UKBouldering.com
the shizzle => the blog pile => Topic started by: comPiler on April 13, 2012, 05:34:27 am
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Hello World! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=61)
9 January 2012, 1:19 am
Welcome to my tiny corner on the web…
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Hueco Tanks (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=125)
10 February 2012, 8:48 pm
So… This is my first blog, I have been quite nervous about writing a blog for a while now but here we go. I am currently in the USA half way through my trip so I thought this might be a good time to start.
Myself, James Garden, Alex Puccio and Chris Webb Parsons left London for Dallas on January 19th. After a few days at Alex’s family home we traveled a long 12 hours across Texas State to Hueco Tanks National Park. Alexs’s Uncle kindly lent us his 30ft camping trailer which was amazing! No coming back to a cold dark tent after climbing for us.
I think that, without conscious thought, I came to Hueco with high expectations. I wanted to climb hard and push myself. Day one started well as I climbed ‘Free Willy’ V10 second try, however, my psyche was rapidly decreased when I repeatedly failed on the first move of a V9 which was the stand start to a V12 I had hoped to try. Throughout my time in Hueco I came to realise that I have very little experience on rock and that I haven’t got much at all to justify any expectations. I accepted failing on problems and made the decision not to try anything too hard. Being surrounded buy so many boulders it seemed insane to spend days working one boulder problem anyway.
The climbing in Hueco Tanks I found to be surprisingly diverse and the scenery simply beautiful. There are boulders that require you to throw yourself between big holds in a horizontal roof and boulders that require you to move delicately between the sharpest of crimps, although I think there is a higher percentage of steeper climbing for sure. Grades are questionable here and I do not feel that I have the experience to grade a problem myself, so I have gone with the general feel from friends and those who have climbed the problem previously. So on this trip I climbed two V11s and six V10s with Full Service (V10) being the most enjoyable and satisfying by far! This problem required a combination of power and technique and took me analysing multiple moves to be able to get it. I was convinced that I could not do one of the moves but Alex somehow got me psyched to get back on, try hard and get it done.
. (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IMG_1052-253x300.jpg)
Trying hard, going big and putting in all of my effort are things that I find difficult to do outside of competitions. This trip to Hueco where I was surrounded by people who have such a passion for the sport and such a drive to push themselves has inspired me to try harder, push harder and go bigger both on rock and when training.
In two weeks time I will be competing in The American National Bouldering Championships so in a few days Alex and I head to Boulder, Colorado to train in the world class Bouldering Centres it has to offer. Hopefully I have enough time to get used to the crazy steep walls, big holds and scary heights of American bouldering.
Ciao xx
. (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IMG_2828-300x200.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/IMG_2828.jpg)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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An Epic into a success! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=173)
26 February 2012, 9:48 pm
James and Chris headed home to England and it was then time to head to Boulder, Colorado, 12 hours drive away. We packed the car excited and ready to blast down the highways and across the passes. However, 2 miles down the road I learnt that if you drive a mini cooper into a large American curb it causes some damage. So the trip was delayed. Up early and ready to leave the next day (in Alex’s mums car) we were delayed till late afternoon but by 4pm we are on the road making it steadily to our half way stop Amarillo, where we spent the night in rather nice hotel.
Next day at 10am we were off, Alex making a steady pace though snow and mist. Until… 100 miles later that lovely little red oil light made an appearance on the dash… soon accompanied by unpleasant knocking sound coming from the engine. Our journey was yet again delayed. Whilst waiting for the tow truck (back to the town where we slept) we waited in cafe in an Amish Mennonites town. It was fascinating to see their unique and interesting way of life.
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So 2 cars down and in the middle of nowhere it was time to decided to continue on or return to Dallas. Our determination and persistence was not to be denied, we made the decision to take a Grey Hound. If you have never heard of a Grey Hound then you are lucky! After 9 hours sat on a coach thorough the night we finally arrived in Boulder, sore tired and ready to climb of course. We had 3 days of climbing here experiencing the powerful steep American style in full climbing with Daniel and Courtney Woods who kindly let us stay at their place.
The ABS Nationals began on Friday morning and I was up second. It felt like so long since I had been in any kind of big comp and this made me excited, psyched and of course a little nervous, but it was a good nervous (excited not terrified little butterflies in the tummy)! Climbing early is something that a lot of people dread and others wish for. I don’t really mind at all, climbing early means the holds are cleaner and I don’t have to be thinking about how everyone else has done, basically I don’t think it mentally affects me. Everyone has to climb, when I climb I try hard and aim to get to the top which I will always do weather I am climbing first or last.
Qualifiers went well… I made it through to semi-finals. I arrived at the isolation zone with less than 20 minutes to warm up, but considering the amount of time I have to say I was reasonably pleased with my level of warmth. However the ever dreaded flash pump burn in the forearms was looking inevitable. What did I expect to fin in my first ever American comp… pinches, big moves, steep walls. All of which were present and all of which contributed to that flash pump that lead to me dropping one move of the five boulder problems putting me in joint 5th place going into semi-finals the next day.
An unusually late start to the day for semi-finals not having to be in isolation until 1.30 allowed us to feel well rested and ready for action and also gave me the time to have a decent warm up! I sat in the chair awaiting my turn, looking out at the crowd wondering what exciting crazy boulders were waiting behind me. On day one I climbed second this allows you to get on the wall with no consideration of what other before you have achieved, however in semis I climbed 17th and I could here the cheers and the see the faces of the crowd giving hints on how the others were doing. I think some people feed off this or try to figure out what they are required to achieve to make it to the final round. Thats too much effort for me, recently I have discovered that trying hard like really really hard will get you even higher up the wall and therefore higher up the rankings and that requires all my effort. It seemed to work as I found myself heading into finals in second place to Alex Puccio after topping 3 boulders and touching the last hold on the other.
