2015 AYCT Tryouts - Day Two (Boulder)

The first day of tryouts was over. I'd done what I'd set out to do, having qualified in the Lead Tryouts the day prior, and was totally relaxed and ready to just have a good time bouldering. I very much intended to qualify for the bouldering team, but as lead is generally my focus, I wasn't going to let the outcome bring down my mood.

I arrived at the gym at around 9.00AM to find that Male Juniors would not be climbing for several hours. I immediately wished that I'd stayed at home for a little while longer, as many of the boulders were shared between categories, and as such we could do nothing but wait in isolation. I found myself a nice quiet space and tried to flush out any nerves that still lingered.



Ned Middlehurst manoeuvring his way through his
final boulder.

Nanki Soin, bonus in hand on the slab.





Liliana Scacheri showing off her flexibility.

Time passed as category after category of athletes were shuffled up and onto the wall, ready to give it everything with the hopes of qualifying to represent at the 2015 IFSC World Youth Championships in Arco, Italy. This will be the first time that bouldering is included at the WYCH, and as such nobody quite knew what to expect when our timer started and we were faced with our qualifying boulders.

The event ran in the format of a World Cup qualification round. We had five boulders, five minutes to top each boulder, and a five minute rest between each. In order to earn a place on the team, it was expected that the athlete complete three of the five boulders, and score a bonus on four of the five. This felt like a lot of leeway until we were faced head-on with the idea. Realistically, that only left room for you to not complete a boulder and a half at most. With a variety of styles and difficulties on show, we all knew this could prove a difficult task.

 

My turn came, surely enough. I was warmed up and ready to fire. I suspected, given that the gym's slab was closest to the entrance of the bouldering cave, that this would be our first boulder. I tried to keep myself relaxed, breathing slowly, knowing I would have to be patient rather than powerful if I planned on topping out. In the past, I rarely perform well on slabs, and as such I was not going to allow myself to become frustrated if things didn't go so well.

My initial efforts went more or less as I had expected. I found myself unable to read the sequence and couldn't make the bonus hold. I took a step back from the boulder and really tried to analyse what might be going on. An idea struck, and with the clock ticking down, I knew I only had a short time to execute it. I took to the wall, moving through the first sequence to stand atop two sloped footholds, located the bonus from where I was standing, and made a short and sharp sideways pounce to the next volume. Funny enough, it stuck! I moved up into another rather poor volume, put my heel up high, rocking over until I found myself matched on the final hold!

 

I was ecstatic! If there was any boulder that would sweep qualification from under me, it was that slab. But this time it was me and not the wall that emerged victorious, and I found out shortly that I was the only climber to do so on this boulder. I returned to the edge of the mat and waited my five minutes until I was to take to problem two.

Problem two was exceptionally tricky. It began crouched on a blank volume, moved into a round ball in a roof, into a sloper over the lip, and finished up a series of positive holds to a top in an under cling jug. Once again, the intended beta totally evaded me as I was spat back onto the mat again and again. Clearing my head once more, I started to think more rationally, and worked my way into a scrunchy press between the hold in the roof and the top of the blank volume. From here, it was a careful lean into a good sloper, catching a big swing, and then a fun final sequence. I was now two-for-two, with only one top and a further bonus keeping me from a place on the bouldering team.

The next boulder, a series of rock-overs and presses between volumes, proved to be no issue. I flashed it and returned to the mat, soaking up my extra rest time and feeling pretty hopeful knowing that I need only obtain the bonus hold on either of the following problems.

The next boulder looked like a series of powerful movements between jugs up a steep overhang. I took a silly slip on my first attempt coming out of the starting holds. I shook it off, and after a quick breather, finished the boulder with little difficulty. Having topped all four boulders so far, I was in the team, and pretty pleased with myself. One more boulder to go, and I had no intention of heading home defeated by it.

