Searching new crags in Kalymnos

Foto: Christos Boukoros ( ....the only day of good weather :) )

Hi everybody! I'm sorry for the lack of news in the past months, but I was quite busy and I didn't find the time to update. 

I spent the first two weeks of February improving my ice climbing skills: after many years I finally managed to realize a dream of youth, standing under a ice fall with two axes! I had a lot of fun and it was nice to slowly get a good feeling wit the ice... I'm really looking forward to the next season!

After few days in Aix, I flew to Kalymnos for a 10 days exploration trip on the island. It was quite strange to travel without meeting any climbers, but when I arrived I understood the reason as the weather was humid, cold and windy...

The trip started with a bad surprise and the very first day I got a bad stomach flu, which forced me to stay in the bed. After this bad start, I spent the following days climbing a little bit on the (wet) classics, exploring the island looking for new crags, and training in the local gym. Unluckily after few days the bad weather arrived, everybody got sick and it was impossible to climb outside, so we decided to change our tickets to flight home earlier.  

Despite the short time, I had the opportunity to explore quite a lot and I found some great stuffs to bolt during the next trip: the potential on the island is just impressive!

I really want to thank all the kind people of the island, who helped me and who made my trip great: I can't wait to come back. 

Now I'm back in Bolzano, shaping a lot of new holds, setting in the gym and trying some hard stuffs around.....more to come soon!

Short trip in Spain

As every year, we decided to spend the Christmas holidays in the sunny Spain. This year the plan changed a little bit, as we wanted to see something new and to climb on different styles...so after a looooong drive, Melissa and I arrived in the famous Oliana: the crag is impressive and  all the routes are all really long and pumpy!
It was really hard for us to climb after the long drive, so we just enjoyed easy routes to get the right feeling with the rock again. After a good sleeping in the new "motor home", we hiked to the crag to make our way up trough the 50 meters long wall. I really liked the climbing there, even if I'm not used to, and I can't wait to go back in this nice crag.
The evening we moved to Siurana to join some friends and we spent our last 3 days there.
The first day we climbed in the Can Pigui Pugui sector, where Melissa did easily a nice 8b+, that she tried during the last trip, while I got frustrated on "A muerte"... it was really impressive to see her climb..everything seems so easy!
We spent the 2 following days in the "El Pati" sector; I was really happy to climb there, as I've never been there in 5 trips in Siurana.
After the warming up on some classics on the right, Melissa figured out the moves of Kalea Borrroka, the king line of the sector; after a good explication, I decided to gave a try, and 20 minutes after I clipped the chain of my first 8b+ flash... that's what I call a nice end of the year! I spent the last day trying Patinoso, while Melissa felt 3 times at the last move of Kalea: what a pity!

Unfortunately our holidays were over and we had to drive back to Aix ... time to work!

Chacun sa mafia

Qualche settimana prima di Natale, aspettando degli amici ai piedi della falesia di Saustall, mi è ricaduto l’occhio su una fila di spit, chiodata una decina di anni fa da Helli Haller: una bellissima linea di 15 metri che sale un muro ondulato arancione e nero, diviso in tre parti da 3 fessure orizzontali, e che ricorda molto la roccia di Schwarze Wand (Zillertal).
A dire il vero, non era la prima volta che me ne ero accorto, ma per vari motivi non avevo mai preso il tempo di andare a guardare di cosa si trattasse … così, aspettando gli amici, mi sono calato dall’alto armato di spazzola, nel tentativo di pulire via il lichene che ricopriva la maggior parte delle prese, e per asciugare un po’ le colate sparse sulla parete. Appena ho messo i piedi a terra, ho capito che la via era possibile, non durissima, ma caratterizzata da dei movimenti molto belli e ampi. Purtroppo quel giorno il tempo a disposizione, ma soprattutto la temperatura glaciale, non era dalla mia parte e così ho avuto il tempo di fare solo un giro, tra l’altro fallito di poco.
Per due settimane non ho avuto il tempo di ritornare, ma i movimenti della via continuavano a ronzarmi in testa… così il 24 mattina, insieme all’inseparabile “Junge” Marco e Peter, e con un clima che invitava solamente a fermarsi ai mercatini di Natale, sono tornato a Saustall per chiudere il “cantiere”, prima di essere richiamato al dovere del il classico cenone e della partenza per la Francia. Dopo un giro passato ad asciugare l’asciugabile, e senza sentire cosa avessi sotto le mani, tutto è andato per il meglio e  sono “finalmente” riuscito a passare la corda in catena a questa bella via.

Ci tengo veramente a ringraziare Helli per aver chiodato questa bella linea, avendo capito che anche in una falesia come Saustall non è strettamente necessario scavare per salire…. DANKE HELLI! :)

Photos coming soon…

Intervista instrapiombo.com

Weekend on the rock!

I just came back home from a nice climbing weekend on rock, so I decided to post an update to share what happened in the last 3 days of perfect weather.

We spent the first day in a crag near Arco, where I managed to do the last 8c I missed there: a 20 meters route called “5 uve”. It’s not a 5 stars route like the near “Mr. Teroldego”, but in any case it’s worth to climb it.