After a quick break back to the hotel to chill out and chat to family on skype we were on our way back to isolation. Warming up didn’t seem appealing anymore as most of my body was sore and climbing for any length of time was definitely going to take some of my limited energy that I was sure to need in the finals. A quick mess around on some jugs was sufficient. The format in finals works differently, the finalist sit next to each other facing the crowd, backs to the wall and each have our turn at trying to complete the boulder problem only moving on to the next boulder problem when each person has completed their attempt. This is so nerve racking! Its hard to block anything out but I am not sure if I would want to. When a competitor has their time on the boulder if they return very quickly with the crowd going wild its obvious that they got to the top first try, the crowd give away a lot but the results board in plain view clarified any suspicions!
The problems in the finals required a combination of technique, balance, power, endurance, determination, everything any boulder problem could ask for and everything my body did not want to give but I kept up the whole trying really really hard theme and I sat in first place with one boulder left to go. We had all seen the boulders and knew what the last boulder had in store for us… I knew that no one had got to the top but my levels of psyched were not as high as I would have liked them to be due to my aching body but I was ready to give it everything I had left as it was the last climb. A double handed dyno for the first move and then it was into a series of pinches (definitely my least favourite type of hold) in a steep roof and then to a crimp (definitely a hold type I prefer) but only to lead to a big sloper which was the point were I was defeated, the typical burly American style landed me laying on my back 2 holds from the top looking up at the boulder and wanting nothing more than to roll over and go to sleep. I tried agin but my arms were not happy about it and trying hard was not going to get me there, I had nothing left. Alex had told me earlier that when she hear’s no one has topped a boulder it gets her more psyched, she topped the last boulder first try in an impressive style but she was extremely deserving of yet another first place.
I have been asked a few times about the scoring system which is different to the World Cup format which places you but the number of tops you get in the number of attempts you have. The American system works on number of tops and then points per hold which placed me in 3rd behind Angie Payne by one hold! Her arms must have had more left than mine!
This competition was the hardest, most exciting and intense competition I have ever entered. It required so much from me and I have never ached this much or had so many grazes! The field of women was so impressively strong. It is amazing to be around so many women who love the sport and who are psyched for competitions.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/418292_10150577286073029_640188028_9002995_1825053543_n-200x300.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/418292_10150577286073029_640188028_9002995_1825053543_n.jpg)
I left the American National Bouldering Championships truly inspired by both the men and the women competitors and the loud, enthusiastic crowd that kept us going though finals. I hope we put on a good show! I have made so many new friends and I hope to return to America to explore the endless rock it has to offer and maybe (if my body can handle it) attempt some more of their truly unique competitions.
Videos from the comp will be available soon so keep checking I will post them on here!
Byee x
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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CWIF (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=222)
12 March 2012, 9:22 pm
The Climbing Works International Festival (http://www.climbingworks.com/), CWIF has a big reputation for a UK competition, world class route setters at one of the biggest bouldering walls in the UK attracts strong climbers from all over. On day one 330 competitors fought it out on the 30 qualifier boulder problems, problems that make you pull, push and fight hard. Only 20 women and 20 men were lucky enough to make it through to day 2 where the real fun began! Last year after the qualifiers I spent the evening icing my back so I guess this year went a little better as I didn’t feel like someone had beat me up! And I qualified in second place to Melanie Sandoz.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/J-Randal-Qualifiers-1-300x200.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/J-Randal-Qualifiers-1.jpg)
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/J-Randal-Qualifiers-2-300x200.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/J-Randal-Qualifiers-2.jpg)
After seeing the comp wall all covered up in qualifiers knowing that the semi final problems were set and ready makes it quite exciting, leaving you going home wondering what crazy, technical, powerful and insane problems have they set this year.
In semi finals you don’t have chance to view the problems before you climb you just get 5 minutes per boulder problem to figure out what you are going to do and get to the top. There were four boulders and I managed to flash 2 and I did the other 2 just in time. One of which was far from my style, a big move off a big slopey hold. I tried and tried and tried this one move getting totally shut down. I then decided to try REALLY hard, to go fast, jump and hold on really tight. With less than a minute left I pulled on and was surprised to stick the move I’d thought impossible for me. I could not fall off now, only one move left and no time to try again. I went big and was delighted to find the last hold to be big and friendly! The other problem was a Climbing Works special… requiring the perfect combination of balance, technique and poise to manoeuvre around the irritatingly placed holds and volumes. A problem that you hate with a passion until you do it and then its the best problem ever! I was the only competitor to complete all four of the semi final problems which meant that I was heading into the finals in first place.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Mark-Stringfellow-214x300.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Mark-Stringfellow.jpg)
I always aim to maintain or improve my qualification position, however this does not usually come with so much pressure. I was competing against members of the British Team, American Team and French Team and all of the finalist were amazing climbers.
In the finals you get to view the problems as a group before climbing, the four boulders looked like they included every move type possible and they were definitely going to require everything and anything we had left! The first boulder was a slab, qualifying in first meant I was last to climb. This means I know how everyone else has done, the crowd give a lot away as does the commentator so when it was my turn to climb I knew that only Leah had topped the first climb and I knew she got it on her first attempt. I stood looking at the boulder wondering how on earth she got up there, I couldn’t figure it out so I jumped on too see what would happen. First go I found myself leaning a little bit too far back and stood looking at the slab confused once again. My second attempt was amusing, I got myself all tangled up but somehow managed to fight my way to the last move where I paused for a while before going all out and jumping for the last hold. I usually get a little scared on slabs maybe this is why there was no way I was falling off that last move of this one.
Alex was the only person to top the second one and this made me wonder if I had read the problem right, had Alex figured something out that no one else had? I pulled on and found the moves to flow really nicely until I had my heel near my head and one big move to a volume to go. I would have found myself heading quickly towards the ground had the volume not have been so sticky. I love textured paint! The third problem I got second try, I made a silly mistake on first attempt but I got back on knowing what not to do, I caught the awkward dyno and moved past the slippery volume to the last hold.
