Game over INNSBRUCK, FEBRUARY 2006   I'd exchanged some emails with Albert Leichtfried in the autumn and he invited me to try his route "Game Over" (M13) in a cave above Innsbruck in Austria... "Bubu, you have to repeat my route!" "Yeah sure, but what do you think... can I do it without spurs"? "Maybe... I don't know... it'll be really hard"! "Of course it will! But I'm strong"! ...what a laugh! After the disappointment of Daone my blood was boiling and so I needed to return to my friends at Campitello to cool off. Jenny Laverda, also pissed off about what had happened at Daone, was armed and ready to explode... "I have to climb" she said. "Come on, let's go to the Mario cave...".She managed to do the "Madonna" (M10) and together we decided to go to Austria because she wanted to train on an artificial structure in Innsbruck for the Olympics and I wanted to try Game Over. We set off for Austria. She promised to be my belay during the day for my project and I was to accompany her to the Tivoli at night, an indoor wall in the centre of the city. We went to the cave in the morning but unfortunately after two hours' walk we didn't find the cave... something wasn't right in the topo. That evening, disappointed and beaten we went to the Tivoli for her training where I was surprised by what she did... she hung on to everything! Seeing that I was no good as a belay... my hands were sweating... I took off and did a few simple routes as I hadn't done anything for a few months. Jenny screamed "That hold isn't valid... go up the other one..." I completely lost it, I couldn't understand all those coloured holds... it was all so difficult! I hadn't trained since May because I had lost all motivation. How is it possible that after 25 years of climbing I had so much difficulty with four holds? ...and there she was as if it were nothing! The morning after we left to look for the cave again... four hours' walk and still nothing. Snow up to my hips and Jenny whining that due to the effort her leg muscles were swollen and as a result she had gained weight! I couldn't believe it! It was better not to tell her that I was an Alpine Guide! Angrier than ever we decided to turn back via the way we came. When we got to the wood below we took another route as our last hope. During the walk we found some skis sticking out of the snow and voices in the distance... a sign of hope. It took us an hour to get to the overhang where some Austrians were climbing. One of them recognized me... "Hi Bubu...what are you doing? "Fuck... we've been walking for two days! Where's the M13"? "Over there in the cave" "Thanks... I'd better go, it's getting dark" Jenny said "Aren't you going to warm up?" "No, I'm hot and irritated... I'm going and that's it! There's no time. I'm off with no spurs!" And so I went. Before arriving at the exit a hold broke and I flew into the middle of the cave. Cursing, I tried to go back up the rope but Jenny was too light to be a counterweight and so I had to start from scratch. "You can try again tomorrow. You'll be fresh and less nervy" "Now's the right time... I might not be in the right frame of mind again tomorrow" Even though there were only a few minute's of light left I took off... with incredible concentration... I got to the rest stop... fuck...! We got back in the dark of night and then ran off to the Tivoli for Jenny's training. Our legs and arms were dead tired but we did our duty. Then on the plastic - which I really don't like - I must admit, I managed to enjoy myself. The evening ended with a few glasses of Guinness in a great pub. Thanks Jenny... you helped me find my motivation and the joy of climbing again after I had lost it ...and helped me to understand that the passion exists deep inside us all!   Bubu
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				Photos by Jenny Laverda