GO WITH THE FLOW

Since my comeback from Elba, I've been feeling, climbing wise, like a bag of shit. Two weeks at the sea and my skin turned so soft that I can barely touch a hold just after one hour. Then, my left ring finger started hurting alot, I was very confident while in Elba but just after a couple of soft sessions here it started all over again, and this really pissed me off. Then, I have gained two kilos, somewhere in the last two or three months (I don't check my weight so often, but the mirror never lies), and despite being sure that it's not all fat, I'm sure it's mostly fat.
So it's been a bit hard lately, due to all these factors.
Then, yesterday I went bouldering. Surprise, I can still climb something. All alone in my small crag at Amiata, I did my usual circuit, then wanted to try a traverse that I had freed last year, that has now lost a hold (Filo, you damn fatso). Well it's bloody hard, and I'm happy I've done it after sussing out the new feet sequence (grab the crimps and pull harder, that is). Filo reckons 7c, I don't know but it would be good if it were.
Finally, the greatest surprise of the day, and a great great gift from my friends that were sport climbing there: at the end of the day I they were trying a route I freed in 2003, that now is done with a different sequence from mine, a beautiful sequence nonetheless. One guy had already stopped climbing, and the other one was unable to get the 'draws because the route overhangs and it's hard at french 8a. I offered to tie in and get the 'draws, and while I was preparing I started doubting my choice. I have sport climbed once in the last six years, february 2008 with The Guru and I got home shocked and scared. But the place was friendly to me, my friends were nice and smiling, so I set off with joy and confidence. Despite the unbearable pain in my fingertips, I climbed well and nearly retro-flashed the route, doing it with just one rest on the rope. Dammit it would have been incredible to do it clean, but the joy that this little bet gave to me has been so much that I don't care. I'm very happy also because this broadens my boundaries, and I am ready to join my friends for more (top) rope action.
Relax and go with the flow.

A NEW ERA

Today the girlfriend finished her university exams. A last mark of 30/30 is a well deserved result.
Only the final thesis for her now.
It's the beginning of a new era, for both. I feel so relieved, for her but also directly for myself. We have just embarked onto the path that will lead us to great things. She will become a doctor, I will destroy 8b's.

ARMAGEDDON

Two days ago I was about to post a new entry, whose title was going to be "SNAFU". Far from being that, today I can again see the light.
My Elba comeback has been followed by a two day long argument with my girlfriend, during which, at moments, I nearly lost the hope to keep on being happy together. Everything seemed impossible. Two years worth of tension, frustration and anger condensated in two afternoons: that's what you get if you don't speak about your problems immediately, that's what you get if you keep them inside, if you let them grow bigger in you.
Until each one of us didn't step out of his own comfort zone, until we didn't strip the things down to the naked bones of the problems, it seemed impossible to understand.
It's been one of the most difficult periods in our lives, mostly due to external factors that perhaps one day will be revealed to some of you, while waiting to have another go on our project.
Really we put everything on the table without even looking at our cards. What came out is that we had complete trust in our relationship, complete trust that these things were going to be blown away if only we could understand them.
This moment of clarity and love was sealed, also, by ordering two UKB hoodies.

Then, after two weeks I managed to climb again. It's the longest I've been without climbing in years and years. I've had mixed feelings in the gym yesterday: like when you completely lose any parameter and don't know where you are anymore.
I completely skipped my usual power recruitment warmup, so I started climbing while absolutely stiff. I did the problems recently set for a national under 14 bouldering comp (the boys can pull...) and then did something more but always feeling a bit puzzled. My skin started to burn like hell after one hour, so very rapidly it was almost game over, and during the whole session I kept asking myself if I have gained 23 kilos recently or if I just lost feeling and motion on the rock/walls. I can still pull, but really I have to get me some time to understand properly. My left ring finger is still a bit achey, especially with no warmup, but only when seriously crimping. Nothing left after.
Today it's National holiday so everything's closed, it's been raining for four days in a row so everything's wet and tomorrow the girlfriend has her last exam. The last exam.
Last thing, it's just great to be back at the school in Florence.