driving crazy

...well after 3 rest days i was feeling strong with good skin, may it was a bit warm (17C), but i felt good and i went a muerte - for 3hrs i was going crazy at that start sequence of "insanity" -  but was again NOT able to link it - WTF??????!!!!!

looking back to the last two weeks an interesting fact is that if it was less then 15C i was able to do it, if it was warmer it just did not work. so i needed a "plus-15C-beta".....  i have some 10different ways i can grab almost static to the jug... if i go a bit dynamic i swing out - that last 2cm are just too much for me...

...so i went back to re-check this start moves again (for the 1001time...) and i really managed to find a very hard but more "in control" way to do it - but at the end of the day i was too tired to link it all together...

finally found a "plus-15C-beta" for me???!!!

next day i was totally trashed, bad skin, super tired and it was very warm. i spotted my girlfriend and some friends. normally i don't climb (hard) stuff and for sure not the same thing as the day before on a second day. but i was curious if my new start beta would work... at 6pm it still was 18C - but together with my girlfriend i went back to the 101sector. 

second try i made it trough the start.... and fell off shortly after due to total fatigue.... hahahahah.... was this now just luck... or is this my new beta????????  interesting also that despite higher temps also the sloperrailpart felt way better then the day before.... - and angie pointed me to a way more secure beta at the end - all thats seems just to god to be true... i will make the "reality check" in a few days - stay tuned - fat cat is NOT giving in... ;)

a strange night in ticino

despite three rest days i felt pretty tired and could not really feel "power" on the holds... i was not even able to do my regular warmup ("einfisch" to the lip) and the sequences of insanity did feel (way too) hard as well. looks like workdays somehow don't equal full rest days to me. even if i just have a "desk job" as a teacher it's may just too much stress... not enough sleep... but i am a pussy (as we discovered last time) so i stop whining here... -  but did i already mention that it was way more humid then the days before... ;)

exactly the position where i suffered from my total power-break-down and slipped from the right foothold... - one move from the resting-point...

but despite feeling like crap the colder temps and the the micro-beta i remembered for the start sequence finally worked nicely together. bouldering can be quite strange sometimes...

as i suspected i really did move my body in a wrong direction, i was too high and i did not place my hips close enough so i was not able to build up enough tension for my (non existing) toe hook to stay. it still took me some six tries to stick the start which is way too much and that already made me bit tired but i (hope) i have dialed that move again and will we able to repeat it much faster next session.

well after finally making my way trough that start again i suddenly found myself up at the sloperband of delusion and just one move away from the "resting point". but then i suffered from one second to another from a total power-break-down... i lost tension and lost a foothold... but that's ok, i needed just too many tries and power on the start before.

setting up for the big move in the "use-your-delusion-project"

its even steeper then it seems on the pic and the heel hook is just compression - if you loose tension then....

you go down... - but given the fact that i already felt super tired i should def. try again once i am fresh...

before climbing "insanity" to the lip from the third move again for "endurance-training" i went on to try the moves of the super powerful "use-your-delusion-project" - an old project i brushed some years ago (may somebody (dave?) already was on it 10years ago?!) which starts on the left of insanity and shares the same exit. it has BIG body tension moves and some crucial hook's which need to stay - so it will help to be BIG on this one (again). there was some chalck and ticks on it - so looks like someone had tried it recently... james? as he obviously did not send this one in a session it must be 8C or harder.... ;)

i tried it a few times in the years back, came close to the moves but never really did them. i was close on the moves again this time... and given the fact that i felt already super tired after my total power breakdown in insanity i may should try once when i still feel fresh... VENGA :)

mind games (again)...

drama is in full flow again...what else could it be... ;)

i resisted the temptation to hike up to sustenpass as it was just too dangerous and ticino had great weather as well. so off i was to chironico...

second session and already twice up at the sloperband of the delusion-part... just a matter of one or two more days... hahahah.... ;)

it all started so good! on my second session this season on "insanity of grandeur" i made it already up to the big sloper of the "delusion"-part... (pic above) but did let go as i was too scared to go on as i never did the final mantel before... - YES i am a real pussy - but after the last year and two really serious injuries and close to 12months of rehabilitation i just did not wanted to take any chances!  i got the rope - and guess what - i did flash the topout.. HAHAHAHA :) next try i made it again up to the big sloperrail but slipped off a hold. so that was a great start and i was very happy that my hamstrings worked very well. they are still sore for a day or two after the session, but it's perfect training for them to get back to full power again.

as i usually need four to five days to adapt and normally one day after another i get stronger on a project i was very positive for the next few days! "normally"...  but this time it was not "normally".... the heat arrived (up to 22C... and no cold nights anymore...), i felt tired from work... and it was too dry (NO JOKE!!!)... and at least a dozen more very good excuses why i just sucked ;)

then suddenly not being able to climb the start sequence anymore...

