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British Bouldering Championships
9 July 2013, 9:06 pm



The British Bouldering Championships is held at one of the UK’s largest outdoor festivals in the beautiful green space of Graves Park. Last year it was a total washout with everything but the competition being cancelled. This year the weather could not have been more contrasting. The sun was shining hot and bright the entire weekend and the park was full with music, colour, activities and ice cream once more.

I was not sure what to expect from this competition. I had climbed once since my return from Colorado four days before and it was my first session indoors in a month. Walking for miles to try a few boulder problems is very different to having a session on plastic. Doing a high volume of climbing was a little overwhelming but it felt great to pull on without being tired from walking.

I received my new climbing shoes from 5.10 the day before the comp, the TEAM VXI. Bright green and super soft. I decided this was a good opportunity to try them out and they were awesome. I flashed all of the qualifying problems and sat in first place heading into semi finals the next day.

Semi finals were hot and sweaty and there were some tough problems to get up but I felt good and managed to top all four with only one little foot error costing me a flash. Awesome efforts were put in by the youth bouldering team this weekend with Gracie Martin just missing out on finals and Tara Hayes finishing in 8th.



Before finals I didn’t feel nervous at all. Most of us were relaxed and having a laugh warming up in the back and hanging out with John Ellison, the CAC man. If you don’t know about CAC then I am disappointed in you! Go find out and buy yourself a t-shirt. If you do know about CAC and you don’t own a t-shirt then you should do something about that!



We had presentation and observation. I still felt fine, a few butterflies here and there but nothing much. It wasn’t until I was stood waiting to go out to climb that the nerves hit me. It was horrible. I was SO nervous! And the first climb was a slab. Not ideal for nerves at all. I put a smile on my face and stepped out onto the mat. Climbing last is so hard. You know if the boulder has been topped so you know what you have to do. I somehow managed to figure out what to do and flashed it. After that the nerves eased and I was excited about the next 3 problems.

The second one had caused a few issues for the climbers before me with no one coming back fast. I knew the hold would be nice a sweaty by the time my turn came around so I decided to climb a little faster. I am not really sure what I did but before I knew it I had the CAC finishing jug in my hands. The third boulder was even sweatier! I just about held the finishing hold, a heart stopping moment. This problem secured my title for another year and moments before Andy Murray Won Wimbledon. I am not sure what I was more excited about. I am not usually a tennis fan but WOW such an incredible achievement! And by a fellow Adidas athlete too

The fourth boulder had not seen an attempt. It looked like a battle through the roof on big volumes with knee bars and squeezing followed by a crimpy finish. I changed into trousers to protect my legs from the knee bar and also put my super stick Team VXI’s back on. I had expected a battle in the roof and thats what I got. My core was tested but luckily it passed and I reached the sausage shaped volume over the lip. I was heavily disappointed as it looked really good but was not textured at all and super slippery. I had to think on the spot at the top but it seemed to work in my favour as I found myself in a hands free rest that helped me sort myself out for the finishing move.







A great final 4 flashes

 

It was such a great event and I always love competing in front of a home crowd. I hope one day a world cup returns to the UK!

 





 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Broken Bones Heal Stronger
23 July 2013, 11:15 am

One year ago today I jumped off a boulder in Magic Wood and broke my leg. It is crazy to think that it was only one year ago when I realise how much has happened in these past 12 months but I can also remember that moment like it was yesterday.

 

Mostly I remember that feeling of frustration that would not subside. I remember going to bed that night and through the pain thinking of how this was going to ruin all of the plans that I had made for the coming months. The last World Cup, The World Championships and climbing trips were to be cancelled. Tears of pain, frustration and anger prevented me from sleeping. My raw emotions did not allow for the true reality of the situation to set in. I don’t think that it was until I was sat at home on my sofa watching all of Britain’s top athletes compete in the Olympics whilst I was incapable of carrying a cup of tea from one room to another.

It was on my return home that I contacted a certain person who now plays a very important role in my life. Mark Glennie. My coach. Mark had worked with me a little before I broke my leg but as a friend offering some advice and helping me out. I needed more than that to help me through last summer and Mark totally stepped up to the plate. I sent Mark a message that asked him to train me 3 times a week and make sure I was training right and hard. Little did I know what I was getting myself in for.

Last summer I spent more time under a campus board and doing core exercises than I ever had before. It was not a case of turning up to each session and seeing what we fancied doing. For the first time in my life I had a training programme that was tailored to me. I think we were both surprised by how weak I was at certain exercises and how useless I was at all of the important background bits that come with training hard like sleeping and eating enough.

 



I was training until the climbing centre closed and I was up training before the centre opened. I trained hard, I ate what I needed to train hard and I slept as much as I had to to train hard. Training became my focus and little else in my life mattered. I had finally managed to replace the frustration with motivation and that therefore lead to exhaustion and I could sleep. I could sleep knowing that everything hadn’t been ruined but that I had been given the opportunity to make myself into a better climber and that we were doing everything to make that happen.

It was not easy. I had sessions where I felt totally lame and could barely do a pull up. There were times when I wanted to curl up in a ball and cry because it felt like I was going backwards. But this was all a learning curve for myself and Mark. I used to laugh at the fact he had to deal with girly teenage issues something that I guess he never thought he would be dealing with at this point in his life.

There is another individual who helped keep us both sane, Rachel, one of my best friends in the World and also Mark’s girlfriend. She is potentially the most psyched person I have ever been in the company of and never let me slack in any part of my life. Both Mark and Rachel helped me through a difficult period and never let my motivation fade away.



Rachel doing squats with me to help my leg get stronger on a climbing trip in Margalef. In the past year I have accomplished so much. I have retained both my British Lead and Bouldering titles. I have pushed myself on rock and joined the elite group of women that have climbed V13 (8B). I have signed my first major sponsorship deal and became a Professional Climber.

I am so lucky to have such incredible people around me. People who push me to my limits when I don’t even know where my limits are. People who will listen even if I need to wine about silly little things. People who keep me grounded and abuse me with “friendly banter” as they call it. People who drive me around when I can’t get about on my own. And the people who put the kettle on when I get home.

This blog is a massive thank you to all of the people who have helped me to get to the point I am at now. I am 20 years old, climbing professionally and psyched out of my mind for competing on the World stage.











Source: Shauna Coxsey

[Nibile]

In the last picture I know all the guys.
It's frustrating and embarassing at the same time.

[Richie Crouch]

Why the embarrassment crusher?! We are all looking forward to your next visit! Young Mike may be ale to scare you on the beastmaker feats now too! 

Good to see Shauna's comeback too from being a talented but relatively weak climber to a beastly strong talented one!

[Nibile]

He scared me enough by doing RA in his trainers!
I really hope to come over in autumn. I have two big exams in September and October so I hope to have a few days off then. Ready to project some 6c!!!

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Munich, Germany, Bouldering World Cup
27 August 2013, 10:19 am

After a long break in the season it was time to get stuck back into world cup mode. 10 weeks is a crazily long break to have in the season and it’s hard to know what to do. My coach made sure my time was managed well and I had a nice balance with climbing on rock, chilling out, spending time with family and training.





I also got psyched on filming too! I made a little movie of Ned climbing a new line in North Wales, check it out…



from Shauna Coxsey on Vimeo.

I headed out to Germany a little bit earlier than usual so that I could stop off at the Adidas Headquarters. It was great to see how things work and get more of an insight to the huge company. I was totally overwhelmed by the size of the HQ and I now know so much more about the history of the company I am happy to be involved with. They are such an incredible company to be sponsored by and I massively appreciate being able to live the life I do thanks to them! I now have twice as much luggage to take home with me too! I even got chance to catch up with one of my good friends and fellow Adidas athlete Sasha. It was a such great start to my time here in Europe!

 

I was excited about the World Cup in Munich but as soon as I was sat in the chair waiting to go out and climb I was as nervous as ever. The incredible Olympic stadium creates such an amazing atmosphere, it is an such an intense place to compete. Two years ago I made my first ever world cup final in Munich, last year I sat and watched the competition with my leg in plaster and this year I was so psyched to be able to get back on the stage and climb again.

Qualifiers went really well for me it was really hot but with the heat wave that hit the UK I was used to trying hard in the heat and I qualified in first place in my group. Leah Crane and Gill Peet both just missed out on semi finals! It is great to see so many GB athletes pushing themselves and I think it is exciting to think what results next season might have in store. But for now it was just myself and David Barrans walking through the rain to isolation the next morning. Not forgetting team manager Gaz Parry, who also came along. It was great to have a manager out at the competition. The GB team is really starting to progress and having a team manager out at the events makes a big difference!