Video of Alex and I on problem 2 :
It was time for us all to try our final boulder problem of the competition, at this point I knew if I could get to the bonus on my first attempt I had won, the format in the finals makes it impossible not to get nervous especially when you are last to climb! I sat as every finalist had their attempt and the crowd, the score board and the commentator all made it clear that no one had topped the final boulder. I turned to the wall looking forward to giving the boulder everything I had left. Everything seemed to fall into place and I felt in control all the way up until I was holding the last hold and looking at the crowd. Did that really just happen?
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ALM_7511-300x199.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/ALM_7511.jpg)
I could only reflect on my performance in this competition last year, I realised how much I have learnt about competition climbing, how to cope under pressure and deal with the nerves but mostly how to try really hard and give everything you have got! This did not get me on the top of the podium but sat me on the biggest space hopper. Dave Barrans was the male CWIF 2012 Champion, it sounded like the mens finals was intense and it all came down to the last boulder! Unfortunately I didn’t get to see any of it, hopefully there will be videos.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/CWIF-Podium-2012-300x198.jpg)
I am looking forward to spending some time training but not until after the Tierra Boulder Battle (http://www.kairn.com/news.html?ident=78095)in Sweden on March 24. I’ll let you know how it goes…
Climbing Works Official Report: Here! (http://www.climbingworks.com/the-beta/blog/2012/03/13/The_CWIF_2012_Report/)
UKC Article about CWIF: Here! (http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=66957)
Oh I also had an interview with Hazel Findley for The BMC check it out here! (http://www.thebmc.co.uk/top-boulderer-shauna-coxsey-interviewed-by-hazel-findlay)
Credits to Alex Messenger, Mark Stringfellow and Jen Randall for the images and UKC for the video
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Swedish Cup Cakes :) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=274)
26 March 2012, 7:32 pm
After CWIF my body hurt for days, my hips, elbows and entire back were in pain! It took three whole days of rest for the aches to subside and I then had two days of route setting at Reading Climbing Centre and team training the day after. My body was back to its feeble state once again.
I managed to fit in a few sessions back at my local wall, The Climbing Hangar, I was happy to find that I was feeling quite strong and ready for my next adventure. UNTIL… I got a slight pain in my shoulder, not from training though, from holding a thera band, I thought those things were supposed to help you repair injuries and get you stronger? I had no idea what I had done or how long might take to heel but I only had a day of rest to give before it was off to Stockholm, Sweden, on a 5 day trip to compete in the Tierra Boulder Battle. The format of this competition is very different to anything I have ever done before. Firstly there are only 5 girls and 5 boys and it is an invitation only event. Then theres the part where each climber sets a boulder problem, we each had 5 hours to set one boulder problem and then we were then given 2 hours to try out all of the problems. Crazy, considering most competitions are onsite or flash style, meaning you never get to try or sometimes even see the problem before you compete on it. This format meant the boulders had to be hard, really hard. Just what my shoulder needed!
So setting day had arrived the selection of holds I was given were yellow, a happy colour, they were also CORE holds and we use these a lot at my local climbing wall so I am familiar with most of them. My selection of holds was quite limited though mostly slopers and the wall was steep. I was asked a lot about my ideas for the boulder, what my plan was and what moves I wanted to set but I decided to just go with it and see what happened. After five hours it was complete, consisting of a bunched tension required start into a big flick and then some burly moves at the top…easy eh? We were given two hours to try each others problems and make any adjustments the group felt necessary. After this period of time only two boulders were left untouched and all of the boulders incredibly hard in totally different ways. The guys problems were a whole new level of insane with a futuristic dyno, the smallest crimps and biggest pinches found indoors and a horrendous press.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/551741_10150695513143322_643778321_9168010_1500948292_n-300x224.jpg)
At the end of day one I was so tired and my shoulder was not so happy at all. I definitely got lucky as the commentator Steve and his girlfriend Ida kindly let me crash at their place and Ida is a Physio! Ida informed me that my shoulder pain is due to a muscle strain and gave me a good massage the night before setting. This meant my shoulder felt really tired for testing but the pain had reduced massively. Thank you Ida! We had a full rest day on Friday so we go to explore the beautiful city of Stockholm and also check out the shopping of course. The competition did not start until 8pm on Saturday so to make the most of the day I met up with Matilda, Sasha and Daniela to have an epic girly day, shopping was done the day before so it was time to make the pinkest cupcakes, watch a movie and paint our nails.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_1177-300x199.jpg)
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_1169-300x200.jpg)
The competition was so surreal. No isolation, no wondering what the problems would be like, no wondering how other people do on the problems…. no nerves? Unfortunately there were definitely nerves, knowing I had only done one of the boulders from start to finish after two hours of attempting them was kinda worrying. The boulder problems were so much harder that you would ever normally get in any competition and this showed as some boulders were left unclimbed.
The first boulder went well I flashed this one and it was my boulder next. I had not yet completed my boulder from start to finish but I had done all of the moves. I was fourth to climb and no one had managed to get past the first few hard start moves. On my third attempt I managed to stick the big flick crux move and not let go of any of the other holds! I was psyched to be the only person to top my boulder but Sasha’s crimpy, painful, technical boulder problem was next to come. Due to my shoulder injury I could not do some of the moves as Sasha had intended them but I had figured out my own way though the technical gymnastic climbing at the start. I felt good on the problem until I totally missed a hold, for some unknown reason I hit the wall just to the right instead. My shoulder felt tried and weak after this and my further attempts were not so successful. Melanie’s boulder was next, this is the one I had been dreading, a run and jump then a double dyno and a huge move with really low feet to finish. Firstly my should would not do what i wanted it to on the run and jump, it wouldn’t engage, but I kept trying, consciously thinking about lifting my arm until it worked. When I did I stuck the dyno, but the last moved looked and felt impossible for me.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_1318-300x225.jpg)
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/IMG_1322-300x200.jpg)
On the last boulder we climbed in reverse order of our currently position. I climbed second to last, no one had managed to top the boulder when my turn came around. This climb was steep, the holds were good and the moves were big, this is possibly my favourite style of climbing! I was psyched to have the finishing jug was in my hand on my first try. With no one else completing this boulder it meant that I had placed first. It was a really tough fight and I don’t think it was my best performance but it was a really interesting and fun experience!
