This will be a very brief post. Brief but long enough to remind you all that Mauro Calibani, former World Champ and infamous puller, some years ago broke one rib by locking off too much while sport climbing.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Monday, 12 January 2009
SOMETHING NEW
Sunday I wanted to rest. Needless to say, I received a phone call at 10 pm on saturday night from Luca, suggesting we both go to Amiata and the roof.
I resisted for almost 5 seconds before fixing for the next morning. Luca had his eyes on "Il primo dei moicani", the line I sent in january past year, and after a few unsuccessful tried he managed it. Screaming out of his mind he held the cut loose when you go far right, and then worked his way up. His base level is still very high, as he always complains about being over weight!!!
I had my eyes on the direct line, and didn't do it, but I managed all the single moves in the session (never happened before): just getting the crimp from the undercling without cutting loose saw my eyes open up in disbelief, so that I pulled on to continue the rest of the problem, but was so excited that completely missed the feet placements and jumped off.
I had previously tried the last move, a hard slap to the final jug, that goes up and left, so you're basically making a cross through dyno from the undercling pinch. Savage. I set my feet on and went: I didn't get the hold, I went over it ten centimeters. Success!!!
It was on. I started to think I could do it in the session, so I set myself for the KO hit. Well, I went down. The referee counted me up to eight, I managed to stand up again and complete the match with a draw: when I went for the first hard move, the dyno to the big edge from the left hand shitty pinch, I caught it, but my shoulder got really really strained and the acid taste of pain surged to my mouth. Game over for the day. Luckily I managed to execute all the other moves another couple of times, but at this moment my skin, unused to the sharp rock (and to rock in general, sadly), didn't want to cooperate.
A mixture of tiredness, satisfaction and rationality told me to stop, to take it easy and to rejoyce in the sun. It was sunny, it was warm, I was powerful from the morning (warmed up on "Arrostino's Wall" and got to the crimp three times in a row).
So finally I went to have a look at a new problem that Caminati had put up on the opposite face of the roof boulder, a slightly overhanging wall with some crimps and slopey dishes for two fingers. After a first temptative try, a bit scared by falling backwards with a heelhook behind a rock, I set to battle again and squeezed the shit out of those holds until I was on top. I think around 7a+ or 7b.
I really liked how I climbed that one, it's the way I always try to climb now: controlled, precise and definitive. Don't try to execute the move: crush the move. Don't just get the hold how you can and then adjust: lock off until your biceps are so tight that they modify the gravity of the area, and destroy the hold. I'm not good at climbing dynamically, because I feel I lack precision in the movement, so until I work this out (if I care) I'll keep climbing as precisely and powerfully as I can.
It's been a gorgeous sunday, not only for the feats in themselves, but also because they happened while I have seven fucking weeks of training on my body and this is something to reflect about. It's been gorgeous also because I managed to climb hard while being relaxed, because my shoulder is recovering even if I bash it, because Luca sent his project and because we climbed in the full baking sun of southern Tuscany.
I hope all of you have had a similar Sunday.
I resisted for almost 5 seconds before fixing for the next morning. Luca had his eyes on "Il primo dei moicani", the line I sent in january past year, and after a few unsuccessful tried he managed it. Screaming out of his mind he held the cut loose when you go far right, and then worked his way up. His base level is still very high, as he always complains about being over weight!!!
I had my eyes on the direct line, and didn't do it, but I managed all the single moves in the session (never happened before): just getting the crimp from the undercling without cutting loose saw my eyes open up in disbelief, so that I pulled on to continue the rest of the problem, but was so excited that completely missed the feet placements and jumped off.
I had previously tried the last move, a hard slap to the final jug, that goes up and left, so you're basically making a cross through dyno from the undercling pinch. Savage. I set my feet on and went: I didn't get the hold, I went over it ten centimeters. Success!!!