The last problem appeared to be the most difficulty. It mostly consisted of  many small tick-tacks between large holds, and a punchy top. I was progressing nicely, moving into the final sequence, totally sure I was going to flash it, before peeling off near the top. I was frustrated, but I took a long rest on the mats knowing that I could climb up there easily and make the top. Unfortunately, each attempt sapped my energy, and the moves felt harder every time. My five minutes came to a close, and the boulder was left un-sent. I was a tad bummed, wanting to back-up my four out of four tops from the previous day with five out of five problems, but it wasn't to be. Never-the-less, I was stoked with my efforts!

The day was over, and seven boulderers joined the team alongside seven route climbers from the previous day. Myself and fellow Junior Male Jarred Jordan were the only two athletes to meet both standards, bringing the total count to twelve.

Congratulations again to everyone who made it. It's going to be so cool competing with you and watching you all crush in Italy! Thanks to the route setters, organisers, volunteers, and to Bayside Rock for hosting the event. Also a big thank you to my sponsors, Indoor Climbing Productions, La Sportiva Australia, and TRI-Climbing.


The complete team, plus coach Will Hammersla and Open Team members Emma Horan and Tom Farrell.

After a quick Easter break, climbing on rock and totally over-indulging on chocolate, I'm super keen to kick into gear and get beastly strong for the season to come! My next adventure sees me in Brisbane at Urban Climb for the Queensland State Lead Titles. Last year I fell short of first place on time, and so this year I'm hoping I can push just that little bit further and not give anyone the chance! ;P But in all seriousness, I'm mostly looking forward to hanging out with the ICP crew and seeing some good mates I haven't seen in a good long while.

Time to train!! :D

2015 AYCT Tryouts - Day One (Lead)

Let it be said, first and foremost, that tryouts are the most stressful, least enjoyable event of the year. I love competition climbing, I wouldn't give it so much time if I didn't. Even competing at the World Youth Championships, with the months of hard, focused training, the days of travel, and the intense atmosphere, is less stressful than the few routes and boulders that you have to top in order to get there.

My lead-up was less than ideal coming into this year's tryouts. A shoulder injury around the new year had me taking 5 weeks off, followed by some very poor climbing at the Pre-Tryouts Training Camp in January, and a less than satisfactory performance at the 2015 Bayside Boulder Bash. The stress was building, and I was finding it difficult to motivate myself whilst battling my injury and consistently falling short of the standard of climbing I expected from myself.

Bouldering at the 2015 Australian Youth Climbing Team Pre-Tryouts Training Camp in January.

 The week of the tryouts came on way too fast. Since the Boulder Bash my training had well and truly kicked into gear. I was fit and strong, but the stress was mounting, and I had an overwhelming fear that after such a good season in 2014, I would not even get the opportunity to represent in the 2015 season I had been looking forward to. I remember looking in the mirror a few days before the tryouts and seeing a ghostly pale figure with dark circles beneath his eyes staring back at me. Nerves are important, but this felt like a step beyond nerves and into debilitating dread.

The day came, no matter how much I wished it could wait, and somehow I managed to hold myself together and get a good night's rest. I ate well in the days prior, and was generally spot-on with my preparation. I did my best to push all of the worry out of my mind, and simply focus on the task at hand. Whilst warming up, I felt strong and in control.

My first route consisted of fairly technical moves that trailed up an arete, and looked incredibly precise and balanced in the way that they had to be maneuvered. I pulled on, and fell right into the zone, progressing up the wall quickly in what felt like a flow of effortless movements. Before I knew it I was at the top, feeling incredibly relieved. With a perfect start, I looked toward my next routes with a new found confidence. However, there was still work to be done, with two more routes to top out of the next three before I could truly relax.

Routesetters didn't spot this one ;)
(Somehow...)

Alistair Earley working the slopers on the second route with a solid heel-hook.

Rocking over to the finish of Q2

My next route looked considerably less daunting, with only a short technical section at the start, and then very straight forward climbing to the end of the route. Everybody in my category dispatched this climb with little difficulty. Two down, one more to go. The next two qualifiers were certainly a step above the first two, though. There was still more work to do.