Suddenly i was not able to make that super hard start-sequence anymore. every day it got worser instead of better. but i kind of "knew" that scenario. it was the same as two years before... as it was getting warmer i suddenly was not able to do this sequence anymore.

third day i was there at 8am in the morning but it was already 13C (warm!!!). crazy march weather in ticino. it just peeled my skin of my tips....  then after 3hrs - why after 3hrs...... why not earlier....?????!!!!! i made the move but then i slipped off a foothold????? and then again my heel slipped... and some days later i slipped again off a foothold... every time things got worser.... till i just did not do that start at all anymore. if i just could keep that toe hook for that start. 5cm more reach and i would do that sequence every time... - even for warm up (and would it downgrade to "soft" 7B of course.. ;) - like that crazy strong american mutant named Jimmy X who did that mind-blowing stunt of climbing "insanity" (and some more 8B+/C's) in ONE SESSION - may i should get surgery to get that 5cm more reach and climb everything in a day?! but i am quite sure this would end up with me needing specific surgery for every boulder problem i try... - so may i just get my ass off the couch and get stronger... transform the weak pussy into a mutant... i will do that just after that two pieces of chocolate-doublecream-cake, the shiatsu massage and the pedicure... - i promise... ;)

then get the start for once but slipping off the biggest footholds...

to make things even better i managed to ripped off a part of the intermediate hold from the startsequnce... but its still there, its still possible nothing changed too much... hopefully it stays.... at least the cold is on its way back...  WINTER IS COMING - hopefully the white walkers will hold bit back... ;) to be continued.... 

and finally ripping off a part of that super good intermediate hold at the start... but it's still there, did not change anything... still HARD  ;)

VERY tempting

PERFECT conditions up at sustenpass - but the approach is still too dangerous (very high avalanche risk at the moment!). as the weather in the south finally is great and stable i was in ticino not only for powder and freeriding but for some climbing again as well. i have something to finish up in ticino, had two great sessions and i was already getting close yesterday - so maybe i can make it up to sustenpass next weekend.... - but when i am getting "close" this usually means DRAMA will go on for another few weeks/months/years... - you know i can climb nearly everything up to the last move... will see how it works out this time.... - wish me some luck... ;) 

Desert or Snow...

sunny, 20C, windy, dry, nice boulders, very nice people - it's great in the desert... and as much as i would like to spend much more time here... 

i really can't wait to be back home... up to 3.8m!!! of snow in the south of swizzy - the winter of a century - something you just can't miss :)

holidays :)

F*CK YEAH

thats WHY i climb - it can't get much better!!! imagine a massive 12m long 80degrees overhanging granite-prow, heel/toe hooks, funky/tricky, powerful compressions-moves all the way to the top.
- "SANTOKU", TICINO - never ever seen something like that!!! never ever had climbed so many good moves in a row!!! its pure perfection from the sitdownstart to the top. for a compression-fanatic like myself its just the holy grail ;) thanx so much to fabian and andi for putting up that thing!  

first day i had a nice session with fabi and andi. it was great to get all the tricky beta for once instead of spending hours/days by my own looking for a good solution. after getting a cold and some snow went down in ticino i was back two weeks later. i still could not believe how good the climbing was. and as i like(d) it so much i just had to "climb" it three times in a row ;)

entering the crux of "santoku" - what a LINE!!! pic by angelawagner.ch

trust your heels! one of the best sequences EVER -  thanx a lot for the great pic to angelawagner.ch

keep the tension - you should not fall anymore after you get that hold left hand... - i fell twice ;)
pic by angelawagner.ch

first two tries of that day i fell off the 5a-top-out (once i dabed, once too cold). after that i was soooooooo tired i just wanted to go home but prisca and nico convinced my to just "give it another go".... (BIG THANKS TO THEM!!!). so i chalked up again and nearly went down on the very first (easy) move. i was pretty tired but somehow managed to not fall off on the next few harder moves. getting into the second part i went totally "a muerte" and to my biggest surprise i made it all the way up on top of that beauty.

laying on top (because i was totally exhausted) i just could not believe what had happened and could not stop laughing about myself... always drama... but this time i sent - to say it in the words of my fellow italian climber/blogger totolore: F*CK YEAH... ;)

