The bouldering at Donnas and the problem Global Warming by Niccolò Ceria

Niccolò Ceria introduces the bouldering area Donnas in Valle d'Aosta and his latest problem, Global Warming 8B.

Donnas is a small village located in the lower Aosta Valley, known amongst climbers for its famous crag a stone’s throw from the centre. During the last few years I heard more and more about a bouldering area above the crag, that some boulders had been brushed and that it still had great potential for new lines up good rock.

At the end of 2012 I finally got the chance to visit this place I’d never visited despite being close to home. I climbed some problems established by Alberto Gnerro such as Klettermachine, a beautiful overhanging sheet of rock with about 12 powerful moves and Mucca Pazza, a smaller boulder but nevertheless a great problem. These boulders are located just above the crag and can be reached by continuing along the main path for circa 10 minutes.

The next time I visited I checked out the higher sector which is reached by walking for a further 20 minutes. This upper sector contains the Doomsday, a really nice 7C+ freed by Andrea Zanone and probably the best problem of all. Just to the right there’s a horizontal roof which at first glance seemed possible. I immediately tried the moves and after a couple of hours I had managed to climb every single move, all I needed to do was link them all. I was back the next day and managed to free Global Warming, one of my most difficult and most beautiful problems to date.

The surrounding area is secluded and tranquil, even more so that the lower sector. Currently there are about 40 problems from 4A to 8B and the potential is great with plenty of fine boulders still to be cleaned and climbed in the future.

DONNAS - RECOMMENDED BOULDER PROBLEMS
Era Nova 6C
Profezia Maya 7A+
Ricochet 7B+
Doomsday 7C+
Klettermachine 8A
Global warming 8B

by Niccolò Ceria