It’s only three weeks until the first world bouldering cup that I will be doing in Slovenia and the next one the following weekend in Austria. Unfortunately I have been ordered to rest for 5 days by Physio Ida so the training that I am psyched out of my mind for will have to wait yet again.
Stay tuned people there will be a video of the competition up soon and you definitely want to watch to see the insanely impressive performances the guys gave!
UKC Report of the comp here! (http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=66989)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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China it is! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=289)
8 April 2012, 11:01 am
The past two weeks have been full of decisions and tomorrow I will be heading to China for the first round of the World Bouldering Cup series! Since Sweden I have been working with Sports Therapist Marcus Croman (http://www.holistic-realignment.com/) who has sorted out my shoulder injury and begun to work on realigning my spine and fixing the long list of muscular issues he has made aware of. So now I feel ready to fight through another competition knowing I have Marcus to see to my broken body when I return! If you live in the North West I would definitely recommend seeing this guy for any injuries.
This year I am really looking forward to seeing how I do in the World Cups. The possibility of completing a full series is looking very promising and I am extremely excited about this! Although I do not feel fully prepared for this season (due to injuries and lack of training) I am happy with where my climbing is at currently and I am really excited to have the opportunity to gain the competition experience.
I will let you know how they go! Wish me luck!
Another bit of exciting news is that we have started the planning for the 2012 Womens Climbing Symposium! We have the date… Saturday 13th October! If your female and you climb and your going to be in the UK on this date make sure you have this day free!
I have also had a short interview on 8a.nu check it out (http://www.8a.nu/)!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Good stuff!
Apparently qualifying is available to watch via this link (http://ifsc.tv/) but I'm having no luck with a crappy work wifi connection...
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Watched a bit of that. Shauna topped 5/5, qualified in 5th. Mina 3/5, she'll probably get through (20 of 21 people will go through).
Semis and finals on the weekend. Commentator doesn't seem to know anything about climbing - his commentating is limited to "Oh, she's near the top... And she's made it. The crowd appreciated that. Good turn out here..." - but the frequent interviews with climbers were a nice touch.
Stay tuned people there will be a video of the [Swedish] competition up soon and you definitely want to watch to see the insanely impressive performances the guys gave!
Would like to see that. Sounds like an interesting format, climbers setting their own problems to play to their strengths.
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Finals are on now via the link above.. Go Shauna!
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Chinese Delights and Delays! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=291)
16 April 2012, 9:27 pm
I had never realised how big China is and I still can not comprehend the amount of people there are in China. In Chongqing the number to blocks of flats is overwhelming! Their lifestyle, culture and language is almost alien, it was amazing to see and experience their way of life.
The night before I left for China a nasty horrible mean cold hit me. It was not nice at all and it only got worse. 19 and a half hours of travelling to get Chongqing when I wanted nothing more than to be tucked up with bed with a box of tissues and a lemsip. I took 3 flights in a total daze not really knowing what was going on, it was lucky that I made it to the right places at the right times. Arriving in the hotel was bliss, just knowing the traveling was done for a while and that I would be in bed soon. If I had stayed in this state I would not have been competing, it was a struggle to leave my bed let alone the hotel. With some help I managed to get hold of some Chinese medicine which totally sorted me out, within two days I no longer felt that I could barely breathe, my head didn’t hurt to move and my nose no longer felt like it might explode.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/578451_360579023977599_131164916919012_69367181_1634599981_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/578451_360579023977599_131164916919012_69367181_1634599981_n.jpg)
I had a few days in Chongqing before the competition, one was spent in bed and on the other a small group of us adventured into Chongqing in the rain and smog, all we found amongst the endless blocks of flats was an underground market which was interesting but very dirty and smelly (luckily I still could breathe through my nose:).
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/564298_360578983977603_131164916919012_69367180_554641873_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/564298_360578983977603_131164916919012_69367180_554641873_n.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_0018.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_0018.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_0022.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_0022.jpg)
I was quite anxious about the competition, what would the walls be like, would my cold affect me much, how hard will the boulder be? Questioning many things but mostly I questioned my expectations, how was I going to do? I had looked at the start list, it was an impressively strong list of women, and decided to aim for top 10.
