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!