Here I am after some 2 months since my last post...
First of all, this blog from now on will be written in English. I'm sorry for those who won't perfectly understand but hey!! Time to get global dudes...
2008 has ended and I can say I'm quite satisfied with my climbing results. Main goals for the year were doing one 8A (La balance sans la prise taillée, even if it's at the very bottom end of the grade) and some 7C and 7C+ in different areas and on different rock, which I have done. Then a bunch of 7B/+ possibly in a few goes.
The only thing I haven't accomplished was entering the first 40 places in the national bouldering ranking, that would have made possible for me to compete in the Italian bouldering cup. I discovered I suck on plastic, more than I thought. At least the regional comps I did at the beginnig of the year proved to be a great training for outdoor bouldering.
So, as said, I'm satisfied. And for two reasons. First of all I have completed almost all the tasks I planned. And second, and maybe even more important, these accomplishments tell me that my self-judging ability is quite refined.
So I guess I will be able to set feasible goals for 2009 and I hope this will lead to more successes and related self confidence...
Now. 2009 has started quite well, with a couple of 7Bs in Varazze and the quasi-send of La messa delle streghe 7C and Excalibur 7C. When I'll come back I hope it will be a few minutes affair. Moreover I tried some of the single moves on the standing start of Gioia 8A+, and I hope to be able to do them all. For the linkup I really don't know... maybe at the end of the year if I improve my shape.
Then in Cresciano I did a one move problem rated 7B, another short (and frankly overrated) 7C called Prost and had a very good sesh on La nave va 7C+ (aka La rondella alta), falling two times at the last move. Absolutely doable. Good thing as it is widely considered hard for the grade.
On the bad side I did my first regional comp for this season, where I puntered hard on relatively easy problems... With that I mean many goes and always falling last move or so... Moreover on a very crimpy problem I injured my right index finger again (it was recovering after the session on Sofa surfer in september, where the pain started). So bad placement, few points earned and worst af all injured finger...
I still can climb but I have to be very careful with right crimps, possibly avoiding them. Sadly it's not that easy to find 7C and over problems where you don't crimp right hand... But that's it. Open hand training awaits me...
Speaking of the new goals... I won't go in details, but briefly I'd like to improve the maximum level I can climb, thus trying to send an 8A+ and a couple of 8As. Then I have some established problems that I'd like to repeat, regardless of the grade. And more important, some really cool and potentially hard lines await the FA.
The guiding line for 2009, however, will be 'quality not quantity'... so I'll try to climb awesome boulders with good rock and moves, rather than climbing exclusively for the difficulty aspect.
