July should have been a very busy month for me, with the first three World Cup one after the other, but unfortunately after the inaugural stage in Innsbruck I was stopped by Covid. There were many positive athletes in Austria and I decided, for safety, to do a test too … A real misfortune that forced me to return to Arco and shut myself up at home for about ten days. So I skipped the appointments in Villars and Chamonix and once the quarantine was over, I dedicated myself to training around my home.

This time I decided to dedicate myself to bouldering by exploring the beautiful Val Daone, in Trentino, about an hour’s drive from Arco. This place is full of boulders and is therefore perfect for a specialty such as bouldering, which requires shorter and more intense climbs. The cool climate and the presence of other climbers made me live fun and also useful days to get back in shape after Covid. Bouldering isn’t exactly my favorite specialty, but it’s convivial and allows you to meet other people and climb together.

In bouldering you need crash pads to put under the boulder to protect you in the event of a fall. You get to a height of 4 or 5 meters, and the partners below who must “spot” or direct the eventual fall of the climber towards the crash pads, either by moving the crash pads or by grabbing the person falling. There are no ropes or harnesses, you have to trust who is with you!

Although I still prefer sport climbing, bouldering amuses me. In particular, the Val Daone is divided into various areas and various boulders: we went to Nudole which is the most beautiful place, there is a nice parking lot where you can stay with the van and the boulders are not far away. And then I also recommend the La Plana sector: on weekends there are a lot of people and you can also go alone and find other climbers there to enjoy with, maybe you find people under the boulder and climbing all together.

After this period of training, I then managed to participate in the Briancon World Cup, where I reached the 13th place. A good result considering that I was recovering after Covid, now the goal is to improve further to reach top form as soon as possible. I am confident and optimistic for the next steps, in particular the European Championship in Munich which kicks off on 10 August. Before going to Germany, I will still have a period of preparation with the national team in early August, while after the European Championship the departure for Norway finally arrives, where I will begin to try the legendary Silence in Flatanger. But for these new adventures I will keep you updated in the next post!