Lorenzo Bassi FA’s Shiba Inu sit (8C)

Lorenzo Bassi, with eight 8B’s under his belt, has done the first ascent of Shiba Inu sit (8C) in Göscheneralp. ”The war is over! 10 sessions for this incredible line! FIRST 8C! After sacrifices and suffering, I managed to take home what has been my best ascent ever. Special thanks to Diego, Mario, and everyone who was there. “It was my moment.” And yes, for those who doubted… I finished the Nutella 😛”

Can you tell us more about the process behind the FA and skipping the 8B+ grade?
The story of this boulder started in a very natural way. I wasn’t looking for a specific grade, but for a line that would truly motivate me. When I first saw it in Göschenen (in Switzerland), it was immediate: aesthetic, logical, and with movements that demand absolute precision. From that moment, it became a long-term project.

I had already climbed the stand version, a solid 8B, back in early 2025, so returning in 2026 was more about reactivating those movements and rebuilding confidence. The real challenge was linking everything from the sit start: building the first section, stabilizing the foot switch, and arriving at the crux in the right position. The crux is a single move around 8A, very intense but also extremely dependent on body alignment. For a long time, it wasn’t about strength, but precision, being just a few millimeters off meant falling.

The process was not linear. There were moments of big progress, but also forced breaks due to weather, snow, and especially skin management. Interestingly, those breaks turned out to be essential: they allowed me to recover and come back each time fresher, both physically and mentally.

Over time I realized that on a boulder like this, it’s not about trying a lot, but about trying well. I reduced the number of attempts and focused on quality. When the crux became almost automatic as a single move, I knew the boulder was ready to be sent, it was just a matter of putting everything together in one clean run.

The day I sent it was quite special. I didn’t feel in perfect shape: little sleep, average sensations. But maybe that helped me climb without pressure. I only took a few attempts, and on one of them everything aligned: precise feet, perfect tension, no hesitation on the crux. And suddenly, I was topping out.

As for “skipping” 8B+, it wasn’t really planned. In recent years I’ve focused more on specific training and the quality of projects rather than following a linear grade progression. I was probably lucky to find a boulder that suited my style very well: powerful, precise, and very dependent on body tension. I also came from a very solid training period, so the level was already there. I don’t really see it as “skipping a grade”, but rather as the result of a process: when everything aligns; training, experience, conditions, and mindset, the grade becomes a consequence