“Oh, well, why not.”
Thats what I thought about a week before the first (out of four) Dutch national leadclimbing competition.
It would be a good opportunity to work on my ‘forever nervouseness’ and get more competition routine.
Not having held ‘plastic holds’ for a while, not having focused on sportclimbing at all since September 2014 I expected to end up in the lower part of the field, between the young climbers, the national youth team.
But that all went a little different last weekend.
After a month in Scotland and kind of making the route-quotum we had to get back to Dutch life again. Flat land, no mountains and a lot, a lot to arrange.
We still don’t have a job, don’t have a home and we’re out of money. Resulting in just a little bit of climbing (because petrol is expensive) no trips abroad (even with the ultimate conditions in the alps…) and loads of arrangements to work on; taxes, insurance, organising sponsoring, meeting up with our expedition team members… Before I knew it it was already time for the competition.
Oh, sh… but I only climb once, sometimes twice a week… Thats by far not enough to perform in this comp!
A little nervous, almost ashamed on not being in sportsclimbing shape I climbed the two qualification routes together with Aniek. The footholds were big but my legs and arms trembles of the nervousness, in the start I even had trouble matching my feet on a hold the size of a mug. I felt like doing an Elvis Presley dance. It must have looked weird.
Shaking of nervousness became less along the way and topped the first. I was surprised to reach the top! Later I topped the second route too. Even more surprised.
Aniek wasn’t very fortunate in the first route; she almost, almost topped… Though she did a good job on her second route and even went for the final hold after the final clip.
The qualification routes are both climbed flash. So you belay each other, which makes it all a very relaxed atmosphere.
Tim (van der Linden) told me about the ‘new’ youth climbers who all performed so well lately. That I would have a hard time to beat them too. I agreed.
To my own surprise I was one of the four who topped both qualification routes. And thus easily qualified for the finals.
Aniek also qualified, I think it was a relieve for her after just missing the last moves in the route earlier.
I had to climb as second last, with only Florien climbing after me.
The crowd cheered everyone up the wall. I had the feeling most came really high in the awkward route.
The holds were new, of a new series, making it a fair comp for everyone: no one knew the holds.
I was a little afraid for the small holds; would I have enough finger strength to hold on?
My turn.
Dennis was just in time to cheer me on together with our new little friend called Getu.
They went to a small VW T3 meeting on the day instead of competing indoors (it was really nice and sunny outside).
I slowly made the first moves up the wall, not sure about the small holds, expecting a worse hold every move, expecting to slip away every step.
Step, hold, look, shake, chalk, step, hold, hold, look, shake, step; further, higher I came up the slightly overhanging wall.
Every couple moves I shaked my arms, and took a look at the route again, trying to rest, expecting a harder, longer move every time. I was still a little nervous, resulting in yet again the Elvis-shakes, afraid to shake off a foothold every move.
But there I was, at the final bit, where the sun shines bright through the glass windows, heating up the wall. I shook my arms again, chalked my fingers again and again. Not pumped, just insecure I moved up to the final hold. I clipped the top!
Top!
For the first time I topped a route in the finals of a leadclimbing comp!
I wasn’t super happy straight away; I thought ‘well, if I topped this than all the others must have done the same in a far better time.‘ Susan, Florien, Nikki, Lisa, they all are much better, far more routined.
Only when I came down Tim (Reuser) told me I did a good job there and was now placed second after Nikki (van Bergen).
Halfway up
Wow! Second! I knew, there was one more climber to go, Florien. The calculation came fast: ‘I’m very happy with my third place.’
Third, because light and technical Florien would also top out this route in a far better time I guessed.
But just at the top she made a small mistake and fell off! Wow!
Second!
I’d never been second on a lead comp!
Totally happy, surprised and motivated for more :)
Left to right: me and Getu, Nikki van Bergen, Florien Sjoerdsma.
Lead 1
“Oh, well, why not.”