The difference in temperature from qualifiers to semis was insane! It was so so cold warming up for semi finals and I didn’t really feel ready to pull hard. The problems were quite fun though and I managed to top all four with only one fall which put me in second place going into finals behind Anna Stöhr. Anna is so inspirational she qualified last in our group for semi finals and came out of the round in first place with no falls at all. That’s how you turn a competition around!



This round of the world cup I finally felt happy with my climbing. After multiple battles with injuries and niggles I finally felt like I was climbing like myself, flowing well and not thinking too much for the first time this year. Well, that was until finals anyway. In finals the first boulder did not go well at all for me. I just could not pull on the small starting crimps at all, my fingers were numb and it was the most unpleasant experience I have ever had in a final (I still have red tips now!). Luckily the following problems were really fun! I am not happy with my performance but having climbed the way I did in the rounds before I can take some positives away from this competition. However, yet again I am leaving having learnt even more about my weaknesses in climbing. I guess it is good to know I still have so many things to improve on!



I was sat with Anna before going out to climb talking about nerves, I was intrigued to know if it ever got easier. She said it finally had for her, after 9 years competing on the circuit! I have a long way to go but it’s nice to know one day they might ease.

I really can not believe how fast this season has gone. I can remember sitting watching in Munich last year with my leg in plaster like it was yesterday. This season was not as successful for me on paper as last season but I have so so much I can take away and I have learnt so much. Next year I will be more prepared physically and mentally. I need to complete my collection of medals, earn the colour that is still missing and get back up on the overall podium!  Fingers crossed for no more injuries just training!

This weekend coming it is the European Championships in Eindhoven. I am staying out in Germany with Jule Wurm which is so much fun! After Eindhoven I have a day to explore Amsterdam with my coach, 2 days in London with 5.10 running masterclasses and then I have a little while at home before heading out to Adidas Rockstars! The next few weeks are crazy busy but I love it!

 In Munich some of my family came out to watch. 3 of my sisters, my Mother and my Father all traveled from the UK to be there and also some cousins from Munich came along! I am so lucky to have such a supportive family. I know that there were so many of my friends and family watching online too so THANK YOU!



Source: Shauna Coxsey

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A bad day at the office…
4 September 2013, 12:52 pm

I have been insanely busy since the European Championships finished. I spent the day after the comp in Amsterdam with my coach Mark. It is a city like no other! Beautiful buildings and rivers massively contrast the colourful, insane buzz that runs through the centre. I was still trying to process the competition but Amsterdam was too overwhelming and took up all of my energy. I then had an epic journey to London getting to a freinds house at 3AM and up ready to route set at 9AM. I was setting at The Castle on their outside boulders which are really cool, definitely worth checking out! After setting I coached for 5.10 in the evening so it was a pretty full on day. Today is the first time I have been able to stop and actually reflect on the weekend. I have only just realised that the season is over.

So the europeans did not go as well as I had hoped. 7th is not the European ranking I wanted. It was a hard result for me to deal with as I was not disappointed with my climbing and this took me a while to accept.

I was really excited about competing in my first continental championships. I had been making progress all season and I felt ready to give everything in the last official competition of the season. Qualifiers went really well and I was the only person to top three of the boulders in my group. The climbs were fun and interesting with a bit of burl in there too. Conditions were terrible but that’s just part of the game sometimes. I was moving well, thinking well and generally feeling really good.





In the semi finals I went out feeling nervous as always but I felt really good too and I was excited! I climbed the first boulder on my 6th attempt after battling to get my body in just the right position and then scraping up my knee in a knee-bar for the last move. Mina Marckovic was the only other person to top the boulder. Unfortunately the next two boulders weren’t so bad at all, I don’t even remember much about them. I knew a lot of girls would have done them easily. I came out to the last boulder, looked at it and saw the way it should be climbed. However, my head and body were not working together and it took me a little longer than it should have to get through the roof to the cruxy last move and I found myself back on the mat feeling frustrated. I knew I could do the climb. After a rest I pulled back on and slipped due to some shabby footwork, the pressure of counting clock was on and I had to get back on straight away. I climbed fluidly, precisely and convincingly all the way to that last move. I stroked the finishing hold but it wasn’t a jug and I had no chance of holding it with the way I had positioned my body. I was back on the mats, out of time with the frustration building and building. From the moment I realised I had placed 7th the frustration just escalated and initially I couldn’t explain why the feeling was so overwhelming.

After talking with my coach I realised. I had climbed well, I had topped the hardest boulder and I could not be disappointed with my climbing. I was unlucky. This just made it all the more frustrating but at least I could understand my emotions.

I guess we all have a bad day at the office. Luckily mine came with a whole load of motivation too. I do not like being on the other side of the fence. I know I can do so much better and I will.







For the first time ever I had my coach, Mark Glennie, out at the competition with me. I didn’t think I would appreciate having him there as much as I did but the difference it made was amazing. (Although my result may not reflect this) But at this competition I have felt the most relaxed and comfortable than any other. Having a friendly familiar face, someone to listen to my constant babble and just be there if I need anything from a bottle of water to a shoulder to cry on makes a huge difference. I guess thats why the top teams have their managers, coaches and physio’s out at the world cups. It would be so great to have this one day!





Amsterdam

Also, I spent the week before the competition hanging out with Jule Wurm. A massive thank you to her for letting me stay at her place, training with me and for the best rest days ever! It was so much fun to spend some time chilling out and really relaxing. I am so honoured to have met some of the of the most amazing people whilst competing at the world cups!





On another note the Womens Climbing Symposium has begun to take up lots of my time again. This year is going to be so so amazing! I can not believe how much we have going on at the event have a look at our website for more information. You can get tickets NOW HERE!!  Ladies you do not want to miss it!

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Dry Toast and Bananas
16 September 2013, 8:22 am

 

After spending a few hectic days with lots of meetings and business I was on my way back to Manchester airport and I was back in the all to familiar place with a coffee once again. This time however a face that had been missing from these ventures for a while was now present again. With lots to catch up on Mina and I chatted away and after quite a quick flight and then a long coach journey we arrived at the Hilton hotel right next door to the Porsche Arena. There was little time for a pause before registration, briefing and then out to dinner.



The sense of friendship and community was really highlighted at this competition for me. It was so nice to be at a comp where it didn’t matter where you were from, what team you were on or what sponsor you had.

The dinner on Friday night was great but I think due to my hectic week at home and generally being a little run down something didn’t quite agree with me and most of Friday night was spent in the bathroom. Food poisoning sucks. Food poisoning really really sucks the night before a comp!

I think I managed to get around 3 hours sleep. I got half a piece of toast down at breakfast and half a banana in isolation. I tried to warm up a little and it didn’t really work. I was unsure about if I should climb or not. I wanted to climb but I also wanted to curl up in a ball in bed. What if I felt totally fine the next day? I didn’t want to not compete and then have to sit and watch the next day feeling totally well. Luckily I was out early so I could get it over and done with. I went out onto the mat with every ounce of concentration on climbing. I couldn’t feel sick, tired or lame if I didn’t think about it right? Well, somehow this worked. I topped all of the boulders with only one fall finished in second.

Day one done. I went back to the hotel and woke up 3 hours later still in my climbing clothes on the bed not even under the covers. I managed to eat a little pasta in the evening and was starting to feel like I was steadily heading along the road to recovery. 10 hours sleep and even half a bowl of cereal for breakfast. It was time to go see what I had in me for semi finals.



At Adidas rockstars they allow us to look at the problems from a distance before the isolation closes. I wasn’t sure how this would effect me. Most people found it lowered their nerves and their anxiety but I thought it could easily do the opposite. It is so hard to tell what the boulders are like from a distance though. I didn’t find it made much difference. They all looked possible and fairly basic so it was just about going out and climbing.



My aims for this competition were never clear for me. Of course everyone wants to win but in my mind the season had finished and I was just there to have fun. The problems did not disappoint. They were super fun! I was a little frustrated as I had so little power, turns out not eating much really doesn’t help you burl your way up a steep roof or stick big dynamic moves, things I would normally consider preferences. I tried hard though and one thing I can take away from this event is a deeper understanding of how hard you can push when you feel a small percentage of your best.

I qualified for finals in 6th place. I was so so so happy, tired and overwhelmed.



I was surprised at how good I felt when warming up for finals. I had literally eaten half a bowl of cereal and a few bananas all day. Although a coffee was still necessary before going out for presentation and observation to help mask the fatigue. After looking at the boulders I had very mixed feelings. They were everything we could expect but that unfortunately for me that meant the were pretty funky too. My concerns were mainly about the second boulder which was a running start. My worst nightmare!

