Thursday, March 27, 2014

Little trip to Finale Ligure

Many places for a new trip roamed in my head after the last trip to Spain because I would have liked to return to Spain or to visit a new place as the “Frankenjura” in Germany but due to high costs, the limited time available and the temperatures a bit cold in Frankenjura we opted to do a week in Finale Ligure in northwest of Italy.

Despite being very close from our home, about 2 hours, I climbed very little in this great place where there are a lot of awesome routes from the 8a to 8b+ range. I got a ticklist of my projects before departure in order to have an idea of the sportclimbing cliffs that we would like to enjoy.
We rented a small flat from Sunday, March 9 to the following Sunday for a total of 8 possible days of climbing.
The first day we went to the “Alveare sector” to check some old school routes as “Hyena 8b” but basically it was impossible to try this fingery and technical testpiece because it was freaking hot, being exposed at the sun all day. Despite to this fail I was able to flash “Viaggio nel futuro” that follow a roof with tricky toe hooks and tension moves. Just out of the roof there is the crux move that consists on an awesome dyno to a jug with the RH where you can rest before the 6c slab.

Viaggio nel futuro 7c+ - Alveare ( Finale Ligure )

The following 2 days the weather was bad but we were looking forward to climb so we decided to check a cool cave with few hard lines from the 8b to the 8b+ range because we thought that it was one of the less cliffs that could be dry. Despite being sheltered the topout was totally wet. We opted to try “Da Berlino non si scappa 8b+” so I got a try on it to warm up because the easy slabs out of the cave were a straight of water.
I basically figured out all moves expect the hardest one at the half of the route that consists to do a dynamic move into a slopy undercling jug where the 2 sides of the cave are combined. On my third go, after an hard struggle I sent the line with the topout wet because thanks to my high I was able to skip the last “hard” move going directly to an undercling jug that was grabable even if was wet. I did the last easy moves with ice and wet hands and finally I clipped the chain.


Da Berlino non si scappa 8b+ - Tecchie ( Finale Ligure )

The other high points of the trip were “Belgarath 8b” and “Cucco in alto 8b”.
Berlgath was the primary ticklist project of the holiday but the first days was wet because it features by outstanding tiny tofas. We waited the end of the trip to try this great testpiece.
The routes suited me perfectly since the first try but the hard is not to be strong to stick the holds but to be able to put your feet on small and smooth flakes very well. I fall down at the last hard moves because my right foot slipped off 2 time in row. On the 5th tries of the day I attempted the routes quite easily but I was really satisfied.
The other 8b “Cucco in alto” is definitely the most discontinuous routes I’ve ever done because there are 3 boulder problems in 35 meters of routes with 2 total rest where you can shake very well and take breathe until you are rested again. The first crux is the hardest of the routes and consists on a 7b boulder problem with sick climbing on a prou, the second one is around 6c+/7a boulder and the last one is a technical slab with tiny pockets where the use of feet is fundamental. 

I crushed it on my second attempt finishing the trip in best way. I’m sure I want to come back here as soon as possible to enjoy this climbing again. Onto the next! J


!!The all picture was taken on a tripod with the self-timer!!


Finale Ligure # Climbing from Marco Zanone on Vimeo.