Rolando Larcher celebrates his twenty five years of world wide career by red-pointing a new 8c.

April 1981. Rolando Larcher is a sixteen year old kid who discovers climbing with his school friends. April 2006. Rolando Larcher is a forty-one year old man who rediscovers how great it is to continue playing (and having fun) by climbing every single day, always with his friends and maybe even with his father, with which he has a great complicity. A story, which Rolando tells us, is made of pure passion and enthusiasm.
Oscar Durbiano

25th
In April a very important anniversary for me recurred. Exactly 25 years ago, when I was in high school, making the most of a school day, together with two expert class mates, I had my first climbing experience.
I remember as if it were yesterday the enthusiasm that the day transmitted me. I remember the feeling of having found my direction, of finding a way to invest my fresh energy, directing it towards a sporting passion. Now, after many years, I can say with certainty that I did not get it wrong by making that decision. To this day that enthusiasm has not tapered down and it continues to fill my life with joy and fulfillment. Fate wanted that right on my anniversary I managed to red-point a fantastic route. What better way to celebrate?
It is a particularly aesthetic pitch, which follows an original line: the edge, has to be ridden obliquely towards the right hand side for about thirty metres and overhangs for twenty. To achieve this project I expected the best from myself, even if at the start I was skeptical about my possibilities of climbing the route.
I was captured by the line for the uniqueness of the style needed. It deals with 70, diagonal movements, with an irregular progressive position: a roof overhead and an almost horizontal edge between your legs. If we add on to that the continuous and repetitive hand cross-overs, with your right foot which in vain looks for a consistent foot hold, while the left foot is always placed in heel-hook, this is how we complete in a dignified manner the whole picture of the situation. A great game, which made me have fun and suffer at the same time for many days.
But in the end I solved the problem, thanks to my determination, but also thanks to the patient belaying by part of my partners who took turns at the foot of the rock face, amongst which I would like to mention one in particular: Nato, my father, someone who I have always had a great complicity with.
For the grade I propose a solid 8c. A difficulty which nowadays where 9a has almost become a habit, can seem modest and dated. On the other hand even its author is of a certain age and nonetheless, I think that 8c is always an “important” grade, which needs talent and a particular effort to climb it.
Finally, its name. The route we are talking about can be found at the crag of Celva. My friends, for the uniqueness of the style and to take the mickey on another one of my historic routes in the area (L’arte di salire in alto, 1992 “the art of climbing high”) insisted in me calling it “L’arte di traversare in alto” (“the art of traversing high”). Without a doubt that name was a fun play on words, but the coincidence with my anniversary was something that I felt intimately, as a finish-line reached. This explains the route being named “25th ”.
The overhanging vault at Celva is ideal for a number of combinations, because two starts and two anchors offer the opportunity to climb four different pitches of varying difficulties.
About thirteen years ago I finished bolting, caught under a thick snowfall, a pitch which my friend Mauro Giovanazzi had started, which split the vault in two, climbing it directly. The route’s name is “Come quando fuori nevica” (“When it Snows outside”) and its grade is 8a. Two winters ago, making the most of good weather conditions, I finished bolting the right side of the vault, keeping the start of the old route. The result was an 8b+ called “Mi tormenta…..”. (“It torments me....”.)
During the past winter, I made the most of the last opportunity, bolting the last remaining section of the vault, the left hand side which reaches the ground. The first section, which ends on the 8a anchor, is worth a good 8b. Continuing along the traverse you reach the 8c of “25th”.
The ideal season to climb at Celva is from half way through autumn to half way through spring. The best weather conditions are clear winter days, when the friction is at its best. Have fun climbing.
Rolando Larcher

Thanks go to the sponsors: La Sportiva, Kong, The North face.