It was hard to tell the difficulty of the first boulder. My first attempt was a little lame, my hand was over the hold and it just didn’t hold on. My energy was sapping and my body just wanted to give up but I managed to make the move on my second try after consciously willing my hand to hold on. I was climbing first so I had no idea if the boulders were even possible for us or if they were super easy. I usually like climbing first in finals because of the lack of expectation that there is. However going first on the running start was not something I was looking forward to. However, I went out with a smile, ready to face the all to familiar humiliation that usually comes with this kind of boulder for me. Luck must have been on my side as after my funny little run up (that people always make fun of me for) I did not find myself back on the mat but on the starting holds. The rest of the boulder was harder than I expected but my fear of taking the run up again pushed me to the top.

The Finals had a stranger format. 6 climbers competed on the first and second boulders and then 3 advanced to the third boulder. These were myself, Jule and Akiyo. The third boulder looked hard and powerful. Normally something I would be really excited about but I felt so drained and lame I had no idea what would happen out there. I seem to be quite good at ignoring how I actually feel and making myself believe I feel good. Well good enough to get me to the top of the third boulder anyway.

The third boulder decided on who went to the super final. The super final is two identical boulders which the top two competitors race up. Well in theory. Jule and I were to go head to head. It was so nice to be climbing against Jule because I really didn’t mind at all who won. She is the nicest person and I was excited to get to share the experience with her. And then we both failed and failed and failed and neither of us topped the boulder. Possibly the most public height of embarrassment in my climbing career.

After the boys super final we were sent out again to battle our way up an easier version. I was unable to pretend I felt good by this point and could barely manage a smile for the crowd. I knew the boulder would be way easier and it was going to be a full on race. I tried and gave everything but it wasn’t enough and I had not expected it to be. I had little left to give.

The next hour or so was pretty overwhelming. Podium, some really kind words about my climbing from Alex Huber whilst receiving my trophy, confetti. Lots of press bits and bobs, photos, interviews, autographs.



I got back to my hotel room and I realised in that moment I understood the meaning of exhaustion. I was sick and I cried. I was not in the least bit disappointed or upset. I was happy with my climbing and my result. And I wasn’t ill anymore. I was just exhausted. I made an attempt to go to the after party but my search for some food and a glass of water failed. I went back to the room and curled up in bed. Safe to say breakfast was well and truly welcomed!

Now I am filming for 5.10 with Mina and Jon. And then on tomorrow Mina and I head to Sweden. Busy busy busy…

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[Fiend]

Awwwww. Good effort, you looked good out there Shauna, both in the climbing and in the positive vibes to the crowd and Julia in the rather silly superfinal.

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Västervik
24 September 2013, 8:00 pm

After Adidas Rockstars Mina and I had a fun two days filming with 5.10 in Nuremburg for a promotional video that will be released soon. From there we had an epic journey to Västervik. 2 Planes, 2 buses 14 hours of travelling was all worth it when we arrived in the picturesque archipelago town, situated on the South-east coast of Sweden.

Myself and Mina were greeted by Dave and Ned in a brand new Volvo 4×4 that we had been given for the week. Then we were taken to our adorable seaside wood cabin surrounded by dense forest. Safe to say we were treated incredibly well. I cannot thank the people of the Västervik Climbing Festival enough for their hospitality and generosity. 



The climbing around the area is full of good quality rock and great lines in amazing settings. It was lovely to spend so much time in the forest.  



I wasn’t sure what it would be like spending the week climbing on rock again. I had managed to squeeze in the odd day outside here and there over summer but with the competition season now over I could really get stuck in and begin the transformation onto rock. Of course climbing on plastic and climbing on rock share a very similar skill set but I find there are some major differences that take me a while to adjust to. Mostly I find it’s getting used to climbing above bouldering mats and holding such tiny holds that you don’t find indoors. 

After such an intense competition season my body and mind were both ready for a break which meant that I actually felt quite drained during my time in Sweden. I slept for over 10 hours each night, ate lots of food and even managed to fully chill out in the evenings. Not having internet in our cabin was bliss!



 I only managed to climb two full days in Västervik and they were both amazing. There is so much that we didn’t even get to see and I would love to get back there! I climbed some really cool boulders that were all great lines including David o Goliat 8a, East Coast Warrior 8a and The Office 8a. I even put up my first ever first ascent!  I am really excited about this! I called it Yorkie and it’s a 7c+. Ned put up a few new things too. It’s nice to leave feeling like we have contributed in a very small way to this great area.



Photo David Mason Photo David Mason Every day in Västervik was amazing, even our rest day. We were taken on a boat to a small island where we sat by the sea and had a picnic of freshly baked cake (still warm) and cookies. Thanks Sanna! We then went for a dip in the chilly sea and ended the day in the Sauna before heading back.







Photo: David Mason View from the island



I would like to mention Stefan Rasmussen and Jim Wasmuth. They have dedicated so much time and effort to the development of this vast climbing area. Their passion and love for bouldering has created an amazing destination that has and will be enjoyed by climbers from all over the world. They made sure we knew where we were going, pointed us at boulders and even gave us a few of their projects.  

I had a really fun week climbing with Ned, Mina and Dave and my passion for climbing on rock has been once again renewed. I am really looking forward to focusing on different aspects of the sport for the next few months before the training for comp season commences.



 

Next stop for me will be HERE!

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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A Fine Line
2 October 2013, 11:13 am

This weekend past I went out for a sample of some peak limestone. We had been hoping it was going to be cool enough to get out on the grit but the sun was shining and it definitely wasn’t down jacket and thermals weather yet so Rubicon it was. 

My lack of knowledge of climbing history is embarrassing and seriously needs to be improved but I know that Rubicon is known for its crimpy style, hard routes and beautiful scenery and also its contrived, hard bouldering. It is also full of history. Ruth Jenkins pushed the boundaries and became the first British women to climb french 8b back in 1995 at Rubicon (when I was just 2 years old). 

The concept of having rules on boulder problems is a little alien to me. I am a competition climber and yes sometimes there is black tape that you can’t pass but never rules such as no matching, no heel hooks or banned holds. Climbing on rock is something I thoroughly enjoy and have a lot of passion for but my experience is still very limited and my understanding of some areas is lacking. I remember climbing at Crag X once and being psyched to get to the top of a boulder only to be told when I dropped off that it didn’t count because I used a heel hook at the start and I was supposed to campus. I did’t really understand this so much but this man was rather upset with me so I did as he asked a repeated it the ‘right’ way.

Last Saturday I tried ‘A Bigger Belly’ at Rubicon. It has the tiniest holds I have ever held onto and some of the most powerful moves I have ever tried. It was quickly evident that I wasn’t able to climb the problem using the original beta. I am used to finding new beta on climbs as its rare that I climb with people my size and very very rare that problems are put up by people my size. I enjoy the process though and find it quite liberating when I figure something out that had initially felt so impossible. 

 Totally unaware of the rules on this boulder problem I did what I normally do. I figured out a way to get between the holds that worked for me. I didn’t actually realise I was using a hold for my foot that was technically not in. It’s not like it made the boulder super easy. I was on a bad, tiny, little hold with my right hand and a backhand with my left kicking my left foot above my head to get my heel on. I think it could be the single hardest foot movement I have ever done. 

I guess thinking back it totally makes sense that it isn’t ‘in’ as you could easily grab the big hold I out my heel on with your hand place your foot perfectly making the boulder problem significantly easier. To be honest I just knew where my hands had to go and put my feet where ever I could to make the moves between the hand holds possible.

 I can’t do the original method to ‘A Bigger Belly’ so I guess I didn’t climb the original boulder. But I climbed something that I found insanely hard. Anyone who has ever felt the starting holds can appreciate  the difficulty of just pulling on! I often surprise myself when climbing by doing I move that I thought impossible or really hard but I don’t think I have ever impressed myself before. I do not mean to sound arrogant at all but on saturday I learnt what it felt like to try hard on rock. To pull on holds that were barely there and really push myself. I am proud of this and happy with what I achieved no matter what the name or grade of the boulder problem is. 

I think this could have been the hardest thing I have ever climbed and if it wasn’t a known line I guess it is now so maybe I can call it something else… ‘ A Smaller Belly’? or ‘A Bigger Belly – Coxsey’s Varian(t)’  what do you think?

 

 



 

Photots thanks to  Nick Brown – Outcrop Films 

Video from Nick Brown and Ben Pritchard soon!

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[Fiend]

I remember climbing at Crag X once and being psyched to get to the top of a boulder only to be told when I dropped off that it didn’t count because I used a heel hook at the start and I was supposed to campus. I did’t really understand this so much but this man was rather upset with me so I did as he asked a repeated it the ‘right’ way.

Go on then, own up, which one of you lot was this?? 

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Climbers go Pin Up for CAC…
15 October 2013, 12:17 pm



So… some of you may have heard about my CAC project. We have made a 2014 calendar!! Not just any old calendar though. Our calendar has a 1950’s theme… 6 months of work, 2 long photo shoots, countless days of editing and designing and its finally ready. Next task is to get it out to you lovely people who want to support the cause. 

