Caroline Ciavaldini climbs Greenspit in Valle dell’Orco, Italy

On Sunday the 3rd of November, Caroline Ciavaldini repeated Greenspit (8b/+) in Valle dell’Orco, Italy. Having challenged herself to master the art of crack climbing in 2024, the French climber dedicated much of this year to training for the route. She built her own garden ‘crack-machine’ so that she could train at home whilst looking after the kids, and even spent some time in the world-renowned crack cellar of Tom Randall in the UK.

Having faced a major setback when she tore her hamstring while trying the route in May, Ciavaldini was thrilled to finally succeed in climbing Greenspit last weekend, making its third female ascent after Barbara Zangerl in 2020 and Laura Pineau last month.

Ciavaldini adds Greenspit to her impressive and ever-growing resume of hard trad-climbs around the world. The 39-year-old shared her thoughts on the climb: "At the end of September I started trying Greenspit again, after a couple of earlier sessions in May of this year, when I actually tore my hamstring trying the route. Coming back this Autumn was almost like starting again, as I’d forgotten most of my beta.

This was my fourth session back on the route this season and it was the same game as every time, I didn’t think I was going to do it today. I felt under pressure, I felt grumpy, I warmed-up and it didn’t feel great. I didn’t think I was ready.

I realised I had to change my mindset and just enjoy the climbing and appreciate I had James and the kids there with me. On my first go, I managed to make a new high point before falling. I’ve never had two good tries in one day before on Greenspit, so I wasn’t that optimistic about my second go.

It’s my first real route of this type and it was so nice to feel almost like a beginner again. I loved the process of trying to improve on these jams and I used visualisation a lot for this route, especially for the first section (up to the rest), which should actually be relatively straightforward but which I found particularly hard. I really had to take it move by move, only focussing on the current jam and not thinking beyond that. Not even really thinking about doing the whole route, but just getting through the next move.

On my second go of the day, I made it through the first section, to the rest. Something I’d never done twice in one day before now. At the rest, I was able to clear my mind, I knew the second section like the back of my hand, as I’d spent many recent nights visualising how I’d climb it. So, I just let my body do what it knew how to do. I still had the main cruxes ahead of me but I just went at it with nothing really in my mind and the next thing I know I’ve arrived at the rest after the last crux. Just a couple of movements left do do and I didn’t want to fluff it. Now I started to feel a bit of pressure. I had made a choice to protect myself with just a single ‘friend’ for this last section, which I’d placed rather hurridly. Images of this piece ripping and me taking a ground-fall infront of my young kids flashed through my mind momentarily. I managed to block it out and make those last few moves. I’d done it!

Overall, it’s been a really cool journey. The process of building my ‘crack-machine’ (with the help of my neighbours), training on it, perfecting my technique and working through the pain barrier to learn something new and climb this iconic route, with my whole family watching, has been pretty amazing!"

GREENSPIT
Greenspit in Valle dell’Orco, Italy, is one of the most famous crack climbs in the world. The crack was originally bolted in the mid eighties by Roberto Perucca with green bolts, hence the name, and in 2003 Didier Berthod chopped the bolts and led the route with pre-placed gear. After his pinkpoint ascent the Swissman returned in 2005 and placed all gear on lead. Over the years the 12m horizontal roof has become a coveted test for some of the world’s best crack climbers.