La bella Italy..

Definitly Italy is a very special place..

It´s very easy to get caught by the energy of this country. The culture, the enthusiasm of the people, landscapes.. and specially the amazing food here!

I have visited Italy many times and I have had the opportunity to share really good moments with the fanatic people from here but this time it has been different because I didnt feel like this in long time after to visit one place ¨just for climbing¨. Normally I want to come back home but It was different leaving from there..I felt sad to leave my friends and my home for the last two months.. well I think that is not a bad thing at all, it´s a feeling that keeps me connected to this beautiful place.. the place where I want to come back soon :-)

I decided to go to Italy after a climbing rest with my family in Gran Canaria, because I wanted to know another climbing place, I had just returned from Brazil a couple weeks ago and I loved the idea to keep climbing and discovering new areas again.

So I told the idea to my good friends Anna and Carlos and we made that it happens!

We climbed in many different places really close to France in the north west of the country. There are beautiful climbing places with high quality routes specially Andonno where I would like to come back soon because for first time in this year I had a very good feeling with one project  after my finger injury last december.. Ci piace Andonno!! Everything is getting better.

Also we took the advantage to make a short trip to visit the South and we decide to take the boat from Genova to Sicily knowing that we would have a wild sea because the huge storm that whipped Sardinia.. we were dizzy and it was a really long 24 hours trip with also Chaxi and my car.. but anyways it was very funny trip. 

In Sicily we drove arround the island from north to south from San Vito lo Capo to Siracusaand we enjoyed the sea, the awesome climbing areas and one more time we were in love with the food... soooo good! It ´s funny how you can feel the island style specially in the south.. they live so chilling also you can feel that when they talk.. it sounds like the canarian accent in Spain, something like this :-) I love it! 

We shared climbing days and beers with the locals climbers from there and they were super nice with us. Thanks especially to our friend MDassimo Capucho for giving us all the information about climbing in Sicily and also for hosting us kindly at the Agriturismo ¨La Frescura¨, where we could enjoy the sun every morning with the amazing views of the Ionian sea in front and the Etna volcano behind us.. yes, Italy is a very special place.

  Photos by Patrick Franza!! thanks!! :-)

Pranaliving

Era Vella Camp!!

Slideshow in Austria!

Sender One!!!

Sender One is the first indoor rock climbing facility owned and designed by the world's most iconic rock climber, Chris Sharma. With over 25,000 square feet of climbing surface and walls up to 50 feet high, Sender One is every climber's paradise no matter the skill level or experience. 

Join Chris Sharma, Daila Ojeda, Daniel Woods, Sierra Blair-Coyle and more for the Grand Opening event on June 15th, 2013.

Prana profile :-)

Thanks to my friends from Prana for this!! :-)

Good job like always to Colette Mclnerney and Joe Kinder!
I´ll miss you guys! Vamos!!!

The Island Trilogy - trailer

The Island Trilogy - Trailer

Poco a poco pero... venga!!!

How to learn the difficult lesson to have patience..? That has been my task in the last three months..

Snowboard with my friends, BBQ, visit to Gran Canaria, photoshoot with our friends from Prana, flamenco shows at nights with the american team... and fanatic redpoints from my friends!!!

Congrats to Chris for sending his project ¨La Dura Dura¨!.. That has been an award for perseverance and motivation! Good job pequeño!! You deserve it! :-)

And well, now my finger is getting much better and I feel ready to finish this chapter of my life trying to learn to enjoy other activities.. I know I can have fun doing other things besides climbing but I want to climb.. It´s what I want to do now.. because climbing makes me happy and I like that :-)

Venga!! Poco a poco pero.. venga!

Klettern Magazine

Thanks to our good friend Rainer Eder! :-)

:-)

Generations by Prana

Team Petzl In Spain!!

A day in the life of Team Petzl in Spain from Petzl-sport on Vimeo.
Another really nice work from Joey Kinder!! good job dude!

Bouldering Gran Canaria..

The strong climber Samuel Calvente from Gran Canaria shows us this beautiful climbing area..



A really nice work from Xabier Brey on Vimeo :-)

small important things...

Santa Linya.. projects and good friends! :-)

A short but fun trip to US to participate in the Outdoor Retail in Salt Lake City and having some nice days in Santa Cruz!! ..so sweet..

Climb in Peace!!

If you want to enjoy climbing in Spain and not think anything else in your holidays, you should visit ¨Climb in peace¨ to contact with our good friend Cristian Lamiel. He will find the best accommodation for you here!! :-) That´s sick!

Petzl

You want to read that... By John Ellison

Climbers Against Cancer

"Only when you've been in the deepest valley can you know how magnificent it is to be atop the highest mountain"

Twelve months ago I received the news most people fear when I was told: “Sorry to have to tell you this John but you have an advanced Cancer that is aggressive and to add to that you also have a secondary cancer.” In short I am terminally ill and my clock is ticking. This you may say is my ‘crux’ and I either fall or push on to the summit. For me there was only one option and since that day I have kept on climbing, taking in the beauty around me and enjoying every challenge that lies ahead.

“The man at the top of the mountain did not fall there”

Whilst sat amongst so many friends from around the globe at the recent World Climbing Championships in Paris it became clear to me just how unique climbing is as a sport and how special we are as climbers. No matter what nationality, creed or colour there is a natural desire to support each other and encourage one another to succeed. Very few sports display this togetherness and it was at this point I realised that we are in fact an ‘extended family’.

“The strength of a man is not in his muscles but what is in his heart” 

Whilst thinking about the possibilities of ‘Climbers Against Cancer’ as an idea I remembered the saying ‘strength in numbers’ and how the world of climbing as a family has so much power to deliver a message across the globe.  If, as a group of friends, we come together and support ‘CAC’ it can help others in the future by raising awareness and funds to further research into finally finding a cure for cancer! Being open about my own predicament has helped others feel more comfortable in discussing this disease and whether talking to adults or children I have seen a huge change in attitude. 

“Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but rather by the moments that take our breath away”  

Top climbers from around the world have already offered their support to the campaign by wearing the Climbers Against Cancer clothing and by following their lead and purchasing a T-shirt from the website shop you will all be contributing to the fight against cancer. All proceeds from sales or donations will go towards International Cancer Research Charities from around the World.

“When it is dark enough, you can see the stars” 

We hope to create a climbers’ ‘Family Album’ and once a T-shirt is bought we will be asking the recipients to add to the growing display by uploading their own photograph whilst wearing the garment. Blogs and links can also be added so as to create a portal that climbers will visit on a regular basis to keep up to date with each others achievements and exploits. 

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference” 

Similar to other climbing websites across the world we would also welcome sponsors and a number of companies have already shown a desire to support the initiative and our fight against cancer.

“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth”

John Ellison

Venga!!

Happy new year to everybody! :-)

After spending a fun Christmas dinner in Sant Llorenc with our good friends from here, we have spent some days down in the Canary Islands ... the best place to be in the world! ;-)

December 31 has been for me one of the happiest days of the year and not by chance. 
Spending the day surrounded by the people that I love most is like climbing the hard section of my project after an incredible no hands rest!! That mean start again with new energy... so I always have to thank my family and friends from the island for that ;-)

Now a muerte like always!! ...and dont´t forget that the wishes always come true!!

Good luck!
Venga!! ;-)