Thats what I thought about a week before the first (out of four) Dutch national leadclimbing competition.
It would be a good opportunity to work on my ‘forever nervouseness’ and get more competition routine.
Not having held ‘plastic holds’ for a while, not having focused on sportclimbing at all since September 2014 I expected to end up in the lower part of the field, between the young climbers, the national youth team.
But that all went a little different last weekend.
After a month in Scotland and kind of making the route-quotum we had to get back to Dutch life again. Flat land, no mountains and a lot, a lot to arrange.
We still don’t have a job, don’t have a home and we’re out of money. Resulting in just a little bit of climbing (because petrol is expensive) no trips abroad (even with the ultimate conditions in the alps…) and loads of arrangements to work on; taxes, insurance, organising sponsoring, meeting up with our expedition team members… Before I knew it it was already time for the competition.
Oh, sh… but I only climb once, sometimes twice a week… Thats by far not enough to perform in this comp!
A little nervous, almost ashamed on not being in sportsclimbing shape I climbed the two qualification routes together with Aniek. The footholds were big but my legs and arms trembles of the nervousness, in the start I even had trouble matching my feet on a hold the size of a mug. I felt like doing an Elvis Presley dance. It must have looked weird.
Shaking of nervousness became less along the way and topped the first. I was surprised to reach the top! Later I topped the second route too. Even more surprised.
Aniek wasn’t very fortunate in the first route; she almost, almost topped… Though she did a good job on her second route and even went for the final hold after the final clip.
The qualification routes are both climbed flash. So you belay each other, which makes it all a very relaxed atmosphere.
Tim (van der Linden) told me about the ‘new’ youth climbers who all performed so well lately. That I would have a hard time to beat them too. I agreed.
Some pictures by Tim/NKBV here on Flickr.
To my own surprise I was one of the four who topped both qualification routes. And thus easily qualified for the finals.
Aniek also qualified, I think it was a relieve for her after just missing the last moves in the route earlier.
I had to climb as second last, with only Florien climbing after me.
The crowd cheered everyone up the wall. I had the feeling most came really high in the awkward route.
The holds were new, of a new series, making it a fair comp for everyone: no one knew the holds.
I was a little afraid for the small holds; would I have enough finger strength to hold on?
My turn.
Dennis was just in time to cheer me on together with our new little friend called Getu.
They went to a small VW T3 meeting on the day instead of competing indoors (it was really nice and sunny outside).
I slowly made the first moves up the wall, not sure about the small holds, expecting a worse hold every move, expecting to slip away every step.
Step, hold, look, shake, chalk, step, hold, hold, look, shake, step; further, higher I came up the slightly overhanging wall.
Every couple moves I shaked my arms, and took a look at the route again, trying to rest, expecting a harder, longer move every time. I was still a little nervous, resulting in yet again the Elvis-shakes, afraid to shake off a foothold every move.
But there I was, at the final bit, where the sun shines bright through the glass windows, heating up the wall. I shook my arms again, chalked my fingers again and again. Not pumped, just insecure I moved up to the final hold. I clipped the top!
Top!
For the first time I topped a route in the finals of a leadclimbing comp!
I wasn’t super happy straight away; I thought ‘well, if I topped this than all the others must have done the same in a far better time.‘ Susan, Florien, Nikki, Lisa, they all are much better, far more routined.
Only when I came down Tim (Reuser) told me I did a good job there and was now placed second after Nikki (van Bergen).
Halfway up
Wow! Second! I knew, there was one more climber to go, Florien. The calculation came fast: ‘I’m very happy with my third place.’
Third, because light and technical Florien would also top out this route in a far better time I guessed.
But just at the top she made a small mistake and fell off! Wow!
Second!
I’d never been second on a lead comp!
Totally happy, surprised and motivated for more :)
Left to right: me and Getu, Nikki van Bergen, Florien Sjoerdsma.
The NKBV and website Siked also wrote about the comp (in Dutch).
Related