We had to get up an go to the opening ceremony nice and early even though we didn’t compete until afternoon but it allowed us to check out the wall whilst the male qualification took place which made me feel more comfortable and ready. The opening ceremony was actually quite entertaining as there were fireworks and loads of dancers. Alex, Mina and I went back to the hotel for a few hours to chill out and relax before qualifiers. I climbed 12th, I felt ready and psyched to start the 2012 world bouldering cup series. The qualification problems were quite an unusual style with a few awkward moves, lots of slopers and some big lock off. I flashed 3 of the boulders but I made silly mistakes on the others, on problem 3 where I faffed with my feet too much and on problem 4 I jumped instead of getting my foot up, luckily I learnt my lessons quick and got both of the boulders second attempts. I was annoyed at myself as I knew I had the ability to flash the boulders but I was one of only 5 to top all of the boulders however, I was the only person not to flash them all so I placed 5th.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/554059_360585677310267_131164916919012_69367265_954802989_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/554059_360585677310267_131164916919012_69367265_954802989_n.jpg)
I had not expected to place 5th at all so this I was very pleased with, if I could stay in 5th I would be in finals which was exciting but also made me more nervous for semi finals. The semi final boulder problems were really really hard. I flashed one and got 3 bonuses. When I fall off in a comp I always try to quickly evaluate why I came off and what I can do to make sure it doesn’t happen next time. On the boulder problems in semi finals I had no clue what I could do differently, I had a slight idea of how they could be done but they were out of my league. I was not happy at all with my performance, they felt so hard. It turned out that they were hard, really really hard as my 1 flash and 3 bonuses placed me in 3rd.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/576013_360584970643671_131164916919012_69367243_908891350_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/576013_360584970643671_131164916919012_69367243_908891350_n.jpg)
I could almost not believe it, I was in finals and no matter what I had placed 6th now and I would be happy with that. When finals came around I was so tired that I could barely warm up. My back was already aching from the previous rounds but I was looking forward getting stuck in to the 4 final boulders. The first had a big shoulder move on a tiny little crimp near to the top, I knew when I got to this point I did not have the ability to do this move but I was happy to get up to there. The second boulder was amusing, I got it on my 5th attempt. There was some really cool beta with a high left foot and a high right toe hook, it took me a while but I figured it out. The third boulder was impossible and stumped us all at the same place, which I always find quite annoying as it is then like we are then only competing on 3 boulders. The final boulder was similar. Most of us got to round about the same place and I am not sure the end was possible well not in 4 minutes anyway. In the end I placed 4th, Jain Kim came third as she took fewer attempts to get problem 2. Anna Stohr 2nd and Akio 1st both completing two boulders. It is such an amazing feeling to be competing with such strong and inspirational athletes. I am really looking forward to the next comp.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/524353_360584773977024_131164916919012_69367238_587798177_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/524353_360584773977024_131164916919012_69367238_587798177_n.jpg)
One last breakfast of rice and vegetables and an afternoon left to explore China. Myself, Vera and Walter (two of the dutch competitors) went to an unusual place full of little stalls and shops where we met Mina and Alex. There were 10 floors and each floor had a theme, there was even a floor of international restaurants which kinda took the the Chinesey feel away. However, the Traditional Chinese Crafts floor definitely entertained us and we bartered to get some fans and jewellery for souvenirs.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_1409.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/IMG_1409.jpg)
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At the airport I sat reading waiting to check in looking forward to getting the journey home over and done with totally oblivious to the nightmare that awaited me. My first flight was delayed by 3 hours but luckily there was an earlier plane with a few spaces left , this had also ben delayed for hours but it mean I left only an hour later than I was supposed to still leaving me more than enough time to catch my next flight. I arrived in Beijing ready for the big one knowing I would be home in the morning. There was a large crowd around the international flight tickets for my airline and when I got to the check in desk the woman said nothing and just pointed to the nice long line of people waiting to get new tickets. My flight had been cancelled! I spent the next two hours going from queue to queue first to rearrange my flights, then another to get my tickets and finally to ask about the hotel. I was told at least 5 times that there would be a bus in 20 minutes for the hotel and to just wait, I waited and waited and waited. I arrived in Beijing at 11pm hoping to leave at 1.30am I left the airport to go to the hotel just after 3am. And I arrived back in the airport at 7am. And left for good at 9.30am! I arrived in Frankfurt airport 10 and a half hours later psyched to be in europe where the are actual toilets and I could eat something other than rice. To top the journey off I had one flight left back to Manchester after waiting two hours I wondered over to the check in desk to find the flight was delayed for an unknown amount of time. Thankfully it was only an hour this time!
I have to say I am sooo happy to be home, no more rice for breakfast or people being fascinated with my blonde hair and my Englishness! I have learnt not to fly with Air China and that China is an interesting experience but not my favourite country. I have a few days at home now and then its off to Sloveina and Austria for the next two World Bouldering Cups. I will let you know how they go…
Photo Credits : Heiko Wilhelm
Full Results List: Here! (http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php?page_name=resultservice&comp=1379&cat=ICC_FB)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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A big week… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=328)
23 April 2012, 10:24 pm
Competing in world cups circuit isn’t easy. You get physically tired, mentally tired and you really need to ask a lot from the people around you. Sometimes that isn’t fair and relationships take two and I guess I didn’t have enough to give. I find it hard to know when to let my emotions affect my climbing sometimes I climb better, I push harder and pull stronger when I feel I need to get something out but then I also have my girly side when I want to eat ice cream, watch a cheesy movie and feel sorry for myself and that is definitely not the attitude you need when going into a World Cup.
Lets just say the week before Slovenia was not the best week of my life and I went to this competition not knowing what to expect. Climbing is such a unique sport in the sense that you never know what you will get, every problem in every round of every competition is different. In most sports there are always aspects that never change but with climbing you never really know what to expect. Sometimes the boulders might suit your style and sometimes you can pull through them even if they aren’t but there is always the possibility that you might just not be able to do it. This has happened to everyone at some point, but the most irritating thing is when this happens and its only your head stopping you, its the mental game comes with every sport. Every competitor has a personal life and we all go though bad times.
I was psyched but very nervous when warming up and my head was in a bit of a mush. Then when it came to the 5 qualifying boulder problems everything seemed to make sense. I felt so in control and relaxed when climbing and I guess this showed in my results as I managed to flash all of the boulders. The qualifiers were split into two groups at this competition which I find really annoying as when you are compared against everyone you know where you stand and can compose yourself for the next round with a good knowledge of your efforts against all the others but going into semis this time I only knew how well I had done in comparison to half of the semi finalists. However, the fact that two qualifying groups are required is definitely a sign that the sport is growing which is amazing!
