CWIF 2014 and the Road to Recovery

The 2014 competition season began with the Climbing Works International Festival (CWIF) on the 15th and 16th March. After a lot of hardcore training throughout the winter I was feeling psyched and ready to give it 100%. I had little expectation as the start list revealed that multiple international climbers were competing as well as nearly all of the Senior and Junior British bouldering teams.

Women's Qualification results

I competed in the afternoon session as I chose to have a good nights sleep over clean hand holds. This proved to be a good decision for me as I started off well, managing to flash the first 17 or 18 problems. I still had plenty of time left and my energy levels weren't too depleted. I pushed on and surprised myself when I managed to bag more points on certain problems that I thought would be impossible for me. Eventually I managed to break the 200 point barrier which was a far better score that I expected!

I finished before the time ran out with a score of 203. This put me in 8th position, qualifying as the 2nd Brit! I was really pleased with this and it was good to know I was climbing well for the season ahead.









On Sunday I was up early for the semi-finals. I didn't have any expectations as I'd proven to myself that I was climbing well - I was just psyched to try the problems.

Bloc 1

I began well in the semi-final, topping the 1st problem on my 4th attempt.

Bloc 1

Unfortunately things started to go rapidly downhill on the 2nd problem. On my first attempt I fell off from near the top and landed with my left knee hyper-extended ( my knees are hyper-mobile anyway).

Bloc 2 before the fall

At first I couldn't move my leg at all and was planning on pulling out as soon as I was capable of moving off the mats. However the pain eased a bit within the next minute so I decided (perhaps stupidly) to continue. I managed to get another bonus on problem 4 and was quite relieved when the time was up. I finished in 14th and was pleased that I was the first British Junior.

After a trip to A&E I got back just in time to watch the finals. The problems looked super hard but the finalists pulled on and gave it their all. However there could only be one winner - in the women's it was Shauna Coxsey and in the men's it was Tito Caleyron. Well done to all the finalists - awesome climbing all round!

The Cwif was over for another year and yet again it was an amazing competition! Thank you to all of the organizers, route setters and to the Climbing Works for making it happen.

Unfortunately, throughout the next week my knee didn't improve so I had an MRI scan which revealed extensive soft tissue damage as well as bone bruising and a crack in my tibia (I guess the adrenaline kept me going at CWIF!) Because of this I was told not to do any high impact activities for 5-6 weeks (no bouldering!). I began easy leading after 3 weeks which prepared me nicely for my climbing trip to Spain on the 12th April!



Spain - Siurana, Margalef, Arboli

On the 12th April I traveled out to Spain along with Sarah, Tash, Gracie, Naomi, Flo, Billy, Pete, Luke, Alex, Jonny and the parents. I was really looking forward to it, even though I didn't set my aims high because  my knee still couldn't bend properly.

On the first 2 days we went to Siurana where the crushing began. A lot of hard routes were sent and I managed to flash a 7b+ and top a 7c ( already better than I'd expected!)

On the third day we went to Margalef (definitely recommend it for people who like pockets) where we managed to get some quality climbing in away from the sun. I topped another 7b+ and there was more crushing from the boys - Billy and Alex sent an 8a and Luke and Pete got close on an 8a+ and 8B+ (which they topped a few days later).

The following day we had a half day/ rest day. We went to Margalef in the morning, but soon realized we should have got up earlier as the crag was already in the sun. After doing 2 routes we sacked it off and walked up to a massive lake that was nearby. Me, Flo, Billy and Pete arrived first and decided we'd swim to the other side. However we'd seriously under-estimated the distance and only just made it across ( luckily I'd been swimming as part of my rehab!). After the swim back we'd gained a lot of respect for the competitive swimmers as we were all knackered - not the best rest day!



The next day we went to Siurana where we spent a few hours pushing through many holly bushes (it was a mistake wearing shorts) to get to the crag. Unfortunately it wasn't worth the walk in and we only ended up doing chossy routes with 6m runouts. Luckily the walk back only took 10 minutes as we found an alternative path. Me and Gracie also did a few decent climbs on the way out.


The final day took us to Arboli which was an awesome crag with really long routes. I onsighted some 7's which were some of the most enjoyable lines I climbed - though we almost ran out of rope on a 40m route.

All in all it was a fantastic trip and the weather was amazing - thanks to Sarah for the invite and for Mark for organising it!

My knee has improved a lot within the last week, however the 2nd round of the Junior British Bouldering Championships in Glasgow is only 1 week away (26th April). because of this I'm not sure if I'll be able to compete, however I'm hoping to as I won the first round. To retain the title I need to compete in all three rounds..... so fingers crossed!

