Cresciano, Chironico + Font - A dreamy bouldering trip by Tim Clifford

After quitting our jobs at the end of last year myself and Anne could think of no better place to start than the Tessin area in Switzerland where Cresciano and Chironico are found, somewhere we'd visited briefly the year before but were desperate to get back to. The first week or so was hard work getting to grips with the style and intensity of the climbing but we were soon in our stride and had an amazing 6 weeks of bouldering.

Anne on one of the amazing aretes to be found at Chironico - Click the photo to see it full size...

Although being no way near as extensive as Fontainbleau the style of climbing and the scenery make this one of my favourite climbing locations in the world. The south facing boulders of Cresciano have a spectacular mountain backdrop and although granite the rock has some striking similarities in texture and holds to gritstone so that for the majority of cases, unlike most granite bouldering, power alone will not guarantee success.

In contrast Chironico may lack the same technical style of the former having more of the classic crimp and pull style of granite bouldering, but what it lacks there it makes up for in it's situation; high above the valley of the Tessin is has a fantastic tranquil setting that can sometimes be too relaxing. Unfortunately the amount of snow in the Alps interrupted our trips to the higher and more shady area of Chironico, but the quick drying aspect of Crecsiano meant it was very rare that we were unable to climb.

Anne shows of the beautiful scenery that makes Cresciano such a delight to climb at...

Anne and I had been lucky enough to get a guided tour of one of the 'secret areas' last year when we had been. Not as publicised but gradually becoming more known, this area offered less compact but non-theless perfect quality granite and some of the best looking lines we'd seen.
So this year we were able to concentrate on ticking, finishing of projects and finding many others and having an even better trip.

Swiss Highlights Trip 1;
Cresciano - Il Partner 7c, Dreamtime (stand) 8a/8a+, La Pelle variant 8a,
Chironico - Les Doigts Verts 8a (flash), Le Piller 7c+/8a (flash), Serre-Moi Fort 8a+, Rossell 8a+, Secret Spot - Great Peril 8a, Michi's arête 7c+ (flash),

Swiss Highlights Trip 2
Cresciano
La Prue 8a+/8b, La Boule 8a, La Pelle 8a+, Franks Wild Years 8a+, Extreme Ironing 8a+, Le Vente Sombre 8a,La Randeur des les Sans 8a+ (trav), Reve de Mario 8a.
Chironico
Shadowfax 8b, Freak Brothers 8a+, Soucoupe 8a+

Leaving Switzerland was difficult after having such a great time but we'd planned to end our trip with three weeks in Fonatinbleau, and once we'd arrived there we were immediately reminded of how special it is and were inspired by the change of scene and climbing style.

Tim on the sitting start to Hip Hop 8B+....click to see big...

If it were not for the experiences I'd had previously with the weather in Font it would be my favourite climbing area (away from the gritstone of course), but this time we arrived in early March, and although the temperature was higher than ideal the dry weather made it my best trip to the forest and made me vow that I'd never come back between November and January; give me dry and warm to cold and wet any day.

Armed with the new guide it was great to explore some new areas for us as well as the old. A line that really inspired me was Hip Hop at Boissy aux Cailles which I'd heard of but had no idea what to expect. Situated on a loan boulder it climbs a faint weakness straight up the middle, looking dynamic and pretty technical at the same time, and although it climbed from both a stand and a sit start it was the stand that I wanted to try as the sit I expected to be too difficult.

After visiting it one afternoon on a hot day I'd worked out the first dynamic move to a shallow hold in a faint crack line but could not progress from there that day, but I was hooked and desperately wanted to return. The morning of a few days later saw me back there attempting to work out the second move. It was not going too well but then after a small change in the way I was using my feet and slight change in body position I unlocked the second move to a small crimp which led more easily to the top.

Tim on Freak Brothers 8A, Font...click to see big...

The climbing went suddenly from totally desperate to feasible and within a few more tries I was amazed to be topping out the problem, with the sit start suddenly feeling more reasonable. I got to work on the moves to the sit start and managed to get a good sequence but by then it was getting too warm for me and I decided to wait until the evening, so after an afternoon at Isatis I returned.

A couple tries from the sit and I suddenly found myself at the crimp after the hard section, but in my rush I hadn't got the hold right and was unable to adjust, and fell. It was only after my initial disappointment of being so close that I realised I'd split a finger tip, signalling the end of my attempts for the day and meaning I'd have to wait a while before trying again.

I sat the following two days out, watching everyone else climbing in great conditions, and focussed what I wanted to do. With the forecast threatening to get a lot warmer I knew I was running out of time, so a couple of days later I went back there knowing I had only a few attempts before the cut on my finger would open, which added to the pressure. To my relief a couple of goes was all it took to top it out, achieving one of my most satisfying ascents to date.

Tim sorting out the desperate Les Beaux Quatiers...click to see big...

I definitely felt lucky to have grabbed this window of opportunity as the final few days got so hot that we spent them basking in the sunshine, drinking beer and finishing off the trip with the blue circuit at Roche aux Sabots, and as always making plans to get back to Switzerland and Fontainbleau next year...

Trip Highlights: Fontainbleau
C'etaite Demain 8a, Les Beaux Quatiers 8a, Frisson 8a+ (trav), Dual 8a, Hip Hop Assis 8b+, Big Dragon 8a+, HTTP.Bloc Assis 8a

Tim on the classic 'La Pelle' 8A /8A+ Cresciano

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