Here I am, still in Norway and again in Flatanger. I’ve been here for three weeks now and this incredible place continues to give me emotions and… Satisfaction! As you know I am trying Silence, the most difficult route in the world, and I must say that I am getting unexpected results that go far beyond my initial expectations. Although I am aware that I cannot send the route on this first trip, I still managed to complete two of the three parts that compose it, and this is already an excellent news.

Silence is in fact divided into an initial part of about 20 meters and then into two parts that are called Crux 1 and Crux 2. I managed to complete the Crux 2, now I have to work on the first one! This is in fact the complicated and impervious section that makes the route so difficult and it will therefore take me more time to understand everything and optimize to the fullest. In particular, the crux 1 is a section of about five meters that requires a lot of power in the initial part and then forces you to make a particular and unusual movement to get to the end. You have to go and fit a foot higher than your hands, a unique move that I had never tried before: to see Adam’s video seems easy, but in reality it is really an extreme attempt!

I will work on it in the coming days, I am trying all the movements one by one individually, I still have a few days to spend here in Flatanger and already being able to close Crux 1 would really be a historic result! And then who knows, next year, I could come back to try the whole route … Meanwhile I enjoy the moment, I climbed quite easily Crux 2 after a few attempts and even the initial part of Silence did not put me in great difficulty. So I have confidence and I’m psyched, I didn’t expect to be able to make it so quickly in these two sections.

But I’m not the only one who can be satisfied with this first part of the experience among the fjords: Sara is also climbing in the cave and we are encouraging and strengthening each other and it is really nice to be able to share certain moments with her. But not only that, because a few days ago Adam Ondra arrived in Flatanger, the only climber to have climbed Silence in 2017 entering the history of climbing. Adam gives me some advice on how to do it and cheers for me, luckily he is not “jealous” of his enterprise and for me it is a source of further inspiration!

We are a nice group of friends and passionate climbers, there is an atmosphere of conviviality both when we climb and when we rest in the campsite. This experience will still be beautiful, very formative and fun. We live immersed in nature, we were also lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, a unique and splendid spectacle, so we really do not miss anything! We are in a beautiful place and we will enjoy to the fullest these last days that we have left. Then between 17th and 18th September we will take back our camper and return to Arco, to prepare for the Italian Championships at the beginning of October and continue to look forward to new challenges.