Tick list from Spain:
Remulo y Romo 7a - onsightC
Chachi qui chapi 7a - flash
Chanidanger 7a+ - onsight
Per tutatis 7a+ - onsight
Pa ella y pa los guiris 7a+ - flash
Crosta panic 7a+ - Flash
Valga'm deu quin patir! 7a+ - flash
Huir para vivir 7a+ - onsight
Montgromyeta 7b+ - second attempt
Bistec de biceps 7b+ - Flash
Avance cangrejo  7c - third attempt

European Youth Cup Bouldering - Laval

The last competition of the bouldering European Youth Cup was held in Laval in France on the 12th and 13th October. A bigger team than usual travelled out because the multi-discipline climbers from the lead team came as well. We flew out to France on Thursday and, after a longer drive than we expected, arrived at the hotel feeling rather tired. Luckily we had the whole day on Friday to rest before the comp began on Saturday.

After a lie-in and some breakfast, we went into Laval where we had a team CAC photo. There was then some time to explore the town and do a bit of shopping before we had to be back for the opening ceremony in the evening. After listening to some french speeches and going up on the stage when our country was called, it was over.

The team on stage in Laval (photo tweeted by OnThisROC)

However before dinner we had a great team talk from Nathan and Tom where they gave us really useful advise for the competition the following day.

On Saturday morning we headed down to the wall early so that we would be warmed up and ready for when the competition began. The youth A and Junior girls climbed the same problems at the same time which meant we had 2 hours to climb the 8 problems instead of 1 1/2 hours.

The Youth A and Junior Qualifiers

Before the competition began, I wasn't feeling that positive as all 8 boulders looked really hard. Because of this, I chose to climb one of the easier ones first to build up my confidence. This got me off to a good start, and by the end of 2 hours, due to my determination and the team's support I'd topped 6 of the 8 boulders. I was very pleased with my performance and thought it was a good end to the season. My overall position was 9th (still no final!) but I thought I performed better than I had done previously. I also finished the season with a European and World ranking of 7th for my age group.Rachel, Gracie, Molly and Jen also performed well - either made improvements from previous rounds or performed well in their first bouldering European.

It was still the morning, so the Youth A and Junior male categories were still to come. In the Youth A boys, Team GB had 2 competitors - Hamish and Alex. Both climbed well and Hamish was unlucky not to have made the final as he had to pull out due to injury.

As the afternoon approached, Nathan was still to climb (male Junior) and the whole team was ready to support him. There was a lot of pressure because it was his last junior competition, however, as always, he performed amazingly and comfortably qualified for the finals in 5th position. Later on in the evening, the Youth A and Junior finals began - and in the male junior category wee had Nathan to support. Throughout the final, Nathan climbed really well - topping all of the boulders! |This meant he was guaranteed at least second position even though there were still more people  to climb! As the last climber came out.we all knew he had to top it to beat Nathan. He fell off once....then again....and again....and anther time! The timer ran out as he was on the boulder so we all knew that if he fell off, Nathan would get the gold...... and he did! Nathan won - the first European Gold for GB in years! It was an amazing effort and got the team psyched for the following day when the youth B categories would be competing.

On Sunday the youth B categories were raring to go. after another early start, the competition began. Team GB had some more fantastic performances, with William and Pete making the finals and Ed and Alexia just missing out. This meant that our role of supporting still wasn't over. Despite most of us pretty much losing our voices, we still had plenty of cheering to go.

Yet again the finals were amazing and, yet again, we were the loudest team cheering. Pete and William gave a great show and climbed really well, finishing in 5th (Pete) and 3rd (William)! Another podium for GB!

We travelled back on Monday all feeling positive about how much the team has progressed this year.

Thank you to Tom, Michelle, Clive, Claire and the rest of the team for making it an awesome trip! And well done to Nathan and William for their result ..... bring on next year!

British Bouldering Championships 2013

photo- Sandy Carr

The British Bouldering Championships this year were held in Sheffield as part of the Cliffhanger Festival on the 6th-7th of July. The Qualifiers were on Saturday, with the Men's in the morning and the Women's in the afternoon. This suited me because it meant I could travel up in the morning instead of staying in Sheffield the night before.

I arrived early enough to watch some of the mens qualifiers. The problems looked great (but extremely hard!) which got me psyched and excited to compete, even though I wasn't climbing for hours.