Our third qualifier consisted mostly of good crimps and off-balance moves. I stepped on very wary of each shift in my body, making sure that I was secure before progressing to the next hold. At the end of the climb the wall became slightly more overhung, and the only thing that sat between me and qualification was a punchy push to the final jug. I took a slopey pinch in my left hand, brought my feet up, and pulled for the last hold. It fell securely into my hand, and I clipped the final draw, relieved and ecstatic that I had made it!! A great weight had lifted off of my shoulders, knowing that once again I would be representing Australia on the world stage!

It was at this point that the competition truly became hard. Knowing that my dreams had been realised only made it harder to watch those of my best-friend's fall to pieces before my eyes. I tried my best to be happy and content with my own performance, but simply couldn't, seeing people in the position that I had been fearing since lowering down from my semi-final in Noumea.

But there was still one more route to climb, and I couldn't go home defeated, so I refocused and took to the wall. This climb was steep and powerful, and remained unconquered when I pulled on as the last climber. I moved quickly through the route, past the first crux, and into a solid rest while I sussed out the rest of the route. The next four or so moves had proved to be some of the hardest of the day, so I approached them with caution, and calculated every twist and turn, until I was there once again. I flicked my rope through the final draw, four out of four!

This year's lead tryouts were a total roller coaster! I went from absolute doubt, to a perfect score, and a place on the Australian Youth Climbing Team for the fourth year in a row! Congratulations to Sarah Mckenzie, Oliver MacGibbon, Nanki Soin, Jarred Jordan, Roxy Perry, and Mitchell Mullins for qualifying for the team as well! Train hard, stay focused, and this will be an amazing year for the Australian Youth Team :) Those who didn't make it all put in solid efforts, and can return to their training with a better knowledge of where they can improve. It sucks HARD that you guys won't be with us in Italy, but keep working, and I know you'll be ready for China in 2016.

The 2015 Australian Youth Lead Team!

Thanks to the routesetters, volunteers, and to Bayside Rock for hosting the event! It couldn't have happened without you guys. Also, thank you to my sponsors La Sportiva Australia, Indoor Climbing Productions, and TRI-Climbing for supporting me in my bid for a spot on the team :)


But the weekend was not over, with bouldering to follow the next day! I'd done what I'd set out to do, but couldn't go home totally satisfied without earning a place in both! Stay tuned for part two.

2014 IFSC World Youth Championships (Noumea, New Caledonia)

It's taken me a while to write this post, and I don't really have a good reason why. It has been busy at school with exams drawing near, but I think it's mostly because I wasn't entirely sure what to say. I'm writing about an entirely different experience than I thought I would be. This year, for the first time, I have come home from the World Youth Championships proud of my achievement. For the first time I can safely say I climbed to the best of my abilities, and am looking forward to next year not as a chance to redeem myself, but an opportunity to better myself in a way I now see possible.

My trip began with a training camp held in Sydney for the Australian Youth Climbing Team. We were to spend a week here before heading off to New Caledonia where the WYCH would be held. I was just coming to the end of an almost two week break from climbing, due to a hand injury I had sustained for unknown reasons, that was preventing me from completing tasks as basic as tying my shoe laces. As such, I was somewhat anxious as to how I might feel pulling onto the wall. Fortunately my hand was good, but I felt I had lost some endurance, and was taking a couple sessions to feel like I was moving well again.

Our first point of order was the New South Wales State Bouldering Titles. I was not feeling in ideal shape for this comp, and it was recommended that I did not compete by my coaches. However, when the morning of the event came, my hand hadn't been giving me any trouble, and I thought it best that I take it as an opportunity to pull hard and get my body into gear.

It is fair to say I was not totally satisfied with my performance overall when compared to my past results. I managed to take 4th place in a highly contested Youth A Men's category. A good result, but the first Youth podium in Australia that I had missed in almost 5 years. As such I was a little disappointed, but I focussed on the fact that my hand wasn't hurting, and I could approach my training over the next few days optimistically.





Having a good ol' time in Sydney!!

After a rest day touring the Sydney CBD, myself and the rest of the Aussie team spent a couple of sessions trying to onsight hard routes in gyms around Sydney, where we met a number of members of Team USA. With every route I climbed I felt I was moving better, resting more efficiently, and generally climbing stronger as the days went by. I was getting back into the swing of things, and it felt great!!





