Essegi 2018

knotmyself · Apr 3, 2018

Beautiful! I cant wait to see what happens!

Essegi · Apr 8, 2018

Thanks!

So the biggest jalapeno has pods:

I've left plants outside 2 days ago and tonight too.

So we started the course, not much photos...
Saturday we mainly spoke and made knots and we made a descent.
Today i hadn't the chance to take much photos, i had my phone on the backpack. I've used crampoons and iceaxe and they are awesome tools. I'm happy with my rampoons, they're just manual but they haven't moved a bit.
We hike to reach a scree then we applied some techniques, the funniest one was self arrest, we were harnessed and we launched ourself down the scree and we had to stop with iceaxe. Also creating anchors was interesting.
Snow was a bit soft but sure, still i collapsed quite a lot. Surface was inclined about 40°, honest.

I took just that at the end:

Now i post those 3 stolen form whatsapp group:

It was a bit cold when we stoppen in shade (and our group has always been in shade :rofl:

), but i sweated so much, it was hot and wet.

Essegi · Apr 15, 2018

On ground from yesterday!

That Jalapeno Brown is promising!

stickman · Apr 15, 2018

Essegi said:
On ground from yesterday!

That Jalapeno Brown is promising!

Way to go Giancarlo! It's nice to see someone's plants starting to pod up. Cheers!

Sent from my SM-S327VL using Tapatalk

Essegi · Apr 22, 2018

Thanks, Rick!
That Jalapeno Brown just doesn't stop!

This is an experiment... Raisins with grappa and with brandy. I'll see in 3 months.

Just a random photo of Lumignano:

In those rocks there are lots of ways.

And yesterday i went to Grappa via Sass Brusai, that means burnt stones. Cool hike.

Approach was quite steep at some point:

The start was the most difficult part:

Up there's still some snow...

It was cool, with some difficult passages and many easier.

Some WW trenches.

There were many chamoises, at least 6 on that pic

That was a nice sight facing dolomites.

stickman · Apr 22, 2018

Nice pics of your Jalapenos and your trip! I'd be interested in your take on the pickled grapes... when I was a kid, I helped one of my Dad's co-workers, Giacomo Pisoni (who was originally from Tuscany) press grapes for wine, and make grappa from the pulp and skins of the grapes after all the juice was squeezed out. After the fermentation was over, he'd run it through a clay pot still and make the grappa. He only made a few gallons a year, so it had to last at least that long. My dad had a Gravely tractor and would till Giacomo's garden every spring. Giacomo's wife Ena would make Dad a meal and he'd share a glass of grappa with Giacomo. The first time they did this, he gave dad the glass of grappa before he did the tilling job, and dad said afterwards he couldn't have plowed a straight furrow to save his life! :rofl:

chelicerae · Apr 22, 2018

Nice sunny (and adventurous) trip! "The start was the most difficult part" is a great shot.

Good to see jalapeño pods too.

Devv · Apr 22, 2018

Very nice Giancarlo!

The Jalapeno seems very happy

One just have to love all the Annuum's...

Congrats on the accent, but what goes up must come down. How does that part go?

Essegi · Apr 29, 2018

Jalapeno gets always better:

I guess i can't pretend a 100% standard shape since they're the brown variation, but there's nothing to complain until now.

Dedo De Mocas still growing in height...
Datil looks fine, now they're starting a bit to grow. Rain is needed.

Today we went to a vajo, that is how steep gorges of Piccole Dolomiti are called (it means valley in dialect):

It got steeper and steeper and at the end around 50°. Not so difficult if you are not first like me.

From end of that:

I couldn't take a proper photo...

Way down after some test maneuver:

Snow was good here.
Pretty amazing considering how hot those days have been. Now i'm done with snow until end of June...

Some landscape:

stickman said:
Nice pics of your Jalapenos and your trip! I'd be interested in your take on the pickled grapes... when I was a kid, I helped one of my Dad's co-workers, Giacomo Pisoni (who was originally from Tuscany) press grapes for wine, and make grappa from the pulp and skins of the grapes after all the juice was squeezed out. After the fermentation was over, he'd run it through a clay pot still and make the grappa. He only made a few gallons a year, so it had to last at least that long. My dad had a Gravely tractor and would till Giacomo's garden every spring. Giacomo's wife Ena would make Dad a meal and he'd share a glass of grappa with Giacomo. The first time they did this, he gave dad the glass of grappa before he did the tilling job, and dad said afterwards he couldn't have plowed a straight furrow to save his life!

Haha Rick, niice story! Sounds like good old days!

When i open some of those pickles i must remember to tell here. Maybe on 25th July when it's my dad birthday.

chelicerae said:
Nice sunny (and adventurous) trip! "The start was the most difficult part" is a great shot.

