My World Championships Journey

My journey started at the beginning of 2016, when the training and hard work started. I was selected for the World’s in September at the European Youth Championships in Mitterdorf, Austria, where although qualifying for the semi-finals in 6^th place I dropped to 13^th after an annoying mistake - upsetting at the time but it has improved and widened my competition experience.

            

The temple we visited.

I was one of five from Great Britain selected for the lead event and was super psyched to be selected for such an amazing experience!

           

China… at least Guangzhou, was so cool and a trip I will never forget. We had a couple of days to explore and get used to the heat and climate before the comp started and took the time to get to see a bit of China as a country. We went to a temple, used the metro and looked around a zoo.

           

My 'Try-Hard' face on route1.

I was climbing eighth on Qualifier 1, which meant I was unable to watch any of the other climbers so went out to the climb with a fresh and positive mindset. The route was technical at the bottom and powerful at the top, separated with a hard and awkward move. I managed to get to about a clip off the top before falling, after a hard fight up the route. I came off happy with my performance knowing that I had tried hard and done the best I could of - not knowing how the people before me had done. After watching more and more of my competitors fall below me I was psyched that by the end of the day I had placed joint 6^th with two others.

            

The next day I was climbing later and knew that it would be hotter so to prepare I told myself that the conditions wouldn’t be the best but that they were what I would have and that all I could do was DON’T LET GO! On the second Qualifier I finished 10^th. This meant I was through to semi’s in 8^th.

            

The semi-finals were a disappointment for me as my reading of the route meant that I tired myself at the bottom, which meant I had less endurance for the top of the route, nevertheless I tried super hard, but it wasn’t quite enough this time. I ended my 2016 World Championships with a 13^th place in the lead event and a 30^th place in the speed climbing discipline – (this is something I hadn’t done much of before but took the opportunity to give it a shot- as next year I hope to do the combined event in the World’s, which will be held in Innsbruck, Austria. The combined event is when your scores from Lead, Speed and Boulder are added together to give you an overall ranking).

A little fingerboard session in the park.

Exploring the city on bike (and tandems).

          

  Although I was disappointed with my performance in the semi’s I am pleased to see my improvement from last year and surprised myself with my ability to perform on the World Stage.

          

 I can’t wait for the 2017 season and for what I hope is an even more successful year J

           

Thank you to everyone that made the 2016 season possible for me, especially my coach Ellie Howard- who puts up with me and is incredible at what she does.

P.S.: Sorry this blog is a bit late but now I have done it I’m glad. 

IFSC European Youth Championship

On Saturday I woke up at about 6:45, got ready for the day ahead and went down for breakfast. 

I arrived at the wall at about 7:30 where the team got together. We watched the video demos and read the routes. 

Myself and Ellie then went to do a couple of routes as in training I had learnt that doing this shakes off my nerves and helps me to relax. I did 2 routes and then went to drink some water and watch my demo for the second route as the video demo was very dark!

I was climbing 8th on my first route and 25th on the second route. The comp was set up differently to what I'm used to as both routes were running at the same time. This meant that there wasn't a huge gap between routes. 



Catching the jump :)

Once I had watched the demo I went onto the bouldering wall to warm up more thoroughly.   

The first route was on the the wall left of the comp wall, so the climbing style changed from crimpy to lots of heel hooks and then at the top there was a jump. 



I pulled on to my first route as the commentator introduced me. I came to the first move I was worried about, I put my toe far out left then rocked up and locked to a small crimp. I then moved across to another and brought my left hand under to yet another. I then moved up to a ball on a small volume and then got a thumb catch on the next volume. Here I got a rest, I next turned the volume to a guppy, moved my right foot onto a feature and then stood up and stretched to a crimp. With my other hand I got an under-cut, I managed to shake out here then clipping and moving to a two-finger pocket then out to a large button around the corner. I stayed here for a while, trying to figure out what to do next. I went again with my right hand to a smaller button and got my right foot high around the corner and from here I rocked up to a positive sloper. From here I did some moves on crimps, I then moved my left hand to a big pinch and my right hand joined it, I then quickly moved my left hand to a positive crimp. My next hold was a block with a crack for your fingers running through the top. From here I moved my left hand to a ball in the roof on a volume, I moved my feet up and did a little pop to the next ball on the lip. I put a heel hook out right and moved my left hand to a small crimp. I pulled on my heel and rocked out to a side pull, put my left toe on the ball in order to get a side pull with my left hand. The last move was to a jug and the relief of getting my hand round the last hold was a feeling I liked. I clipped the chains and came down. I was so happy!



Concentration face



Clipping the chains on route 1



I went over to the team and was told that I clipped the chains a second too late meaning that I didn't get the full points, instead the last hold. I was a bit disappointed that I timed out but over the moon I topped my route😊  

I had about 50 minutes rest before getting on my second route which went up the left of the main comp wall. I was slightly more worried about this route. I got 4 clips from the top before falling off as my shoulders were too low. 

The results came out and I was 22nd meaning I was through to the semi- final. I was super excited about getting into the semi's and wondered what it would be like. 

The opening ceremony was next with Scottish Highland Dancers and Cheerleaders.