Why a 1950’s theme you may be asking? I am a trustee of the charity Climbers Against Cancer and I had been wanting to do something for CAC for a while. A friend of mine, Alex Johnson, asked a group of friends, including myself, if we were up for doing a fun photo shoot in her 1950’s trailer. As soon as I read the message I thought about doing a calendar. Sorry I can’t give you more of an explanation, that is pretty much it.

I wanted to do something different, fun and light hearted for the cause and this seemed perfect. A calendar full of climbing photos would draw some attention but people see us climbing all of the time it wouldn’t be different or unique. I asked some some of my climbing friends what they thought and if they wanted to get involved and the whole thing evolved rapidly. We had so much fun making this calendar. Dressing up, posing and doing something totally new to all of us. We are all athletic women and proud of how we look but this calendar was not made with the intention of exploiting us. 

I can not thank my good friends and fellow female climbers enough for giving up their time and making this calendar happen. Anna Stöhr, Juliane Wurm, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk, Meagan Martin, Angie Payne, Melissa LeNevé, Alex Johnson, Akiyo Noguchi, Alex Puccio, Sierra Blair-Coyle, Kati Peters and Leah Crane. All of these ladies look incredible in our calendar and they have created the fun, light hearted and unique vibe that we were hoping for. You would never normally get a group of climbers together like this. We share no mutual sponsors, we don’t all compete, we don’t live in the same country but we are all together here to support this cause. 

As sad as it is I think it was inevitable that this calendar would receive some criticism. I appreciate that it may not be to everyone’s taste. However, we are all waiting to wave aside any criticism knowing that we have supported a good cause, raised a lot of money and contributed, even if only in a small way, to the battle against the disease that affects us all. 

A massive thank you must go out to the amazing photographer Caroline Treadway and skilled designer Ben Jones. Not forgetting John Ellison, founder of CAC, who has put many many hours in to make sure everything came together.

The calendar will be available on the CAC website at the end of the month. Its big, it’s different and it’s in support of CAC!

 

So, please, support CAC: buy this calendar and enjoy the product as much as we enjoyed the process!

 



 



For distribution we would like climbing walls and shops to purchase boxes so that we can get the calendars all around the world and save on postage so that as much money as possible can go to the charity! Please consider this, pass the message on and keep you eye on the CAC website!  

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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El Miedo De Caer
30 October 2013, 10:48 am

El Miedo De Caer - The Fear of Falling

At the beginning of October I set off from home in my brand new car courtesy of my new sponsor The Climbing Hangar.

I did not want to go. So spending a month in the beautiful, majestic village of Santa Engracia at the incredible Casa Mauri Apartments was not a hardship in any way. And as far as downsides to a job go this I think is a pretty good one. However, I knew how unfit I was and how my recent experiences on the end of a rope had been. The drive through Terradetes is insane. The mass of bright orange and grey limestone stripped through the dense forest laden hills was overwhelming. Yet the feeling of nervousness not excitement hit me.

I have spent so much time clipping bolts in the past, countless days doing laps up and down a wall and I have probably even spent more days sport climbing on rock in the UK than I have bouldering. Making the transition to bouldering was not so much a conscious decision that I made. From a very young age I loved bouldering but there were no bouldering competitions for youths’ back then so I focused on sport climbing, I trained hard, I put a lot of time in and I was extremely passionate about it. And yet now sport climbing seems like an entirely new sport to me.

I did not go to Spain for a holiday or a break or for fun. I went under my coaches influence to train.

Going to the crag on the first day felt like meeting up with an old friend. Only a friendship that through your own lack of contact has become a little stale and extremely awkward.

I got scared, I got too hot, I got grumpy, I got pumped and I didn’t enjoy it one bit. My car says ‘professional climber’ on the side, I felt as far as I could possibly be from professionalism. It was so frustrating to enter back into a world that had once felt so comforting feeling lost and useless.  I had expected my ego to take a hit, I knew I wasn’t fit and I didn’t expect to be pushing my limit. But I had not expected the total utter shut down that I received.

I used to wonder why people got so scared when leading. In fact I would go as far as saying it used to annoy me a little. It made no sense to me why people would put themselves through such a traumatic experiences. It is rational to have a fear of falling? I guess it is but then surely we trust our gear and we trust your belayers otherwise we would not go up the wall. So what is it. I have taken huge falls in the past and many of them and never once received any sort of injury from falling, never once had my equipment fail or my belayer drop me yet when I reached a move that I for some unconscious, unexplainable reason decided was ‘scary’ that was it, I wasn’t going any further. Stupid. A little battle would take place in my head over whether or not to shout down to my belayer, my grip would tighten, my forearms getting more and more pumped until that unforgivable word ‘TAKE’ would come out of my mouth followed by the deep sense of disappointment. Psyched, fearless 10 year old Shauna would be disgusted in me.

What is it that we are scared of? Why do we put ourselves through it? Is everyone a little bit scared and some people just hide it well? I began to analyse what it was I was afraid of and caught myself red handed. When Chris shouted up ‘It’s not that far, you can easily do the move’ I found myself thinking ‘I know I can, but I don’t want to. Because if I do then I will be higher with another move to do to another unknown hold. And what if it is bad, what if I panic, what if I miss it, WHAT IF????’

Like with most things it takes some time to get used to and sure enough I found my confidence growing (towards the end of the second week!). I didn’t take a single whipper, I didn’t climb anywhere near to my limit and I didn’t find the love I once had for sport climbing that I once had. I did managed to get pumped a lot, I did push myself out of my comfort zone and I did have fun.

But it still confuses me where this fear of falling came from. Is fear a learned behaviour or something we have naturally? I saw some of my friends get so scared they couldn’t move at all and I saw some of my friends practically throw themselves off the wall at every opportunity. It is normal to be fearful of the things you don’t know? No matter where fear comes from it is definitely something that we can overcome. But to overcome fear we need to have many other many other attributes and motivation is massively key. We need to have the motivation to push ourselves.

Climbing presents so many physical and mental barriers. There are few sports that can challenge you so diversely and intensely.  I came to Spain to train. I am leaving with much more than fitness and I’m already motivated to come back for more next year.

Whilst here I managed to climb a few really cool routes. My proudest achievement which may seem a little insignificant to many was my onsite of ???? 7b+. 30m of steady climbing with a few exciting sections throughout. I got to an okay rest half way up the wall, my forearms burning and my body fading from the 30 degree heat. I looked down to the guys below who looked like ants and wanted nothing more than to shout ‘take’. I even whispered ‘take’ knowing they couldn’t hear me and shaming myself into not saying it louder and carrying on climbing. I must have rested for about 10minutes. It was my very welcomed, delightful first experience of actually recovering on a route.The next moves looked hard and every time I looked up I started panicking. Not only did the moves look hard but the next clip was really far away. I think I let out a little whimper whilst climbing the section. I’m not sure if it was my stubbornness or my ego or my fear that got me to the top but somehow I managed it and welcomed the intense sickly pump that came with clipping of the chain.

I also climbed 2 8a’s one second go the other first go, 2 8a+’s both second go an 8b which I did on my third go.

 

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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WCS13
6 November 2013, 2:21 pm

Every year the time comes around for the organisation and plans for the Womens Climbing Symposium to begin again. Every year it takes more work that we anticipate, more late nights writing emails, more early mornings sorting advertisement and more long days spent planning the content. And every year I have left the event with an overwhelming sense of joy, pride, satisfaction and (of course) relief. This year was different.  But only in the sense that all of these feelings were multiplied!

Our objectives for the event are to connect, inspire and develop. Why? Whats the point you may ask… Climbing is a sport that’s growing at a rapid rate and with that comes the development of our sport. This development will naturally be both positive and negative. Climbing is a massively male dominated sport and a few years back I was oblivious to most of the negative experiences that women in climbing faced. Climbing is not just my hobby, its’s my lifestyle and has been since I was four years old. Simply through ignorance I never realised that there were so many physical and mental barriers, both big and small, for some women because they were not present in my own climbing experiences.

I have now spent a lot of time coaching female climbers, I now have lots of female climbing friends and I am now able to acknowledge their personal experiences in the sport. To run an event such as this we have to make massive generalisations. Women ‘generally’ feel they need to improve on their dynamic ability, women ‘generally’ want to know more about how to train, women ‘generally’ worry about what to eat, women ‘generally’ don’t like slopers etc etc.

We wanted to create a day that not only had something for everyone but that had lots of things for everyone there. So this year we had more going on than ever before. And I guess our generalisations must have been along the right lines considering every workshop and every talk was packed!

I climb with women a lot now, my local wall The Climbing Hangar is often close to having as many women in as men, but when the 180 women arrived at The Arch on the morning of November 2nd I was once again overwhelmed.

