GlobalClimbing

After having suffered wet and humid conditions at Varazze we decided to meet our friends from Austria and Germany at Chironico. Even though I wasn’t so lucky with the climbing there, this short trip psyched me up to train for some serious bouldering again. Isn't this weird?

Well, yes indeed, the days in Varazze with our Friends from Dresden were great fun...

[The only really dry day in Varazze! Enjoying the sunset in Futurama]

 

...but the conditions really sucked. Not even the surf I was hoping to get in worked because there was no swell… Now, back in Austria my surfboard feels really neglected.

[Surfboard in winter's sleep]

On the last day in Varazze we had to make a decision. Either wait out another rainy day and maybe climb in Finale or move to Ticino. Stefan, who’d already arrived in Claro a few days before ensured that it would be climbable the next day, and we indeed encountered wonderful weather when we arrived!

[The typical surrounding in Ticino welcomed us on the first day]

[Sunrise above the town of Claro]

 

It was great to tag along with all the guys (and girls) and try lots of different stuff. However I found myself in a strange situation, not really knowing which problem I should really try. I still had some unfinished business on the big Senza Denti Boulder, but apart from some great warm-ups (like Tirade, 7a) I couldn’t motivate myself to try anything else.

[Mel doing Hopper, 6c+ on the immaculate Senza Denti Boulder]

Still, the problems my friends wanted to do were all super-fun and it was very convenient to steal some of their beta for flash-attempts, like the one in Fat Boy, 7c+.

[Stefan sending Fat Boy, 7c+, in just a few tries]

[Me flashing Fat Boy, 7c+ thanks to Stefan's beta]

I also got some flash beta for 2 other great problems but somehow I didn’t get so lucky… The first climb is called The Alphane Moon, 8a/+. Unfortunately it got pretty warm and all the icicles started to melt causing seepage to make a crucial hold quite wet.

[Stuffing toilet paper in the cracks at The Alphane Moon, 8a/+ to dry the holds]

Eventually I had to come up with a different solution because I couldn’t match on the second to last hold with moist hands…

[Doing the crazy cross-over move in The Alphane Moon, 8a/+ to avoid the match with wet fingers...]

[Dark spots suck! Seepage and myself fighting through The Alphane Moon, 8a/+]

 

Oh yes, and then there was the Nicole problem Blochxs Addiction, 8a… A quick send just before it got dark.

[Blochxs Addiction, 8a]

[Blochxs Addiction, 8a]

 

One day, strolling through the woods I came across a line that looked possible but hardly climbed at all. It is located about 10 m left of Boogalagga on the same formation. The Guidebook calls it a nameless 7c+. Apart from the fact that only the first two moves are hard it’s a really cool line! However I thought it was slightly harder than 7c+… maybe some of the footholds crumbled…

[Deserves more ascents: The nameless 7c+/8a left of Boogalagga]

[Deserves more ascents: The nameless 7c+/8a left of Boogalagga]

 

I also started cleaning a big boulder in Nivo alta, but gave up because I didn’t have a shovel.

[Cleaning is fun! As long as it's as easy as here...]

 

Still I found another option for a first ascent that turned out real fun in my opinion.  Here are some pics and a video of the first ascent of Streets of Laredo, maybe 7b+/7c!

[During the First ascent of Streets of Laredo, 7b+/7c]

[During the First ascent of Streets of Laredo, 7b+/7c]

 

Life was good enjoying the sun and looking for new terrain.

[Taking a walk through Centrale on a perfect sunny day]

But then the fog came in and the cold humidity crept in underneath our clothes... "Deja vue", I thought and didn't really feel like sliding around on some wet rock like in Varazze. Still I thought one should never complain without trying and I went down to the The Arete with the Pocket, which I had heard some goos things about. Again, I wasn't very lucky on my first attempt (as shows the video) but what can you expect from an attempt with that many little mistakes.

[Gorillas in the fog: Going for the pocket in The Arete with the Pocket, 8a]

 

Finally, here are a few more impressions of Chironico, one of the word's best bouldering areas:

[Morning glory: Getting ready for a day at the boulders...]

[... and not looking like a happy camper after carrying the pads for a while.]

[Mel warming up at Nivo bassa]

[God bless LED lights! Flashing Läckerli Crack, 7b+]

[Another view of the fun Läckerli Crack, 7b+]

[Who had the idea of putting up some power lines in Chironico?]

[Mel sending Garibald, 7a while I did Arabald, 7b just next to it]

[What are you looking at? The true master of Chironico]

[Blasted but still amazing rock: Bella Nicci, 7a]

[Sunset and moon-rise as seen from Claro, Ticino]

 

I hope some of the information and videos are useful to you. Maybe they can at least psyche you to go bouldering just like this trip psyche me again to leave the rope in the basement for a while and take the crashpad into the woods again. I will be providing you with some info about bouldering around Graz soon, so stay tuned.