Good to see jalapeño pods too.

Thanks!
I can't wait for those penos!

Devv said:
Very nice Giancarlo!

The Jalapeno seems very happy One just have to love all the Annuum's...

Congrats on the accent, but what goes up must come down. How does that part go?

Thanks! After the ferrata we hiked our way to the peak, made a good stop at shelter with a good beer, then descended by a standard hiking route. Usually vie ferrate must be used to climb and not to descend (at least not to hamper who's using them correcly).

Essegi · May 16, 2018

Time for an update!

Dedo De Mocas slowed a bit when put on ground but now they are resuming thei relentless path to greatness:

Now over 1 meter.

Also i hope to have soon pods:

The second Jalapeno Brown plants don't produces pods as big as the first, but they are more:

This is one of the biggest of the other plant:

Datils aren't that big but are fine:

And setting pods!

I got another course weekend... Soryy but i don't have photos. It was a cool place to climb but not with good panoramas as mountains. We went to Arco, there are maby many climbing routes here.

Saturday has been funny, first we went to steep rocks to take confidence with climbing shoes and to practice maneuvers, rappeling and so on.
Then they made us climb on some small crag... I tried a couple of ways... First one was 5b and didn't seem that difficult, maybe i went off route. The second was 6a and the key point was too much for me, i overcame it with much time and helped by the guy that secured me that pulled a lot the rope here. I can say that crag is way much more funny than gym (not that i've been on gym that much).
The second day was bad... There was rain and i was in the group that went on the shaded part of the mountain... So we didn't much stuff while some others managed to make a full rock way. I was so envious.

Devv · May 17, 2018

Congrats on the Datil pods.

Seems like you're working harder on your days off

Essegi · May 29, 2018

Thanks, Scott!

Dedo De Moca are still growing:

Here a pod:

Datils:

Those from the other plant:

Not sure this one is the right shape...

And first haul!!!

Here the biggest one:

Bigger plant has bigger pods, maybe with a bit thinner walls ans usually not much seeds:

Smaller, that is a tad more productive, maybe thicker and with more seeds:

Usual treatment:

Bigger pods were hotter, for sure much hotter than how a Jalapeno should be, i'd say noticeably hotter than Serrano.
While those were still awesome i prefer Serrano. Dunno why, maybe because they were smaller, they tasted even better. Also they were really productive.

This is me on a very short crag way (it should be raetd 5b) as the first climber, my first try on that. I received twice a phone call and i managed to reply to the second one. :rofl:

After buying crampoons and the rest i thought my equipment expenses was done for that year... But no, seeing others i wanna buy a good long rope and ten quickdraws. If i don't resist i'm going to throw another 200€ in.

Today i bought the chalkbag just to start... At least i have one of the best equipment shops near where i work.

tsurrie · May 29, 2018

Way to go Giancarlo. Just be careful up on these walls.
Congrats on the harvest. Pods are looking delicious, especially when wrapped up in that delicious sliced meat

Devv · May 29, 2018

+1 on #53

That being said from a guy who despises ladders...LOL

Sawyer · May 30, 2018

Great updates and beautiful pictures, Giancarlo. You've stoked my desire to return to Wyoming this year. Though I'll stick to the hiking trails and leave the rocks to others.

Here locally, I recently returned to a secret trail along which there are many, many Jack-in-the-pulpit wildflowers growing. At one point, I found myself stuck, one foot on a small rock, can't reach the rock above for a hand hold, and a steep, rocky slide below me into the lake. I crouched and leapt and fortunately my grip was good. Pulled myself up and went on my way. A friend later said I unleashed my inner youth. Perhaps. I do know I'm too old to be doing that alone.

Bacon-wrapped peppers... mmmmmm. What were they stuffed with?

Essegi · May 30, 2018

tsurrie said:
Way to go Giancarlo. Just be careful up on these walls.
Congrats on the harvest. Pods are looking delicious, especially when wrapped up in that delicious sliced meat

Thanks! Indeeed being first, even just on crag, requires more care.

Devv said:
+1 on #53

That being said from a guy who despises ladders...LOL

Thanks, Scott!

Sawyer said:
Great updates and beautiful pictures, Giancarlo. You've stoked my desire to return to Wyoming this year. Though I'll stick to the hiking trails and leave the rocks to others.

Here locally, I recently returned to a secret trail along which there are many, many Jack-in-the-pulpit wildflowers growing. At one point, I found myself stuck, one foot on a small rock, can't reach the rock above for a hand hold, and a steep, rocky slide below me into the lake. I crouched and leapt and fortunately my grip was good. Pulled myself up and went on my way. A friend later said I unleashed my inner youth. Perhaps. I do know I'm too old to be doing that alone.