When the time finally came for the female category to begin, I went into isolation. Unfortunately, I still had a big wait because I was the 20th competitor to climb.

photo- Sandy Carr

After a very tedious wait in the heat and a long warm-up, it was my turn to climb. I went out to the first problem feeling quite confident. This is because from the crowd cheering I knew that a lot of people had topped it.
However my confidence dropped when I saw the problem. I distinctly remember thinking 'where are the holds?!'. I had no idea what to do, but I didn't want to waste the 5 minutes so I decided to just get on with it. Luckily my instincts were better than my route-reading and I managed to flash the problem without too much trouble.

The second problem looked simple and definitely do-able therefore I felt quite annoyed that I couldn't get passed the bonus hold. The third, fourth and fifth problems went really well, as I got another three flashes.

photo- Sandy Carr

I finished feeling really pleased because I felt like I did my best and was confident I'd got a good position. However it wasn't util I saw the scores that I realised just how good a position! I was joint 3rd with Mina! In first and second were Shauna and Alex.

Results board after the qualifiers!

Orrin Coley also climbed awesomely in the mens and despite being a junior, qualified comfortably for the semi-finals - well done! Overall I thought it was a really enjoyable day - especially because I achieved a much better result that I expected!

On Sunday, I had another really long wait in isolation because the start order was in the reverse of the results from the qualifiers. This meant I was out third last.

The semi-finals didn't go nearly as well for me as the qualifiers did, and I only managed to top 1 problem. I became even more disappointed when I found out my position had dropped 5 places! This meant I finished in 8th. Looking back, this was a good result considering I'm only 16 and it was a senior competition, however it was disappointing to drop 5 places.

I'd like to say a massive well done to Jennifer Wood who's still a junior but qualified for the finals in 5th place, holding her own against the Senior British Bouldering Team! And also to Orrin Coley who improved his position further, coming 10th and beating a lot of strong seniors on the way! Awesome effort!

The competition was over for me, however I wouldn't miss an opportunity to watch some of the World's best climbers fighting for 1st place, so I stayed to watch the finals. In the end Shauna Coxsey and Dave Barrans both retained their titles as British Bouldering Champions - well done!

Also, thank you to all of the roue-setters, organisers, volunteers and anyone elso who helped to make it a great weekend.

European Youth Cup, Sofia, Bulgaria

On Thursday 27th June I arrived in Sofia along with the rest of the GB Junior Bouldering Team for the first of the European Youth Cup of the season. The team that had been selected was: Nathen Phillips (Junior male), Me, Rachel and Gracie (Youth A), Sidonie (Youth B) and James (Youth B male). Tom and Michelle were also there as team coaches and chaperons.

As our flight was extremely early on Thursday we arrived at the hotel in Sofia with most of the day left. We decided to go to the wall so that we knew exactly where to go the competition.

As it was, the wall wasn't hard to find at all because it was in the main shopping centre! This was great because there were also plenty places to get food nearby, which ensured we were eating properly in the run -up to the comp.

The climbing wall was really cool and completely different from any other walls I've been to! There were grooves that lit up and changed colour and it wasn't shaped like a typical competition wall.

Photo of the wall from Tom's tweet

Another view of the wall.... Tom's twitter pic

On Friday we had a whole day to fill, so we had a look around Sofia at some quite impressive buildings that were worth seeing. The atmosphere was really relaxed which suited me because it meant I didn't get psyched out.







The day of the comp finally arrived, however I was able to have a leisurely morning because my category didn't start until the afternoon. Me, Gracie, Rachel and Nathen went down to the wall earlier that we needed so we could support Sid and James who climbed in the morning.

Watching and waiting (photo by Tom)

The warm -up wall was good so I was able to warm up properly. This meant I was feeling quite confident before I began climbing. The problems also looked good (but hard!!) which helped me to get psyched.

There were 8 problems in the qualifiers and each of them had a bonus hold. You could have a maximum of 5 attempts at each problem and we had 1 1/2  hours to climb them.

The problems were numbered depending on how hard they were (1's easiest, 8's hardest). I tried problems's 1 and 2 first and topped them on my first attempt. This gave me some confidence and helped me to enjoy the rest of the competition.

Later on I decided to try problem 8 - and managed to top it on my first attempt! I also got 7 out of 8 bonuses in 7 attempts.


