On the 17th and 18th of September I competed in the second ever European youth bouldering championships that were held in the Boulderwelt, Munich which is the biggest bouldering gym in the world.
Eddie and I flew out early on the Friday morning from Dublin to Munich. Once we landed we drove straight to the Boulderwelt to register.
The next day excitement was in the air as everyone was anxious to climb all of the amazing problems that Jacky Godoffe (the route setter) had set for us. In the qualifying round we had to climb 12 problems and had 5 attempts at each. The problems were very different from what I was used to as they mostly forced you into strange shapes and unusual positions, despite this many of them suited my style of climbing. At the end of qualifying I had 8 tops and 11 bonus holds, which put me in 6th place (which qualified me for the finals). However I didn’t know that until after I had nearly tired myself out on the campus boards!
The next day we went down early to watch the girls final and then went into isolation where we stayed for 2 hours while the final 4 problems were being set. Once they were finished we had 2 minutes to observe each problem and figure out how to climb them.
The final. The first problem I hadn’t a clue what to do so I went out to a volume that you weren’t supposed to go to. The second problem suited me very well and I found a way to statically reach what was supposed to be a dyno move. I got further than everyone else and was the only one to get a bonus hold on that problem. The third problem was a bit different as you had to, rock up onto a volume, then lean off a different volume to catch a slopey side-pull and then to dead point to a two finger sideways pocket. Unfortunately I fell off on the last move as I didn’t get my fingers in the pocket correctly. The fourth problem was all about power, which was bad for me as I wasn’t very strong, compared to the others in the final and unfortunately I only got another bonus hold.
I was really pleased to come 6th overall and I think Eddie was too!
It was a very eventful weekend as it was my first European final and as the final was delayed we missed our flight and had to fly home on the Monday.
Also 5/8 of my fingers were bleeding from all the climbing!
Dominic
Yes, I was delighted, Dominic climbed brilliantly to become the first young Irish climber to ever make a European Final!!! eddie
(click on individual photos for better view).
Read what Rob says about our 2010 Font trip
Six Mental Tips to Improve Performance
In this article I will outline six simple, yet powerful tips for elevating performance. Recognize that these six strategies are interlaced and can produce a powerful synergy when all are in practice. In aggregate, they may produce an effect similar to unloading a 10-pound weight (or more) from your back that you have unknowingly been hauling up climbs. Hence, I call this, using your “mental wings.” Okay, let’s get started.
Mental Strategy #1 for improving performance: Separate your self-image from your climbing performance.
Chance are climbing plays a major role in your life (as it does in mine). However, if your self-image is tied too strongly or singularly to this role, it leads to an obsessive need to perform perfectly every time you touch the rock. The result is intense pressure, anxiety, and fear of failure—-all of which will make performing your best difficult, if not impossible.
The fact is, you will perform best in a process-oriented frame of mind, where the outcome is accepted as unknown, allowed to unfold without forethought. Detaching your self-image from your climbing performance is the first step to escaping an outcome-oriented mindset. Strive to focus only on things immediate to the act of climbing—your warm-up, mental rehearsal, gear selection, and then when climbing, focus only on the move at hand and never project ahead. Accept feedback the route gives you without frustration or judgment and liberate yourself to try new things, take chances, and most important fall. Such process-orientation and self-image detachment will reduce pressure and anxiety and, paradoxically, you’ll climb better by not needing to!
Mental Strategy #2: Surround yourself with positive people.
There is an aura of influence that surrounds each of us and its effects are based on our personality and attitude towards life and its events. Your thoughts and actions will affect the thoughts and actions of those around you, and vice versa. As I see it, there are three options–either climb alone, climb with upbeat and positive people, or climb with cynical and negative people. But why would you ever want to climb with the negative, excuse-making complainers of the climbing world? Their negative aura will adversely impact your climbing and enjoyment whether you recognize it or not. The Bottom line: Vow to either climb with positive individuals or climb solo–both approaches can be hugely rewarding.
Mental Strategy #3: Stretch your comfort zone.
To improve in anything, your goals must exceed your current grasp and you must be willing to push beyond your comfort zone in your reach. In performing on the vertical plain, this means climbing onward despite mental and physical discomfort; it means challenging your fears head-on by doing what you fear; and it means attempting what looks impossible to you based on your past experience. Through this process, you will stretch your abilities to a new level, redefine your belief system, and reshape your personal vision of what is possible.