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/VFP4826_b.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/VFP4826_b.jpg)
Flashing all 5 boulders is the best I could possibly have done in qualifiers but I knew how many incredibly strong women there were and that pretty much anyone could make it to finals. Usually the nerves go away when I am waiting to go out to climb but this time they were still there when I got on the wall but I also felt really focused and clear when climbing. I could really think about what to do and what would work. The first boulder in semis was not my preferred style of climbing but I managed to figure it out on the way up. The second boulder was extremely crimpy and I tried really really really hard, there was one move that I did not enjoy and made me really want to just drop off. I just about managed to fight my way through it. The third was stupid! A downwards sideways dyno into a wall. My first attempt was actually decent and I got kinda close but then my body totally rejected the move and my instincts forced my leg to kick me away form the wall before I got the chance to try and grab the hold. I flashed the fourth boulder but I strain my shoulder again on the last move.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/VFP4780_b.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/VFP4780_b.jpg)
A huge thank you to Stewart Watson and the Austrian Team Physio Klaus for taking a look at my shoulder! After a bit of manipulation and some taping I was ready for finals. I qualified in second place to Anna Stöhr. I was so excited to make finals again and I couldn’t wait to see what they had waiting for us this time. I had no expectations and felt few nerves and little pressure I was just really psyched to climb.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/75270_10150751091925675_697535674_9491739_63572063_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/75270_10150751091925675_697535674_9491739_63572063_n.jpg)
Everything fell into place on the first boulder and I climbed it as I had planned. The second problem was amusing, I caught the awkward dyno to begin and then found myself stood puzzled with a very blank wall around me. I tried to get my foot up, that didn’t work, I thought about matching but quickly realised that wouldn’t work. Then I let my instinct take over and with little thinking I crossed over, got a sneaky toe hook to keep me in balance for a few moves but then my mind was back. I had to do a big move off a very bad hand hold and a very very bad bad foot hold. After faffing for a while I just went for it and somehow everything stayed on the wall.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Boulder-1-300x187.png) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Boulder-1.png)
The final two boulders did not go to plan. I wrestled with the volumes on problem three only to find myself stood on the mat wondering why I wasn’t still on the wall and why my arms had even more grazes. Problem four was really cool and I just wish I had had the umph left to do it. I was soo tired! I am really looking forward to watching the finals back to see Mina Markovic (SLO) crush every single one of the final boulder problems! Such an amazing effort from her, the crowd were unreal and they had every reason to be! I am so happy to have stood on the podium in second place to her.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/podium.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/podium.jpg)
I think I learnt a lot from the mistakes I made in China and I am so happy with how I climbed in this competition. I don’t think that it’s all quite sunk in yet. I can’t wait to compete in Vienna in a few days time but I am already so nervous, my recent results have put the pressure on now…
It was really nice to have a big GB Team competing in Slovenia, well done to everyone one who came. Check out the full results list here! (http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php?page_name=resultservice&comp=1387&cat=ICC_FB)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Extra kudos for dealing with personal stress in between comps. Inspirational stuff!
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:2thumbsup: :thumbsup: :strongbench:
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(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/podium.jpg)
:clap2:
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Fantastic!!! Really well done!!! First place next time!!!
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Vienna (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=344)
30 April 2012, 8:46 pm
Another comp over and a little break in the comp circuit has finally arrived!
After competing in Slovenia I headed straight to Vienna for yet another World Bouldering Cup (thank you to Alex and Chris for the lift). After such an epic few weeks this competition didn’t really seem like such a big deal. I usually get excited about the whole experience, travelling, hotels, catching up with friends, climbing… I had been to China, spent a few nights at home, left for Slovenia then travelled to Vienna. I have never really been a h1ome sick kind of person but by the time the comp came round I was very tired and ready to go home to see my family, chill out and sleep in my own bed! I had not really prepared myself for this, its exciting and an amazing experience but sometimes you just need those home comforts! I was still ready to give everything I had and try hard tough.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/522808_10150977388068626_702893625_12821696_1161625150_n.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/523137_10150964545743626_702893625_12784244_533432335_n.jpg)
When warming up for qualifiers I felt quite tired and I couldn’t get my muscles firing. Qualifiers didn’t start until 7.15pm and it had been a long hot day. I went out with quite a relaxed attitude not majorly psyched but feeling ready. The climbing went okay, I didn’t feel good but I managed to get up 4 out of 5 of the boulders in 7 attempts and the put me in second place in my group. I didn’t really like the boulders, one was totally impossible and no one topped it, the first and last boulders were okay steady climbing with nothing too spicy. The second boulder I got really annoyed at myself, I was way to casual on a double handed jump and found it hard to generate psyche. The fourth boulder was crimpy with lots of poor holds and I managed to figure out the right beta on my second try. With qualifiers finishing so late it was straight to bed, up for breakfast and back to isolation.
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Semis is definitely the stage where I get most nervous. I had made finals in the first two comps of the year and I was currently in the top six. But there were 20 strong girls psyched and ready to fight for their place in finals on the four semi final blocs.
I had a really good warm up and felt quite excited about trying the boulders. A big thank you to Klaus (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/www.therapierbar.com) for taping my shoulder before I went out to climb! The first two blocs in semis went really well, I flashed both of them. The first had a lovely big round volume that I managed to manoeuvre around quite quickly to get to a move that was to put a lot of stress on my shoulder injury. I knew that trying this repeatedly was going to do some damage, I stayed calm and figured my way around it with out causing any pain. The second boulder was a really nice steep powerful bloc that I really enjoyed climbing. The third boulder was impossible for all the girls and on the fourth I got to the last move but the heat got the better of me and I slid off every time.
After semis it was straight to see physio Stewart Watson (GB team member). He had checked out my shoulder the night before and found that there was much more going on than we had realised, the pain went up to the top of my neck and the bottom of my back… brilliant! Stew managed to ease some knots and get my shoulder clicking a little less with some light manipulation and lots of back cracking!
I spent the day avoiding the sun, eating and sleeping before going back to isolation for finals. Then we had presentation where we were all asked awkward questions, I am not the biggest fan of talking in front of a crowd or doing interviews! We then got to see our boulders and the sun was beaming onto the wall making the holds hot sweaty and much harder to hold. The boulders looked really fun and exciting! The first boulder was flashed by 5 of the competitors but unfortunately Olga Shalagina damaged her knee coming off and had to pull out of the finals, I really hope it’s not too bad and that she recovers quickly! The next shut me down right at the top, I was way too tired. The third was a battle and I fought so so so hard to get up there! I was really psyched to complete it.
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The final boulder was one of the most devastating experiences for me, I battled my way to the last move to find my arm wouldn’t hold on, the whole right side of my body had shut down. I touched the last hold and had nothing left, I psychically could not get back up there.
