!!...But at least in between rainy days,snow storms and wet days I had the chance to climb in decent conditions...
Swiss granite bouldering could be an option, not so far and it dries very fast but I was a bit bored to try hard stuffs in "not best" conditions so I went to check out a route project some friends talked me about for a long time!
GEO is a route bolted by my friend Adriano an alpine guide from Torino with the help of my guru Marzio Nardi...

Located in the small crag "Alta Tensione" above the village of Borgone(Valle di Susa) it is a perfectly cut 25 meters arete in a beautiful setting... South facing so it's very good in winter and super cold days!!
First time I got below the arete I was stoked and I couldn't wait to climb on it! The climbing was even better... rock is a nice "Mont Blanc" like granite and the route climbs first on the left side then moves on the right side always using the slopey arete!

It starts with a difficult boulder problem with a weird dynamic move to an edge. Then it is very sustained all the way up with difficult slaps and very technical feet moves until you get to a small shake rest on two bad crimpers on more vertical terrain. Next is the redpoint crux where I fell off three times... another weird boulder problem with precise slaps on the arete and very hard feet placements!

I tried GEO for three days during the last week in real glacial temps! I think these were the perfect conditions to climb this type of route...
In my opinion GEO is esthetically one of the best routes in Italy so I would love to see somebody come and try to repeat it! I guess the grade is 8C or more so we will see after it gets climbed again!
All the photos are by Dario Muzzarini Daylight Studio!
Until next time...
Gabri

rain=wet crags=bouldering

Hey everybody!

Due to the really bad weather during the last weeks every crag in Northern Italy/France/Slovenia etc. was wet so I've been bouldering alot in Switzerland! Thank god granite dries fast!!
I've been climbing one day in Chironico where I found some dry rock...I cleaned a sit start of an ancient problem I did from the stand start a few years ago at about 7c(one move). New problem adds only one shouldery move from a sloper to a small crimpy pocket LH. From here you get a worst slopey pocket RH, smear left foot and dyno for a good jug!! So good and very fun to climb! At about 7c+!
Uncut footage from the send is here(video by Gio):


The day after me and Niki drove three hours to the Swiss Valais with one problem in our mind... La Danse de Barlog(original start,first 8b bloc in the world by Fred Nicole) in Branson!!
We got there and we quickly warmed up on the back side of the bloc! After half an hour we were already sitting at the start of our day goal... We both gave a flash attempt falling at the first hard move... I tried the sequences for a few minutes and after a five minutes rest I gave another attempt!False start... Next go I was at the top jug!! Yeah!...
Niki was having some problems with the first two difficult moves after the start but in a bunch of tries he found a good foot beta that suited him well and he sent it too... We both couldn't believe we were at the top of this great classic in a short session!
Meanwhile Niki was giving attempts to LDDB I started working on Radja! Another super classic, likely the first 8b+ in the world now settled at hard 8b!
Thanks to Fred and Theo video watched "on place" with my laptop I had the beta clear in my mind! The shouldery style of the problem suited me pretty good and after a good hour or so of work and some breaks I decided to give a proper go! already from the start I felt so good and solid on every move and I suddently found myself on the top of the boulder... Incredible! I really love feeling light, climbing in the right mood and go in crush mode! :-D
I really want to thank the great friction and Niccolò for the support!
At the end of the day we both got shut down from the first 8a in Switzerland, La Tractione Celeste opened of course by Fred... We have been so close but soon the strenght dropped off and the skin got more and more trashed... Next time!!
I'm really looking forward to climb again here and see what the Valais has yet to offer! Other areas look great too!

Margalef express trip and Bouldering in Ticino part 2!

Last week I decided to take a small four days trip to Margalef,Spain!
A friend of mine proposed to join some other friends who were already there so we bought a ticket in the evening and the morning after we were on a plane. I had a great trip with nice people and lots of fun. I also climbed some good routes with an 8c(pretty soft)done in three attempts...Aitzol in the Finestra sector! I began to try some harder routes I would love to climb on my longer trip at Chrismas time...Can't wait to go back to Catalan rocks!

Last saturday I also took a day trip to Chironico,Switzerland where I climbed the hard and not so often repeated The Crackline opened by Markus Windisch some years ago!!Syked!
Here is an uncut video of the send by Gio:


And a couple of videos on two 7c's I climbed the same day!

