Cristian Brenna repeats Underground, 8c+/9a, in Massone.
3.45 PM, Wednesday, May 25, 2005. Massone, interior of Garda Lake. Cristian Brenna repeats Underground, 8c+, 9a, one of the hardest routes of the planet, established by Manfred Stuffer. 22 meters of overhang-roof, in the most exclusive cave of Valle del Sarca, laboratory and temple of the Italian high difficulty for 15 years now. The report of the climb.
Oscar Durbiano

UNDERGROUND
Here I am again, the dyno at the start, an inspiration, I dive and I find myself for the umpteenth time in this “impressing” roof five meters above the ground. I climb the first sequence very fast, like always. I reach the first relaxation and rest a little bit, rehearsing in my mind the first difficult crux. I start, knee lock, then heel hook, I lounge and reach the second rest. I try to relax again, this is a very strange route, different from the others, you must push the accellerator of the power at the maximum to climb the bouldery cruxes and then try to relax your nervous system in the rest places, to start again powerfully.
I reach the second crux, with the most circus-like move of the route, a big cross, clip and then start again straight away with a spectacular dyno, not easy to get. And here I am again for the umpteenth time at the last crux, where I already fell more than ten times. This move is very hazardous, with sloping holds, and you must bring your feet higher than your hands, making a kind of horizontal lieback, and reaching a shoulder move for your right. This is a sequence that got me crazy in these three years I tried the route.
2003 I fell about six times near the exit, then, not seeing improvements, I lost my motivation and decided to renounce to the project. Last year I went back to the route with Gerhard Hörhager, who had shared the tries with me the year before, but after a couple of days we decided to quit again, probably we were both not very convinced. This year my motivator was Uros Perko: he told me to have found a new method for the last move, a more physical but less hazardous system….
I try to recover as much as I can and start again, dyno to the hole, f…k, it is a little wet where I must pinch with the thumb, I clip, chalk up, and go, this time I manage to stick the last hold, another few moves and I clip the rope in the belay chain, I scream YES…. and finally I am not “underground” any more.
Cristian Brenna