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Rod's Euro 2009 - Trip Report ~ with updates! 31-Aug-2009 At 7:20:06 PM rod

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Last update, we go mobile from this afternoon and unless it pisses down we're not going to waste time in internet cafes.

Friday...fatigued from Wednesday/Thursday I hooked up with Regis and with autumnal weather hitting the ridges we headed for a secret spot in the local gorges. Antonin's brother JB was there with Laurences brother Patrick.

VERY strenuous climbing on 'les voires d'anthologie neuchatelois' in the form of Le Capucin and Sauve Bossetriche. Regis perfectly executed both. I got on lead with gear in place on Le Capucin. Through the first crux it was desperate, inverse crimp, bad smear on slick limestone, bridge to bad smear, latch a 2 finger pocket then cross over for a left hand crack...I was scared, it was a fair way above the gear and everyone down below was offering up their version of the beta. I tried them all but the only sequence that ended up making sense to my morphology was that of Regis. Committed and didn't die...so happy! A bit of crack and corner work and I'm facing the last crux, one hand onto the overhanging roof, launch and match it with the left, chalk up and have a look around to discover the climbing position looks like that in the photo's of Kachoong. Awesome. 2 campus moves, a rockover and its done.

Everyone went wild!

Regis explained the local legend: it's one of the neuchatel climber's must do career routes and apparently there's plenty of really high grade climbers that have never made it to the chains...if I'd known that I might have called off the beta and tried harder for the onsight!

Sauve Bossetriche is a hard 7b, I couldn't nail the opening move and got about halfway up before flaming out on yet another crux column. Regis reckoned it took him 50 sessions to nail the opening move so I wasn't overly bummed. Finished on a nice 6c but I was so worked it was enough to just make it to the chains with a few falls let alone redpoint it.

Saturday, late start and off to the Finale like secret spot.

Hooked up with Regis and Steve, G and I did some easier routes to warm up that were nice in the 5c/6a+ range but still difficult due to there being only one sequence through a myriad of pockets. Followed that with a very steep 6b/c of Finale standards, I almost onsighted but flamed out just after the final clip before the chains, its basically a series of 7a moves but at only 15 metres its shortness means there's no way it merits the higher grade. Took a closer look at the finish and brushed a few holds off then sent on the next lap.

We had a 6PM dinner date so we headed down and saw the boys at their newly equipped 6c. Quick goodbye to Steve and arranged to hook up with Regis the next midday.

Regis lowering off on the new 6c

Regis and Steve

On the walk out

Sunday...knackered and hungover we settled on slackline, BBQ and great scenery.