Hanging out with U.S crushers Margo and Kai!!

And so off to Noumea we flew!! I was super excited, but so nervous!! An ever-so-slight feeling of dread was looming over me. Twice I had come home from the WYCH having under-performed, feeling like I could have done much better. I was hoping that with this trip I could prove to myself that that was true, that I was capable of more than peeling off the wall merely a few draws up.

The emphasis of myself and of those around me in previous years had been on positive affirmations, telling myself that I would achieve a certain result. Whilst the intention was to build up self belief within me, I felt more as if it was being forced down my throat, and so I made the decision to take a more laid back approach to my determination. This year I had only one goal: to climb to the best of my abilities and return home satisfied. This new approach left me far less stressed, taking pressure away from making the semi-finals, and onto simply enjoying my climbs.






Up and away!!... And then down again very shortly, for once!! ;P

The competition day came, and I was more than excited to get onto the wall. My route looked good - my style completely, and whilst warming up my body was primed and ready to fire! Things were looking up! Negativity still loomed overhead, but nevertheless I shook those feelings away and reminded myself of how much I want to be here, and this is what I dream of doing everyday.

There I was, tied in, warmed up, and as ready as I would ever be to climb my first qualifier. I had an ideal balance of nerves, excitement, and relaxation that all seemed to settle in the pit of my stomach. Taking my first steps onto the wall I moved with precision and meaning. Every movement felt accurate and efficient. Quick and easy. The holds remained fairly positive as I pushed further through the route. In the back of my mind I was waiting for the moment when I would lose my cool and make a soul-crushing mistake, but the moment never came! I was nearing the top of the route, and as I pulled through the roof and into the final face of the climb, I truly, genuinely believed for the first time that I belonged to be there. Each move was powerful, the holds were positive, but a burning in my forearms urged me to keep climbing. I took the third to last hold firmly in my left hand, bringing my right foot across my body and pulled, taking the second last hold in my grasp.... and watching it fall away as my foot blew from the wall!!
 

It took a couple of seconds for it to sink in how close I had come to topping a World Championship route.... I was ecstatic!! Over the moon!! My efforts had landed me in equal 11th place, making it my best placing on a WYCH route, having previously been equal 28th.

 





My second qualifier was later that night, and with little luck, I attempted to nap back in my hotel room. The little rest I did get helped me relax before taking to the wall for a second time. Whilst I had my theories, I was eager to know which route would be mine that evening. It turned out to be a funky little blue route that the Junior Males had climbed earlier that day. Having seen that this route was particularly cruxy, I knew that it could play to my strengths if I stayed switched on and maintained body awareness.

The route began in quite a technical fashion. In the past, I would have been totally defeated by these early sequences, but I managed to execute them perfectly and make it up to what I knew was the first crux. It consisted of an off-balance drive-by from a small edge to a sloper atop a volume. I caught the sloper confidently, and held tight to ensure I kept core tension. I continued to climb after realising I was not going to score a rest here. The next sequences were awkward, with strange feet and body positions. I worked my way through them, into a sloper at which I had intended to rest. With the beauty of hindsight, I see now that this was a terrible idea! I tried to shake away the pump very unsuccessfully before moving on to some harder sections, through a rad rose move to progress and then again to clip, and upward. I reached a number of extremely positive holds, but having wasted my energy I was in no position to rest, and simply resolved to keep moving. I had only a few moves in me before I was off. I had a good climb, not ideal, but good enough that I was satisfied knowing I had given it my all.



 

I had very little idea as to where my efforts would place me... whether I had earned myself a semi-final placing or not! But, as it turns out I had managed 16th place on that route (not too shabby as far as I was concerned!), adding up to a 14th place overall going into the semi-finals!

Semi-finals!?

Well, turns out third time's the charm!! I was in, and I couldn't have been happier! I had hoped and dreamed of this for three years, and as silly as it may sound to some, I was stoked to climb a third time at this year's WYCH.