Though my overall position (10th) wasn't great considering that there weren't many competitors, I'm feeling positive about my performance. This is because I think I've got the ability as I flashed the hardest problem. So I think my results will improve as I get more experience on European problems. Also I might have been able to top more problems if my tactics / timings had been better.
You can see some great photos of the comp here:
http://rusvakrilov.com/blog/ifsc-european-bouldering-youth-cup-bulgaria-photos/

Overall, I think it was a great trip and I had a fantastic time! Thank you to Tom and Michelle for taking us and for all your help! Also thanks to the rest of the team for making it so much fun! :)

El Chorro 2013

On the 16th of February I arrived at the airport ready to fly out to Spain for my first outdoor climbing tripo of the year. Also going were: Tash and her Dad, Gracie; Sarah and her Dad; Flo, Naomi, Luke and their parents; Alex; Johnny; Amanda; Billy and his Dad; and my Mum. Despite the weather forecast (a lot of rain), we were all feeling psyched for a good week climbing.

Team Crush feeling psyched!!

The following day we went to Poema de Rocca on Frontales, which had  great variety of routes in a sheltered cave. My first climb of the trip was 'La Princesa Carol' (5+), followed by 'Stonker' (6b). After this I tried 'Viejo Traidor' (7b+) which is a top 50 route, however I couldn't link many of the moves - perhaps because it was only our first day. Also 'Alex topped 'Eye of the Storm' (7c) and Billy and Gracie cruised through the roof to top 'LA Vila Strangiato (7b).

On the seconed day, the adults, Sarah, Flo and Naomi went to Beuna Sombra in Desplomilandia, while the rest of us went to El Triangula. At first, I tried 'Estirpe Pelleja' (7a), but soon found out it's not one to warm up on, so I did some traversing instead./ Later I topped 'Que tal Mea tu Padre?' (7b) on my second go after falling off the last move on the Flash. Gracie and Tash were also close to getting the top but came off the last move. Alex had an awesome day - topped 'LA Conexion Pelinoja' (8a) second go and flashed 'Mar de Ortigas' (8a). Billy and Johnny were also close to topping this and Gracie worked all the moves.

Looking through one of the holes in the Kingwalk!

As it had rained all through the night, our third day involved no climbing (unless you count watching climbing DVDs) . Instead, some of us went to Malaga to visit the Picasso Museum -  it certainly didn't match up to climbing! When we returned to the villa it was still raining, however we were determined not to have another day off.











The following morning we decided to face the horrible walk-in to Makinodromo - a big mistake! We arrived at the crag absolutely knackered from walking up a steep mountain for hours, just to find   that it was dripping wet. Great!!

Not-so-sketchy part of the sketchy bouldering!

However, not all hope was lost because the area was full of boulders, so we began some sketchy bouldering in trainers with no mats. After a couple of hours, we had to decide whether to hike back down the mountain or head back via the gorge - we chose the gorge.







At the end of the gorge, we found some dry climbing where Jonny onsighted 'El ultimo rayo del sol' (7a+) and me and Alex got it flash. as it was getting dark. I didn't have time to try anything else, however the day hadn't ended up being a waste of time because we were planning to walk the gorge anyway.

The slab - El Ultimo Rayo del Sol (7a+)

Because of the weather, on Thursday we went back to Poema de Roca in Frontales. This time I was far more successful than on my first day, and topped 'Eye of the Storm' (7c) on my second go, which is my best grade outdoors.

On the roof of 'Eye of the Storm' ( 7c)

 I also flashed 'LA vila Strangiato' (7b) and 'El Peoma de Roca' (7a) which is a top 50 route - and I have to say that I agree! I'd definitely recommend it to anyone going to El Chorro. Also Billy topped 'Eye of the Storm' (7c) second go, Sarah topped 'Viejo Traidor' (7b+) and Tash and Naomi topped 'Viejo Amigo' (7a).

On the last day (still raining) we went back top Desplomilandia, to sector Buena Sombra. However most of the crag was seeping so I was unable to try the top 50 routes. I warmed up then went to La Vida Misma, where Billy onsighted 'Cheyenne' (7a+) and I got the Flash. I also flashed a 6c. Back at sector Beuna Sombra, Gracie, Tash, manda and Flo topped 'Fran Sin Natra' (7b).

Exposed on 'Cheyenne' (7a+)

It was a great week and everyone was climbing well, however due to the weather we were limited to certain crags. I was also really pleased because I got my first 7c outdoors. Thank you to everyone else who went and I'm really looking forward to the next trip!

Raining again!!

ROCfest 2013

ROCfest 2013 was held at Rock Over Climbing in Manchester on Saturday 2nd February. There was a great turnout, with competitors throughout the categories and also many spectators.