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In all I am happy with my result and I guess pleased performance. My body hurts and I am more than excited about sleeping in my own bed! My sister asked me “if I told you that you would come 4th, 2nd and 4th in the first 3 world cups would you have believed me?” … no way! I am surprised every time I make semis, every time I make finals and every time I look at the results from the past comps. I did not expect any of this and I can’t wait to see how far I can push myself. Maybe not right now though as my body is extremely tired and sore!
On Wednesday morning I will be heading to Melloblocco, Italy with team Alpkit (http://www.alpkit.com/)which I am really looking forward too. Although I will have to spend the first few days resting but it will nice to be in the sun eating pizza and ice cream!
Check out Klaus’s website HERE (http://www.physio-and-climb.at/)!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Melloblocco, Italy (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=354)
10 May 2012, 6:11 pm
I got back from Austria and had less than 48hours to fit in lots of catching up with family, two physio sessions and a little rest. The pain in my shoulder healed pretty quickly but I had overcompensated massively and this had resulted in my right bicep and forearm being the problem now (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif) This meant I wasn’t going to be able to push it in Melloblocco which was annoying but I was definitely ready for a week of rest, sunshine, ice cream and pizza! Val di Mello is beautiful, the valley is surrounded by immense mountains and everywhere you look the landscape is full of rock and dense green wilderness. When we arrived we put up our tents and admired our surroundings in peace knowing that within the next two days there would be 3000 psyched climbers around. (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0069.jpg) After a few days of sunbathing and chilling out it was time to get our boots on and try and fight our way to the competition boulders dotted around the area. I didn’t really have any idea how the whole thing worked I just knew that there were 9 boulders for guys and 9 for girls and lots of very psyched people ready to try them. It was a very surreal experience being in such a natural beautiful environment with thousands of climbers running around. People travel from across the globe to attend this event and it was amazing to be surrounded by people who share the passion, people of all ages and abilities together celebrating the sport! This was my first time climbing on rock in Italy and my first time on granite. I managed to get round five of the boulders flashing two and completing the others on my second attempts. Annoyingly it was the hardest two boulders that I managed to get first try and I made some silly mistakes on the others. I had definitely forgotten how amazing it is to climb on rock! This was a new experience for me though as usually when you go outside you don’t have to worry about pressure or crowds just having fun and enjoying it. In Melloblocco there were sometimes hundreds of people swarmed around a boulder. My experience on rock is not so vast but climbing in front of a crowd is something I had to get used to for comps. We were supposed to have 3 days to climb the 9 competition boulders but unfortunately on the evening of day one the rain came and it did not stop. I was the only female to complete 5 of the boulders so that meant I placed first. (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/543336_290610064359143_100002304551978_630441_497796926_n.jpeg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/MG_0665.jpeg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMGP5429.jpeg)
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMGP5388.jpeg)
Despite the rain the trip was really good fun, I got to catch up with lots of friends and my body got a very good necessary rest. I have to say a big thank you to Alpkit for the opportunity! I didn’t get the week of sunshine many of us had been hoping for and I there wasn’t much ice cream but at least I ate lots of pizza! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMGP5449.jpeg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/IMG_0080.jpg) I now have almost a week at home to fill with training, family, friends and physio before heading off to Innsbruck, Austria for the next World Bouldering Cup round.
UKC Report Here!
Checkout out the official Melloblocco website for more information and results from the event HERE!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Purple patch!!!
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The Best World Cup Yet! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=385)
21 May 2012, 1:29 pm
Innsbruck was amazing. The competition was held in the market square in the beautiful city full of fascinating buildings and cute little houses surrounded by snow topped mountains. I already can not wait to return some day.
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In every comp of the World Cup circuit this year I have been totally surprised with my results and this comp was no different. In qualifiers I flashed 3 of the boulders, got one second try and the other was not completed at all it was an awkward jump to bad holds and wasn’t possible with only 5 minutes of effort. The other boulders were really good fun – a slab to start and then some nice steep powerful funky boulders. At the end of qualifiers I was sat in 4th place and heading into semi finals with Ned and Stew.
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I was really quite nervous for semi finals. I don’t think I put that much expectation on myself and I knew how strong the field was and that it was going to be a very hard semi final but I really really wanted to be in that top 6 who make it to finals. I went out to climb, ready to hold on tight and try hard again. The first two boulders went really well I managed to flash them both. I don’t think I did the right beta on the first boulder but I managed to flash it, the second was a powerful compression moves up a prow on bad holds, so much fun! The third boulder was so cool! It was a big cross over dyno on pretty poor holds, I just about held that but only to be totally shut down on the ridiculously hard top moves. The last boulder problem in semi finals was a press that required a lot of effort from the right arm. My shoulder is not too sore any more but it is just not as strong as it used to be and this means I have to consciously think about the position of my hand when doing certain moves so that I can use different muscles and not put as much stress on the shoulder. Thinking about this is definitely not easy and cost me the flash on two boulders, luckily I was able to figure out the right position and get the boulders second try.
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After finishing the last boulder I looked around to find the eyes of a familiar face to see if I would get a nod meaning I was in or a shake meaning out. I hadn’t received a shake yet this year which made this moment in time all the more intense. I found a face and got the nod. 4th again (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Finals… So this year I hadn’t expected to make any finals and I have been unbelievably excited to do so in every round. I have gone into the finals knowing that the worst possible position I could place is 6th. In finals we get to view the boulders as a group before climbing. I get really excited about this as the boulder problems in finals are always so much fun and its really nice to read them with the other competitors.
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Usually by the time finals comes around I’m unbelievably tired but I think I am finally starting to build up some endurance as this time I felt good and ready to go climb again. Our first boulder was a slab with a balancey start with and then a sideways jump. It all fell into place when I got on the wall, I caught the jump and topped the boulder first try. The second boulder was really hard! I’m still not so sure how I managed to get it, I did the wrong beta first try but next time I fought my way through the burly match and made it to the top. I topped the next boulder also on my second attempt it was a really cool problem on pinches up a steep wall.
