Time passing fast, also up here in the peaceful valley of Ferrera. After the strong winter we are already in the middle of the bouldering season. Warning this is a season overarching Blog...it got out of hand and took my ages to sit down and write again.
I left my projects at Bruno bloc, due more climbers coming in. Have fun on it, i'll be back in autumn. At least i could finish the original Supernova, my first 8a in my long climbing career, before moving my stash pads high up the hill to calmer corners of the woods. The new targets are first ascents or boulders up to 7c/8a to get even stronger.
I'm highly motivated to climb as much as possible between working shifts or on days off. Feeling a change in my climbing, specially the focus and motivation, due a encounter with the cops... I leave that here like this. For those who know me, know what im talking about or you already hear it while you visit Bodhi Camping. As everything is good for something, this is probably what I needed to for a twist in my life. Just the sober two weeks since showed me enough to find the new way of living quite attractive.
Nearly every session i'll able to finish a old outstanding project or a never touched boulder problem...Let's continue like this and crush the boulders.
2018 season was great so far, after Bruno bloc I ended up working hard on Jack is death, sd 7c+/8a. This boulder doesn't have more then 10 ascent and by now only taller people then me climbed it. No beta, no movies to check out...all i know is the start, as i recently just could finish off Jack the chipper, sd 7c
Took me quite a few session to only figuring out a beta that works for me, before i realised, that my endurance is to weak to finish it off. This problem was solved fast as i was to motivated to let go...and shortly after i could send one of my personal highlights again, Jack is death, sd 8a (for small people only).
Now where to go next, season was in full swing and i had already a few good boulders on my ticklist.
Supersupernova, sd 8a
Minisex, 7c
Bananas fritas, sd 7b
Jackass, sd 7a
a handfull first ascents up to 7a+, as well as:
Jack the chipper, sd 7c
Jack is death, sd 8a
Please note, that this is my personal grading, some of them i'll take as written in the guidebooks. Other i had to downgrade a little. Grades are not that important for me. I'll always climb nice boulders, not numbers. Also i think, each boulders is different for everybody, due size, strength and personal strong or weak points.
My bouldering scale is more like this:
Easy - up to 6b
Medium - up to 7a+
Hard - up to 8a
Very hard - everything harder
I figured out that it's time to try the killer line above Riverbed, we discovered a few years back. I cleaned the whole bloc last year again and finally had to guts to try it. As i had help with carrying all my stash pads from Jack is death down the hill i brought friends on boards to try it together. After a few session we had the beta and everybody was as kind to give me the chance for the first ascent. I had was a hard fight, but after a while Mind extension, 7b was born. A 5 star line at Magic Wood.
We couldn't let go of the bloc and tried a sit start variation on the bottom of the corner. It was way harder then expected and the crossover moves into Mind extension as well as the dyno to the sloper lip paid his toll. My shoulder started to hurt and i could only climb it with taping it. Andy von Wylen made the well deserved first ascent as i made to many mistakes on that day and so Il brutto, il bouno e Obelix, sd 7c was born. (the good, the bad and Obelix) I could sneak in the second ascent a session later and was relieved...pulled the tape of and was in pain.
Two weeks past and still in pain i decided to see my doctor. After a long visit we figured out that i partially torn my Lattisimus muscle and had to rest. After healing up the pain shifted and another visit at the doctor brought a Bursa inflammation to light. Not fun at all to stop abruptly with climbing after such a good run. I made therapy at home and after a few weeks started climbing again on very easy boulders.
By fall i was back on track and could try some of the harder projects again...To late to send before winter though.
And so the season at Magic Wood 18 ended.
Winter 2018/19 was filled with plenty of snow and so it came that season 19 started later then we hoped for. Conditions have been better other years as well, but we went out again to try as hard as possible.
After two visits in Brione with no remarkable ascent, but good training days, i was able to send Spirito Indomito, sd 8a. It's the Supersupernova into Massive attack, with amazing moves at the end.
So far so good, shoulder is holding up, projects are around in masses, but no further sends by now. All seems to be a bit morpho, but no excuses, sooner or later i will find a beta that suits me.
Also i started cleaning again some new lines which are waiting for a first ascent on a more quiet corner of the bouldering area. This way i can avoid the masses in high season.
Thanks for reading and have a great season, where ever you are and what ever you do. Enjoy and keep smiling.