CHILLED - and winning! Hope I've found the formula

The last comp is always the winter British Youth Open. I’d won this in Sunderland last year, and the summer one at Ratho.

I couldn't wait for this event at Awesome Walls in Liverpool, as the 2009 Youth Open here was one of my first leading comps and I have fond memories of this wall.  In ’09 I came sixth and in ’10 third. I wanted to continue doing well in this comp ;-).

After a long drive up on Friday we got to the hotel and after a good sleep for once we headed down to the wall. I walked in to be as inspired/nervous as I was three years ago at the steepness and size of the wall. Routes looked amazing, I was psyched!

Route one took a smearing corner up the right hand side of the comp wall. No problems. Topped. Climbing for fun, and what a difference it makes!! It was about 7a+. Quite a few other people topped this.

The next route was much harder, orange up the middle of the comp wall. I was climbing midway through the group. Most people fell off a hard move off an undercut half way up. I slapped up, missing the intermediate that caught people out. I had stuck it. Bump low hand in. I screamed (don’t do that a lot!), made a move to a good hold and CHILLED! A few seconds later I was at the top, quite a fight! This route was given 8a and it felt solid at the grade. I qualified in first place. Sweet.

Since the start of the day there were rumours of how hard, the purple on the comp wall was: 8a, 8a+, 8b or 9a. Whatever grade it was, it was our final. I was psyched.

After a long wait in isolation I went out for observation. I had spotted the rest and cruxes. Everything went according to plan and I made a big move off an undercut. I caught the next good hold. By the sound of the crowd I knew I had won. I didn't care! I wanted to finish the route everyone had been talking about and worrying about, and I did! First place in the Youth Open for the third time running, and climbing for fun. Result!

The route was given 8a+/b. I was pleased to onsight it! Got a ‘well done’ e-mail from Steve McC, who set it. Ian said 'What if you could climb like that in Euros, because you can!', which really made me think. Molly also managed to flash the route after the comp and put a good effort in on the orange, sick!

Well done to all the climbers! There was some amazing climbing and the new team was selected. Rebecca Kinghorn is one to watch!

Bouldering open was the next day and I injured myself. Came 9^th. Did something to my neck and haven’t climbed since, three weeks plus off. Itching to get back. But over the last few months I’ve learnt loads about my head, just how to be psyched, being relaxed, being confident in my ability and trusting myself to be good enough to fight hard. 

Bring on next year, if I get selected ;-)!

Three more comps, a Euro goal realised, and my head more sorted

Three more comps helped me sort my comp head.

At the European championships in Gemozac, France, I was quietly confident I could make the final. On my first route I was up 2^nd. It looked about 7c+/8a. I only managed to about half way up before I pumped out. I had been over gripping from the floor, nerves!

Relax for the next route. It suits me - low percentage tech route - but the same thing happened. Although I felt like I got some flow back just before I fell, I tried to lock a move and should have been more dynamic. It felt like I had given up and let go, a feeling I used to get a lot in comps but had got rid of. I came 20^th. The next day I did the speed for fun and came 20th out of 22.

I decided to go to the Welsh championships after Gemozac to try and sort my head out for comps. Great event, but less pressure, so how would I react and what would I learn? I arrived to find everyone who made the Youth A podium at the BLCC was there – me, Connor and Luke. I was psyched.

The comp was in a different format to usual, having three qualifiers, a semi and a final. Me and Connor were the only ones to top the qualifiers and went into the semi in joint first. I went out first and topped the route, climbing with a relaxed style which made me enjoy the climbing. No-one else topped. I went into the final in first place. In isolation I could tell from the crowd that people had come close to topping the route. I knew what I had to do and did it. I had won without a fall. The comp really helped teach me how to relax and I was excited to use this new frame of mind in Kranj, the final round of the Europeans.

After a good warm up in Kranj’s weird corridor boulder wall, and watching the older group go up our route first, I was ready for my first climb, which took the left hand line of very steep wall in a sports hall.

The route had an easy start, which led to a powerful crux. I did the first two crux moves easy. Drilled my foot. Made a dynamic move to the next hold. The quick draw got in the way. Whacked it with my hand. I fell. I was a little disappointed, but felt much more relaxed than most recent comps. I was joint 15th on this route. We went back to the hotel and eight hours later I was back beneath the wall ready to climb my next route. This route seemed to have a series of mini cruxes. I found myself at the rest before the top composing myself to tackle the volumes above. I made the hard slab move. Yes. Next move. Feet cut loose. Back on. Come on, I think to myself. I slapped into the hold but beneath me my foot popped and I was off, pumped!

I had a decent fight on this route, which I have not had for a while in a comp due to being too nervous to get into full fight mode. Finished 16^th. Well done to Molly who came 2^nd.