As I'm 15 years old I entered the junior category online (under 16), however when I arrived at Rock Over, Molly and Gracie decided to move into the seniors and managed to persuade me to do the same. Since most of the Senior Bouldering Team were competing I didn't expect to make the finals as only the top six from the qualifiers would go through.

We had three hours to climb 30 problems, with the Juniors starting at 11am and the Seniors starting at midday. The problems were really well set and tested all styles of climbing (technique, power, strength etc.) The only issue was that it was very crowded so three hours didn't really seem like a long time!!

Reading the problems in the final

I ended up with a score of 221/300 (if you did a problem 1st attempt you got 10 points, 2nd attempt you got 7 points and 3rd attempt you got 3 points). Each problem also had a bonus hold which was worth one point if there was a draw between two or more people. I ended up qualifying for the finals in 5th place - which I was surprised but pleased about!!!

Also qualifying in the Seniors were Alex Puccio, Leah Crane, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, Diane Merrick and Naomi Buys.

In the finals we had 4 blocs / problems, where we had 4 minutes to climb each one. We could have as many attempts as we liked within that time, but the less attempts the better!

Since everybody else in the final was quite a bit older than me, I wasn't nervous at all - instead I was really looking forward to the climbs.

Me on Bloc 2

I took one attempt to top the first bloc which put me in joint 1st with Alex and Mina. On the second bloc, I didn't top it or get the bonus hold which moved me down to joint 2nd with Mina (Alex was first). I managed to top the 3rd bloc in three attempts which meant I was in third (Alex was first and Mina second). On the final bloc I took two attempts to top it.....which meant I was third overall!!!
Full results including the senior finals are here

I was really pleased with how I climbed and thought the competition was really well organised and had a great atmosphere.

Also, I'd like to say thank you to Rock Over and all the people who were involved with organising the competition.  :-)

Thank you to Rock Over climbing and photographer James Goodwin for the images.

Youth Open Liverpool 2012 - Bouldering and Leading

On Friday 7th December I traveled up to Liverpool for the Youth Open which was on Saturday and Sunday. I was going to do both the leading and Bouldering because I would like to compete internationally in both next year.
The leading competition was on Saturday at Awesome Walls ( www.awesomewalls.co.uk), where I competed in the Youth A category. This was because the Youth Open is a selection event for next year, therefore we had to compete in the age category we will be in next year.
I managed to top my first route, along with 4 others, which put me in joint first. There wasn't very much time between my first and second route and when I came up from my warm-up (my forearms were still slightly pumped!) I found that I was next to climb! After quickly tying in I got onto my second route. I managed to top it, therefore I qualified in joint first with Molly. The top six places went into the final.

I was well warmed up for the final and felt confident with the route sequence. Unfortunately when I was climbing my foot slipped. Though I still came second, I was really annoyed because I wasn't that pumped when I fell off, so I think I could have got further.

The Youth A podium - Bouldering

On Sunday, at the Climbing Hanger www.theclimbinghangar.com it was the first time that there was a Youth Open bouldering competition. This was because, from next year, there's going to be a junior British Bouldering Team, not just a senior.

We had to try 8 problems in the qualifiers and do them in as few goes as we could. I topped all 8 of them in 12 goes (flashed 6, did 1 second go and 1 third go), which, as usual put me in joint first with Molly!

In the final we tried 3 problems, which we had four minutes to do (the less attempts the better). We were all in isolation, so nobody could see how to do the problems. I managed to flash all 3 of them, so I finished in 1st! Molly came second, with Rachel 3rd.

Overall I think it was a great weekend. Thanks to all of the organisers, volunteers and of course all the competitors!

I have been selected for the British Junior Leading and Bouldering teams, I have to make a decision on which discipline to choose as my priority......tricky!!

European Youth Championships, Gemozac

The European Youth Championships were held in Gemozac, France on the 3rd and 4th of November. There was a bigger team than usual going, and with most of the hotels filled with climbers, there wasn't enough room for all of us.
Because of this the girls and boys were in separate hotels. Us and the boys both thought we had the bad side of the deal, until we were proven right by finding we were 30 minutes further from the climbing wall than the boys (not to mention that 2 single beds could only just fit into a room!!)

Unfortunately the weather was worse than in Britain, so we were stuck indoors for most of Friday (we flew out on Thursday). We had to find some way to entertain ourselves, so we resorted to playing cards......more cards.......cards again........cards even more (you get the message!) Though it wasn't the best way to get psyched, I was still really looking forward to the competition.

