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Chironico
So with a grand total of 4 days climbing in Magic Woods before we looked at the weather report which was full of rain, we set off to Chironico also in Switzerland. This place usually stays a bit cooler than everywhere else as it’s higher. We were wrong! It was boiling usually getting to about 35’ in the day. The climbing became frustrating because of the heat and our skin was feeling the consequences.
We got some good things done and it was nice to be back there but we had to leave with projects still to complete as we couldn’t help thinking we could be doing better else-where. Next was to try Gotthard and Susten Pass in higher ground, hopefully with cooler temperatures. We arrived to rain. Our luck felt like it was starting to run out. However we sat tight for a day and we were given most of a day to climb with only brief showers. The scenery of the susten pass boulders is amazing if you’re lucky enough to get a clear day.
While walking up the valley, you’re surrounded by friendly sheep, a massive waterfall in the corner, a random very old farmer who looked like he should be at home looking after himself instead of his sheep and some beavers. In the one day we had, we both managed another 8a. This is Simon’s first so he was rather content with himself. Luckily it suited both our styles and it was dispatched with-in a couple of hours. Sadly we didn’t get given another chance to return to the valley, so we uped and off again.
We decided to change the scenery and a border change. Italy this time. We picked a place we had never heard of before and were going to give it a chance. We read some reviews on the internet and set off. We arrived at the field that the boulders were in, just off the main road into a small village. I let out a deep sigh. It was rubbish! In fact so insignificant I can’t even remember the name and we’ve deleted the topo off the laptop. Four or five boulders in a field with lines crammed into them so in the topo looked like there were loads of problems to do. We looked around. The quality was even worse closer up. We got straight back in the van and left. Spirits running low we headed for France. Annot. Sandstone bouldering, up and coming area and from the reviews this place couldn’t be bad! Have a guess… Scattered sandstone boulders in the trees. I was getting excited and couldn’t wait to get out the van and finally climb something.
Ok a little hot but I didn’t care. We threw the under the first boulder we found, crammed our shoes on and pulled on. Well, tried. The sandstone wasn’t hard packed. It fell off as you touched it. The reviews mentioned it being a bit unclean but not this loose! I was starting to doubt whether we’ll ever climb again this year! It was nice to attempt to boulder and we managed to top out on some of the boulders but the rock was unsafely poor. Heads hanging low yet again we vacated. Verdon here we come.
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Costa Blanca
So since you last heard from me in Albarracin I’ve been very busy in the Costa Blanca. I’ve been here for over a month now staying with friends from Epic Adventures (www.epic-adventures.co.uk). I’ve been visiting lots of new areas as last time I came here was a year ago and only went to Sella for a week.
The Spanish have got it good out here, the rock, the weather and the beaches. I first arrived feeling like a kid in a sweet shop, so many good crags and I didn’t know what to start projecting first. Once I had them all lined up and I started to tick them off one by one. We found a crag called Murla which was later to become my stomping ground. I started off there with a hard 7c+ with a scary top, a run-out to the belay would have made for an “exciting” fall. With a sigh of relief I can say that I didn’t fall off.
Then it was off to pay Sella another visit. I love Wildside and the previous year I had done two 8a’s in a week. Matching my winnings from last year I walked away content with another two; Watermark and Celia.
Next I decided to step it up a grade and try an 8a+ nearer to “home”. Murla is very short and very bouldery which is perfect for me. The 8a+ had awesome moves which all went bar one in one day. This particular move is a jump into a finger slot in a block which I kept missing. A couple of weeks later I found new beta which meant this move was more reliable. Grrrr! Why couldn’t I have found this earlier? I felt I needed a break from the route so tried an 8a next to it. Another amazing route which had a dyno in the middle of it which I finished in two days so it was back to the 8a+.
After a day at another crag for a change of scenery and some on-sighting I headed back to Murla for what I hoped would be my last session but was just too tired from so many days on and we decided to have a full rest day before going back. We got to the crag at around noon and it was pretty warm even though it is shaded, on my first attempt I nearly pulled through the crux, I came back down, rested and then fired the route off. I was so pleased to finally get it done as it my longest project yet and also my hardest route to date.
It was good to see some familiar faces at the Berghaus European sales launch in Calpe. I went out to see some guys and girls on their activity day and met some of the extended team. The day was topped off by a meal at the hotel in Calpe which made a welcome change from pasta, chopped tomatoes and veg.
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3 F8a’s! ;)
After spending some time sport climbing in the Costa Blanca area of Spain I’ve ticked three F8a routes.
After a week stay at Sella I’ve done Watermark F8a and the next day also ticked Celia F8a on my second redpoint. Both these routes are at the Wildside Sector.
I looked at Watermark and thought it looked good from the floor. As I had already done two 8a’s here a year ago, Watermark was the next step. I pulled on and soon found out that it was not my style at all, sustained vertical and crimpy. However, second day – first try, I dispatched it, missing a clip out as it pumped me too much to clip it!
Celia was much more my style. A bouldery start to a good rest then pumpy tufa climbing with a big pop in the middle and a fairly hard shoulder move near the top. I did think this route was slightly easier than the other 8a’s I have done here.
The last F8a was at Murla, I really didn’t expect to get it that day. The route suits me down to the ground with hard first moves and a dyno in the middle. This route is awesome, I love it. And hopefully my project next door (8a+) will go soon too. Wish me luck!
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Costa Blanca »« First ascent of Fuerte a Muerte (font 8a, V11) – Albarracin
First ascent of Fuerte a Muerte (font 8a, V11) – Albarracin
UKClimbing News
Leah Crane is currently on a year long climbing trip through Europe. In her first month she has bagged the first ascent of a Font 8A problem in the Spanish bouldering venue of Albarracin.
On the left of the boulder is the existing problem Innashakra font7C and on the right is Manashakra font7B+. Leah ticked both of these problems and has now linked the two together to give a new problem of Fuerte a Muerte, font8A.
The problem will be in the new Albarracin guide book coming out in Autumn.
Leah has previously climbed several hard boulder problems including Ben’s Roof at Raven Tor in the Peak District (7C+) and several Font 7C’s in Font and Switzerland.
“This is my first 8A, it felt harder than Ben’s Roof, which is why I gave it this grade. I think the problem suited me well which led to my success. I would be interested to hear other peoples opinions of the problem.” commented Leah on the grade.
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