Sunday, September 7, 2008

European Climbing

European Climbing


I'm home at last.  I still feel tired and my day is starting out slow. Orpierre, Ceuse, Vailfroide, Rodellar, Perticara, Fosso Dell' Eremo, Monte Aquilone and Maiolo now become mere bits and pieces of memory stored away in the vast depths of my conciousness.  It's amazing how every experience we have soon become something like digital records that gets burried deep within our brains.  It's so hard remaining in the moment of every happening. Time passes by so fast and sometimes it is as if as soon as you start something it's already finished.  The past 40 days have truly awakened me.  The climbing, the people, the culture and the places have changed me somehow.  It's not an apparent change that would have me acting so differently in an instant but something more subtle.  All the small details I've seen, heard and felt along the way have once more contributed to my way of thinking.  It's a change I'm welcoming freely.

Where to go now?  Mallorca, Kalymnos, Albaraccin...  I'm still unsure of the next trip.  The where, when and if ever at all still escapes me. There are so many interesting places and the number of crags increases with new discoveries.  I'm glad I'm given the opportunity to see these places.  

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Ravenna

Ravenna


Only two days of climbing left.  This climbing trip has truly been an eye opener.  I've learned so much and have met so many interesting people.  Life on the road is a very enriching experience. I would do it all over again if given the opportunity. 

My time here in Ravenna has been very relaxing.  I've been waking up late and having huge dinners compliments of Shane and Oscar.  On my first night, Shane cooked "Sinigang" and so I almost ate an entire kilo of pork with two full bowls of rice.  Italian food is "buonissimo" but I feel I miss pinoy food.  On my last night Shane promises to have an "Adobo" night.  It will be a party with everyone who I climbed with here in Ravenna. 

We go to different climbing areas everyday and so there isn't a chance to project something.  It is a good motivation though to onsight.  Perticarra and Monte Aquilone are both sandstone crags and have been very interesting.  Today we will also be going to Maiolo, also sandstone but for bouldering.  We tried to go there two days ago but it was raining.  We went to the Marina instead to do some climbing on plasitc.  It felt wierd somehow. After climbing on rock for sometime, I think I've lost some plastic skills.  There will be enough time though to get back into it.  I'm also excited to go back home for the Purisho Cup. 

Fosso Dell' Erremo is the nicest crag I've been to so far here in Italy.  It's an hour and a half to go there by car.  The place looks like a smaller version of Rodellar and climbing there felt really natural.  The routes at the Grottone Sector are no less than 30 meters.  The long routes really remind me of some sectors in Rodellar.

Well, two days can still be a long time.  I hope I can squeeze in as much climbing as I can in such a short time.  The Rock Masters in Arco starts on Saturday too.  Sadly I won't be able to watch.  Perhaps next year, who knows?