España en el corazón

For the fourth year in row my family and I went to Spain during the Christmas Holiday, I was really exciting like every year and a lot of incredible routes are waiting me!

After 12 hours of travel we arrived in Cornudella de Montsant and we meet Carmen, the woman from which we rented the house for ten days, we put up our stuffs, we had a dinner and we wait  the next day.

Siurana village  Ph. Marco Zanone

Day 1

We went to Siurana in a fanatstic sector called Siuranella Sud because it was a windy day and this sector was covered by the wind, during the firsts climbing I felt a bit tired from the travel, and not able to push myself as I wanted, but I decided to try an amazing 8a+ featured by a blu straight with a fantastic limestone called “Try me” but my  first project ended in the worst way, becuase a friend of mine broke the key hold and all my possibilieties to send it vanished, I was a bit sad for the route that now it became a project for everyboby but the trip was just started.

 

Spanish "house"  Ph. Marco Zanone

Day 2

We went to Margalef precisely in the Espedelles sector, one of my favourite and I had an old uncompleted route from the past year, “El Ball del Triceps”that is probably one of the best route I tried in that grade. On my first try I dust off the moves in the first part because there is a weird campus move to get a pocket and some physical moves the reach the first rest point. In the second go I climbed the first part and I got the first rest where i could  shake my arms a bit. From that point to the chain there are still 30 endurance moves around 7c/+ that there are ok if you start from there but I had some difficulties to link the first physical part to the endurance one in order to reach the final rest point just before the easy slab to the chain. I fell  just  before the second rest point.

The third go went like the second so I decided to review the part where I fell two times in a row and I found a new beta but it was getting dark and my skin were a bit cut from the sharp pockets so my enemy was still not climbed.

Day 3

I came back to Espedelles to complete my proj, in my first try of the day I got the “crux” where the day before I fialed, but this time I fell 3 meters from the chain because I was a bit cold and I was really pumped when I’m falling  I thougth “Fuck , what are u doing man?!” I was a bit frustrated for some hours but I couldn’t surrender myself so I started to climbed it for the last time and as I had hoped I clip the chain with a big smile and my pumpy arms I sent “the deal” with this amazing 8b.

One our later I also sent a new short 8a called Innuendo on my flash attempt, a bit soft for the grade but really nice climbing featured by  pockets and great white rock.

So I completed my 2013 in the best way and I changed my focus on the year-end party! YEAHH

 

El ball del triceps, Margalef  Ph. Pierre Zanone

Day 4

Rest day after the crazy party my family and I went to the high car park in Siurana to take some pictures and some timelapes

Day 5 

The climbing trip start again after the rest day and we decided to come back in Siurana  in a known sector called Can Pigui Pugui with Gabri Moroni, because my brother was so closed on a proj named “Bou i prou” 8b, the line just on the right of the famouse “A muerte” graded 8c+/9a

I was agree with my bro to try the 8b togheter but I felt myself a bit tired and I had the difficulty to climb one single move of this great route that consist to get a slopy crimp  with the right hand and to up your left foot and do a strange heel hook to reach the good hold before the last boulder. I tried it 3 or 4 times but everytime I fell in that fucking move because my fingers had not the right power to lock the slopy crimp.

But I was happy for my bro because he climbed it really well and he did his first 8b in Siurana, good effort mate! 

Day 6

We came back to Espedelles sector because we bougth the new Margalef’s guidebook and we saw that in the most right there was a lot of new lines. I warmed up on fanatastic 6c and on a 7a but we were “hungry” of  something harder so we were advised from Luca L a friend of our, to try a 8a bouldery-route, really steep and powerful called “Ser purista a me despista”. I was so lucky because my brother gave me the right beta for the boulder, so I Flash it  feeling it a bit harder than the first 8° that I flashed.. I was really satisfied, but the day wasn’t over, I took my stuffs I came back to the Espedelles classic sector.

I had in mind a beautiful route that my brother climbed some days ago called Braguetasso 8a+. In my first go I felt really tired in fact when I arrived at the chain I though, ok today is not the right day to get this route.I relaxed for one hour an half  and my mind back in the game.

I climbed the first part with fatigue but I was determinated and I get the big rest point, I shaked my arms and I decided to climb really fast the second part, I felt a bit better than the first part, I did the long move quite well to reach the final good pockets and after some easy moves I get the chain! I was sooo happy, because I was  determinated and it gave me the happiness to say I climb this amazing route.

 

Braguetasso, Marfalef  Ph. Pierre Zanone

Day 7 

We check a new crag for everybody called El balcon de l’Ermita, a awesome wall with crazy rock, I was so tired during the warm up but after my muscels went well and I climbed one of the best route of the trip called  “Gotim Bru”7b  with an amazing blue limestone.

I wanted “to call it a day” but I was motivated by my brother to climb again, in fact we on-sighted  a superb  7c+ called Mirtoglicerina, WOW! Surely unexpected ascent, YEAHHH!

Day 8

Last day in Spain, I was motivated to climb on-sight because I was more affinity with the rock, I went to Espedelles to try some endurance route, and I focused myself to try Malasombra a 7c+ just on the right of Braguetasso, I try to figure out some moves from the ground following the chalk on the pockets, butvI hadn’t understand some moves in the first part . I thought it doesn’t care, the on-sight climbing is funny because you have to take the decisions quickly when you climb, I prepared my stuffs and I started for the attempt. This route  is featured by a mono and slopy pockets in the first part but it is not so hard that it looks, a good rest and than endurance climbing and a weird single move , because you have to take a three fingers pocket and to understand which one is the best way to do the sequence in order  to reach the exit from the slight overhang and to take the jugs before to clip the chain. I was so happy to have understood almost all the moves of the route and to have onsighted it!

Just after this cool route we move with other four friends in a  small cliff, famouse for its short and powerful routes called El Laboratori, we decided to destroyed ours arms definitely.

I started to try La Bombi an ex 8b, I say ex because it was 8b but someone broke a hold and now the grade is around 8a/+.It is probably the shortest route I ever climbed for a total of 4 spit plus the chain, I climbed it in my third go, I want to make the congrats to my bro to have Flash it!

After La Bombi my brother decided to try Absolut another 8a+ it  basically consist in one single move to get a good two finger pocket but it is really long, you have to give the right push with your feet and arms and to be so precise and focus to do this dyno. I try it three/ four times to understand the right position and with some screams during the climbing I get the chain when the sun was setting, I was pumped with a bit of blood on my fingers but with a big smile on my face. I was really satisfied because I pushed myself to the limit sending some hard stuff in a single day but also because it was the fourth day of climbing in a row!

Landscape of Morera de Montsant  Ph. Marco Zanone

This trip was a blast like every year I passed here in Spain, I hope to come back as soon as possible!