But it was there that I learned something new, something I had not expected to learn. I had always envisioned myself in total elation when making the semis, and that I would attain a state in which my placing going forward wouldn't concern me.... But that was when I had expected to creep into semis around 26th place, not 14th! All of a sudden having simply made the semis was irrelevant. I wanted to place as highly as I could. I wanted to make finals! I had re-awoken a long lost drive within myself, and without positive self-talk, or scrawling my hopes into a diary, my sense of self belief was back :)





 

I was not the only Australian to have placed in the top 26th! Jarred Jordan, Sam Bowman, Matt Tsang, and Roxy Perry had all gone through after a long time coming, and newcomer Rhys Brandon managed to do so at his first ever World Youth Championship!

 



Isolation was a new, exciting, and incredibly daunting experience that I had been looking forward to for a long time! I looked around me and saw climbers from various parts of the world that I had respected since first watching them climb in Singapore, and could now appreciate this aspect of the event as one of them, and not simply a spectator.

The time came to view our route. It looked fairly straight forward. Not too difficult to start, moving into a dynamic roof, and then a pumpy run to the finish. Very little of the sequence eluded me, and that of it that did I quickly sorted out with those around me. I returned to isolation confident that this was a route I could perform well on.

 

Viewing the Youth A semi-final.

The wait for my turn to climb did not take nearly as long as I had expected, leading me to believe that maybe the route was much harder than I initially thought. I simply did what I would always do in isolation - talk about the route, get warmed up, keep somewhat to myself and try not to get overly amped. Before I knew it, I was tied in, facing the wall, and ready to climb...

Similar to my first route, every hold felt positive, and I didn't get too pumped through the first face of the climb. It wasn't long before I made the transfer into the roof and things started to change. I knew I had a number of committing moves ahead of me, but couldn't quite find any positions to rest. I pulled up into a shallow edge in the roof... it was tiny, and I did not feel confident putting my weight into it. The next hold was hidden amongst a formation of volumes, and I lunged toward it hoping to catch it just right. I hit the side of the box, just short of the hold. And as my feet slid from beneath me, I made one final push, and it was just enough to catch the jug one hand. I squeezed as tightly as I could, bringing my body back up to the roof. My left hand was solid, but I just couldn't find anything good to rest on with my right, so I made the next big move over the lip. I caught the hold with my right, following shortly with my left. By this stage, I was pumped. Accidently missing a crucial foothold and a potential knee-bar, I pressed on for every point I could score. Shortly after, I fell, fairly pleased with the height at which I did so.

My efforts were enough for me to land 15th place, and I was stoked! It seems that I accomplish my WYCH goals a year after I set them ;P With my goal for Singapore being top 40, and I took 46th, my goal for Canada being top 15, and falling into 33rd. I learnt some valuable lessons about efficiency and route awareness watching the following athletes climb the route. I also saw how close I was to finals, only 4 movements away, and I was hungrier than ever to resume training and work even harder for next year!!

Cutting loose on the Youth A Mens semi-final.

This year, the Australian Youth Climbing Team did our country proud. But more than that, we were proud of ourselves and proud of each other!

The rest of the competition was absolutely amazing! The finalists in each category put on a spectacular show that was entertaining for all. I just know that very soon, we'll be seeing our own athletes in the top 8, climbing for a podium finish. And if all goes to plan, I'll be one of them!!

Thanks to everybody again for all of the support and encouragement you have given me over the past year, and in the lead up to the competition. Special mentions go to my parents, who I love very much and put up with me in some of my most unbearable pre and post competition states! Thank you also to Rob LeBreton, who did an extraordinary job coaching us throughout the trip, especially in isolation where we were all feeling a bit daunted!

Thank you to my sponsor, La Sportiva Australia, who provided me with the gear I competed in and have been training in the lead-up to this comp!! You guys are awesome, and I'm ever-grateful to be a part of the team!!

Now there's only one more competition until the end of the season: The Australian National Bouldering Championships and the Australian Climbing Festival in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales. I'm super excited after coming home and taking a 1st in Youth A and a 3rd in Open men's at the Victorian State Bouldering Titles, and I'm hoping I can take another podium, or even a title, at this event!

