21st May 2015

Campo Base
Chiara O. – 5c – Lead (Chris)
NINI – 5c – Lead (Chris)
No Drill, No Party – 5b – Second (Chris)
Calze Nere – 6a – Lead (Chris)

Grotta del Cavallo
Melchiore – 6b+ Lead(Dog) – (Chris)
Bue – 6c – TR Dog – Joe/Chris/Tom

For a change the temperatures dropped on this day and we actually had a bit of rain. It’s strange how you are always anticipating good weather when you’re away and when it doesnt happen it can put a bit of a downer on things. In fact this day turned out to be a really good laugh.

As described in the book the opening climbs look unlikely at the grade, but are actually OK. By day 4 I was getting back into the swing of Sport climbing.

I always find the transition to ‘go for it’ moves quite difficult being predominately a trad man, but after a while it grows on you.

By the afternoon, Chris and I were on some insane rodeo tufa madness. Melchiore is just so unique. A few hard moves into a niche bring an exit onto massive tufa’s which require a certain amount of wrapping yourself around to get to the final position. This is ‘you’ hanging onto a huge spike which looks like it could detach at any moment. Just fantastic and a really memorable climb.

There was time left th blast away at Joe’s 6c. A really tough but good climb. The crux is powerfull, with a pull on an almost mono, but once through there it is just technical and geat fun.

Of course tomorrow comes the big day out!