Frankenjura part 2

The Frankenjura is the place I visited most this year, I spent almost one month there everytime with Gabri Moroni and my brother, visiting the amazing environment and climbing on that weird kind of limestone.

I love that style of climbing, short and intense routes on small pockets, but this time was different I wanted to focus primary on a hard proj and in the meanwhile climb on easy stuff.

My project was “Penumbral Solar Eclipse” graded 8c situated in a really small crag with just 3 routes,  one 9a open by Markus Boch, an 8a+ and the 8c that is the link of this 2 routes

P.S.E start like the 8a+ and then after 3 quickdraws it goes right just under a big roof where is situated the crux of the route composed by an amazing swing from two good pinches and a big move from a weird undercling to a good edge almost at the end of the wall where you can clip the chain.

I tried it for the first time the day before we moved to Stuggart for the Adidas Rock Stars, but just to try the moves and figure out the beta for the days after the comp but I had really difficulties to grab the fucking edge.

Penumbral Solar Eclipse   Pic. Marco Znone

                                                     

In Stuggart I took part in the “Gore-tex be a Rockstar” competition, not the real one "Adidas Rock Stars" but it was one of the best amateur competition I did in my career! I was a bit stressed during the competition beacuse I was in the 2nd round so I knew how many mistakes and how many boulder problems I had to do to get into the first three positions and took part in the finals!

I climbed 6 problems over 8 but in too many tries so I finished in 5th position. I was disappointed but happy at the same time to have climbed in that competition with many strong guys. 

The day after I saw the offical competition as a spectator and it was super funny and emotional.

 Gore-tex Be a Rockstar Jam Session    Pic. Christian Waldegger

After 4 days in Stuttgard we came back to Franken for other ten days, I climbed two routes that gave me positive thought like “Bastard” 8a+ 2nd go open by J.Moffat in the 1989 featured by just one hard move to grab a good pockect, the name say everything, and “Spiderman” 8a+ also on my 2nd attempt sending this 2 hard testpieces in two hours.

 I tried for other 3 days the proj but everytime the big move cause me serious problems so I started to be nervous and stressed about that move so I decided to leave the route for a while and take some days of rest! My motivation in that days was so low so I climbed on easiest routes but I had hard problems to focused my mind on climbing, I was completely off and exhaust. After a couple of days we went to check  Maximilian Wande sector, one of the best spot in my opinion, where, in May, I tried “Boiling Point” 8b, but I fell off at the very last move. This time was another story and I took down this classic on my 2nd go of the day and a bit of motivation came back.

In the afternoon Gabri wanted to try the 9a next to my project because he was so closed on it, so I decided to make one try on the 8c

My mind during the effort was really free and without pressure so I grab the crux hold in the best way and finally I managed to keep the swing, lock the undercling and stick the edge! I was so incredulous and with a scream of joy I clipped the chain! Everything went in the best way and I couldn't describe my happiness and my satisfaction, for all the day I got a big smile on my face and that strange sensations of weakness and the low motivation was blown away.

In the last days of the trip I was really tired, I had bad skin and my muscels were really destroyed so I climbed everyday but just for the pleasure of climbing trying as many routes as I could.

Surely the Frankenjura will be a place on my list for the next years because I have a lot of routes that one day I would like to climb.

See ya the next! 

The Forest