I'm so thankful everyday that I get to be a part of something as special as sport climbing! Here's to years more of incredible experiences and friendships to come!!

2014 Australian Lead National Championships

Bringing the Australian Lead season to a close was the 2014 Australian National Lead Climbing Championships. I was going into this competition incredibly confident and motivated. I had won every Youth A Lead competition I had competed in so far, and had no intention of losing out at Nationals. This did, however, put a heavy load of pressure on my shoulders... Self-inflicted, but intense none the less. I had a couple of mates staying over as well from Queensland, which gave me to something else to look forward to, the comp aside. My favourite part of competing is getting to hang out with friends from all around the country that I don't usually see!

First qualifiers led into the event nicely. The Youth A Male climb proved a degree easier than a typical qualifier at Nationals,
with about 12 tops in total, but put everybody into a confident mindset that would prove useful on our second route.


Photo: Chris Hampton
http://www.climbmedia.com.au/2014-australian-lead-nationals/

The second qualifier moved up a techy, but not particularly taxing corner, into a dynamic cut that proved tricky for many. The route then continued up through a technical vertical section and through a steep, powerful lip that managed to split the Youth A Men's perfectly. After finding what proved to be the most effective beta through what was set as a cruxy cross into a one-finger-pocket, I had an unfortunate slip that saw me fall short of a top, but land me in first place going into finals. I was a little disappointed, having had massive improvements in my footwork recently that clearly didn't come into play, but I found comfort in knowing that time would not become a factor in the final.

The Youth A final looked RAD! The start was fairly steep and juggy, with some cool sequency moves, up into a sustained, crimpy stretch, through a volume onto some slopers, and a techy manoeuvre around a volume before the finish. I was out last, and with no clue how the others had gone, I stepped onto the wall with every intention of topping the route. I felt solid moving up the wall. All my sequences were working out, and I nutted out some rests that managed to keep me from getting too pumped. After a powerful lock from a slopey pinch to find a small hidden nub on the side of a volume, I decided to take a solid rest to consider my options. I had the feeling from the crowd that I had taken the high point, but my own personal drive kept me pushing to the top. I rested here for a good period, a little stumped. I swung my foot to a nice hold far out right, tried to rock as much of my weight as I could over the positive foothold, bumping my right hand out. I brought my left hand in close to a gaston on the volume, pushed my knee ever-further out left, and bumped again. From here it was smooth sailing! I took the last hold and (after a brief search for the final draw ;P) clipped!

Oceana Mackenzie taking her first National Title in her nice, new, shiny team singlet!!

I was over the moon with a second consecutive National Title! Alistair Earley and Sam Newton rounded off the podium in second and third respectively!

After a rather long day of climbing already, there were still two more climbs to go for those of us who qualified to compete in Open under the organisers' new wildcard rule, with AYCT members and podium placers from Youth A, B, and Junior moving through. For myself and seven other Open Males, the qualifiers proved not too challenging, creating wide tie going into the next morning's semi-final.

Ally Driessen on the Masters Female Semi-Final (Photo: Joanne Blair)

Another early start the next morning had us straight into isolation. I was out fairly late in the piece, so I held off for a while on my warm up. The crowd was impossible to read for this route! The women's route hailed screams and cheers as new high points were acquired early on, with one young female clearly setting the bar above the others, but then fell 'silent' after a while, as did the crowd for the men's.

Photo: Mike Davis http://midaphotos.smugmug.com/Sports/SCA-Nationals-2014/

Keeping in style with the comp so far, the route began on very positive holds, and kicked in quite suddenly. I moved through a number of disc shaped holds that became very high, awkward feet as I moved on. The crowed started to scream about mid way up the route after a powerful move to a small edge, and I was feeling confident in my progression thus far. When things felt dire, I would correct my feet or find a rest, and everything would click. I fell just short of a top, which would put me into finals in.... first place!?

