War Hammer, 8b+/8c
Val Martello is a nice and quiet valley up the mountains of South Tyrol. A little heaven, still off the tourist's radar, where it's possible to find some peace during the summer season, and where it's also possible to climb on granite, which is definitely an added bonus for me! Two years ago I started visiting the existing crags of the valley, and I soon noticed it was full of boulders everywhere, just waiting to be cleaned. I quickly started to search for sectors, and it wasn't hard to find this big chaos of rocks just a few hundred meters from the main road, at roughly 1750mt of altitude.
The boulders where quite tall and close together, the landings not always optimal, but the quality and quantity of the lines made it clear I didn't have to look around any further, it was now time to start cleaning! Plus: one of the boulders, approximately 8/10 meters tall, makes a big cave where you can pass underneath. To my surprise I found a line going from the bottom of the cave to the very top of the boulder; a route going through a big granite roof without cracks, with just the right amount of holds to be climbed... it was a dream!
I soon started to bolt the line and find the sequences: it was a big relief to realize the hard move at the end of the roof was possible, the route was a great project for the summer! So that place, about 1h drive from home, began to be my refuge for the hot summer days: a place where I could stay in nature, surrounded by moss and trees, far from the chaotic traffic you usually find in the dolomites this time of the year. Every day I went up there I would brush at least a new line, and then give a few tries to the existing projects I had to complete.
Burden of Martello, 8a/+
The boulders there are quite hard, with many lines in the range 7b/7c+, but you can also find some nice lines in the 6th grade. It has been very difficult for me to give grades these last few years: I haven't been bouldering as much as I used to, and I've been mainly doing it in Algund/Lagundo, where it doesn't really fit my style. When I happened to go to other places, I found grades to be much more generous on average, and a few times I have still been able to send 8as in a bunch of attempts.
I find this very confusing, and I tried to find a balance when giving grades to the boulders in this sector. If I could do things in a day it would end up being no more than 7b+. In two/three days no more than 7c+, and just two lines that took me many days of attempts ended up being more than 8a: "Burden of Martello" and the route "War Hammer". Bear in mind that I climbed all the boulders alone, finding my own betas. I didn't have the chance to confront with other people, so take everything as a mere suggestion and please let me know what you think!
Hop Hop Gadget Braccio, 7c
After two years of work the sector is finally ready to be published. I like to share with people the places that gave me motivation for climbing, and I will also this time, but I kindly ask people to keep a low profile and help preserve its beauty. At the moment I will not publish the place on the main platforms or apps, I will just keep a little topo here on my blog, for those willing to seek it out. Bear in mind that the moss surrounding the area is fragile, and I don't want this place to end up like Magic Wood, where too much frequentation has ruined all the "magic". So please try to stay on existing paths and don't walk all over. If you clean a new line clean just what's necessary for climbing, and please leave the music home.