Mental Strategy #4: Anticipate and proactively manage risk.
Climbing is an activity with obvious inherent risks, and the desire to climb harder often requires taking on additional risk. This risk can come in the form of obvious physical danger such as a potentially injurious fall or as invisible mental risk like opening yourself up to failure, criticism and embarrassment.
Make it your MO to carefully assess all the possible risks before starting up every climb. Determine ways that you can lower the risk of the climb (such as rigging a belay differently than usual or getting an extra spotter or crash pad) and anticipate how you will respond to new emerging risk as you climb (for instance, discovering there’s no gear half way up the route). As for the mental risks you might face on the climb–things like the fear of failure–see Mental Strategy #1 (above) on separating your self-image from your performance.
Mental Strategy #5: Fortify your confidence.
Your degree of self-confidence is primarily based on your self-image and the thoughts you possess minute-by-minute and day-by-day. For example, pondering past failures, allowing free rein of demeaning self-talk, or dwelling on the chance of falling, will deflate self-confidence and sow the seeds of failure.
Conversely, peak performers consciously narrow their thoughts and focus onto things that will fortify and build confidence. You, too, can do this as you prepare for an ascent, by taking a mental inventory of past successes, believing your skills and strengths, and acknowledging your preparation and investment in training. Do all this and you will grow more energized and confident as you engage the rock, and most likely climb your very best.
And, Mental Strategy #6 for improving performance: Love climbing, no matter what.A common trait of successful people is resilience to bad results and criticism, and an unwavering belief that success will come with time and effort. Developing such a mindset takes a disciplined effort to constantly spin negative feedback into some kind of a positive-—real winners never dwell on the setbacks or admitting defeat.
Remember, the essence of climbing is the journey, not the summit. Vow to love the process of climbing and all it entails, whether it is a perfect send or a painful struggle. Sure, a perfect ascent is immensely gratifying; however, it’s on the arduous journey that you actually become a better climber and grow as a person.
POSTED BY ERIC HÖRST AT HYPERLINK “http://www.mountainzone.com/blogs/performance_training/2007/02/six-mental-tips-to-improve-performance.html”4:51 PM
Day 1 – Venasque
Lasissons les Dive 6a
Jusqu’au Bout 6a+
Route X 6a
33 Huit 6b+ – 37 Huit apparently
Petit Mavie 6c+ - Good holds, but a bit pumpy
Vole 7b – Very pumpy and fun but needed to figure out moves (Jamie)
Ca Ira Mieux Demain 7c
Aprés Moi le Deluge 7c+ – Too many monos (Eddie)
Day 2 – Buoux
Surfin Rock/ Les brunes ne coupteut pas pour des prunes 5c
Zephir 6a+
La Conque 6a
Camembert Fergusson 7a
Papapas Pou 6c – very nice but awkward in some parts (Jamie)
TCF 7a – Awesome!!!! (Jamie)
Récreativité 6b
Buffet froid 6b+
No Man’s Land 7b – Absolutely awesome!! (Lucy)
Day 3 – Venasque
Beaucoup de Bruit Pour Rien 6a+
La Partie Continue 6a
Cou la Luz 6a
Sommeil Pavadoxal 7c+
Desperado – Can’t say I like the crux (Lucy)
Campainca
Day 4 – Rest Day
Day 5 – Venasque
La Partie Continue 6a
Feu 6a+
Petit Marie 6c+ – SO NICE (Jamie)
Ca Iva Mieux Demain 7c – Yey… Best route ever… who needs knee lock when you can have full body jam (Lucy)
Unknown 7c+
Misanthropies Thevapeutiques 7b – Pumpy but very good (Lucy)
Champagne 7b+ – Beautiful climb, crux near start (Eoin)
Resistance – Why jump when you can just put your foot up (Lucy)
– Loved it! (Jamie)
Es furto mangave 6c+
Eavan géaut 6c+
La Comete 6b+
6 days later…
I have a few extra cuts on my knee
I can now stand up on a slackline for a whole 2 minutes
I’m a pro at “hacky sacking”
I got a bit of a tan
My feet have never hurt so much
I have to get up at 6 in the morning tomorrow
I’ve done 6 practise papers
I’ve got completely pumped and scared
I made a cake
I have new found love for red pepper and nutella
I’ve probably had the best week of my life
Day 1 – Venasque
Yey France… yey. Climbing every day, long routes, in the sun = heaven. We did Petite Marie which you should most definitely go out left. Despite the draws being on the right. Later I surprisingly did a 7b… first one in France, “Vole” I think. Only kept going because I didn’t want to have to do the jumpy move ever again to be honest. That evening I tried a 7c+ round the corner… absolutely amazing route, bouldery start and then really nice moves the rest of the way… which was quite far! But just fun.
