The World Cup start in Meiringen did not go as planned for Simon Lorenzi with 39th place. The Belgian was able to prove his strength in the bouldering paradise of Ticino. In Brione he managed the Boulder Vecchio Leone (8b), Kingdom (8b+/c) and Everything the Light Touches (8c) within a few days.
The Start of the World Cup season went for Simon Lorenzi as in the previous year, not as desired. Despite being in good physical and mental condition, the 25-year-old failed to qualify and ended up 39th in Meiringen. Following the first IFSC competition of the year, Simon Lorenzi stayed for a few days Brione. There he got within a very short time several hard boulders in the upper eighth French degree, including Vecchio Leone (8b) Kingdom (8b+/c) as well Everything the Light Touches (8c).
New beta for little climbers
In Brione, Simon Lorenzi also tried his hand at bouldering Poison the Well (8c+). The overhanging block with its powerful and precise moves was at the first ascent through the power of Giuliano Cameroni in February 2019 only the second boulder of this difficulty in Switzerland.
"Even though I haven't been able to make the key move yet, I'm glad I found a variation that works for me. I'll be back."
Simon Lorenzi
"I wanted to try out a new beta for smaller climbers," says Lorenzi, who, at 168 centimeters tall, is one of the smaller athletes. And it seems that the Belgian has found a suitable movement sequence: "Even though I haven't been able to make the key move yet, I'm glad to have found a variant that works for me. I'll be back."
Video: Giuliano Cameroni on the first ascent of Poison the Well (8c +)
Short process
Simon Lorenzi had already had a quick look at the two kinglines Vecchio Leone (8b) and Kingdom (8b+/c) in the past. In the two days he spent in the Vecchio sector, he finally managed to do both boulders within the same session.
Kingdom was founded in 2013 by American Carlo Traversi first climbed and originally rated 8c. However, later climbers rated the boulder easier, which is why the difficulty level is 8b+/c for the slash rating.
“Everything the Light Touches felt easier with my beta. But that's difficult to judge, especially since the style suits me perfectly."
Simon Lorenzi
After his inspections of Vecchio Leone and Kingdom, Simon Lorenzi took on the new creation Everything the Light Touches (8c) by Aidan Roberts. After finding the beta that was right for him, he was able to climb the boulder after just a few attempts. For the assessment, Lorenzi writes that the line felt a little lighter with his beta. But it is difficult to assess, especially since the style suits him perfectly.
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Credits: Cover picture Oriane Tollebeek