Obsession

as i checked the weather forecast the other day i nearly went crazy: very unusual warm air was filling  into the higher mountains and so sustenpass got some 6+C and that over night as well (very important, so the rock does not cool down too much). to top that humidity was as low as you normally never see it in swizzy. despite still feeling shitty and weak after two weeks with an influenza-virus, i had no real choice - off i was to sustenpass again ;) because the road was closed and some serious snow there was a bit of logistics to be handled.... ;)

temps and humidity at sustenpass - totally crazy for the season - especially the warm nights what means the rock does not get too cold - what means you don't get cold fingers too fast... - what means you may have a chance... so go and TAKE IT!!!

below and above the fog - i LOVE the mountains :)

the hike will start soon - not your usual bouldering equipment... ;)

good thing there are "split boards" - saves A LOT of time on the way back and you can have some fun after climbing as well... ;)

getting ready on the "hasi-project" - the scenery and grip were just incredible...

just a shame my power was gone after nearly two weeks of "influenza-down-time" :( 

at least i managed to reclimb the sequences. at first i even wasn't able to do one single move...

so i went for some "not-so-max-moves" - but no chance on the "highlander" as well.... but at least i tried... you never know... you really have to go for it!!! and even if i punted around like a beginner - it was a great day. it was warm, perfect friction, great climbing, very quiet and just sooooo beautiful, can't get much better!!!

back at the car after the ride down... beautiful isn't it?! going home...???

well "another home" ;)  as it's just a 45min ride - i went to chironico for a little endurance-night-session - working hard to get back in shape!!! 

One Night in Chironico

After I was snowed out from Sustenpass some nice "Fön-Wind" was forecasted for Chironico. I have not been climbing in Chironico for over a year so I was very excited to touch this nice gneiss again. After a full day of work I was back in Chironico at for the first time after my injury - the first time after over one year. It was a pity it was already dark (7pm) but friction felt great. 

"bouldering is so basic you know, you need nearly no equipment at all... ";)

I wanted to have a lock at "Insanity of Grandeur, 8C" on which I was very close as it still was a project. I warmed up on the "Electric-Ant" boulder. There is a nice little line on the right side of it which I did the FA two years ago. Back then on my FA of "A cat on a hot thin roof" I started sitting but quite stretched out. So I was wondering if it may would be possible to make a not so stretched, more logic low start on the obvious lowest hold.

working the crux moves... on and off.. ;)

I first just wanted to try a bit but then i got sucked in and after fumbling and falling around for 2hrs I finally found a method that worked. As i felt already tired I rested quite a bit, had some food and set off for one last go. I went down on the intro move - chalked up and somehow managed to not mess up the start moves anymore.... but while entering the "easy"-6C-topout I got cold fingers and got tired till I could not move anymore. Desperately I tried to shake, to get some blood back into my tips. I knew I was too tried to make it again trough the hard starting moves. I just thought: "Don't f**k it up again...". With no pad on the exit and nearly falling off on every move I screamed and fighted myself up to a resting jut - did not let go on the topout and put it DOWN. For a very short period it was getting pretty lout in the dark woods of Chironico:) My little consolation prize for this fall: The First Ascent of "A cat on a hot thin roof (low), 8B" - "soft, uhhhh i am sooooooo strong" for sure - as it's "en vogue" these days... ;)

"cat on a hot thin roof" - such a good line, really good moves - 

Sticking the BIG move

entering the "easy" 6C copout... could not feel anything anymore... super tired as well

good thing you can't hear me... ;)

Then I went down to the "Fish-Boulder" and quickly refigured out my beta for "Insanity of grandeur" - linked the sequences - what a good night in the woods this was... ;)

"insanity of grandeur": what a LINE, RADest moves, one of the BEST in ticino for sure

After that very good session I was thinking that I may could have had a chance on that one before winter would hit ticino. But you know it already:  Snow arrived....

...and with a classroom full of kids with fever (They are so motivated (afraid of getting minus-lessons) they are at school even if they are ill - that's what happens when people don't think straight when messing with incentives %&*ç+"). It was a matter of time till "it" would get me as well and "it" got me well!!! So I will need a few days to be back on track but I am sure we will see the second ascent of "Insanity of Grandeur" very soon - "somebody" else is getting really close...

no highlander, no hasi, no candy bar, no nothing...

2day “epics" are well common these days where everything seems to be (has to be) "second go, 5min, soft..." ;)  One could think that after 3days with no success some people's climbing life starts to fall apart... what if there are not enough points at the end of the season... falling back in the ranking is NOT an option... crisis... disaster... OMG... - as this was my third season (year) in a row where I managed to go down on the last move of my highlander project (counting 10 since i first climbed on it) and i just climbed "nothing" again... - may I should have jumped off a big cliff already years ago... - but hey; I am still here and still can smile... - and i have an even harder project by now... - must be something totally wrong with me...  ;)

After some snowy days weather turned good and warmer again - just in time before winter would hit hard with an arriving big low-pressure-system. But it was too cold for the highlander, so again a season ended on that %ç*ç last move - but no injury and the confidence that despite two serious injuries over the last 12months I still am able to pull down pretty hard!

