Much time has passed since I last wrote in the Moonblog. I wanted write something about the summer that is finally ended now.
The summer is not the best season for bouldering. There are just a few places where you can climb without an annoying heat and these ones have medium temperature, so not the best conditions. Outside the heat, me and other friends found some place to climb and to stay in the cooler temperatures.
The first one is called Rifugio Barbara. It’s a boulder spot situated at 1900 m of altitude, one hour after Torino. It’s between the mountains, the valley and small rivers. The land is a fantastic place, peaceful and quite. The boulders are, for the most part, physicals and crimpy. The rock is not super quality but a few problems are pretty nice and it is one of the best summer spots within a 200km area. This year I have gone there 5 times. I was super psyched to try Gollum.
Gollum is a big overhang wall, 55/60 degrees, open by Christian Core 6 years ago and still without any repetitions. He proposed 8B grade, but many people have tried it and suggested 8B+.
I tried it last season but I started to work on it seriously this summer. It has five moves, so it’s super essential. It has a hard heel hook in the first move, three toe hooks in the middle and a dynamic move to go to the last holds where you must have a strong body-tension to keep your self on. For sure it is the hardest line that I have ever tried.
During my sessions working the problem I had never done the last move, but I have had some good progresses in the first part and three times I have fallen at the last move from the sit-start. For the next summer I’m super psyched to come back and to try this line. Between my sessions on it I tried other problems in this area. The first one is called Eldorado, graded 8a. It is a smooth overhang with good edges and a little traverse before the top out. I did it in one half an hour session. Another time I did macho man, 8a also this one opened by Christian.
Above: Deep Throat
In this summer I stayed also in Magic Wood two times. The first time, during the first day I climbed Schnee Brett 7C, Honenzone 7C and Ritmho Brachial 8A. While the second day I tried two lines: One Summer in Paradise and Deep Throat but both unsuccessful. The following time I went there with my friend Ricky, where he crushed Jack the Chipper 7B+ and I climbed Deep Throat 8B, Master of a Cow 7C+. I also climbed Kalorienmoster, that is graded 7C but I think that it can be easier.
Above: Santa Monica Boulevard 7A
This summer I also spent my time in an area close my village. About one hour by car far from my home. The spot is called Champorcher, it has been discovered by some friends of Turin last summer. Many boulders were projects, so I dedicated my time to brush and climbing new lines to make some experiences about the F.A. I cleaned also two lines taller than a normal boulder problem, considered like the mini-highballs. I was super motivated to climb those, because in some movements the psychological factor it has been very important for me. In fact I tried them after some initial attempts with a rope and then, when I was sure to try them like a boulder, I started.
This is a list with the boulders that I brushed and opened in this area:
Santa Monica Boulevard 7A
A perfect arête high about 8 meters with an incredible movement sequence. It is one of the best thing that I have brushed.
King of Pratacco 7A
Another pillar as high as the first one but a little bit more psychological because the base under it wasn’t so good. So it’s good don’t fall before the top out.
Stupido Cane 7B
A little problem on an overhang with physical moves on some underclings.
Un’emozione Forevva 7C
About 22 moves traverse. It could be a bit soft like a 7c grade boulder, but I think that it could be a right 7c grade traverse.
Capitan America 7C
One of the best in the area. It starts like a traverse and then it goes straight on a vertical wall.
Paperella 7C
Essential overhang with a strange move in the middle of the problem. Characterised by a particular pinch that it’s the key of the boulder.
At the beginning of September my friend Marco bring me to visit two new spots where I have never gone before.
The first one is situated at 2400 meters of altitude very close the Grand San Bernardo Pass. He discovered it three years ago. The environment around is very nice, with mountains and grasses like a summer boulder spot. There are not many projects to do, but some of them are very nice and the place deserve a visit of course. In the morning we looked for something to open and we found a big roof with a possible problem, a prow, another small roof with two possible lines and a large and low overhang with three lines. The last one was almost cleaned because Marco brushed it in the 2008. In the afternoon I tried a project that I resolved after 2 hours of goes and we called it Powerslave. I proposed 8A+.
Above: Santa Monica Boulevard 7A
The following week we went in another new spot, in the Valais region, where there is a beautiful line called “Des Roses en Hiver” graded 8B. This one is amazing and I tried it in the morning, with two session of work. I was far to do it, because I didn’t feel the hardest single move. I hope to come back this winter with better conditions. The same day, I flashed a line on the right of Des Roses en Hiver, called Zest Zen 7C+.
Now, the summer is almost finished and the autumn is starting. I am training to climb in the spots like Ticino and others and to try something of my ticklist projects.