Ten years after his first try on Dave Graham’s From Dirt Grows the Flowers (V15), Carlo Traversi managed to send this classic boulder this March.
Discovered by Dave Graham in Chironico, Switzerland, “From Dirt” is a beautiful line that combines power and technique, with a first half considered a V13 and a slopey V11 finish that goes to a slab exit. The problem consists of a line of crystals from the back of a roof, followed by the mantle that gave Carlo nightmares. This V11 section is mostly without handholds and features pretty scarce foot-holds so it’s all about timing, precision, and maybe a bit of luck.
It’s not considered one of the most beautiful boulders in the area but most definitely has a reputation as a hard test piece with a certain flow only Dave can impose.
Climbed by Adam Ondra, Jan Hojer, and Jimmy Webb, “From Dirt” was now on top of Carlo’s list, who is no stranger to the magical routes established by Dave “The Wizard” in the forests of Ticino. In 2013, during a Swiss trip, Traversi sent “Story of two worlds” (V15) and made the first ascent of “The Kingdom” V14/15 and almost reached the top of “From Dirt”, unfortunately falling from the exit mantle.
In an Instagram post, Carlo said that while returning to Switzerland this year, he put “From Dirt Grows the Flowers” at the top of his priority list, and fortunately, he did it.
The process wasn’t that easy because he had multiple sessions, which were quite confusing, with one promising day followed by a terrible one. In an interview for 8a.nu, he said that on the day of the send, he had good cold-weather conditions with some wind, and he was able to give the route another try. He felt quite stiff during the warm-up but things started getting better during the climb.
Traversi described the send go as weightless, with no struggle, and that it felt like the easiest climb he had on the whole trip.
You can check out Carlos’ achievement on the new Mellow film Decade+, featuring his attempts and also the send, in utter silence and harmony.
Featured image: @carlodenali
