I have been going often to Monte Amiata since 2006 with my friends Lorenzo Frusteri and Beniamino (Bengio) Chiesi, who moved there a few years ago in order to increase the value of this area.
Among the many areas that I visited in years I missed the one located near the summit at nearly 1500 meters high. It is a very beautiful cliff. Bengio told me about it, its name is Achille, he felt for a long time but could not figure it out.
I was awed, maybe because it is high and because grips are few and painful. I spent all day long climbing, keeping on looking at Achille but without trying. At the end of the day it went on the back burner of my mind.
In winter 2011 Michele Caminati released it and gave it the degree 8A+ fb. Two years later, in July 2013 I went back to the top with Bengio and Luca Andreozzi.
We tried it together just for fun and after a while I realized that I have all the movements, but I am lazy, so I decided to try it next time.
Next Saturday I went back with Lorenzo Frusteri and other friends fromRome.
I placed the crash-pad and I began to make attempts immediately after the departure.
A few rounds later I was on the hold that leads on top of the boulder.
I tried a pointless exchange hands on that damn good grip, but maybe because it was wet, I found my ass parked on the crash-pad in disbelief as an idiot: in my 11 years of experience it was the first time that such a thing happened to me and I dont deny I railed against the sky.
From that moment, my head went haywire, I thought I could store it in a few attempts, but it became an ordeal for me and I needed 3 days more.
I was taken in the syndrome of fear, I was in new mental state that I had never felt before.
In August I tried again, cause I trusted in my physical condition in growth. But nothing I had to fight against my head felt by that fateful day.
I pretend nothing has happened and I do spend a month and a half in order to release my tension.
On October 19 I decided to try again hoping that that part of me traumatized forgot the question.
I warmed up, I started trying and I made ten laps. I said to myself I wanted no more psychological violence and I would never be back there.
It will be the destiny, it will be luck or maybe I cleared up my mind???
I do not know.
I just know that even if I climbed incorrectly, I went out the boulder.
But I didnt enjoy the moment.
Days went by and I came to the conclusion that the most exciting moment between Achille and I was the first day, when I fell on the easy section.
And in writing these lines, I am more and more convinced
Mind pull tricks but also gives great emotions.
I want thank my girlfriend Cristina, who always accompanied me in my small adventure.