After lots of rain, snow and every kind of weather abuse this anticlimbing god could have sent on northwestern Italy, finally for the middle weekend of february the forecast looked good on almost every spot.
Formerly I planned to go to Fontainebleau for a week, in order to get Big dragon 8A+ done and some 7C classics of course. Unfortunately weather was rather uncertain, as usual in the forest, so I decided to keep on training, getting more solidity and having one or two days trips in Ticino or Varazze, waiting for march to head for the Mecca.
I called Nick and we decided for Cresciano on saturday 14.2 and Varazze the next day.
We arrived in Cresciano welcomed by cold, soft wind and sun. We met in the parking a few other friends and spirits were high! While our friends headed for La boule sector to try their projects, Nick and I warmed up on a couple of easy problems near La grotte des soupirs. End of warmup was a short 7A traverse named Pixel. It was clear that conditions were prime and we hoped for a crushing day.
We moved to Xp, a soft one move 7C bloc that starts from a big undercling with marginal footholds and goes up to a good hold. After the physical move an easy topout ends the problem. Nick sent it fast and I followed some minutes later... I just had to avoid the dab with my right foot. Now we were sure a good day was on.
Right after Nicky sent effortless the standing start of Jungle book, rated 7C. Then the original problem called Crossing the jungle, which adds a short traverse to the stand. Soft 8A. And finally after some tries figuring out the second and third move, he proceeded to crush the sit start, given hard 8A. Well done! Good day turned to great.
I would have liked to try at least the standing start, but my index finger was hurting on the starting hold, so I called me out.
Another boulder I wanted to check was Fantoman 7C, in the Dreamtime area. We searched for it with no chance for half an hour, then pissed off moved to Dreamtime.
Conditions were still perfect. I felt a bit weak and decided not to try the stand, as I feared a way too negative feedback from the problem. Obviously I know I can't do it in a session, but I want to feel at my best when I'll seriously try it.
Nicky made a couple of attempts to figure out the first dyno, then moved to the upper part. He had some problems with the left hand crimp and the two following right hand slaps, but we both realized he could do it. Then he had a very good go, falling at the last slap! Now he just had to remain focused and rest some minutes. It was possible. He had some more goes but fell earlier... The conditions worsened a bit and with the arrival of other people somehow the magic was disappearing. I thought he had one more go, then the others trying it and the sun setting would have compromised the grip.
He jumped and hit the first hold well, moved on and catched the left hand crimp very well. Then the last two slaps. A moderate swing leaded him to the last holds and finally he topped out! Yes! Dreamtime stand 8A/+ in more or less one hour sesh. Not that bad for a 15 years old boy...
Psyched as ever and with the sun setting, we decided to have a last look for Fantoman and we immediately found it this time. Looking back it is clear that the hand of the almighty guided us away from this problem so that Dreamtime could be ascended at the right time...
Nick wisely called it a day (saving some energy for Varazze) while I went on with my flash attempt. It wasn't too bad, falling at the second hard move, but probably I was a bit cold... I tried the single moves then fell on the topout on my third go, due to very approximate cleaning of the last two holds. Amateur. Fortunately my fourth try was the good one, so I was quickly standing on another soft but awesome swiss 7C.
Day was finally over and I might say it will be one of those I will remember for a while...
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