The day looked great for a last chance in the "hasi-project". The road was already closed so off I was on my bike.

i got one last day for the "hasi-project"... how beautiful it was up there :)

I was pretty sure I would send the project if I got this one more day! I just slipped off the last move the last time, I felt strong, strong enough to even compensate some problems (like wet holds...), I was rested enough, I had ok skin, I had eaten well, I had slept well, even Nico made his way up that day and gave me some support. Arriving at the boulder the snow was gone, the exit was wet but I was able to (kind of) dry it. So there I went for glory... ;)

CONTACT.... (can you see the water-drops left of me... melting snow on the copout...)

I may climbed 6times into the crux, my heel slipped twice while setting up for the last move.... it just did NOT HAPPEN, no matter how hard and much I tried???  I could not believe what (not) happened, but somehow I just did not feel my body building up any tension, I felt like a marshmallow, a very strange feeling I never had before!!! I did not feel week, I just did not feel tension in between the holds....???

The grip was pretty bad, I had to dry up nearly all the holds... but that was not it... Nico sent "Marrakesh" (twice) and looked strong (well done!) - may it was this shitty day in Murgstal few days before..., where I managed to rip off my skin on Entlinge and somehow managed to tweak my pectoralis as well on Bourgonne (as it was raining an I was going crazy in the wetness...). May I should have just stayed at home to be "safe" from all the possible threats that would spoil my last chance up there... but as many excuses I can find it does not change the fact that: I just failed again... FTW???!!!

thats how all the attempts ended..

After going crazy with one attempt after another Nico and I were standing in front of the boulder and after some discussion decided it would be anyway more logic to start 3moves lower/to the right (as I started pretty stretched out and tweaked...). This will ad another three-move-compression-7C/8A to an 8B+... it will make you already tired for the following compression-moves and will put quite some spice on top of the full line. But as these moves are just so freaking powerful intense and delicate and good - I am kind of glad I did not make it to the top from the higher start... - so i can go, climb and test myself again on it... ;)

SO I have another great project for which I just can't wait to go back. Big moves on ok holds, if you loose tension you are off. I can really fight and press with all my body till i explode, but i still have to be very precise and move perfectly between the compression holds. for me the climbing is close to perfection, not too steep, not too vertical - my ultimate project - could not get any better (other people will feel different of course) - so i am VERY glad i found that one - still smiling when i just think of that moves ;) just a pity I now have to wait 6months to climb on that holds again. So I will train my ass off to get that little bit stronger. That will hopefully be enough to send that beauty next summer and take the highlander home as well in the process - and did I already mention it? There is a possible 8B/+ intro as well...  - but that will be something for the next generation... not for an old fat hasi like me... ;)

i could handle the snow, but not the cold... i will have to wait till may/june 2014... 

failed twice..

failure one was so typical: when i am finally fit and strong as never before something else goes wrong... at least i did not injure myself as i managed to do it last year! but weather turned cold and humid... i just could not feel the holds anymore... and it looks like i just don't get another (warmer) day for that "half-move" more and i have to wait another 7months to try again on the highlander. just one day too late with my peak fitness.... *arrrrggggghhhhhh* - or was it that 10days i missed with a sliced fingertip... or the 10days of constant bad weather in "prime season"... or that spring/summerseason i could just climb with my right leg cause of a broken meniscus (and still managed to go down on the last move....)  - just excuses - just not strong enough - yet - weather i can't change - but my fitness i can - and i WILL... ;)

only 5minutes of sun was not enough for me - just too cold - but it's beautiful... isn't it... still after 10years... ;)

so next year (if i don't get it in may/june) i will not make a summer-breake... instead use the "colder mornings" of the warm summer days to fight my "cold-finger-problems". BUT the downside then is that the friction is usually quite bad, there is a lot of rain and so the holds seep forever... but when you are just strong enough you at least can go "à muerte" - and kill it... ;)

failure two was typical as well: "there is just no lucky-strike" for me up there! as i went for the "verschärfter hase"-project and even managed to stick the crux move for the first time - i just dry-fired of thanx to my frozen fingertips.... F*** THAT!!!! but i will be back... at least that one WILL go down this season - even if i have to hike up through 1m of snow and climb it with gloves - WORD!!!

crux-crimp... needs some body tension to get there...

catching it totally extended... must be way easier if just 5cm taller... but love it the way it is ;)

big second last move from that shitty crimp left hand.... to a ok sidepull right hand

holding the swing....  so close to victory...

just dry-fired off the ok side-pull righthand - still crimped right hand... *outsch*

no comment... ;)