Slimeline 7c flash:


Made in Ticino 7c:


Rain has arrived... It's time for some training in the gym to keep in good shape for the upcoming trips!!
Until the next time...
Gabri

Some bouldering in Ticino!

Hi everybody!
After some months only rope climbing I decided to take a few bouldering sessions on rock! Ticino is in prime conditions now and the perfect granite feels so sticky!
During the last 10days I climbed twice in Brione and twice in Chironico!...
I had very good times climbing on some moderates to get into good bouldering shape again before starting to work on something harder...
I flashed a couple of 7c's and one 7c+ called Side Effect and climbed three very nice 8's with the beautiful and dangerous Cellar Door in Brione!So sick!

Here is some raw footage of me sending Apollo 8a+ at Brione!

Il Frutto del Diavolo 8c+/9a!

Hey there!
I'm finally back at home(for more than a couple of days) from almost one month and half on the road...
If you read my previous blogpost you know I spent alot of time in a new crag near Trento! It is a great wall with lots of hard new routes(so far three 8c's or harder and a couple of 8b+'s) and still lots of hard projects!
One day I was lowering down from a route just close to it I noticed a line on the left of the main wall! A few days later I put a static rope on the top of the wall so I could check the route from a closer point of view! It looked like there were holds and features on it!! I was super syked!...
The day after I took the drill and after lots of hours of hard work,sweat,blood and dirt I finally finished the route!! Il Frutto del Diavolo was officially born!

I was too tired to try it the same day but I started doing it the day after...
During the first tries I had hard times to find the beta for every sequence and clean the route. I immediately realized that the route would have been very very hard.
I couldn't imagine how to do the crux moves on the first tries...

After I came back from Sicily I felt well rested and in good shape so I started trying it seriously for a few days until I found all the betas and I had all the moves in mind!... I was ready for the first real attempts...
During the next weeks I worked hard on the route and I felt I was getting closer and closer to climb it also thank to a small beta change for the first crux!
The day of the send was really cold so we lighted a fire to warm us a little before climbing. I think this was the main reason of the send... after a good warmup I gave a first attempt but I fell when my heel slipped. After almost a hour in front of the fire I gave a second go and everything went perfectly...and after a good fight I was at the top clipping the chain of my little baby route!! A very big gratification!

Well talking about the grade I think it's very hard as always... Il Frutto del Diavolo is about 25meters long, first 10meters are about 7c+ until a small rest then a hard boulder problem I thought it could be 7c+/8a but after I found a better beta it could be around 7c now... After this first crux you have a good but a bit awkward rest with a footjam in a big pocket. Then the second crux sequence comes just a few moves after the rest with some weird moves and some phisical ones! I would call this part 8b.

I think this route could be between 8c+ and 9a. It's actually harder that many of the 8c+'s I've done in the past but a bit easier than the 9a's...mmmm difficult to say as always! Grades!!??...
I want to thank my friends Valerio,Petardo,Ale e Flami for giving me a bed and a roof during my stay in Trento/Arco! Grazie my friends!!

All the pictures are from Andrea Pandini Gruppo Struktura

Arco and Trento!

Hey everybody!
What have you been up to?
Since I got back from the European Championships in Innsbruck I'm stable in Arco and Trento area chilling and having fun with friends, climbing alot in new crags, bolting new routes, working and trying to climb hard projects!! I'm super syked to be here... The climbing community is very motivated and friendly and the potential for new climbs is huge!
I've got another few days here to finish some current projects and bolt some more new routes as well!
During my time in the area I also got something done... I did a few first ascents in a new crag just outside of Trento:
- Belzebù Climbing Team 8c
- La Gabi 8c
- Scoglio de Capri 8b+
I also repeated a beautiful route near Arco called Mr.Teroldego 8c...

Me on La Gabi 8c
photo Andrea Pandini,Gruppo Struktura

Well my time in the area is almost over but I'm really looking forward to spend some more time in the near future, in this place I feel like it's becoming my second home!!
Friday I'm off to the San Vito Climbing Festival in Sicily. It's going to be a great event with almost 500 climbers from all over Italy and Europe.
During the festival I will also present my video on Action Directe!

I'm off climbing!!Peace out!...

Condé de Choc!