I rose early on Saturday morning, grabbed some breakfast and went to the wall. It was an awesome place to climb, with lots of different angles (mixtures of slabs and overhangs) and I could't wait to start climbing.

On my first route, I came 10th - just enough to secure a place in the final if I continued to perform well on my second route. Unfortunately  when I was going for the last hold on my second climb I slipped, which moved my position down to 12th, meaning I just missed out on the final.Though I was annoyed that I slipped, my climbing has definitely improved. Molly and Alex made the final, so competed later on in the evening.

On Sunday we watched the speed with quite a lot of the Team competing - including Orrin Coley, one of my  long-term training partners! As always, the Russian's dominated the speed climbing and so took up most of the places on the podiums.

On Monday morning we were headed back to the airport (where the boys nearly made us miss the flight!).
Overall it was a great trip and I'd like to say thank you to all of the chaparones.

British Lead Climbing Championships 2012

 

2012
Youth B British Champion!

 

 

The 2012 British Lead Climbing Championships (BLCC's) were held at Ratho in Edinburgh on Saturday 6th October followed by the British Speed Climbing Championships (BSCC) and the senior BLCC's on Sunday.
Both of my qualifiers looked do-able and suited my style of climbing, so I was feeling quite confident before the competition began.


Just topped route 1!
Photo Alex Messenger, BMC
 

I climbed roughly in the middle of my group on route 1, which I topped along with two other people (Molly and Elissa).
This put me in joint first for the second route where I was first to climb. Again this qualifier suited my style, as it involved more technique instead of power. I felt quite relaxed on the climb and before I knew it I was at the top! (Though it took a while to clip the last quickdraw because of the rope drag!) Molly also topped out so we were in joint first going into the final; with Elissa in third, Flo in fourth, Gracie in fifth  Liberty and Charlotte in joint sixth.
Me and the rest of the finalists went into isolation at about 2.30pm (I think) where we waited for the route viewing (everyone has 8 minutes to read the route before going back into isolation to warm up). I was really psyched for the final after reading the route, so when I went back into isolation I made sure I was really well warmed up and that I knew the sequence of the route.

I felt nervous just before I climbed, but as soon as I pulled onto the wall I was in the zone. Everything went as planned whilst I was climbing and I felt comfortable all the way to .......the top! This put me in first place so far, with Elissa in second and Gracie in third. I was really pleased with how I climbed as I couldn't have done any better, however if Molly topped the final route, it would go down to whoever was quickest (and I'm not a quick climber). As it was, Molly fell off the last move and I was crowned British Lead Climbing Champion 2012 (youth B)

I am really pleased with my performance because I got full points on all of the climbs and I'd like to say thank you to the route setters, organisers and all the volunteers who helped out.
Unfortunately I had to go on Saturday, therefore I wasn't able to watch the speed competition or the seniors, as it was the following day. However you can see the results at www.thebmc.co.uk/british-lead-and-speed-climbing-championships-2012--results?s=1

P.S. Orrin Coley won the junior boys speed championships which he deserves because he trains really hard - well done!

On Saturday there was also a senior Vets category, where my mum competed FOR CHARITY and came an impressive 5th place!?

Well done to everyone who competed over the weekend.

Junior Leading World Championships 2012, Singapore

On Saturday 25th August, I departed from Heathrow airport with the British Team for the Junior World Championships (www.ifsc-climbing.org). In the youth B girls category, there was me and Molly, in the youth B boys category there was William, the youth A boys had Buster and Jonny and in the Junior Girls there was Charlotte. We began our journey with a 13 hour flight to Singapore, where we didn't arrive until Sunday.

When we finally got to the airport, we got a taxi to Sentosa (the island where we were staying) and settled into our well air-conditioned rooms.

For the next two days we had the chance to recover from jet-lag and adapt to the hot, sticky climate. On Tuesday we went to China Town, which is the Chinese part of Singapore. I found  this interesting as it was typically Asian, whereas the shopping centre in Singapore was just like being back in England!

The competition was on a purpose built climbing wall on.....the beach! This was quite an awesome place to climb, however it wasn't that convenient because it was impossible to keep sand off the mats and my climbing shoes.

From IFSC facebook photo album day 1

Qualifier 1 took place on Wednesday, where I was climbing 2nd. Personally I preferred this because you always know the time the climbing starts, so you can time your warm-up more precisely, as you know you'll be climbing just after it starts. Knowing that my warm up had gone well, I was feeling far more relaxed than usual. I definitely climbed my best, and once everyone had finished climbing I found out that I was in Joint 3rd out of 48 climbers. This made me a lot more confident and put me in a good position for my 2nd route.

