Stefano Carnati does Hazel Grace Sit (8C/+)

Stefano Carnati has done the sit start of Hazel Grace (8B+) in Gotthardpass. ”The wildly variable conditions up there made the boulder feel like a different climb every session. But with a cold north wind, everything finally aligned! A complex and stellar line demanding precision, power, and patience. I can't really tell the difference between 8C and 8C+, but I acknowledge that the sit makes the crux of the stand consistently harder. 8C/+ seems therefore to be the consensus.” (c) Nicole Belletti

Can you tell us more about the ascent and the process behind?
I first climbed the stand start of this stunning pocketed granite boulder back in the summer of 2022. Over the following months—and across a few sporadic sessions spread far apart—I began working the sit start. Unlocking the moves from the sit proved way more challenging than the stand, with tricky, complex sequences that took some effort to decipher. In September 2024, I came agonizingly close, falling on the final moves. Then the season was over. Last Saturday, I took advantage of a cold, dry north wind and finally managed to link it all together.

What is next?
I'm heading to Rocklands next month, but in the meantime, I’ll try to chase some granite up in the Alps—hopefully in shady, high-altitude spots.