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Climbing in Dalmatia

It was first week of December when I found out from the hospital manager, where I work immediately after the New Year’s day I should go to a business/additional schooling trip to Croatia - Split. Bwah, I hoped the vacation around the New Year, but what can I do now. But not an every “must-to” has to be so bad as it may look. Although I knew that, surfing a little bit around on the internet I realized region around Split, Dalmatia, is very nice and in some free time I can go with my darling, Sara to mountains. Also, after I realized there are several sport climbing crags there, where I could even climb! Still, my specialization is bouldering, I didn’t climb on the rock since beginnings, so it would be nice if there I could find some crags of boulders, too. Through search inputs on 8a.nu I realized bouldering is well developed in Croatia, specially around Split and contacted several people from that city to see could they provide me some important info. With great help of Natko Bajic, who sent me bouldering material of dalmatia-climbing.com, which was not still published then, as he told me because of technical problems, I find out for three places I would definitely like to visit. That were Lovrinac (a small, but developed area), Sucurac (nice area in development) and finally Texas, a huge boulder valley on Mosor mountain, at the beginning of its development. Through this story I also feel need to say sorry to some climbers which cordially offered me personal help in guiding there, but due to my messy schedule I was not able to meet and climb with them. Thank you people! My diary follows:

TUESDAY, 3.1.
First day I climbed here, in Dalmatia. I decided to go to Kastel Sucurac, because I was afraid Lovrinac will be all wet, as heavy rain falled day before. Forecast was not promising but there was no rain and everything except ground (mud) was dry. We took a walk around the area and climbed several very easy boulder problems, as warm up for some 7-grades I wanted to try. There I saw beautiful slab I could not resist and climbed it after several attempts. It was my first FA in any place outside Italy. Called it “Per Sara” after my darling. I was enjoying so much climbing there although tiny drops of rain bothered me a bit from time to time. Flashing and almost flashing some routes up to 7a, taking few curiosity, not serious, attempts in hardest boulder on the crag, “Pticja gripa” my look felt at project at the corner of one boulder. It looked so easy, I didn’t know where the problem is. Until I tried. Yeah, no footholds on nice places, tricky holds…I finally managed to climb it, after almost hour and half. Called it Deep shit, as next problem is called Brad Shit and for its hardness. My first 7b on these areas, I think even it could be a bit harder, like 7b+. If someone thinks so, it is easy to raise up the grade! I turned then to boulder 3 to see if I would have energy for “Oja-noja” and “Jaka i Kila”, the 2nd and 3rd hardest things on the crag, but heavy rain started and we went home.

WEDNESDAY, 4.1.
TEXAS, wow, yes, waked up my darling a little bit earlier to take a trip to the mountain, to see that “mountain pearl” as I have read. As hardest problems there were only 6b, I knew I would be make many FA’s, for which I was partially happy, because I have never been on place in beginning of development. Sucurac was something with very small number of routes comparing to potential it offers, I couldn’t even imagine this. But, I had to be in Split back in 1:30 PM so we didn’t have too much time. Up there it was so cold and windy, specially when started to climb higher and higher. Wind was sometimes throwing us with crash pads on the floor! Little bit afraid because of steep path we expected to just see what is up there because of coldness. But, interesting, in the valley wind was much lighter and soon the sun appeared. It was quite good condition for climbing. Still, I didn’t climbed too much for we wanted to see as much as possible around the area. Mamma, that place is so big, I thought from the plan in is smaller than Kastel Sucurac, but no…huge! And so nice, I felt so good climbing there, feeling real Texasity as I was told I will (named one project “Texasity” when climbed it)! I left some projects for next days, not very hard, but I didn’t wanted to spend more than few tries for each. And at the and started snowing (there’s the name for “Walking on snowshine”) and cooling much again. That day i left six new routes there, including some that previously were projects.

THURSDAY, 5.1.
Was my rest day forecast was not promising, so in free time we decided to take a look at museums and center of Split. So beautiful town!

FRIDAY, 6.1.
I wanted to go climb to Lovrinac, but I had double more time than planned 2 hours, so I decided to take another visit to Texas. This time studied plans better and already have been there so orientation was much easier. I realized where everything is and where all paths and tracks are. My priorities were to climb boulders that are drawn on the plan but without routes, and of course, solve projects, specially harder. I climbed in just two hours almost all projects I have left from last time, including first 7a at the Texas, and my first 6c+ flash, “Promessa”! After that climbed also one small, but beautiful 7a+. Yeah, nice day! Opened also a project on the first boulder, the magnificent guardian of the valley, which impressed me “on sight”! Problem was slight right of its horn, but it was so hard…what after first move?! After few funny tries decided to leave it for better times and to climb a line left of it, a slab which is very easily overhanging. Also, I didn’t make it. That day I have climbed eight new routes, this time a little bit harder than last time.

