Ciaos From Italy!
Hi Steph, i’m Jacopo, i am 22 years old, and also a climber from Belluno (Italy). I was at the Oltre le Vette festival yesterday night (i have to be onest, it was the only one i’ve been to this year!), sitting in the first places, and I was so amazed by the photos you showed (also the videos, but as a high addicted climber, i saw all of them time before :D). I know you just from the books i read and from some movies i saw, but being there yesterday night was awesome. I always try to imagine some of the top climbers in their real life when i read books about them ( i read a lot of books about climbing, they give me so much motivation), but it’s always kinda hard. It’s sometime difficult to compare the actions of climbing (or skydiving and basejumping) with the idea of a normal person, i mean a person you just see every day walking in your town. So, being at your show yesterday night was something special for me, coz you showed to all those people what climbing and understanding natural forces is about. Also you showed them that being a climber doesn’t necessarily mean that you are completly crazy LOL!
Anyway, I woke up this morning with the intention of writing this mail, cuz i just wanted to thank you for the great show you had and for the motivation that people like you keep giving at the community of climbers all over the world.
I wish you some great flights and a lot of luck with all your future projects!
with love
Jacopo Bridda (a grateful fan!)
Hi Steph! My name is Licia. Last night I was at Teatro comunale in Belluno, Italy and had the occasion to watch the images of your adventures and listen to your words. I am not a climber, not a jumper, not even go to the mountains as much as I’d like to. But I could feel what you feel, throw your words.And your smile over all. But my question is, as a mother and a wife to someone I love: can a woman feel as free as you say, even from the thought of death, even though she loves as she does and feel responsability towards others? Thank you for the evening. Lot of love. Licia
Dear Steph,
I discovered you in this world by recently watching one of those amazing documentary of Sender Films, in
which you are showing us your inborn skills.
Tipically, it’s hard for a man to admit that women can do better… but
they (YOU) really do! And you are the proof, the unquestionnable evidence, and more important you dare to be.
I’m a climber too, kinda good but not that much compared to thousands of fellow pushing really hard.
I just break the barrier of .12 this Spring and I’m really fulfilled by now. Let’s go even better. 🙂
I started climbing by chance in 2008 and I’m proud to admit that this chance was certainly the best turning point that happened in my life.I’m 32, I live in the beautiful Switzerland, in the italian “south-and-sunny” part called Ticino. Maybe you know it (Dave Graham did in Bavona valley the first remarkable and historical .15a). I work as an IT Consultant but I know for sure my world, like yours and many others, is simply out there in the unbounded places.
I’m an alpinist too, I did almost 300 summits so far and the counter is destined to move up because my goal is to achive all the peaks that Ticino can offer me (more than 600).
I really love mountaineering, I feel like is the real me that naturally comes out from the inside. I can’t wait to meet my mountains every week-end and each day off.
Same thing for climbing training, I train myself three or four times a week… not bad, I mean.
Climbing here… almost everything is bolted. And that’s because the rock is especially plate, but we have interesting and hard crags too. I use to think I will be safer on bolted routes. Right now I’m proud to gradually enter the world of trad, and probabily I will enjoy it better and better!
Of course we have really beautiful pitches and alpine multipitches, lots of them (as you should know) are world famous.
Big Walls are not as big as those you’re constantly holding on but I guarantee you can completely enjoy yourself.
I went twice to Moab, and visited Arches NP. I definitely love that shiny place in the middle of nowhere. I still can picture it exactly in my mind, when closing my eyes.
I figure those red and brown rocks… wondering if someone do climb up there… now I know the answer is yes, even without any rope and wearing a parachute! 😉
I remember the trail I took to Delicate Arch, what for an awesome place that recalls me the magnitude of the primordial world! Looking at this boundless memory, I’m still listening to the great silence and still smelling one of the rarest smell: the smell of freedom.
I want you to know something:
Yesterday, after several trials I finally did one of my biggest unsolved project, “only” a .11d but (for me) one of the hardest I took. A very technical, powerful and respectably overhanging pitch.
I was thinking of you and your skills before starting, I cleared my mind for a while and when I realized that I finally did, I also realized that you have inspired me.
Definitely, right know you are one of my pure climbing inspiration, a model of clarity, a pattern of behaviour.
And let me say it, you are one of the best, daring, prettiest and sexiest female climber I’ve ever seen.
I love the way you smile, I love the look of your focused eyes when you fight the walls.
Keep it up and alive, because it’s you, because you deserve it, because we need people like you to inspire us, because you absolutely rock out there!
I can’t wait to read your book…
Sorry for “bothering” you, I normally follow my feelings and right now I’m feeling to type this down to you.
All the best.
Andrea (yes, like in Italy is a male name)
Hi Steph!
My name is Azzurra and I write you from Italy! Reading about you I feel you are a woman full of energy and love to give (said me if I wrong and sorry for my english). I really like your way of thinking and living…an inspiration for me REALLY!
I feel like I’m blocked in some way…I know I’ve energy but I don’t find the way to chanelled it and this happen in everything…life,climbing,connections with people (that somtimes seem they are scared from me).
Now i’m free from work and I’ve a lot of time for thinking and I realized it’s hard for me to stay focused…a lot of things are in my mind every second and my brain is like in exploding-mode!
I’ve a lot of things to say/ask to you but it’s hard to make them clear on a letter!
A tip?
A big big hug from
Italy!
P.S. I don’t know where you are now but I feel from the inside to invite you in the place where i’m living now…Finale Ligure (liguria,Italy)! a big pleasure to have you here….
Ciao to all of you! Really, I can’t wait to come back to Italy. For sure I will come next summer. Thank you for your beautiful letters, and I’m truly inspired by your kindness and passionate spirit!!
xxxSteph
