Hectic traveling has been my life for the last 5 weeks. Alex and I bought impromptu tickets to Italy, so she could compete in the Arco Rockmaster in northern Italy. We flew into Milan, and stayed one night after getting lost downtown for far too long. The next day we drove to Arco and spent 4 days enjoying the scenery, food, and climbing competition. Alex came in 4th place after climbing strong on problems set by Fontainebleau's climbing legend Jacky Godoffe. The format of the bouldering was awesome to watch. Each person practiced the original set version of the problems the morning of the competition. There was 1 girl each from Russia, Japan, Austria, Belgium, Ukraine, France, Italy and America. They came out one at a time to try the problems. They got three tries total, but only one try per attempt. So if you came out and your foot slipped immediately, you had to go back and sit with the other girls, who were all allowed to watch each other, and try again on your turn. After the first problem 1 girl was eliminated, the second problem, 2 girls, and the third problem 2 more; which left 3 for the 4th problem. It sounds confusing; however, the format was awesome to watch. The elimination process included the girls coming out and waving goodbye to the crowd while we all cheered them on for their good effort. Also, they had a DJ. So awesome. I don't even know where to start with the food. Fat sandwiches and amazing pizza right at the event. I couldn't really ask for more.
The lead climbing and speed climbing were also awesome to watch. During the onsight route the first day for lead, Johanna Ernst killed it by being the only girl to flash the route. It was extremely impressive. The overall winners of the Rockmaster Competition were Angela Eiter and Ramòn Julien Puigblanque.
The Duel. Oh goodness the Duel. I have never been so psyched to watch climbing in my life. An incredible looking 7c+ was set that both they guys and girls dueled to the end. Cedric Lachat raced Adam Ondra up the wall and beat him by 8 milliseconds. It was insane. Ja-In Kim climbed steady up the long lead wall and beat Angela Eiter to the end. The crowd went absolutely crazy. It was so fun to watch.
This is just the first half of our trip in photos. More to come later.
I am too lazy to fix the photos so just click on them to see the entire thing!
Al reading during our layover in Copenhagen.
The Galleria in downtown Milan
Taken from our hotel window in Arco
Johanna and Alex in front of the lead wall at the Arco Rockmaster
Outside the Hotel Marchi in Arco
Fuzzy
Alex on problem II
The crowd
Problem III
Not falling, but letting go after topping
Alizée Dufraisse of France topping problem III
A little nervous before the flight
Central Arco
Copenhagen to Milan
Milan
Piazza del Duomo
Pigeon
Trying to find our hotel
Gabri - Men's Bouldering
Speed Climbing
Pal on Problem III
After Arco we went to Venice for a day. We boated around and saw the sights.
We wondered how stuff doesn't sink...
We sat on marble lions..
Alex played with pigeons
It seems really pretty and fun, but this is how I really felt about Venice
this is how we got to the top of the mountain
I sat on an elephant
universal language for evil child to not throw rocks
We posed by a castle in Bellinzona..
we slept at the castle...
and we saw castle stuff.
We panted up a curvy tower to see the view of Bellinzona
and turned our heads and saw more Bellinzona.
Back in Italy, just south of Arco we lounged around by Lake Garda for a day
and enjoyed the scenery
and made streetlights look like stars after a wine and gnocchi dinner
and took some silly photos...
and jumped off things
and went swimming..
we watched fantastically entertaining speed climbing
on our sad drive out we stopped and looked above Arco
and pointed at things.. such as..
the castle above the climbing wall where the rockmaster was held that we always talked about hiking up to but never actually did.