So it was the end of my first year of Euros in Youth A. I had two goals – a top 15 ranking and a final, and I made the first one, finishing ranked 15^th, and 14^th in the world because of a different scoring system. Good. But I didn’t make a final. A 12^th, 13^th, two 16^ths and a 19^th, so never out of the top 20, but not a final.

But over these three comps I realised I needed to relax, and I did enough to have a good fight at Kranj.

Realising I need to sort my head for comps!

For this year’s BLCCs, I really wanted to improve on my other disappointing results in this comp. I didn’t, but I learnt a lesson about my head that helped later in the year.

I qualified for the Youth A final in joint first. But in the final, after missing a clip, I struggled to reach down and clip. My foot ripped off. I felt very disappointed as I felt like I had been climbing really well before the comp.

The next day it was my first go in seniors. The first route was an endurance 7c. I climbed it so easily, only to fall because off a lack of commitment on last 'pop' move. On the next route I was up first. It was a tetchy 8a. I managed to get to the last lip, beating some people who topped out the other route. But the whole comp, for me, came down to the last move on the first route. I finished 9^th, outside the final.

Afterwards I tried the seniors’ final route and managed to get very high, to the same place as Dave Barrans, who came 3^rd. Though this doesn't mean anything, it showed me what I could do when I sort out my head and relax.

Again, I killed the disappointment by getting outside in the Peak with Will Smith. I tried to head point Life Assurance but my head messed with me and, when trying to down climb, my foot ripped and I took the fall the fall you’re not meant to take! The next day, back on Mecca it was too wet to go for red points, but I made some good progress on the moves. 

Good fitness from climbing outdoors, but disappointment indoors at worlds

After my trip to Kilnsey, it was time to look ahead to the world championships in Singapore at the end of August. The weather got bad which gave me time to train indoors. I felt fit and strong; my trip to Céüse had increased my fitness a lot.

We flew out to Singapore on the Saturday before the comp on the Wednesday. The comp and our hotel was on a holiday island called Sentosa and the wall was on the amazing sandy beach. Before the comp we just had one session at a really cool little wall where most of the teams had been training.

For my first route, I was nervous. I fell off with a deep left foot flag under my right leg, which limited my reach to the next hold. I still came 26th on this route. Psyched - I can still make the semis, which is top 25!

The next route looked like it suited me. I was climbing later on in the day so got to stay in bed for a bit which helps recovery from jet lag. I made a few trips down to the wall to get some beta for the route, but made sure I stayed cool and hydrated in my hotel room.

I made my final trip down to the wall, got warmed up, then the rain started. The wall was soaked in minutes. Climbing was delayed and no one thought it would carry on that day. But the routes were dried with towels and I was back at the wall warmed up ready to go.

The route suited me perfectly - good positive holds and flicks moves. Start went well. I got to one of the harder looking moves, did it. Heel up. Couldn't get it to stick. I panicked and flicked for the next old.  Almost caught it but I was off.

Overall I finished in 38^th. I was pretty disappointed. I was hoping for the top 20 to improve on my 25th result last year.

Consolation back home was a trip to Peak limestone with Jim Pope. I decided to try Mecca (8b+) and managed all the moves but the crux, and did some big links. Good effort to Pope who did his first 8a.

Three more Yorkshire 8s and first 8a flash

After Imst (see below) I had one rest day where I went to watch some of the Olympics in the stadium. It was really cool to see people do other sports for once.

I then headed up to Kilnsey with Tom Bonnert. We got there with a little time to climb before it got dark, and within an hour of arriving at the crag I had finished off The Bulge (8a) and had a play on some harder things, I was psyched!

Day two, and a go on Bat Route (8c). I did the majority of the moves that were dry that day. I really understand now that to attempt this grade in Britain you need the beta and I didn’t have any. I can also see why Adam Ondra onsighting it was just so cool. But it was very hot and wet so we went back to Kilnsey.

I got on Grooved Arête, a 15-metre 8a+ (some say 8b) on the right hand side of the crag. It is said to be a harder version of Raindogs, being mostly power endurance. It sounded good! After working the moves I had a few redpoints that night but was tired from working Bat Route. The next day I got frustratingly close but decided to leave it. Tried the following day but it was my fourth day on and I could feel it.

Tom had to go home but I met Ian Dunn and after a rest day (watching climbing at the crag) I was back and did the route first redpoint of the day; easy after a rest day ;-).

Dead Calm is a newish 8a at Kilnsey on the right of North Buttress. A lot of people were trying this so I tried to get as much beta as possible over three days of watching people on it and try for my first 8a flash. After climbing the lower section (WYSIWYG 7b) I shook out at the good rest then got to the second last clip, clipped it and composed myself for the top crux. It was weird to be up here and looking at the holds after three days of getting beta - I knew exactly what to do and then I was at the top, my first 8a flash!  Thanks for all the beta from everyone on the route and to Ian and Tom who made it a good trip!