Bacon-wrapped peppers... mmmmmm. What were they stuffed with?

Mmh, it's always bad when rocks move... Once i had to offer a beer for that.

Sooner or later i want to go on an hard trekking... Maybe half north of GR20 and Selvaggio Blu, but i have to train to walk with heavy load for first. Also Alta Via of Dolomites look fabulous (and i've them near).

Those peppers were stuffed with Philadelphia and Cheddar Cheese. So good that i've yet to try something different.

Essegi · Jun 4, 2018

Dedo de Moca gained about 25 cm in less than a week:

Left plant was the earlier and the biggest. I don't know why it's bare on the trunk, while the other looks better and now it's higher. Still it has more pods, i guess soon that will change too.

Datil seems decent producers:

Saturdy i went with friend to Becco di Fliadonna and Vigolana. It's said to be a very panoramic hike...

Not that day.

Alpacas at the shelter...

There were that strange hole, we guessed it could be between 50 and 100m wide...

That was the most beautiful part.

Yesterday some climbing at Rocca Penidice.. It's very particular since it has volcanic rock and it's different from crags:

Quite crowded...

Here our first try, our best man tried to open the way but we withdrawn and left a quickdraw here... Someone better than us then picked it up and returned it.

Sawyer · Jun 4, 2018

Any idea what created that hole?

Essegi · Jun 5, 2018

Sawyer said:
Any idea what created that hole?

Of course we didn't knew about that so we blamed aliens or alien worshippers. :rofl:

Honestly i can't find much infos, here are more photos:
http://www.gruppovigolana.it/pozza-arionda.html
I even haven't understood if true name il "Busa Della Caldera" or "Pozza Arionda" and if it's really a sinkhole.

Now a little rant: i went to a medic podiatrist to renew orhtotics. It wasn't a cheap one and proposed to visit me since i was a new customer. I wasn't even sure to do that and just ask for orhtotics, i had already been visiited many times from other medics and i had a prescription after all. But, screw that, this is health so care is never enough. Long story short: true that i have a Morton's neuroma but my problems aren't caused by that otherwise i'd have a much more intense pain. He said that i am extremely stiff with short muscles and that is the problem. So he ordered me to stretch every day 2 to 4 times. :eek:

I just know that i feel better after that visit (i had some knee problems, probably i did something wrong at the gym). He didn't even wanted to make the orhtotics since he said it would be pretty useless (since that would have granted him at least other 100€ i believe that... Also, he fixed a bit the current ones :clap:

). Really, no one in 2-3 years even remotely thought that...

Sorry for the rant, now something better:

At last i bought a rope and 10 quickdraws... A burly 9,7mm, 80m long. For sure i'll regret that when i'll have to carry or repack it. :rofl:

Essegi · Jun 16, 2018

While Datil and Dedo De Moca are taking a while to ripe, here a small jalapeno colored:

Dedo De Moca now over 1.60 m!

Tonight i had a couple of birthday of some dear friends so i made chili and piadine:

As usual plus a laurel leave. That one has been really good.

I prepared a douigh for piadine, then i made balls...
Maybe i've yet to taste a proper piadina made on the right place but, in spite of my very custom recipe, i'm satisfied with those. I've used type 2 flour instead 0, half water and half wine (making the dough more hydrated than normal piadina dough), evo instead lard (honestly, i should try more with lard but i don't really care that much), no yeast and higher rest time.

Nothing fancy, but i was happy of the execution.

Some leftovers, good for next days!

And last weekend there was the penultimate exit with the course and the most interesting so far and by far. Unfortunately i couldn't go saturday for some serious problems, but i was able to go there sunday and they told me it has beed the better day. But on saturday they celebrated birthday and the guy offered a lot to drink. He got so drunk that he couldn't climb on sunday... :rofl:

And, even more, i've been told that it wasn't even his birthday, he faked it just to make a party! :rofl:

It would have been cool to be here.

By the way my group went to 5 torri di (five towers of) Falzarego. That's an enormously cool place. dolomites at their best, mountains here look fabuolous.

Here approaching the place.

Here where i went:

First Quarta Torre Bassa (Fourt Tower, Low), up of 60m with 2 stops, then down 20m, up 40 (second photo) to Quarta Torre Alta (Fourth Tower, High), up another 40m with 1 stop. So 5 pitches... Then descended with just 1 stop and inside an hole, that was cool. It's rated IV.

Some sight at the top, with other guys climbing:

Here a bit of rappeling:

This is Sorapis, it's one of the mountains i'd like to climb. It should be easy but long, as i like.

The slope on the right is Lastoni di Formin, in the Croda da Lago group with other mountains behind.

Climbing here is much much cooler than crag, it's much more satisfying.