The following day, qualifier 2 began at 11am, however I was 24th to climb, so had quite a wait. I didn't climb very well on my second route but I still qualified for the semi-finals (top26) in 14th place. Molly, William and Charlotte also Qualified for the semis.

Isolation for the semi-finals was due to open at 9.30am on Friday morning, however we got woken up at 7am by torrential rain. I lost all hope that it would go ahead, especially when the rain got heavier as we were eating breakfast. If the semi's has been cancelled, the results from the qualifiers would have been used, meaning I would have come 14th. though I would have been pleased with this result, I had no desire for the semi-finals to be cancelled, because I didn't go all the way to Singapore just to do 2 routes, especially after all the training that had gone into it. Because of this, it seemed like a miracle when the rain finally stopped, and they gave a new time for isolation.

Isolation was on the beach behind the comp wall, where there was a small warm-up wall. I think that though it was hot, the setting of the competition helped me to stay calmer (it made me realise how lucky I was to even be there). There was a long queue for the warm-up wall, so I didn't get quite as much warming up as I'd have liked, however I still think I did my best on the climb, as it was slightly easier  than the qualifiers, meaning you had to get nearer the top to do well, and at the moment my endurance isn't one of my strong points. In the end I finished 20th in the semi's, therefore that was my final result. I was pleased with my performance throughout the competition, and it was a great experience competing somewhere so different from England.

In the end, Team GB had some great results, with William and Molly qualifying for the finals, where William finished an amazing 4th place at his first ever World Championships! and Molly finished 7th. Also, myself and Charlotte made the semi's with Buster and Jonny narrowly missing out.

All in all it was a fantastic trip and was a great opportunity to meet people from all around the World with different cultures. Also, it was a good experience to climb on great routes, set by international route setters, and I really enjoyed the trip :D

European Youth Cup Update

Route 1, EYC Voiron

After a fantastic start to the EYC in Ratho with a 4th place I must admit to being disappointed in my results at EYC Voiron and Linz. I get really nervous when competing abroad and have been trying to work on this, taking positives away from each experience.

This weekend I was competing in Linz, Austria. I didn't climb as well as I would have liked on my first route but I managed to stay relaxed and focussed on my second managing a credible joint 6th on that route. Although still disappointed in my overall position I really enjoyed the trip as my good friends Sarah Pashley and Billy Ridal (who I went on my Spanish trip with) were also competing. The weather was hot (35 degrees!) but the hotel had an outside pool so we spent Friday relaxing and swimming after our long journey to Linz. The food was also excellent and I tried some of the local Linztorte.

Only Jonny Stocking made the finals in Junior male and finished in 8th place - well done Jonny! On reflection though I am happy to have the opportunity to compete for team GB at the European Youth Cup and must remind myself that I am on a long term athlete develpoment program.

Our flight was delayed by 1 hour on the way back so we didn't arrive at Manchester until 12.30am. It was 3.30am Monday before I got back home and I had to sit my GCSE English speaking exam  that same day!

Next stop the British Bouldering Championships at Cliffhanger next weekend where I hope to retain my Junior title...... can't wait!

P.S. Thanks to Wild Country for my new T-Shirts!

RocFest 2012

RocFest qualifying route

Yesterday I took part in the RocFest bouldering comp at Rockover in Manchester (www.rockoverclimbing.co.uk). The junior qualifiers started at 10.30 with 3 and a half hours to climb 30 routes. I managed to gain 228 points out of a maximum of 300 and finished in 1st place after the qualifiers. The routes were well set and some were very challenging.

After spending around 40 minutes in isolation whilst the routes were set for the Junior finals we were off again. I was last out to climb (it was in reverse order form qualifying position) and flashed all my routes which put me in first place. Afterwards, I watched the senior finals as it was a great opportunity to see some of the world's best boulderers.

It was a great day and I'm hoping to go back next year!!

Problem 1 in the final

EYC Ratho 2012

Photo by Alex Messenger/BMC

The first of the European Youth Cup events was held at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Ratho on the 19th and 20th of May.

The qualifiers were on Saturday where we had to climb two routes. My first route was on the old competition wall - technical and balancy. I managed to top out but fell 2 thirds of the way up my second route on the main comp wall as I didn't have too much time to warm up and got flash pumped. I had to wait nervously for an hour to see if I had made the final but in the end managed to qualify comfortably in 6th place. Molly also qualified in 7th place and Team GB did well with 6 members of the team making the final - the most we have had in the finals so far!