The Arch Climbing wall were our hosts and principle sponsor of our 2013 event. They could not have been more helpful and their staff could not be more friendly. Having a good relationship with them ensured this event was the incredible success that it was. A massive thank you must go out to Emila  and Fred who answered every question that we had, met every single request that we made and let us fill their wall with women for the day!

I am so pleased with the content we managed to provided on the day. Opening with the inspiring, 73 year old, Angela Soper. With over 50 years climbing experience she had so much knowledge on the development of climbing and more specifically women in climbing. Angela is a wonderful lady full of enthusiasm. She even came to ask me some questions on dynamic climbing “you are never too old to learn” “I might be older but I can still do everything I used to be able to do. It will just take me a longer to recover.” She is a massive idol for me!

All of our talks by Angela, Mina Leslie-Wujastyk and Ella Kirkpatrick left the audience full of motivation and ready to push their climbing.  Unfortunately I missed the other talks as I was working with Leah Crane on the dynamic climbing workshop but I heard nothing but good things about them… A massive thank you has to go out to Eva Lopez who travelled from Spain to give her talk on ‘Key Performance Indicators for Female Training’. Not forgetting Emma Flaherty who gave a talk titled ‘Amateur Adventures’ and left every single person listening filled with psyche and motivation for getting out and making their dreams come true! Also Rebecca Dent (nutritionist), Anna Rigge (physiotherapist) for their talks and Carlie Speller for teaching the yoga classes.

Thank you so much to every individual who came on the day, every participant, every coach, every speaker and all of the arch staff.

I am so honoured to have had the opportunity to be part of the organisation with one of my best friends Stephanie Meysner. And I look forward to the future of WCS.



















 

MORE PITCURES HERE!!!

BMC REPORT HERE

Eva Lopez Blog HERE

Crux Crush Report HERE

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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2783 MILES in pictures…
12 November 2013, 12:59 pm























































 









 



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Source: Shauna Coxsey

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A Sneak Peek
18 November 2013, 9:50 pm

Kendal Mountail Film Festival…

A while back my sponsor Adidas asked me to talk at Kendal Film Festival and I had agreed giving little thought as to what I was going to talk about, how many people would be there or what audience I might have. I gave minimal thought to all of this until about a week before and yet again I found myself in an very familiar unorganised frantic state trying to get everything ready. I guess if you leave things until last minute then they can only take a minute? Right.

After some help from my big sister I came up with the content for my talk and quickly realised I had no high res images for a slide show. A big thanks to Heiko Wilhelm, Lukasz Warzecha, Caroline Treadway, Alex Messenger and Diego Patete for getting images to me so fast.

I had so much fun writing my talk and putting my slideshow together that I decided to share a few bits with you all. Popping a few bits of it on here is much easier than presenting it up on a stage! Although, I did feel a great sense of  pride stood in front of over 100 people at the beautiful town hall of Kendal. The feeling I had just before stepping onto the stage was strangely similar to the feeling I have before going out to climb at a world cup. Terrified, sickly and nervous yet excited, eager and proud.

After a few little stutters I found my flow and an hour passed by in a flash! I was very honoured by the mixed crowd that attended I had not expected an age span from  6 to 73.

 

So here is a very brief summary of my presentation. I have squeezed the photos together and I am unable to publicise some but it still makes sense… (I hope)



A special mention to my sponsors Adidas UK, Five Ten and The Climbing Hangar for making it all possible…

 

The early years – My dreams and ambitons to become a prefessional athlete not just a climber and how the development of the sport allowed my persistance to become justified.

 

 



Beoming a Professional – When climbing, training and competing turned into my job. And Mark became my coach. There is a quote by me in a magazine saying I don’t ever want coach and I hate being told what to do. The latter is still very true but I couldn’t imagine life without this guy now. My outlook on everything has changed not only climbing, training and competing but resting, sleeping, eating, life. He deserves an award for putting up with me.



Support – My family are amazingly supposrtive! They keep my feet firmly on the ground and help me to achieve my goals. I spend a lot of time away from home but I always know that when I walk through my door I get to be just Shauna – sister, auntie, daughter, friend but just me.



Training – My past year I trained harder, I had more structure and I was more dedicated than ever before. In my first year of world cups I did no preparation at all and finished 3rd overall. I had a very different approach to competion. This year I learnt that competing was not only a display of  your physical elements but underlying psychological battle too. In my second year of competing I finished 4th.



The Season – Long, hard and tiring! There were highs and lows. I learnt a lot in the past season, every comeption I did left me inspired to improve new aspects of my climbing. I  had to play, understand and try to control the head game. New pressures and expectations. One long emotional roller coaster. I knew I was stronger and fitter yet my resluts were not relecting this.



But then there were times when everything clicked! The BBC’s is the scariest competion of the year for me. I get way more nervous than in a world cup! At this competion everything went perfectly. I climbed, I just climbed. I didn’t worry, I didn’t panic, I didn’t care about anything other than climbing. I flashed every boulder in the final and retained my title. Proving I can access that desired head space.



I also proved that I was stronger and fitter than the previous year when I climbed this boulder. Becoming one of only a few women in the world to climb the grade v13! But this also became an epic head battle for me!



So this year I proved to myslef I was stronger and that Adidas Rock Stars I proved I could block everything out and compete when I felt super ill. I guess its partly thanks to food poisoning that I know I can walk out onto the mat an preform no matter how I feel.

So after an epic season I can now stand back and reflect on all I have learnt and enter the next season even more prepared, even stronger   both physically and psychologically!

I had a few more photos from trips, WCS and CAC but you can see all of those in my past blogs…

For those of you who came to my talk you will notice lots of things missing… my last slide in particular. For those of you who want to know more come here me speak some day!

Take a moment to think about what you have learnt this year.

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Goodbye for now Ticino
19 December 2013, 2:32 pm

When I think of Switzerland I picture snow topped peaks, cute little houses and lots of boulders… Safe to say I was not disappointed by Ticino in any way. 

On 18th November one of my favourite Americans, Alex Johnson, arrived at Manchester Airport shortly followed by a friend of hers Sasha. The three of us spent a day braving the brisk winds and heavy showers seeing some sites in Liverpool City centre. We had a fun session at The Climbing Hangar and signed a few CAC calendars too. After saying goodbye to my good friends and family we spent two days traveling to Switzerland. Possibly the best core work out ever. I have never laughed so much! 

Rain, sleet, hail, snow, ice. We had seen it all on the drive. I had been warned about the weather in Switzerland and had prepared myself for many a forced rest day sat by the fire. Cold and unreliable seemed to be a recurring theme from peoples experiences. But every day for four weeks we woke up to totally clear blue skies.

I had been intending to arrive in Switzerland swatted up. I had planned on watching videos, writing a tick list and buying the guide books. I failed. I arrived with very little clue of what I wanted to try and where I wanted to go but I was psyched and ready to start trying hard. However, for the first week or so I felt pretty lame and it took me quite a while to get into it. I found it really hard to just be out in the cold, never mind climb in the cold. It was hard to warm up, I felt all my old injuries and niggles every time I pulled on and my back got full of knots. I soon found myself getting extremely frustrated at continually retuning home without any sense of satisfaction regarding the effort that had gone into my climbing. 

 When I got to Switzerland I felt like I should do what I thought you were supposed to do. See lots of areas and climb as many classics as possible. For a while I stayed away from the big numbers and tried to get lots done but I was not feeling much fulfilment. I wasn’t getting tired, I didn’t have to fight, I hadn’t pushed myself. 

I had 4 weeks in Switzerland, I spent two weeks lacking motivation, ignoring my desires to try hard and not embracing the perfect conditions and the incredible rock. I needed to remember that I was on holiday, get out and have fun. I spent months training for the world cup circuit and competing and soon enough I will be doing that again but I had time to have fun and embrace whatever aspects of the sport I wanted to. Do what I wanted to do, not what I thought I should be doing.  

There were two boulder problems that I was ready to get stuck into. Freak Brothers and Franks Wild Years, I had got close to both of them but left my first sessions with moves uncompleted. The boulders are graded 8a and they are total classics. From my past rock climbing experience (which is far from extensive) I have either been able to climb 8a fast or I have known it’s not possible for me. These climbs seemed possible, but I didn’t do them straight away and I didn’t know if I could. I found it really hard to know what to do. I knew to climb them would take a significant amount of effort which scared me. Did I want to put the time into these problems that feel like battles or walk away with my tail between my legs. 

 Grades. They are necessary but they are so annoying. Grade wise these climbs were not at my limit but both were very physically and mentally challenging. I climbed two 8a’s in Switzerland before these two both in a matter of attempts not sessions. Frank’s Wild Years ended up taking me me two sessions and Freak Brothers took me five sessions (the longest I have ever spent on any problem on a trip). 

