SOMETHING DIFFERENT

A very different Summer is about to end. Basically, we haven't had a Summer. An Italian Summer, I mean. 

Apart from a boiling start, with temps quickly close to the 40's, then it's been just warm and rainy. I mean, very rainy. With floodings, casualties, and all that stuff. 

I didn't manage to touch dolomia at all. The boulders are soaked and a couple of project will have to wait for next year. Booooo. 

In the last months I have been plagued by my lower back, that really gave me hell, but finally it seems to be going better now; but at a very high price: stretching after every session and also on many rest days. Boring, but being able to stand almost straight is priceless. 

Another different thing: I have taken lots of rest. I took two entire weeks off. Not in a row, but still something very different. 

I went back to training one armers, trying to improve, with paused sets training, a.k.a. deadstop sets. 

Then last week I got a finger injury. It had been a long long time since the last time I had heard that terrible cracking sound. The sound of your climbing dreams being shattered. 

Luckily it seemed worse than it is, but still very very unpleasant and annoying, especially because I was feeling super strong that day and not bad at all in general. Could this renewed sensation of power be related to taking more rest days? Surely not. 

Anyway, injured finger meant back to one armers, and last Saturday I finally managed an L-seat one armer, on my right arm. Still not as cool as Juri Chechi would do, but pleased nonetheless. Blimey, they're hard. I can do 6 paused one armers on my right arm, but just ONE L-seat one armer was maximal. 

Brilliant. Video here: 

L-seat one armer

I also went climbing, and tried a long time project of mine, that unfortunately has few holds, that are a bit crumbly, and therefore tend to disappear. A new sequence was found on my last visit (after three years of not trying it) and I am very psyched to nuke it to orbit this next Autumn. 

This project also earned me the almost-best climbing shot I have. 

Dammit that left hand.