Vertical-Life
1 June 2006
With Dani Andrada in S:t Linya
On our climbing trip to Cataluna, Spain, we wanted to check out the notorious cave in S:t Linya and meet the man who last year bolted and climbed several routes 9a and harder, Dani Indrada. Dani, or mr 8a as he used to be called, is definitely one of the best sport climbers in the world and this year he was awarded Climbing magazine's piton for best sport climbing performances in 2005. The 8a staff was curious on the guy and we were looking forward to talk to and see him climb.
Arriving at the cave (after some directional problems) we were stunned by the size of it. It had a huge entrance and was close to 50 m in height with a 35m overhang. It immediately struck us that bolting these climbs must have been a hell of a job. And right we were, cause Dani later told us that each route took him and a friend three days. It didn't help him that he was using a bolt machine that had the size and sound of a lawn mower. HILTI, here is a guy you should sponsor!
Before getting the gear on we knew that we, team Rookie Junior, would suffer great defeat on the long pumping routes in the cave. Cause although the 8a staff happily report and measure the performances of other climbers our own performances lie in the lower spectra of grades. Fortunately though, we had arrived to the cave with super climbers Said Belhaj and Johan Gross, which ten folded the average performance of our group and kept our heads above water.
Dani arrived a few hours after us together with his girlfriend Dalia (the spider girl from Canary Islands) and a climbing friend named Danillo. Not knowing what to expect our first impression was that they were a very open and friendly bunch who excitingly started telling us about all the climbs, pointing in the roof and down on a handwritten topo. 8b+, 8c, 9a, 8c+, the list went on. Said who's always aiming to challenge himself mentally and physically became really keen on an 8c+ extension. The Spanish (excuse the generalization) also had their eye on a few particular routes but before initiating their quest to send some of their ongoing projects they warmed up by doing laps on the routes that we were struggling on.
Trying out the routes we found that it was all about pinches, open hands and jugs that required technical climbing to find the necessary resting positions on the way up. In other words, fantastic climbing, though we spend most of the time hanging in the rope. Well back on the ground the neck muscles were kept in work during the belay-slave sessions when Said was working on the Scandinavian record 8c+ (on the return about a week later he did it). Whenever one was tired of climbing or watching other people climb you could retire to the opening of the cave and bask in the sun. A great spot in other words despite the afternoon gathering of the murder flies from hell that kept feeding on the climbing muscles.
Talking to Dani we found out that he was paying for the bolts himself together with a friend and that he was always looking for new areas to bolt and project. Traveling around in his mini-home on wheels Dani always brings the bolt machine because you never know what you might discover. It seems to us that what Dani is doing for the climbing community is very commendable. He doesn't just take what is given to him because of his performances but he gives back in the form of new climbing areas and routes that is open for the community to climb.
Because of shortage of time and since we didn't want to bother Dani to much we didn't get to perform a proper interview with the strong Catalan. But we did get to ask him about how he and Dalia met and the story goes that when Dani was about to fall on a crux move he suddenly looked down and saw Dalia watching him. Screaming out he gathered his last strength and flung himself to the next hold where he could rest and then complete the route. Dalia became so flabbergasted that she hasn't left him since. So even for dedicated climbers like Dani there are things that are more important.
Johan, 8a
(S:t Linya is close from May to September because of archeological explorations)
Arriving at the cave (after some directional problems) we were stunned by the size of it. It had a huge entrance and was close to 50 m in height with a 35m overhang. It immediately struck us that bolting these climbs must have been a hell of a job. And right we were, cause Dani later told us that each route took him and a friend three days. It didn't help him that he was using a bolt machine that had the size and sound of a lawn mower. HILTI, here is a guy you should sponsor!
Before getting the gear on we knew that we, team Rookie Junior, would suffer great defeat on the long pumping routes in the cave. Cause although the 8a staff happily report and measure the performances of other climbers our own performances lie in the lower spectra of grades. Fortunately though, we had arrived to the cave with super climbers Said Belhaj and Johan Gross, which ten folded the average performance of our group and kept our heads above water.
Dani arrived a few hours after us together with his girlfriend Dalia (the spider girl from Canary Islands) and a climbing friend named Danillo. Not knowing what to expect our first impression was that they were a very open and friendly bunch who excitingly started telling us about all the climbs, pointing in the roof and down on a handwritten topo. 8b+, 8c, 9a, 8c+, the list went on. Said who's always aiming to challenge himself mentally and physically became really keen on an 8c+ extension. The Spanish (excuse the generalization) also had their eye on a few particular routes but before initiating their quest to send some of their ongoing projects they warmed up by doing laps on the routes that we were struggling on.
Trying out the routes we found that it was all about pinches, open hands and jugs that required technical climbing to find the necessary resting positions on the way up. In other words, fantastic climbing, though we spend most of the time hanging in the rope. Well back on the ground the neck muscles were kept in work during the belay-slave sessions when Said was working on the Scandinavian record 8c+ (on the return about a week later he did it). Whenever one was tired of climbing or watching other people climb you could retire to the opening of the cave and bask in the sun. A great spot in other words despite the afternoon gathering of the murder flies from hell that kept feeding on the climbing muscles.
Talking to Dani we found out that he was paying for the bolts himself together with a friend and that he was always looking for new areas to bolt and project. Traveling around in his mini-home on wheels Dani always brings the bolt machine because you never know what you might discover. It seems to us that what Dani is doing for the climbing community is very commendable. He doesn't just take what is given to him because of his performances but he gives back in the form of new climbing areas and routes that is open for the community to climb.
Because of shortage of time and since we didn't want to bother Dani to much we didn't get to perform a proper interview with the strong Catalan. But we did get to ask him about how he and Dalia met and the story goes that when Dani was about to fall on a crux move he suddenly looked down and saw Dalia watching him. Screaming out he gathered his last strength and flung himself to the next hold where he could rest and then complete the route. Dalia became so flabbergasted that she hasn't left him since. So even for dedicated climbers like Dani there are things that are more important.
Johan, 8a
(S:t Linya is close from May to September because of archeological explorations)
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