As climbers we develop in our sport with some form of attachment to grades. In some sports the attachment is to time or scores. Ours is grades. In competition there are no grades just results. But outside it is about the numbers, the bigger the better right? We all want to see progression, development and improvement. Who cares if you do the warm up boulder? Who cares if I climb a 7a or even an 8a? I do. I wanted to climb Franks Wild Years from the moment I saw it, the same for Freak Brothers. I wanted to do them fast to have more time to try other things but sometimes thats not the case. I accepted that they were worth the time it was going to take me to climb them, how ever long that was going to be?

Grades are there as a measure and we can use our previous achievements to set targets. On this trip I had specific goals that I wanted to achieve. And some of them were grade related. I have climbed 8b and multiple 8a+’s. I want to climb harder and I want to push myself further. On this trip I did not climb anything harder than 8a. But I climbed one of the hardest boulders problems I have ever done. 

The moment I topped out Freak Brothers was one of the most satisfying moments in my climbing career to date. I had spent more time sat on the mat underneath that boulder problem than any other problem in the world. It tested me in so many ways but most of all my determination and persistence were challenged. Wanting to do something so much and knowing and believing you can and falling off again and again is new to me. Slowly I am learning about projects. I have just read Crux Crush’s interview with my good friend Angie Payne. She talks about projecting and I feel embarrassed to complain about 5 days when she has spent over 50 on her current project. Reading this has made me excited to start challenging myself more on rock and start really actually pushing my limits. Angie is one of my biggest inspirations in both climbing and life. Her motivation, determination and positivity is second to none. I definitely would recommend you check out her interview HERE! I would also like to thank Ned for being so supportive and pushing me get back on Freak Brothers. I had definitely considered not going back multiple times but he seems to know me better than I do. He deserves some credit for dealing with the mood swings encountered too. I think he was as relieved as I was when I got to the top. 

 So I am not leaving Switzerland with the tick list that I desired. Nor the climbing experience I had expected. Before coming out here there were two boulder I was sure I wanted to try Amber and Boogalaga both 8b. I didn’t try either of them. I didn’t actually try to climb 8b at all. I still don’t really know why I didn’t. (I did try to climb 8a+ and thought I had but I started in the wrong place)

I am happy with what I have climbed here and I am inspired by the countless hard problems I have seen and not tried. I used to wonder why people always go back to the same places when there are so many climbing areas around the world to see but now I understand. 

Today is our last day and it’s raining. I finally get a forced rest day by the fire with a quick trip into town to eat crêpes. Next stop is Fontainbleau! 2 weeks in font before training begins. Fingers crossed for good weather so we can consider doing some climbing as well as consuming lots of cheese and wine.

This is only Goodbye for now Ticino.







Picutre Blog and a video from the trip coming sooon

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Switzerland In Pictures…
23 December 2013, 12:31 pm

Day one – All packed, up early and ready for the long drive.



Ferry time.



Stormy ride across to France.



                               

Blue Skies and snow topped mountains to greet us in Ticino…



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Franks Wild Years – One of my favourites!





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Brione

Ged Mac



AJ



Sasha











Home!



Chironico



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Two of my favourite Americans…





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Training in the house after unsuccessful days out on the rocks.



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Day 2 on my five day misson – Freak Brothers







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Most days I took my blanket out to the crag



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Lugano







Home – Filming





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Home



On the last day of the trip we woke up to a winter wonderland.



Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Looking Forward But Only After Looking Back
6 January 2014, 12:34 pm

When better than the end of one year and the beginning of a nice new, fresh one for some reflection hey. 2013 was a year of both success and failure for me. Each stands out as distinctly as the other in my memory. But more than anything 2013 was a year full of lessons. I guess we are constantly learning but this past year I learnt things that I can actually remember. Things that I care about. Things that are useful. Things that I can apply and want to apply.

I am not sure if I have ever consciously reflected on what I have learnt, not by choice anyway. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it but the first things that spring into my mind seem pretty arrogant. I learnt that I am strong and I learnt to believe that I am certain I can achieve my goals.

Every year I write my goals down. At the end of every year I put little ticks next to the ones I have achieved and spend some time pondering over the ones I failed to put that tick by with feelings of guilt and regret. In 2013 I didn’t achieve all of my goals. The year seemed to pass by so quickly and thinking back I do not feel like I got fully stuck into anything. 2012 had so many stand out moments, high highs and low lows. In an extremely brief summary: I did well in the World Cup Circuit and I broke my leg. Then in 2013 I didn’t do as well in the world cups and I didn’t have any major injuries. So on paper and in the media I didn’t do much. And then I remember how close I got to winning and then I remember that I climbed on rock too. I climbed my first 8B!

Back to the learning. I find it difficult to put into words my overall experience in the world cups of 2013. It felt like the competitions were really beginning, like I was entered into a new league or starting a new level of a game. There were so many aspects that did not exist in my first season. I was afraid to fail. Expectation replaced excitement. Pressure masked the fun. In 2012 I learnt what it was like to compete in 2013 I learnt what it was like to be a competitor. I went from going to the competitions to take part to going to the competitions to stand on the podium. I wasn’t ready and I thought I knew what to expect but despite my 1 year of experience I was not prepared. Mentally this time not physically. Experience is one thing you can not train!

I put my focus into competing and went rock climbing as a break. For fun. I think. I went to Colorado with some good friends and climbed my hardest boulder to date. That was an overwhelming and challenging experience. However, when I stood on top of that boulder things seemed so clear. I learnt how strong I was. Both mentally and physically. I learnt what I could realistically aspire achieve.

I am ready and prepared to put the time in. Training is all about putting the time in. Trusting what you are doing and working hard. I know I have to push myself. I understand the physical elements. But 2013 taught me about the psychological elements too. Both on plastic and on rock. With my coach always there to help I was able to take more from my experiences than ever before.

I feel that the pieces of the world cup climber jigsaw are coming together and I can make now out the what the picture looks like. I am surrounded by people who believe in me and support me. They help me to always keep working on my jigsaw. I am so lucky to have such an amazing network of incredible people.  I feel more ready to take on a year than ever before. I really, really want to put ticks next to ALL of my goals next year!

Happy training!  Good luck with your goals for 2014!



 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Training Isn’t Easy
6 February 2014, 8:06 pm

Just one month ago I returned from climbing on rock in Europe. The past month has been one of those full, busy periods that seems to go by in a flash but when you think back to the beginning it seems like forever ago. So what have I been up to… I started training. I turned 21. And I did my first competition of 2014.

Back in 2012 I broke my leg. This catalyst changed my life. It triggered the beginning of a working relationship with my coach Mark. I started training. Like really training, not just bumbling around a climbing wall doing a few pull ups and drinking tea. But what changed the most was my outlook on climbing, training, competing and life. I always said I didn’t want a coach. I didn’t like being told what to do and more importantly I had been doing everything on my own for years and years the thought of letting someone in was really scary! It took me quite a long time to adjust and accept the level of commitment, effort and dedication I not only had to put in but appreciate also. I think it is only now when on reflection that I can see how hard it was

On the 5th January I started training again. In the past I have struggled a lot with training. I have struggled with new exercises. I have struggled with pushing myself and trying hard. I have struggled with motivation and with dedication. I realised that all of this time spent struggling was time spent learning. And often time spent learning to learn. I had to learn new exercises and how far I could push myself doing them. I had to learn the difference between the aches and pains of training hard and injury. I had to learn how to get up and train on the days that I couldn’t be bothered and didn’t want to. Above all I had to learn to work with Mark, to put all of my trust in him, to listen to him and to speak up when I needed to (but not too often!) and learn to believe in what I was doing!

It takes a long time to figure out how to train and I think it takes a while to figure out how to coach too (especially when your athlete is as awkward as I am). I think a lot of people wish there was a secret that would transform their sessions and make them into the best they can be. But sadly I regret to inform you that it doesn’t exist.

When I started training this year everything finally clicked. When I arrive at the climbing wall, I arrive at work. I complete my sessions. I try hard, push myself and feel rewarded from the satisfaction of knowing and believing (not just thinking) that what I am doing is helping me to get that little bit closer to my ultimate goal. I am more motivated than ever before. I want to train, I want to do that extra set, I even ask to make things harder if I think I’m not trying hard enough. Of course there are days when I don’t want to train, I don’t want to climb, my skin hurts, my muscles ache or/and I am just grumpy. Those are the days when the people around me keep motivated and inspired. On those days finishing training, knowing I have completed or done my very best to complete a session, is even more satisfying on those days.