SATURDAY, 7.1.
Now I had to finish my job in Texas…finally got whole day for climbing and decided to hardly work on my projects. After climbing some new warm-up routes, climbed from first attempt project from the first day, I am quite sure the grade is 7a, but the problem to me was big distance between crucial holds. Called it “Stella azzura”. I then went back to boulder no.1.! Easier project, slab on the left of the horn I did after lot of trouble with holds breaking, but i did it. As it was cold by then (sunny day became cloudy and windy), I called it “Progetto invernale”, the winter project and grade is 7b! Then I turned back to project I left and after 3,5 hours of not moving much, trying everything, I pleased God to give me levitation (anti-gravitation) and finally, with lastest parts of my energy I finally climbed it somehow, the same way I tried the first thirty times. It worthed every effort! Personally, without doubt hardest boulder I have ever climbed successfully! Only four hard moves, but extreme! I propose grade 7c, although I was thinking too much should I give easier grade, for I did climb only one 7c previously, and that one was clearly my type. But I am very sure this problem deserves its high grade, for it was not even comparable hard as other routes I climbed. That day I have climbed 5 new routes, all quite hard for me.

That are 19 new routes in Texas in total! Did not do so much F.A. in my entire life together! Also, in Friday I tried to climb a line 5m left of unnamed problem on highest boulder, B5, but I gave up soon, it was simply extremely hard, specially because sit start is possible. It would be probably no less than about 8b. What a crimp monster, all holds are so small, and if you add overhang to it…mamma!

SUNDAY, 8.1.
Nothing, of course, I am dead from Saturday 6hr of climbing…but it was so sunny

MONDAY, 9.1.
Nice day again, but we had to go to Dubrovnik to catch the ferry, so time was short, specially because we planned to take a walk around its town walls. But we have packed day before and decided to visit Lovrinac for some 2 hours. I was sorry I did not visit it before, but I had other places, which are without doubt more beautiful, so I was not sorry. And, it was quite spooky of graveyard, we arrived there at 7 A.M., was nobody there except some old ladies not looking us quite pleasant Anyway I climbed some nice things, rock was relatively dry. I almost flashed “Munja” (second try) and climbed things up to 7b+ (hardest was “Zena Dijete”, not comparably hard as 7c I climbed two days before, somewhat hard as “Deep shit”, although completely different moves). “Zena dijete” actually is my type of the boulder, with quite high holds so I needed to cheat from a stone and board below. I did it from 6th, although it is hard. I tried “Boomerang”, I wanted to see how 7c+ here looks like. It is hard, but climbable, I didn’t had time for more than three tries, so I had to leave it unfortunately. If only I have climbed it before. Then we hit the road and after short Dubrovnik sightseeing we went home. Well, everything passed so quickly when schedule was full, those eight days seemed like two or three.

Texas is beautiful place, and I am sure I will climb there again next time when I will have opportunity to come in Split (hoping until then I will be able to climb harder things there, including the crimp monster ). I have marked all problems with “Korektura eko-fluid”, which I bought in Split in Thursday. They are marked in the way it is common in Croatia. And it is great to not put the names, it just ruins the rock indeed in so wild nature environment! Also, below some boulders I have seen some old junk. It is very sad to see mountaineers, people who should love the nature, act in that way, right?! All of you think of that! Not only one climbing area has been closed as was polluted a lot… Please, don’t ruin this valley!

Kastel Sucurac is also beautiful and not too much behind Texas because of potential, quality of the rock is higher, boulders are nearer to each other, but it is typical urban bouldering area. That’s why it will be always more visited, as many people find that an advantage. Me, personally I like more wild nature sites, because in Italy and generally around there are much less such places. Actually they cannot be found at all!

Only Lovrinac I didn’t like too much, but still would like to visit it next time to climb the rest of 7-grades problems. I know it is for your climbers very important because of historical reasons, but it is just two boulders, with very small potential, but well developed. Such stage of development have the most places in Italy. In Kastel Sucurac there are lot of potential for hundreds of routes, and it would be interesting to see the place when it will be completely developed. I assume in Sucurac could be something like 400-500 routes and in Texas even hundred or two hundred more.

So, finally I will say farewell to Dalmatia and Split, see you hoping soon!

by Giovanni Fermi (Bari, Italy)
source : http://www.dalmatia-climbing.net