Climbing in the Semi-Finals



Isolation opened at 6 and closed at 6:30pm. Once I was in iso the team got our own little space and settled down. I was climbing 5th so Ellie and myself went into the bouldering area and I got warmed up. I was then called for viewing so went and got my shoes on, wrapped up in all my clothes and got ready to route read. Viewing lasted 6 minutes, we had a pinchy route up the comp wall. When I got back into isolation I quickly went and did some easy traverses to keep warm and then went and got all my stuff together, ready to be called to climb. 

I sat behind the wall, tied into the rope waiting to get taken out to climb the route. 



The belayer came and collected me and I walked out, put my stuff at the bottom of the ramp. I read the route quickly before I got on. 

From two pinches you moved to a crimp and then to a flat hold on a volume. I moved up by palming off the volume, the next holds were flat on a volume too. From here I made more moves on pinches and crimps. When I got to a pinchy chip hold I put my foot up and shook out on it. I matched and rocked up to another. From here I put my left hand to an incut crimp, rolled through to another with my right. I then moved out left to thumb catch on a volume. Next I locked and brought my right hand to a slopery pinch, I fell on the next move going to another pinch. Once I was down and I had watched a few girls on it I realised that I should have moved my foot higher. It was annoying that I didn't think for a moment and I was off but it is good as it gives me something to work on!

The move I fell off on route 2

I finished 22nd improving on my place last time. It was a VERY long day from 6:45am- 11:30pm so I was pretty tired the next day.

On Sunday I watched the finals with the rest of the team. It was good to watch everyone in the final as I learnt a lot from the way they climbed☺️ 

A HUGE well done to Will Bosi who came 3rd in Youth A. It was a great feeling to have someone on the podium from GB 🎉🇬🇧💪

Thanks to Nick Pope for the brill photos :) 





My first European: IMST EYC

On Friday night my Dad and I flew out to Germany where we met our friends Daniel and Nicole.

On the Saturday we went climbing in the Eiffel, it was lovely to be out on real rock in the sun, I didn't do anything hard and mostly focused on not falling off as there were HUGE run outs! 

On Sunday I went climbing at Area Vertical. This wall is one of my favourites as the wall has lots of changes in angles and its routes are set in a comp style, perfect for pre competition climbing (I did my first on sight 9 (UIA)) and would really like to go back😜

Monday we went bouldering at Boulder Planet in Köln. The boulders were great fun and I managed some routes I was very proud of.

On Tuesday my Dad and I went to Köln Zoo. I hadn't been to a zoo since I think I was about 6 so I found it really exciting and fun. I think my favourites were the hippos. 

On Wednesday I went climbing at another wall in Köln. I did some routes I was happy with and showed good fight on the others. My Dad mentioned that he thought I was climbing a bit too slow so on one of my routes he timed me- I took 7.45 minutes. I was worried that I would be too slow at the weekend as you only have 6 minutes to top the route in the qualifiers. I tried not to worry however as I knew it would be better for me to be timed out without making silly mistakes than slip off low down because I was worried about time.

On Thursday we drove to Austria ready to meet the rest of the team at the hotel. 

Friday was fun😄 the team went to the Alpine Coaster and spent some time at a pretty little lake.

On Saturday I woke up early so I could have breakfast and head to the wall in time for the demos. I was climbing 21st so headed to the wall in the second car. I watched the demo, read the route and then went up to warm up on the inside wall. I walked back down to the comp wall in time to watch 5 people before I went and got tied in.

"By my finger tips.." on my first route.

   I was nervous; however I was focused on the route and had been through the route several times in my head. It was my turn to climb... I took it slow on the first vertical section as it was on small holds for both my hands and feet. I next got onto some crimps and then a side pull and a hand on a positive sloper on a volume, I reached up for the next hold however I couldn't reach. I tried a couple more times this way before I put a heel in, took my bottom foot off and pulled down. I got the next hold and two more blocky holds I made a couple more moves then jumped up to a good hold on a volume. I got it, shook out and carried on. The next set of moves consisted of getting a guppy, going again to a crimpy hold then going to a side pull. I fell off going to the fourth to last hold after not going hard enough to a large hold. 

    The team went back to the hotel meaning we weren't in the sun all day. When we returned I watched the demo for our second route then went inside as I was climbing as the third to last climber to climb. 

     I warmed up and walked down to the wall ready to climb. I was feeling super nervous- more than on the first route. I got tied on and waited for the girl before me to fall. I pulled on, got a couple clips up and placed my foot sloppily and it popped, thankfully I managed to stay on and place it properly. I was a bit tense after the foot-pop and it showed in my climbing (I apparently tried to pull the holds off the wall.). After climbing half the route like this I settled into it and just enjoyed the route. One of my favourite moves was a big, deep roll-through that followed onto another crimp and up to an under-cut. You next moved up to two slopers on a volume and out to an Imst sign hold. I fell on the next move out to a pinch. Once again I was close to the top going to the fifth to last hold.

On the Sunday we watched the finals and well done to Molly who came 7th in junior girls💪

Overall I came 24th and the 1st Brit. I was happy but slightly disappointed with my result however I learnt a lot of useful things from my first EYC and targets to work on for next time. 😊

Enjoying myself on route 2!