Reading the route in the finals.
 Photo by Alex Messenger/ BMC

Sunday morning started with a nervous breakfast then onto EICA Ratho. Isolation opened at 8.45am and route reading was at 10am with the Youth B girls out with the first group to climb.  It was good having a GB team mate to read the route with as last year I was the only British competitor.
I was 5th out to climb (it goes in reverse qualifying order) and managed to cruise through the first crux where a lot of the previous competitors had fallen.

Cruising the first crux on the final route.
 Photo by Alex Messenger/BMC

I finished in 4th place - just missing out on a podium position (by 2 moves!!) but was really pleased with my performance. A good start to the 2012 competition season and I am now looking forward to the next EYC in Voiron, France in 2 weeks!

In the meantime - back to studying for my GCSE's which started with biology on Monday morning at 9am!!

2012 Leading Ladder Final - Reading Climbing Centre

Yesterday was the leading ladder final at Reading Climbing Centre. The routes were set by Tom Randall and Zippy and they ranged from 6a to 8b depending on the group.

I was in group C - elite under 16 female and had to climb 7a, 7b, 7c, 8a, and 8b. I flashed the 7a, b and c and got the bonus hold on the 8a which put me first in my group.

The day was great for onsight practice on competition routes and Reading was a great venue for the final.

GB Regional Team Training - 7th April 2012

On Saturday 7th April Tom Randall and Adam Harrison held regional GB team training in Sheffield. We began at Tom's house where we were assessed on our finger strength. Then on the lattice board we were assessed on our aerobic capacity, anaerobic capacity and aerobic power. Everyone had improved their finger strength and we varied on the lattice board but the atmosphere was positive.

After lunch we went to the Edge Climbing Centre (www.sheffieldclimbing.com) to get some comp/onsight practice. We were all feeling positive by the end of the day, as well as rather tired! All in all it was a great training day.

Thank you to Tom and Adam for organising the day!

Trip to Costa Blanca

On the 11th February 2012, me and some friends (most of which are from the British Team) went sport climbing for one week in Costa Blanca. We stayed in a villa in Moraira near the coast. This was a perfect location as it was near to many climbing areas.

Sunday was our first day climbing, and though our minibus said it was 5 degrees, it snowed! We went to 'El cajon de los cuartos' and 'Sector Colp de Cot and Marion' in Sella. I didn't try anything too hard, as it was my first time sport climbing in over a year. I really enjoyed being on proper rock and was ready to try some harder stuff on day two.

On Monday we went to Sierra de Toix on 'Toix Far Oeste' in the morning. None of the routes were very challenging, so, after lunch, we drove to Los Pinos where the routes were generally a lot harder. I onsighted a one star 7a+ called 'Route 3' and redpointed a one star 7b on my second go called 'Paprika'. Though we all wanted to stay longer to tick more hard grades, we had to go back as it was getting late.

For our third climbing day we decided to go to Bernia, however after driving around for one hour to find ourselves on the wrong side of the valley, we changed our mind and went to Murla instead. At Murla there was a wide range of grades depending which sector we were on. 'Sector Empinado' was extremely exposed to the wind and was therefore too cold to climb at. For example I tried to climb a 6c+ yet failed miserably because of numb fingers. Around the other side of the crag - 'Sector Crazy,Crazy' - the wind was far weaker, yet the grades were quite easy. After not that long we had to leave because we were all numb and miserable and it begun to rain.

On Wednesday we went to Wildside. Unfortunately it was in the shade and so we were climbing in our down jackets, however I managed to flash a one star 7a called 'Si te dicen que cai'. I worked two 7b's (in my opinion they were undergraded), one of which had such huge runouts it was almost like doing a solo!

Thursday took us to Gandia, where it was nice and warm as it was exposed to the Sun. We went to 'Sector hidraulics' and 'Sector Potent'. I flashed a three star 7a+ called 'Don Diego' and did some other easier routes, including a 5 called 'Pequeno saltamontes' which went up through a hole in the rock!

On our last day we went back to Gandia and climbed at 'Sector Fundicio'. I did some easier stuff, then tried a 7c called 'Dia de borratxera', where I got to the top section before my skin almost got shredded on a line of four sharp pockets. I didn't do much on the last day because my skin was sore.

Overall the trip was great and I'm really looking forward to the next one wherever and whenever that'll be.

my first EYC

This was my first European Youth Comp and I finished 6th...