It was on. I started to think I could do it in the session, so I set myself for the KO hit. Well, I went down. The referee counted me up to eight, I managed to stand up again and complete the match with a draw: when I went for the first hard move, the dyno to the big edge from the left hand shitty pinch, I caught it, but my shoulder got really really strained and the acid taste of pain surged to my mouth. Game over for the day. Luckily I managed to execute all the other moves another couple of times, but at this moment my skin, unused to the sharp rock (and to rock in general, sadly), didn't want to cooperate.
A mixture of tiredness, satisfaction and rationality told me to stop, to take it easy and to rejoyce in the sun. It was sunny, it was warm, I was powerful from the morning (warmed up on "Arrostino's Wall" and got to the crimp three times in a row).
So finally I went to have a look at a new problem that Caminati had put up on the opposite face of the roof boulder, a slightly overhanging wall with some crimps and slopey dishes for two fingers. After a first temptative try, a bit scared by falling backwards with a heelhook behind a rock, I set to battle again and squeezed the shit out of those holds until I was on top. I think around 7a+ or 7b.
I really liked how I climbed that one, it's the way I always try to climb now: controlled, precise and definitive. Don't try to execute the move: crush the move. Don't just get the hold how you can and then adjust: lock off until your biceps are so tight that they modify the gravity of the area, and destroy the hold. I'm not good at climbing dynamically, because I feel I lack precision in the movement, so until I work this out (if I care) I'll keep climbing as precisely and powerfully as I can.
It's been a gorgeous sunday, not only for the feats in themselves, but also because they happened while I have seven fucking weeks of training on my body and this is something to reflect about. It's been gorgeous also because I managed to climb hard while being relaxed, because my shoulder is recovering even if I bash it, because Luca sent his project and because we climbed in the full baking sun of southern Tuscany.
I hope all of you have had a similar Sunday.
Saturday, 10 January 2009
ITALIAN LEGENDS 1
Ok, with this post I would like to start a series of tales about italian climbing and climbers that are particularly funny, or notable for some reason.
Disclaimer: the stories I will tell are mostly legends, things heard from 3rd or 4th hand sources, and are meant not to offend the featured climbers or persons, but at the very opposite, to spotlight their climbing ability and, more over, power. Please feel free to point out any offensive aspect and I will be more than happy to remove it, with my anticipate excuses.
These stories, I know, may easily be false, but as climbers need inspiration, I hope they are true.
I will start with something I was told a few weeks ago, while bouldering in Varazze. Many of you may have heard about this place and its strict grading, especially in the higer grades. The local of this climbing area is power monster, twice world champ and national climbing treasure Cristian Core. I have clearly in my mind a video of him walking up "New base line" Font 8b+ like a path.
Anyway, many many years ago, at an international competition, Core was the first one to go out in the finals. He flashed the first problem and headed back into isolation. While there he crossed his eyes with the second competitor who was going in, other Italian Riccardo "Sky" Scarian, sport 9a climber, and Manolo's best disciple, who at the time used to compete.
Core whispered to him: "Easy Sky, it's around 6c+, you do it for sure".
Needless to say, Sky failed, as every other competitor who tried to climb the problem.
Disclaimer: the stories I will tell are mostly legends, things heard from 3rd or 4th hand sources, and are meant not to offend the featured climbers or persons, but at the very opposite, to spotlight their climbing ability and, more over, power. Please feel free to point out any offensive aspect and I will be more than happy to remove it, with my anticipate excuses.
These stories, I know, may easily be false, but as climbers need inspiration, I hope they are true.
I will start with something I was told a few weeks ago, while bouldering in Varazze. Many of you may have heard about this place and its strict grading, especially in the higer grades. The local of this climbing area is power monster, twice world champ and national climbing treasure Cristian Core. I have clearly in my mind a video of him walking up "New base line" Font 8b+ like a path.
Anyway, many many years ago, at an international competition, Core was the first one to go out in the finals. He flashed the first problem and headed back into isolation. While there he crossed his eyes with the second competitor who was going in, other Italian Riccardo "Sky" Scarian, sport 9a climber, and Manolo's best disciple, who at the time used to compete.
Core whispered to him: "Easy Sky, it's around 6c+, you do it for sure".
Needless to say, Sky failed, as every other competitor who tried to climb the problem.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
