Annalisa De Marco and the disarming lightness of bouldering

EXTREME SIMPLICITY by Simone Raina
Polite, silent, almost afraid her smile might disturb. This is how Annalisa approached that incredibly perfect chunk of rock that had caused Bernd Zangerl so much trouble before his first ascent. Along she came, almost on cue, following the intuition of Gabri (Moroni ed) while we "strongmen", Valdo and I, failed to make any headway at all.

"So Anna, the problem is simple in its beauty and difficulty: three starting holds, then a heel hook, crimp the first one, small but not "terrible", then move on to the poor hold, weight the heel hook and then sort of dyno to the good hold.”

Silence. She sets off relaxed and confused about which is the right crimp and which the left, about how they should be used. First the poor crimp, heel hook, light… second poor crimp and then, almost like in a gym when you don’t know where to go, she asks for advice, feels her way upwards. Complete disbelief.

In a whisper almost, so as not to make noise and ruin the moment, we recommend she continues upwards, towards one of the holds with white tick marks. She gives it a go, weights those minuscule edges never touched before by anyone else, then reaches up for the good hold… and misses, falls, to an complete uproar. Five minutes later she gives it another go, her feet skid off where no one thought it possible, but she continues only to drop off because of all this confusion.

Annalisa needs no more. She sets off, extremely light and with a simplicity that masks the true difficulty of what she’s just doing she walks her way to the top, statically, clean, elegant. Only for a second does she hesitate, on the final mantle, disoriented almost by the suddenly good holds and the top out. One of the most impressive things we've ever seen.

Sometimes, when you know the difficulty of a particular move, it’s hard to imagine that it can really be climbed so smoothly. There was perhaps more amazement in my eyes, in those of Valdo and Gabri, than in Anna’s. She replied with her smile, full of joy, and an almost bizarre sensation for the extreme simplicity with which she’d sent the problem. The real question is how far can she take things now… Disney production, 8A+, first female repeat.

Annalisa, for those who do not know you, can you quickly introduce yourself? And how did you start climbing?
I'm 19, I live in the Primiero valley at the foot of the Pale di San Martino in the Italian Dolomites and my biggest love is climbing. I started climbing as a youngster, some friends of mine climbed and from the very first handhold I touched I realized this would be my sport.

You're known for your excellent results in bouldering competitions. What do climbing competitions give you?
Although I live in the mountains I’ve always viewed climbing as being linked to indoor competitions, only in recent years have I begun climbing outdoors, on rock. Competitions offer the perfect opportunity to compare yourself with others, the adrenaline you feel before trying a problem, when you're still in isolation, is something very powerful indeed, and it’s this that can then lead you to victory. The great thing about competitions is that they’re unpredictable, you can find yourself against perfect problems and have the competition of a lifetime, or tackle problems that don’t suit your style and perhaps do less well.

You've had some excellent results in the past
I achieved my best results when I was still very young, in 2011 I managed to win the European Youth Cup and the Italian Senior Cup, I’ve won several Italian Youth Bouldering championships and last year I managed to place second in the European Youth Championships in Arco. I’ve also had the chance to compete in World Cup competitions, reaching the semifinals in Innsbruck and taking part in the 2013 European Bouldering Championships in Eindhoven.

We do know you've had a difficult season ...
This season didn’t go particularly well because I injured my ankle injury before the World Youth Championships in Arco. Let's just say that I was a little down and not 100% motivated.

Now though you’re in the news for something completely different, at least for us: an amazing send of the boulder problem Disney Production at Brione. How did this come about?
moved close to Milan about two months ago to study massage therapy and so I’ve now got the chance to climb in Switzerland’s Ticino. Sending Disney Production was really satisfying, I’d never tried anything this difficult before and even I was surprised by the ease with which I sent it. It was my first time in Brione, after warming up on some easy problems Anna, Irene and I started attempting Molonk, a beautiful crimpy 7C with a difficult finishing swing. After a few attempts I found the right beta and managed to send it. Gabri then arrived and asked if I wanted to try an 8A +, Disney Production. I was feeling in great shape, conditions were perfect and, curious to try something that difficult, I immediately accepted.

And then
We got to the problem, I carefully studied the moves: the holds were clear-cut crimps, as beautiful as they are small. Problems like this usually suit my style and I immediately thought I had nothing to lose and may as well give it a go. On my first attempt I immediately reached the hard move, but failed to stick the crimp below the top. Things went better on my second attempt, the moves feel good and I’d found the right footholds, but once again I failed to properly hold the last crimp. I rested a bit and then managed the send… I couldn’t believe it and was overcome with immense joy!

Are you totally focused on bouldering, or is there space in your rucksack for a rope and harness?
I live in the Dolomites, there’s no doubt that I need to climb at the nearby crags and rock faces. When I go sport climbing I do so without expectations, I always try easy routes, but you never know... What is certain is that I really need to train my endurance!

Speaking of the Dolomites: are there any climbers who have particularly inspired you? And how important is the past for you?
The history of climbing is definitely important because had it not been for those climbers who, thanks to their motivation, pushed the boundaries, climbing wouldn’t be the sport it is nowadays.
I don’t have any particular legends or idols, but someone I particularly respect is Yuri Gadenz who, with his experience, tried to teach me all he knows about climbing. I owe many of my successes to him.

Any other names worth mentioning? Maybe a female climber?
The girl who’s impressed me most recently is Giorgia Tesio, we’ll hear her name more and more in the future ...

Talking about women: what’s it like being a strong female climber among all these men ;-)
Let's just say that sometimes it's satisfying to prove that women can do what men do ;-)

Where will we see Anna in the near future?
One thing is certain: I’m really motivated. I'd like to continue trying hard problems outdoors, but I’d also like to continue taking part in competitions, hopefully I’ll do well in the Italian Cup and maybe I’ll even be asked to represent Italy in some international competitions.