The patience game

Our night was spent on the other side of the mountain in what felt like a ghost town. On the way to the campsite we passed multiple abandoned buildings and pig farms. Upon arriving at the campsite, which was well kept with grass that had been cut possibly less than a week prior, we discovered it to was abandoned.

After a bit of a discussion we put the posted fees along with a note into a box marked reception and called it a night.

Driving back to the crag the next morning we finally saw the famous Corsican pigs! Mareike has been talking about how there are more pigs on the island than people. The pigs love to hang around licking the road, eating the hillsides and getting uncomfortably close when people roll down the window for a picture 😄

The day at the crag was a strange one. We tried climbing well below our grade but both felt very lethargic and tired. We were so out of it, and hot, that at one point Leo randomly blurted out how he wished there was a swimming pool at the crag.

We decided to call it a day and headed for a new campsite in Vizzavona.

In Vizzavona we caught up with our friend Emile at the small convenient store and settled in for the night.

We awoke to rain. Leo believed that the rain would not be in the valley where we would be climbing. He was wrong. We spent a good part of the morning playing cards in the car listening to music. Eventually we wandered out for some food and continued our card game in the local cafe. By 1pm the sun was out and by 2pm we were climbing at the crag, hooray!

We had enough time to climb all 6 climbs on our list. Including a 6a+ on top rope that Leo set up with a daring traverse from the 5c climb anchors.

It was such a fun climb! Mareike went first working the tiny finger crack that moved to a tiny finger crimp all the while standing on minimal footholds. After working back across the face to a more gracious handhold she made her way up to the anchors.

It was now getting late but Leo was determined to get the climb in. Equipping his helemet with Mareike's headlamp he jumped on the climbed. He's not sure if the low light helped or hurt, because at times he knew he was standing on tiny features, but couldn't see them that well, only feel them. In the end he trusted his instincts and fought his way to the top.

All in all a fantastic day of climbing and the sharing of another beautiful day together.Read more