When I was young I knew exactly what I wanted to do when I grew up. I wanted to compete in climbing competitions. I wanted to be the best in the world. But I never really looked up to climbers. My hero’s were gymnasts, swimmers, athletes. 15 years ago there were not many people climbing inside at all never mind people training and pushing themselves to be the best indoor competition climber. Our sport has evolved and grown significantly in the last couple of decades and my desire to be a professional athlete, to be a professional climber came at the right time. When I was young I was embarrassed to say I wanted to be a professional competition climber and now I am proud to say that I am.

Last weekend I competed at ROC Fest 5.0. A competition at Rock Over Climbing Centre in Manchester. These guys have been upping the standards of their event every year and it’s a great reflection of how much our sport is progressing. It is great to have climbing centres that support the growing desires of climbers who want to compete. Competitions are becoming organised, impressive productions. Congratulations to the Rock Over staff for putting on such an amazing, high standard event.





 

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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Albarracín
9 April 2014, 1:13 pm

I had heard very mixed reviews about Albarracín. Some friends of mine returned singing its praises and others swore never to return. After watching a video of Romain Desgranges in Albarracín that Adidas posted online I decided to go see what it was all about for myself. I had a two week break from training to climb on rock and spend some time chilling out before the world cup season. I didn’t want to travel far and Font and Switzerland both seemed a little too risky weather wise.

I turned up in Albarracín not really knowing what to expect. All I was hoping for was some warm weather and some fun climbing. On the first day in the forest I was blown away by the quality of the climbing and even more so by the temperatures. It was freezing! I am not a fan of the cold. A friend recently described me as an ‘indoor dog’, initially I was a little offended but then I realised I was sat at a really cool boulder problem happily wrapped in a sleeping bag and a blanket with no intention to expose my hands or feet to climb. This is how the first two days of our trip went. I did try to climb and I quickly learnt how dry the air is in Albarracín when I dry fired off the top of a boulder and landed in a crumpled, puzzled, terrified heap on the mat. This continued to happen, I continued to dry fire, I continued to scare myself and I crossed my fingers for some warmer weather.

So the climbing impressed me but the weather initially was not so appealing. Ned however, was in his element climbing everything in his path teaching me about the affects of conditions. How sticky the rock feels when its cold, dry and breezy. Apparently things go from feeling impossible to doable. I left my fingers crossed underneath my blanket and continued to hope for some sunshine.

After two days and no success on the rock for me I was getting a little fed up and Ned was due a rest day after his fast pace ticking sessions so we decided to head to Valencia to seek out some sunshine, thaw out our bones and eat paella on the beach with some good friends. My desire to bring some warmth back to Albarracín with us must have been strong enough as the temperature slowly began to rise and my motivation followed. I found my flow and was able to push myself and enjoy the play ground that I had before me. On the first warmer day I climbed two really cool 8a’s and I tried the moves on Zaraparrilla too. There was a huge move in the middle that I had initially written off but I had an idea I would have regretted not trying. There was a tiny little undercut without any chalk on that I thought would allow me to build my feet high enough to get enough distance when unleashing to the big crimp rail. To my surprise (and the other people at the boulder) it worked.  I also learnt a new technique that a friend suggested for dry conditions when you have dry skin. Licking your fingers before you climb. Yeap, it’s pretty gross but it works!

The next day I headed back to Zaraparilla and fell at the end 4 times constantly refining my sequence and changing shoes. The final move is a long way but in isolation it isn’t a problem for me. Even when I fell I could jump back on immediately and do it. But on the link my forearms and fingers just didn’t quite have enough. I knew exactly what to do and I knew that I could do it so why did I keep falling. There were so many other problems that I wanted to try. I didn’t want to have to come back to this one again and again. The added pressure of returning knowing it was possible was daunting. A feeling I am becoming more and more familiar with.

After a rest day I went back. My head was full of ‘what if’s’ before I even got to the boulder. What if the tweaky move hurts my arm too much? What if there are loads of people on it? What if it’s too hot? What if? What if? What if? There was nothing I could do but go and try. We arrived and it was hot but the boulder had been in the shade so the rock was cool and the two people climbing on the boulder were kind enough to let me join them. After a blissful warm up in the sunshine it was time to start trying. The shade wasn’t going to be around for long! My first go was not so good. I made it to the last move but I climbed stiff, hesitant and ridged. With the pressure of the sun encroaching on the boulder I had to get on as soon as I could. On my second go of the day I was able to climb fluidly and think whilst I was on the rock. I placed my toe differently and adjusted my hand at a better time. Everything clicked together and I latched the last hold.

So lets talk about the grade.If you compared Albarracín to Fonatinebleau then yes I would say that all of the grades are soft but I think you could say the same about almost every area in the world. I don’t really know what grade Zarzaparrilla is to be honest. I didn’t realise that problem had so much controversy surrounding it until after I had climbed it. I had only seen one video of it, a recent video of well renowned climber, Romain Desgranges and he gave it 8b. In the guide book it’s 8b. It took Ned just as much time as all of the other 8b’s that he did. Who am I to give it a different grade? To me it felt hard and I worked hard for it and I didn’t mean to overestimate my ability if thats what people feel I have done. I’m an ‘indoor dog’ after all.

I left Albarracín with many projects from 7a upwards and there are many things that I didn’t get the chance to climb. However, I felt ready to leave Albarracín. I was excited about finishing my training for the world cup season. After a week fulfilling my desire to get out on some rock a slight feeling of guilt began to reveal itself and I wanted to be at home getting ready for the intense season ahead. It’s not long now!

 

 



























































 

 

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

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A busy month!
28 May 2014, 2:49 pm

 

I figured it was about time I sat down and did some writing. It is time to do some processing and reflecting. It was over a month ago that  I was sat in Manchester airport beginning the journey to the first round of the world cup season. I haven’t yet found the time to stop and think.

5 weeks ago myself and Mina left for China. I have now been on 7 flights, spent 36 hours in the air and a total of 82 hours travelling time (so far). The season this year is intense.  Right now I am in Toronto and once again I feel that time has passed in a blink but the first competition seems so long ago. I am yet to understand how time can do that! Four world cups down and four more to go. I still don’t feel like I have even begun to reflect on China or Baku let alone Switzerland and Zurich. I guess my reflection starts here.

Thinking back to China is a little difficult. With the season being so tight there is so little time to process. We’ve often only had 5 days to travel, adjust to a new place and get psyched and ready for another world cup. Reflecting and processing have not seemed a great priority. The first world cup was held in Chongqing, China. It was our third time visiting Chongqing to compete but this time it was held in a different district.  Chongqing is the worlds largest city with almost 30 million people so going to a different district was like going to an entirely new place. We were pleasantly surprised by the area and spent some time exploring the beautiful parks, bustling streets. But more importantly back to the reason why we were there – the competition. I finished in second place, satisfied with my climbing and just one attempt behind Jule Wurm. The problems in the finals were great as was the setting throughout the entire competition. The qualifiers for the women were made interesting as our final boulder problem was the same boulder that the guys had for their final qualifier. It was pretty cool to get to try it. Only myself and Akiyo made it to the top both on our first attempt.  I hadn’t seen the mens qualifiers so I had no clue how they had got up it which I think was massively beneficial!  For me the next round was not as much fun. I struggled physically and mentally but I fought my way up 3 of the 4 boulders doing enough to qualify for finals in 5th place. It’s a new game in finals and anyone can win. I know that now, although at this point I was actually yet to prove it. I went out and I tried as hard as I could but it wasn’t quite enough. A tricky jump separated the field on attempts. It’s impossible not to think back and wonder if I could have done it faster, but there are always if’s and like I said there is no time to dwell this year. Anyway, I was actually really happy I managed to complete that boulder problem! I was not at all disappointed with my performance in China. Walking away from a world cup with this feeling is new to me. It makes every single pull up, press up, core session, every single minute of training worth it.

The very next morning after the competition we were back at the airport starting a very long journey to Baku, Azerbaijan. We did not know what to expect from Baku but we were greeted by a bright, colourful, vibrant, thriving city with incredible food and better yet amazing tea. The competition in Baku was in a beautiful setting right beside the Caspian Sea but the conditions were harsh and unforgiving. There was a strong wind that never once subsided and the lack of any covering over the competition wall meant the hot sun came down strong and hard only to leave everyone with a cold, brisk chill as soon as it went behind a cloud. I appreciate that it was the first world cup in Azerbaijan and I know everyone has to start somewhere but the organisation was poor and the route setting was disappointing. When finals came around and I lost out on a gold medal for dabbing the mat I felt very ready to leave Azerbaijan. With regards to the dab I didn’t feel it so I didn’t know if I had. We appealed and lost. It was a shame that the setting in finals meant one dab bumped me to third place with myself, Anna and Akiyo topping all four boulders. I think we deserve to battle and fight in the final not to be separated on silly mistakes and count back. I was not disappointed with myself or how I climbed, I was just frustrated that a silly mistake could have such an impact.