Sunday I finally climbed my small project in Entraygues,France...Condé de Choc!
It is a short bouldery route opened by Tony Lamiche in 2006. It is basically two hard boulder problems with a good rest in between.
First boulder problem is the hardest one at about 8a/a+ bloc. It starts with a big move with a not so good left heal hook from two good holds to a bad polished edge. From here you get a slopey finger lock right hand and a very bad pinch left hand and you throw to a decent slopey edge but very up high. The dyno is okey because you have a very good foothold but the hard part is holding the huge swing!This is the hardest move of the route and it has been my nightmare for several sessions!
Tony Lamiche on THE MOVE!!
Once you kept the swing you do a couple of easier moves until you get a big rail where you can shake very well and get ready for the second part of the route...
This part is actually easier(8b?) but the moves are heinous and weird and you can easily fall at every move, even at the very last one!
Luckily I figured out this part very well so I knew I had good chances to climb it to the top if I was going to do the move ...
In fact once I completed the move on the link I've not fallen afterwards!
This route took me about 5days total of work. I tried one day this summer when I was in Ceuse and another day a couple of weeks ago. Last week I came back to try with Enzo Oddo who was also working on the route. After two days of being very close to do the move I felt I could do it i the next attempts. So I took a rest day and the day after I completed it on my second try with a very good crowd watching and cheering! Thanks alot!
I also want to thank Enzo Oddo and Romain Wohlgroth for the support they gave me in these days!...

L'Arcademicien!

Hey there!
Finally I climbed what was becoming my nightmare in the last few weeks... Arcademicien, a route in the demi lune sector in Ceuse!
Apparently "only" 8c but very difficult for me...
I already wrote about this route a couple of months ago when I tried it one weekend in June so I won't talk about the route again...

All the pics are from Pierre Delas!Thanks!






After Arcademicien I focused my attention on a old Dave Graham's route in the Berlin sector... It was still a project until David Lama climbed it about a week ago! So now the route has a name(still unknown) and a grade(8c+)!
I'm very syked for the new route but not for the hike so I won't be back until september to try it again...

Until next time...

Elementi di disturbo

Hey!
Last thursday I climbed a new route in Gressoney.
Name is "Elementi di disturbo", a 25 meters all natural granite route bolted by Alberto Gnerro a few years ago! After 10 easy vertical meters the wall become steeper and here the hardest part of the route is...about 10 hard and technical moves on very bad holds at about 8a+ bloc!! After the crux and a small shake point it follows a resistence 8a route with some heinous moves!

I tried this project for a few days last summer but I didn't manage to find the right solution for the crux... This year I came back with new motivation and during the first day back on it I was already able to do all the crux moves!

I tried the route another 3 days this year... 2nd day back on the route I found a new higher foot hold and the hardest moves of the crux were a bit less weird!...
3rd day on I fell a couple of times at the last hard move of the crux untill everything finally clicked on my 3rd attempts of the day. Every move felt perfect and I climbed it to the top!!

Elementi di disturbo is actually my hardest FA so far and I'm very proud of it. It's a very good route with a nice line in a great summer place in the mountains...I hope somebody will come to try it soon!

About the grade I'm not really sure because I am the only one who tried it but of course it's not easy... In my opinion it's a very hard 8c+(and maybe close to 8c+/9a) but I wait for a repeat to confirm the grade!
So first summer project has gone so we will see what's next!!??...Ceuse,Zillertal,Switzerland??!!
Stay tuned!

ps: pictures are video frames by Marzio Nardi

Comps...

Hey everybody!
During the last two weekends I took part at two Bouldering World Cups in Eindhoven and Sheffield!
Both comps were very well organized but for me they were a big flop!
I could usually get into semis but then I couldn't climb at 100% and with the right head.
Season is going very bad for me for different reasons...
- wrong training regime for competitions
- low motivation at training
- low motivation at comps
- climbing in bad mood at comps
- big problems with the Italian Team coach(different way of thinking and point of views)

Now I have about 10days before the next comp in Arco but training is impossible for me with this heat... So my plan is trying to climb on rock as much as possible and keep a decent shape for Arco and the next projects and trips!

Tomorrow I'm off to Gressoney(Aosta Valley) to try a very hard granite project it has been in my mind for one year! It's basically a 4bolts 6b followed by a 10moves crimpy and technical 8a+/b bloc(?) followed by another 15meters of 8a/a+ route... It is going to be very difficult!... Last week I did all the moves of the crux so I'm pretty sure it can go with some hard work!!
Can't wait!