Day 2 – Buoux
Totally different to Venasque. But it’s Buoux so it’s obviously amazing. Best bit, probably the best route of the trip = No Mans Land… I really did try… very hard, mainly because they forgot to put footholds for the whole traverse… not even a bump.
Day 3 – Venasque
Different part – ’twas good too. Tried Desperado and Champagne. Desperado = desperate. Champagne = decent… once you do it the right way, i.e. cross through with your right hand! Attempted to do Champagne to strip it… FAIL – turns out 3 days later = just a tad tired.
Day 4 – Rest Day
Time to slackline – oh wait, I can’t. Biggest achievement = I can stand up and… and wait for it… I took a step… then funnily enough fell off. On the other hand hacky sack = my thing. I shall be purchasing one as soon as I get home. Best part of the day = supermarket trip = haribo supply replenished = sorted.
Day 5 – Venasque
Only 2 days left. But having had 2 bags of haribo yesterday, nothing could go wrong. The theory proved right… I did the 7c, whoooo – who needs a knee lock when you can just lie down in the break.
Day 6 – Buoux
LAST DAY We went to the west face of Buoux. Did Voodoo Club to warm up… probably the nicest 6c/7a-ish route I’ve ever done. We continued to do some lovely routes with numerous cracks. I do love cracks – NOT. I tried to like them, I even chose to do a route with a crack just to prove they aren’t that bad, they can be fun and deep down I do like them, or alternatively if I try them enough I’ll get better at them and start to like them.
Best week… always is… Absolutely amazing thanks.
Lucy
Day 1 – Sunday – Venasque
After an interesting drive, getting a little lost along the way, we began our staggering ½ minute walk in. We warmed up on a few 6a+’s and the three routes were a great variety of techniques on a shady slab (personal favourite was the left wall).
We then moved on to the left side of the crag, attempting a 6b+, 6c+ and 7b between us. I, myself tried a 6c+ (Petit Marie) and managed to ascend the first ¾ of the way before blissfully falling into space when my arms gave way.
Great day was ended with an ice-cold plunge into the pool at the gorgeous gîte we are staying at and couldn’t have ended it better
Day 2 – Monday – Buoux
Waking up to the peaceful sound of birds singing and Daragh banging my door down, we got a late start and headed off to HAPPY BOULDER for a spot of shopping. Lost Eddie and the others once again but this time found ourselves following a mirage. After buying my new La Sportiva boots, I couldn’t wait to get on the rock. A steep walk in led us to the impressive crag at Buoux. I started off on a 5c and then a 6a – La conque and a 6a+ – Zephir. The others did TCF and a few other routes and then we moved up to Styx. Time to try out the new shoes… my feet are still suffering. I don’t remember much else. Finished up fairly late on 6b récréativité, which is my official favourite so far.
Day 3 – Tuesday – Venasque
I started by warming up on 2 6a’s and then moved around the corner to have another go at my project – Petite Marie (6c+). I jumped straight on – couldn’t wait to get started – and I made it to the last draw before losing all feeling in my arms. I red pointed the last few moves. After lunching yumily I got back on and did my favourite route of the trip clean J.
Day 4 – Wednesday – Rest Day
Wandered around Apt. Learned how to hacky-sack. Improved my slacklining skills. Got rapped at by French gangsters. Swam.
Day 5 – Thursday – Venasque
We met up with some people from Cork. I warmed up on two 6a’s and found one of them rubbish and the other (le partie continue) absolutely beautiful. We then headed up to the upper crag and I did a 6b+ with one fall and attempted a 7a – Resistance – but unfortunately failed. The others did a couple of 7b’s very impressively and I watched in total jealousy.
Day 6 – Friday – Buoux
We went up to a different face of which I forget the name and Daragh and I did two 6a’s and found them lovely. The nicer of the two was Escale a Buoux and after we had done that we moved across to watch Lucy making an impressive attempt at a 7c+ and keeping is all amused by clipping with a branch, hahaha. It was a great day but unfortunately my last day in France. It was an amazing trip and I am unbelievably jealous of those of us going to Font (not me).
Vanessa
