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Rod's Euro 2009 - Trip Report ~ with updates! 30-Jun-2009 At 6:13:14 PM rod

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Finale Liguria

Fun trip this one, I played on my latest project for a couple of days before leaving and built the sequences...just got to link it on lead now. Found myself infested with ticks the day before leaving so spent time paranoid about Lyme and ensephalitis for the first few days, no symptoms yet so I may have gotten lucky.

Did the 5 hour drive and set up camp on lawn provided by our Sardinian acquaintances Sergio & Laura...superbly located for climbing and 5 minutes from the centre of Finale. Late climb at Maleducato with the highlight being me failing to flash a 6a by 5cm, ended in beers. Their cat attacked me in the tent all night, finding itself the prime position at the top of the mosquito netting.

Day 2 I'm very fatigued. We headed for Mt Cornu (I dont have the topo so bear with me if its the wrong name) where Thierry Bionda had recommended the best 6c in Finale...maybe it was once before being polished into oblivion but on a cool day I reckon it would be pretty nice. We didnt have the recent topo and warmed up on a nice 35 metre overhang with 2 colonnetes at the finish, betting on the grades I was 6a plus, Antonin 6b plus and Bernard would not wager...6a plus wins. We all had a crack at the 6c, Bernard aided, I dogged and Antonin flashed to earn himself the tag Flash Guernat. Thierry's 6c follows, if you ever meet him ask about the bear at the Lotus Flower Tower...

Change of sectors and its my turn to flash...probably due to fear of falling on the tattyest piece of crap I've seen in a long while, nice line though.

It ended there, we headed for camp and I bathed wild in the river flowing past the property before we headed out for beer and pizza. Bernard got attacked by the cat that night.

Day 3 we went to Silencio and still fatigued I was less than inspired but got up for some onsights. Lovely site but the lines didn't do it for me. The highlight was the last route of the day with me on lead, through the hard section and likely to onsight when I throw for the first of a series of tagged as if critical to the sequence "holds" only to discover a shocker of a mono which I stagger through only to be followed by the sucker punch follow up that is exactly the same...I peel. Pulling back on, I make my own way to the top and inspect on the way down. The next 10 chalk marks did the same thing right through to the chains, it was a masterful bit of sandbagging by whoever was the artist in tagging holds 10 to 15 cms away from each in the correct sequence. Flash Guernat thought it very funny following his recent experience in the Tarn. We hit the supermarket, went for a swim and headed back to camp to shower under the garden hose and BBQ with S&L, nice night with fireflies all around. The cat got locked inside.

Day 4 and Antonin and Bernard are amped, I'm in hammock mode. Flash Guernat takes us to his grotto project from last year and finally sends Gallo's 8a on run 3. Bernard takes on a 6c or 7a which looks fantastic right through to the chains...

We descend and climb the other side of the valley and I'm tempted for the first time all day, perhaps all week, by some 35m never ending face climbing cruxes that are the classic Finale horror shows everyone warned me about...site might be Monte Sordu. Fantastic climbing, nice and mental in giving you sufficient time on the feet to reflect on how you're pumped, shaking and 3 metres above the last bolt with 2 metres still to go for the next one in a sea of blank. 5 days later I've got a repairing cut on my right middle finger from one mono crux.

That night we had a local experience, fish co-op...it was a very late finish. Big thanks to S&L before going to bed, this was something special.

Finally day 5 and we get over to Petri whereupon we stumble across THE best line of the week to this climber's eyes. Schifilix. Looked hard when Antonin had a crack, Bernard fell at bolt 2 while I was still warming up on the other side of the pillar and suddenly it was my turn. I pulled on and nearly flashed, throwing for the final jug at the end of this 20 or 25m overhang - I missed it by 5cm and took a BIG fall, my feet scraping the ground. Antonin's rope is too thin for the rating of the grigri, Bernard has a burnt hand and I'm bummed not to have sent. I haul myself back up, finish it off and pack it in for the day. We decamp for another spot, Flash Guernat fails to flash and we head back to pack up camp, grab the last gelati and drive home for the weekend commitments.

On the way back I'm sitting somewhat over the speed limit and we're passed by a big blinged out 4WD doing something approaching 200kmh, 15 minutes later we pass him parked in the emergency stopping bay baring his arse to the world and experiencing the joy of diarrhea.

The past 3 days have once again been spent dealing with the move out of our apartment. After the past few energy draining weeks of dealing with the move all I can say is I never want to do that again. Tonight I've my last social obligation for the next 2 and a half months and then I can concentrate on the climbing again...hallelujah.

Big thanks to Sergio and Laura, I wish them well with the property and hope they can get permits for an agri-camping in any event I'll be back for another visit to get back on Schifilix and more like it.