lunedì 22 novembre 2010

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!

lunedì 15 novembre 2010

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

domenica 7 novembre 2010

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!