Pietro Bassotto, 61, FA’s Mata Leao (8c+)

Pietro Bassotto, who did his first 8c+ at age 59, has made the FA of Mata Leao (8c+) in Novalesa, which is a link up of an 8a+ and Karate Kid (8b+). The 61-year-old began climbing at age 24 with a focus in competitions and in 1998, he was #13 in a Speed World Cup. His outdoor climbing progression is a testament to late-blooming excellence: he sent his first 8b at 40, 8b+ at 47, 8c at 56, and 8c+ at 59. Over the past three years alone, he has completed ten 8b routes, ten 8b+ routes, three 8c routes, eight 8A boulders, and an 8A+ boulder.

Can you tell us more about the FA?
The free climb was unexpected because the send was not planned given the time of year, but the weather forecast predicted higher-than-average temperatures, so I went to try the project that had been on hold since last year.

How did a normal climbing week looked like when you were projecting it?
I spend the weeks with two to three sessions on rock, if the weather permits, and two to three workouts in the gym or at home, where I have a mini gym. Of course, if I know I have to try an important project, I take much more care in resting and maintaining the condition of the skin on my fingers.

Why do you think you've been able to improve as you've gotten older?
I believe that in addition to increasing the time I dedicated to it, it was also the approach with which I approached the projects, then the motivation came as a result.

What is next?
For lead near home, I don't have much to do. I have a very difficult project that I performed well on last year. However, I think it will be challenging to find ideal weather conditions to attempt it consistently, especially since it has been raining so often this year.

On the boulder, though, I still have a lot to work on in certain areas, and I think I will dedicate a lot of time to it.