Video (should have been wearing brighter colours!) of Grooved Arête https://vimeo.com/47417803

Psyched now for the Worlds after Top 20 at Imst

After Ratho I managed to fit in one session at Westway before the next European round at Imst. It felt good to be back at Westway after so long away and I was psyched to do a Liam 8a+ there.

Early flight next day, a long wait at Munich for the rest of the team and crazy storms on the drive through the amazing Tirol to Imst. Next day after that, the rest day, was spent on the Alpine Coaster, a 3,500m long roller coaster on which you control the speed. I learnt how to kill the brakes with my feet. Cool.

Later that evening we found out our start positions. I was 8^th first round and 30^th second, which meant, I reckoned, a seven-hour gap between climbs. I had this before in Linz, where it was also very hot. I’d learnt how to prepare - stay cool, drink lots and relax. I was so psyched that I woke up feeling very tired due to not getting enough good sleep. Comps in Austria are always really well run and Imst being no exception the comp started exactly on time. All the routes were on the big outdoor wall leaving the huge indoor lead wall for warming up, which is one of my favourite things about Imst.

After watching the seven climbers before me there were some interesting results. I was up. After sketching my way up the bottom slab I climbed pretty fast up to what seemed to be the crux section. Really cool moves on small but positive holds! My style! I got past the big move and then to a complicated foot sequence where your body is horizontal. I got my feet sorted and just before I pulled up to the next resting jug my feet ripped off the wall! I was a little annoyed but psyched as I felt I had climbed well on the route until that point. I came 23^rd on that route. Need to do better in the second round.

My second route was shared with the Junior category (apart from one changed hold) and I went after Jonny W, so I got lots of beta from the two Jonnys and Luke. The route began up one of the long slabby sections of the Imst wall with a jump start. I was pretty nervous for this but allowed myself to be as I knew once I caught the jump I would be relaxed for the rest of the route. The route had some big moves on poor holds until it turned into the roof where there was some funky 3D climbing. I got up to the roof and a few moves in I decided to try a different sequence and missed the hold that had been added for my category. I slapped to a volume, almost held it, and was then flying through the air.

I was happy about how I climbed on this route. I was 15^th, so an improvement on the first round. (I noticed that I had been scored lower than I thought so after a word with the judge I was moved up to the correct score.) I had finished 19^th overall.

Imst is a very popular comp and often has some interesting results,  so I was not to annoyed and got psyched now about the Worlds at the end of August!

Overall the team did well with Luke, William and Alex making the finals and others very close!

Time to get back out on rock.

To Ratho, to try to qualify for the European Championships

After one day of rest at home after getting back from Ceuse, I travelled up to Edinburgh for the British Youth Open, which is used as part of the ongoing selection process for the British team and for the rest of the comps this year.

After a good warm up, getting back into plastic climbing after my time in Ceuse, I got psyched up for my first route on the old comp wall. It started up a techy slab. I knew there were lots of slips and foot pops on the route, so I knew I had to be careful. The slab then leads into the roof and the obvious crux, which was turning the lip on huge funky slopers.

I climbed up to under the roof with no problems and after a quick shake headed into the roof. Left hand gaston undercut in roof. Right hand - into undercut. Left hand – jug, then match. Clip. Left hand - huge sloper. I slapped around for the best bit on this, got my foot up and slapped for the next hold. I was off. This funky style is definitely something I need to work on. I came third on this route, the only tops were from William Bosi in Youth B and Jonny Stocking in Juniors.

The second route was up the right hand side of the main comp wall on sick slopers with lots of heel hooks. I managed to top the route without much problem, which meant I had qualified for the final in joint first with Luke Dawson.

The final was the Juniors’ second qualifier. It was a line of small holds, but good ones, up the middle of the comp wall. My style - I was psyched, I came out second to last and managed to top the route - it was about 7b+/7c. I had won, which meant I was selected for the EYC in Kranj and the European Championships in France.

I’m sure Ceuse helped because trying all those 8s and 7c+ onsights taught me to rest efficiently and I could feel that helping on the second qualifier and in the final. Plus you’ve got to get a bit stronger after ten days outdoors. I must keep using in comps everything I learn outdoors, and vice-versa.

It was a really good comp with some impressive climbing from everyone! Well done to the Lyon youth who all got some awesome results. We also got our new kit from the team’s new sponsors, ‘Sherpa’. Thanks to John Ellison for sorting.

(Right click pictures to open)

Going for the top in the final 

Picture - Peter Wuensche

Getting it!

Picture Peter Wuensche

With Connor (l) and Luke (r)

Picture: Nick Pope

Link to results:

http://www.thebmc.co.uk/media/files/Comps/BMC%20YCS/OY_Ratho_July_12.pdf