I was always appropriately optimistic about the possibility of winning the title, but it hadn't really occurred to me that I possessed the potential to actually win the title. There was still a final to come, but I was ecstatic about the climb I had just put in. I had already far exceeded my perception of my own abilities.



Me taking the (particularly nasty) winning holds on the Open Semi-Final route. (Photo: Chris Hampton http://www.climbmedia.com.au/2014-australian-lead-nationals/ )

Both the men's and women's routes saw a clear division between the top placing 3-4 climbers and the rest of the field. One unfortunate characteristic of the men's climb was a rather poorly placed piece of black tape over an arête that saw a number of climbers called from the wall, and some, including myself, barely getting away with very debatable 'use' of the feature. This was the only section of the arête that was deemed unusable from a feature that ran the full length of the wall, and I felt it unnecessary to call it out.



 Photo: Mike Davis http://midaphotos.smugmug.com/Sports/SCA-Nationals-2014/

Never the less, it was an absolutely amazing route! One of the best I've climbed in an Aussie comp, and it was looking to be a tremendous final!



2014's Open finalists!! (Photo: Chris Hampton http://www.climbmedia.com.au/2014-australian-lead-nationals/)

As the finals progressed, I watched the athletes leave isolation climber by climber, hearing the cheers of the crowd grow louder and louder. More time passed, and I was alone. I felt the bass of the heavy speakers pulse through me, and I sat in solitude, preparing myself to climb the best that I could.

The route was fairly long, with 50 hand-holds in total. It started off fairly easy through a lengthy roof section, and as the angle of the wall decreased, the moves became larger, and the holds began to shrink, their in-cuts rounding off to some smooth edges. After a big, crowd-pleasing power-fest in the middle of the route, I was still feeling good and took a rest on a nicely angled volume. I felt like I was on my way to the top. I knew I could do it. The title was in my hands... before I dropped it, watching it shatter on the floor.

Pulling the rest before the final stretch! (Photo: Chris Hampton http://www.climbmedia.com.au/2014-australian-lead-nationals/)

I was pumped, but recovering well and truly enough on each hold to climb further. I came to a clip, and with my foot placements certainly not ideal, I tried to make quick work of the second last draw. I felt it slip and slide in my fingers, going for a great big swing before I caught it again and managed to put the rope through. My right forearm was flamed! My mind completely lost in the burn, I threw any kind of logical thought out the window, and made a stupid attempt to just move that little bit further forward... And before I knew it, I was off the wall!

Working at the clip, nearing the top of the final route.

I was in an absolute blur of mixed emotions. This was my best competition result ever! But I was so close and so capable of taking the title of Australian National Champion that it didn't feel that way at all.


All in all, I absolutely cannot complain with how I climbed at nationals. I felt smooth and powerful the whole time, and put in exactly the climb I had been aiming for in the semi final. I'm looking towards Worlds with confidence, but also with the experience from last year that I must keep tabs on that feeling so that it doesn't become overwhelming pressure. I have to approach the WYCH like any other comp, and just try to climb my best :)

Congratulations to James Kassay and Lucy Stirling, who climbed solidly and very deservedly took the titles in male and female respectively.



James Kassay, ensuring that the photographer gets his good side ;P (Photo: Chris Hampton http://www.climbmedia.com.au/2014-australian-lead-nationals/)



Lucy Stirling, crushing hard in perfect style! (Photo: Chris Hampton http://www.climbmedia.com.au/2014-australian-lead-nationals/)



This was only my fourth nationals, but in my opinion, it set a new standard for national competition in Australia. The routes were incredible, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. The organisers should be very proud of what they have achieved! Congratulations also to everybody who climbed. It's always so much fun to hang out with everybody, and you all climbed so well! And again, thank you for all the support that everybody gave me in the lead up to and during the comp. It really is invaluable to my climbing!

 

I hope of the climbers in Australia are looking forward to the bouldering season, and everybody else, I'll see you at the World Youth Championships in Noumea :D

(If you liked some of the photos from this post, check out Climb Media's website at http://www.climbmedia.com.au/. Chris puts in a lot of hard hours to put these great shots out there, so show your support by purchasing a few!!!)