We flew from Baku to Zurich. Zurich is one of my favourite cities. We had 3 days in there to hang out, climb and generally recharge our batteries. World cups are hard, they are not only physically demanding but the are emotionally draining too. I hadn’t appreciated how hard it was going to be spending 4 weeks on the road doing a world cup every single weekend. Luckily me and Mina were in it together. We made some incredible memories both good and bad. Like our drive from Zurich to Grindlewald. The pleasant, simple, easy 2 hour drive that took us 5 hours. I have made a short film about our experience travelling around the globe for the first comps, check it out on BMC TV and you can see how lost we got!

Back to the World Cups. With Grindlewald I don’t know where to start. The whole weekend is still a blur in my mind. The only thing I remember clearly is standing on top of the podium listening to the British national anthem. Yes! Finally! My national anthem was playing. I still get butterflies when I think about it and I can’t help but smile. When I topped out on the last boulder problem in finals I walked off the mat satisfied and happy but clueless about the result. Anna herself told me. Her genuine happiness for me means more than words can do justice. I didn’t stand on the podium next to my competition I stood on the podium next to my friends.



 

I compete to win. I compete to perform at my best. I compete to earn the spot on the top of the podium. We all fight for it. We all try as hard as we possibly can in that moment. It is an honour to compete along side determined, supportive and friendly people.

 



 

After Grindlewald I had Innsbruck in my mind. I was overwhelmed with emotion after my first win but I only had 4 days until the next competition and that was my focus. However, as the disbelief subsided a sense of relief consumed me. I had stood on the podium so many times. I had been knocked down. I had worked hard. I had spent so long working up the courage to just say out loud that I believed I could win.  I had finally broken down a barrier that I had been scared to even think about. Winning was now real. I had done it.

Since I made my first World cup final in Munich in 2011 Innsbruck 2013 is the only world cup final I have not made. I remember all too clearly how it felt to watch from the crowd. It was a great final to watch but I didn’t enjoy being on that side of the fence. I was SO close to not making finals again this year. My most vivid memory from this years event was standing beneath the fourth boulder problem in semi finals. I had fallen from the top, twice. I didn’t know if I could do it. I wasn’t sure how to do it. I looked at the clock. There was time for one final attempt. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath and pulled on. I let my body take over and I found myself holding the top hold with one hand and my eyes squeezed shut. I opened them and immediately felt a rush of pride and happiness as I matched the last hold. Completing that climb was personally one of my best achievements to date. I went into finals filled with excitement about climbing again. Innsbruck is always a stand out event in the season. They don’t just put on a climbing world cup they put on a world class show. It was insane to win in front of such an overwhelming crowd that created an atmosphere incomparable to any other event in the season (so far). It was a very hard, very close final. I was the only person to top the first boulder. I had to try flipping hard and I am still not sure how I stayed on the wall but I managed it. When it came to the final boulder I knew that if I did it I would win and I wanted to do it, I really did! But it was not to be. I knew that gave Anna the chance to step up and claim the Gold medal and I expected nothing less. I sat and watched as Anna breezed through the move that had shut me down just moments before. I am not sure if people will believe me but honestly I was sad to see her fall. She was so close! My second victory was not as sweet as the first but maybe it was never going to be.



The 4th semi final boulder problem



Probably the hardest I have ever tried in a competition. Boulder 1 in finals.



My favourite photo EVER!



Hearing my naional anthem play!

I woke up the next morning my hair crisp and sticky with Champagne, my head spinning, my stomach feeling a little delicate and my feet aching after the hours spent on the dance floor. Nothing at all was going to take away my smile. I had done it. Again. Not once but twice. I could not wait go home!

After a long day traveling I arrived back where it all began, Manchester airport, greeted by my favourite person in the world. I went on to spend a week surrounded by the people who have believed in me and supported me, as well as squeezing in some interviews, filming and of course some training. Going home to my family and friends made it all seem real. They made me feel proud, happy and psyched! I am back on the road again feeling refreshed and ready to compete. It’s just a few days now until the 5th competition of the season!

I want to say a quick thank you Mark Glennie. I couldn’t have more faith in you as a coach. Thank you for everything!

 



 

Here are a few of my favourite photos from past month…

































 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey

[Fiend]

The cold unforgiving brutality of the competitive climbing environment  Nice one again Shauna 

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And it’s over…
8 July 2014, 12:17 pm

Almost one week has passed since the final event in the 2014 Bouldering World cup series. That’s it. They are over. Already! 8 World cups have come and passed. To think back over the past months is like trying to remember a dream. Initially only certain things are clear and the rest is fuzzy and blurred but more and more pieces start to fall together eventually forming a memory.

I have tried many times to write whilst I have been away but I have often struggled to get more than a few sentences down. The mood and tone of my words has been all over the place which has made it difficult to get anything of length together. However, I now feel it is time to stop and reflect.

My last blog post came after I returned home from Innsbruck, overwhelmed and satisfied with the season as it stood then. I guess this time my emotions are a little different. It is hard to know where to start. The main difference in the second half of the season was not having Mina around. After struggling with motivation and psyche in the first comps Mina decided not to attend the last four events. A decision I assure you did not come lightly.

I think people often think that going to a World cup is like going on holiday. We get to see amazing places, sometimes travel with our friends and do incredible things. It’s all true but there’s a side that is rarely shared. Every event is an emotional roller coaster and we are on it with whoever we happen to be with whether we (or they) like it or not. In a season like the one just past we only got a few days to travel, recover, process, recharge and get psyched before the next comp started. Constantly moving but with so much time spent waiting. Waiting for a plane, a bus, a train or a taxi. Waiting for the competition to start, for someone to come up with an idea to kill some time, for more people to arrive. Waiting for isolation to open, to warm up, to go out and climb, to find out if you made it to the next round. Waiting until its time to eat, to sleep, to pack. Waiting, stressful waiting, boring waiting, tiring waiting. In the past few months I have played a lot of of cards, watched a lot of movies and spent a lot of time reading. I have had time but not time to think or process. You don’t want to be sat getting irritated over a bad performance days before you are about to go out and compete again. Nor do you want to be fretting over your next performance.

I wouldn’t say doing a World cup circuit is fun. It’s enjoyable at times but it can also be tiring, frustrating, disheartening and stressful. After all we train for weeks, months, years to just try and climb a few boulder problems.

I found this season hard and demanding. At times this showed in my performance; more so in the second half of the season. I got two second places and two 5th places. Results I could never have imagined being disappointed with 3 years ago. In Toronto I fought hard and felt happy with the performance I gave. 6 days later in Vail I had my first bad competition of the season. I’d lost my psyche and I wanted to go home. I got lucky and made it to finals but in this season you had to be on your game constantly to keep up. In China I picked it up again. After spending some quality time at home my spirits were high and I felt ready to fight again. Unfortunately the second round in China was hard to enjoy. I thought wall and the holds were poor and the route setting could not make up for this. It was a real shame that only 2 boulders were topped in the women’s final. It never feels like a battle when that happens.

After China we had 5 days to get to Laval, France and muster up everything we had left for the last round. Our journey from China to Laval was horrendous. In the past I have always been lucky on long haul flights, getting a seat near the window or a whole row to myself. Not this time! 3 jam packed, hot , sweaty flights, 2 of which were delayed meaning our time on the ground was spent running from one gate to another. I forgot to mention annoying waiting earlier; like when you are waiting to get off a plane so you can start running to make your next one. Annoying. These delays also meant when we arrived in France 24 hours after leaving our hotel in China the location of our luggage was unknown.

Lets get back to the World of competition climbing. In Laval we had a big GB team. The para-climbers crushed! Dave Barrans ended up in 12th and Micheala in 11th. I found myself stood underneath the last boulder in finals competing with Anna for 5th place. Not the ending to the season I had been hoping for! I felt good in Laval, qualifiers went as well as they possibly could and semi finals were good too. Finals went down hill after the first boulder problem. I didn’t quite hold the last hold. That’s not true I did hold it but with only one had. I was unable to make the jump and I was unable to reach it and I was unable to come back from not doing it. I managed to top the following three boulders in a wapping 13 attempts! You could not just feel good this season you had to be better than good and you had to be ready to fight.

I finished second in the World. I am happy with that result. I am content with the season as a whole and the performances that I gave. Well most of them. The last one however would need a whole lot of writing to make any sense of and I won’t go on much longer.

This season taught me a lot. Most importantly I learnt that I can win. I have thought that I can in the past but now I know. I am no longer competing for the unknown. I have a gold medal, it’s real, it’s possible.

 

TORONTO







VAIL









HAIYANG







LAVAL









 

Photo Credits to Heiko Wilhelm and Eddie Fowke

 

Source: Shauna Coxsey