The worldcup series is a weird thing.
A circus traveling around the world trying to perform, all do the best they can.
There were high’s and low’s. Here a small summary;
Bozeman – we couldn’t go. No money and we had to organise a competition in the Netherlands. So nothing there.
Cheongsong – a big low getting food poisoning the day before the comp started. My worst results ever.
Saas Fee – the granite holds. I made some mistakes (using the wrong picks and forgetting moves) just missing the finals.
Rabenstein – feeling better after I did the Kamasutra flash I was hopeful. In the semi’s the judge told me to clip early to keep it safe and because of the rope-drag. It would be the same for everyone they said. So I clipped early at every move. Losing so much time! I just, just, just missed the finals…!
With just so little training, so much bad luck, so little finances, support, climbing against athletes that can train on these holds all year round, athletes that are the routesetter’s favourites, awkward organisation like having us sit in the rain for hours and hours, athletes that were too late in isolation and still were allowed to climb and many more issues.
In a way Iceclimbing is far from professional.
But still…It’s changing.
By just being a climber you can’t reach the finals anymore. The women’s field has more then doubled in the last five years. The sports is promoted in such a big audience with a proper live-steam and commentator. Theres new (young) generation taking over the podium places.
It’s great to see new nations investing in the sports like Iran, they understand it right; invest > achieve. In the last years they changed from absolute beginners to finalists. They understand that putting money into the sports you can reach big success. Training camps in Russia, home (free) training facilities, travel expenses all (yes all year round) paid for, ect…
And…we’re so close to being Olympic.
Let’s grow. Let’s do this together. Make it happen. We are iceclimbing.
See you all next year. With hopefully more support, more training, more results.
Rabenstein
Almost…almost made it to the finals.
The worldcup series is a weird thing.
A circus traveling around the world trying to perform, all do the best they can.
There were high’s and low’s. Here a small summary;
Bozeman – we couldn’t go. No money and we had to organise a competition in the Netherlands. So nothing there.
Cheongsong – a big low getting food poisoning the day before the comp started. My worst results ever.
Saas Fee – the granite holds. I made some mistakes (using the wrong picks and forgetting moves) just missing the finals.
Rabenstein – feeling better after I did the Kamasutra flash I was hopeful. In the semi’s the judge told me to clip early to keep it safe and because of the rope-drag. It would be the same for everyone they said. So I clipped early at every move. Losing so much time! I just, just, just missed the finals…!
With just so little training, so much bad luck, so little finances, support, climbing against athletes that can train on these holds all year round, athletes that are the routesetter’s favourites, awkward organisation like having us sit in the rain for hours and hours, athletes that were too late in isolation and still were allowed to climb and many more issues.
In a way Iceclimbing is far from professional.
But still…It’s changing.
By just being a climber you can’t reach the finals anymore. The women’s field has more then doubled in the last five years. The sports is promoted in such a big audience with a proper live-steam and commentator. Theres new (young) generation taking over the podium places.
It’s great to see new nations investing in the sports like Iran, they understand it right; invest > achieve. In the last years they changed from absolute beginners to finalists. They understand that putting money into the sports you can reach big success. Training camps in Russia, home (free) training facilities, travel expenses all (yes all year round) paid for, ect…
And…we’re so close to being Olympic.
Let’s grow. Let’s do this together. Make it happen. We are iceclimbing.
See you all next year. With hopefully more support, more training, more results.
Picture by Eisturm Rabenstein.
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