On Saturday, after an early waking up, I drove with Marco to Monte Cimo to try “Vola via”: a multipitch route bolted by the team Tondini-Sartori. But after the hike, while we were drinking some tee and waiting that the sun came on the wall, we changed our mind and we decided to give a try to “Via di testa”(7c, 8b, 8b+, 8a, 7b, 8a): the masterpiece on this wall, that I tried last weekend with Gabri Moroni. The first 7c pitch went easy, but on the 8b I felt on the final boulder and needed quite a lot to find the good beta to reach the belay. As the sun left the wall and it became cold, I decided just to figure out the 8b+ and after we rapelled down.

Even if is going to be colder now, I’m sure that I will go back soon on this jewel, as the idea of this route is always turning in my mind at the moment! Multipitch climbing isn’t my strongest point and I’m really syked to improve on it!

Today we weren’t motivated to drive a lot, so we went in Saustall: a very crimpy crag only 30 minutes away from Bolzano. The most part of the routes are chipped, but there is still a 100% natural project that captured my attention last year. It’s a 15m long, 30° steep wall bolted back in the 90’s by the visionary Helli Haller, that is still waiting to be climbed. Today I tried to figure out again the mooves and to find a good solution on the first hard boulder problem, but everything is still looking HARD but possible…I will come back for sure!!!

Video AVS- Boulderfestival 2011

Update

It has been a while since the last post, but I was quite busy…or maybe too lazy…to write an update.

So, what happened in the last 5 months??

Nothing expecial changes and I’m still always on the road: climbing and route setting a lot. I spent the last 3 weeks of August in South Africa with Melissa and some friends, and I felt in love with this place! The landscape, the colors, the rock and the nature are simply incredible. I will come back for sure next year!

It’s hard to describe what you can feel when you are there…but the following video is for sure the best way to do that.

After the south african trip, I drove back to South Tyrol to set the first European Youth Cup in Merano. It was an hard work, but it was worth it and I think, that everybody was satisfied.

After setting some routes in Termeno, I spent the following 2 weeks between France and Austria, searching a new house and mooving all our stuffs there.

Around the middle of october, I had a 4 days trip to Kalymnos to make some photoshootings….and I didn’t expect me such a nice place! The high quality of the rock and the neverending potential rate the island as one of the best place for climbing I’ve seen so far. I’m really looking forward to the next season to go there and bolt some new stuffs!

When I came back, I immidiatly started to set the IMS boulder cup in Brixen, a master with 5 of the strongest climbers of the world right now…and it was really stresfull because we had just one day to set all the problems. We were a little bit too intimidated about the names on the starting list and at the end the problems were too hard. I’m really upset with the result of the competition: we all put all our energies and did our best to make everything perfect…and at the end it wasn’t. Shits can happen…but the next time it will be better!

As I spend a lot of energies and time in route setting, I decided to create a new page in the blog, where I’ll add all my “work” activities. If someone is intrested, has just to contact me: I’m always motivated to set whatever and wherever!

That’s what has happened since the last post: I will try to post more updates during the winter season! If you want to now more…just follow my twitter page

https://twitter.com/#!/JacopoLarcher

See you on the rock!

Back on rock!

The 6 weeks of rest and the 2 months of routesetting are finally over…and now it’s time to climb on rock again! The finger seems to be recover and I can climb almost without pain.

After the injury I was scared of not be able to climb again as before and I was really worried about that. It’s strange, but now, after the long rest and without any training, I feel stronger and I’ve never been so motivated in climbing before. The fear of getting injuried again is slowly disappearing and I feel ready to try some hard stuffs again.

This year I will not take part in competition (except some masters and the italian championship in november) to let my finger recover completely and I will be focused only on rock climbing and some multipitch routes, that I really want to try since years.

So, what has happened during the last two weeks…

The first days on rock weren’t too bad, as I made a quick ascents in Arco of “Mr Teroldego” 8c and another route just a little bit easier, on the left of this one. What can I say…I was really surprised to be able to climb this routes after a long rest like that!



Now I’m since 10 days in Ceuse, and it’s awesome as usual. It’s so motivating to climb on this perfect rock, to be outside with my grilfriend and to hang out with the old friends: I’m feeling so free here and that’s the best way for me to climb well and be motivated all the time!

I will leave on thursday from Aix to take part at the Vibram Natural Games in Millau, but I will come back for sure as soon as possible to finish some buisness ;)

Have fun on rock!

Ultima fatica: Campionati Italiani U20-18-16

I Campionati Italiani U20-18-16 a Verona, sono stati l'ultimo impegno di questi due mesi di tracciatura full-time.

La creazione dei blocchi è stata affidata a me mentre le vie sono "toccate" a Gigi Billoro... ovviamente tutti e due aiutati dall'immancabile team del King Rock!

Come sempre qualche pazzia è venuta fuori, e tutto sommato mi ritengo abbastanza soddisfatto del lavoro.

Ora è tempo di fare ricrescere la poca (pochissima) pelle rimasta e dedicarsi finalmente un po' alla falesia!!

 

Sotto trovate il video riassuntivo dell'evento...

 

 

Climbo 2011