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I knew what the last boulder had in store and I also knew that flashing this boulder could have meant that I would win. I stood under the boulder and had no idea how to deal with my emotions my head was all over the place. I knew I could do the boulder but the pressure of flashing it was way to much for me to handle. I totally missed a hold on the side of a volume, a hold that I had seen when viewing the problem. I fell off the boulder first try and could do nothing but smile. I hadn’t even dreamt of making a podium this year and being so close to winning was so so exciting but also way to hard to handle. I guess going into finals with such a relaxed attitude and no expectation went from having a positive effect on my climbing and results to the complete opposite. I sat and watched Anna flawlessly climb the final boulder, even with all the pressure she came out and climbed perfectly. I was totally inspired by this and in every competition I am learning so much.
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This was definitely the best competition I have ever done! The location was beautiful, the boulders were amazing and the crowd was unreal! Plus I got to spray champagne everywhere! I am now back home and finally recovered from the after party. The next World Cup is in Vail, USA in two weeks time but before leaving I will be competing in Rock Over Climbing’s (http://www.rockoverclimbing.co.uk/) ROCFest this Saturday.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/543621_428887840455235_229953813681973_1603532_1635492460_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/543621_428887840455235_229953813681973_1603532_1635492460_n.jpg)
A huge congratulations to Ned and Stew for making the mens finals in such an insanely strong field! Ned placed 5th and Stew 6th. Also in the European Youth Lead Competition that took place this past weekend we had 6 finalist! Amazing efforts from Luke, Jonny, Charlotte, Tara, Molly and William.
For more results check out the IFSC website HERE! (http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php?page_name=resultservice&comp=1371&cat=ICC_FB)
Picutre Credits to Udo Neumann (http://www.udini.de/) and Heiko Wilhelm (http://www.oetztalclimbing.com/photography/)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Another World Cup Over And Now Its Time For Rock!! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=411)
5 June 2012, 11:57 pm
After Innsbruck I was home for one whole week! I spent a lot of time laying in the glorious sunshine, eating BBQ and I managed to fit in a local comp too. I competed in the ROCFest at Rock Over Climbing Centre which was a really fun comp but it was insanely hot! Almost too hot to climb but I managed to drag myself up the really cool boulders.
Before I knew it I was sat in Manchester airport yet again totally shocked at how fast the last few months have passed and how much has happened. At the beginning of the year I had planned on doing two of the world cup competitions and here I was starting my journey to my 5th comp of the season.
I have got a month in the states and I was really excited about having some time after Vail to chill out, go climbing and have fun! This totally distracted me from the fact that there was another world cup to focus. I almost felt too casual about it. I was excited but not as much as I felt like I should have been.
After a few nights having fun in Boulder with Angela Payne it was time to head over to the beautiful Town of Vail for the World Cup that was taking place at the Teva Games. Annoyingly I still didn’t seem to feel that psyched. Qualifiers was a really unusual experience for me a few things were different from the previous comps. To start with women climbed in the morning and usually we get the morning to chill out watch the guys, see the wall and generally prepare for climbing later that day. But here women climbed first and I had only seen a small picture of the wall. Then my warm up didn’t go very well and my general routine was totally disturbed when I realised that I had cleverly left my Ipod on in my bag which therefore meant it had no charge. Lets just say my head wasn’t really in it which may have been the result of me getting totally confused with the running order and not realising it was my turn to climb until less than one minute to go.
Despite all of this along with an unusual lack of psyche I managed to flash 3 of the five boulders the other 2 did not go very well at all but my inner determination and stubbornness got me to the top of both after multiple attempts with less than 10 seconds to go. The boulders were really fun, the three I flashed I felt good on but I almost felt too relaxed like it was just a normal climbing session. There was a really good mix of style throughout the boulders from balancy and technical to jumpy and powerful.
The photo above is Mina (http://www.minalesliewujastyk.com/) setting up for the crazy dyno on boulder 3 in qualifiers, she flashed this and qualified for semi finals in 16th! I was happy with my result as I sat in 6th place going into semi finals but I was really annoyed at myself for repeatedly falling off boulders that I totally knew I could do. Thats not my normal attitude! Thats not a good attitude! Usually when I fall off I analyse and know what to do. That did not happen in qualifiers for me. I got really annoyed at myself for not caring and spent a lot of time throughout the day thinking a lot about why my head wasn’t in it. I could only be thankful that my performance was not affected too much by this.
Semi finals is always the hardest round both physically and mentally. Knowing that only 6 climbers form the top 20 get to compete in the next round definitely puts the pressure on! The semi final boulder problems are always the most difficult but this time they were really good for me. I have decided to put in quite a few pictures this time as writing about boulder problems gets a bit boring…
I was really happy with my result and my performance in semi finals and was so psyched to be heading into finals in second place! I have never really had a problem with getting psyched before but pressure has started getting to me a bit morerecently, the mind game is hard work but getting psyched and ready is never usually an issue for me. In qualifiers I didn’t feel like myself at all so to over come this for semis was amazing.
Finals were delayed due to bad weather and I was starting to get really tired but observation upped my psyche levels once again. The boulders looked really fun! The first was a no hands jump with a hard top section. Everyone before me had completed this boulder which definitely ups the nerves and the pressure. When my turn came around I wobbled off first try as I stupidly leant too far back when trying to look at my feet but I stuck the crazy jump second try and completed the problem. The next boulder went well for me but the third I had a bit of an epic on. The third boulder was really really cool! A huge sideways dyno to a big horn, I got to the jump and realised how far it was, I didn’t really think I could do it but I went big, really big, closed my eyes and didn’t hit the mat. The last move took me quite a while to get and I got insanely pumped and have no idea how I managed to get it, I tried really really hard and flashed the boulder but had very little left for the last one.
The last boulder was steep with big moves on poor hold and there were a lot of holds and I didn’t really know what sequence to use. I fought my way to a really big move in the middle that I almost held and figured out the right beta as I was heading very very quickly face first into the mat, best fall of the year so far! I knew what I had to do but my arms had very little left and getting to the top of this boulder was totally impossible for me at this moment in time. I got further on the boulder but just did not have enough left! Another inspiring performance from Anna, she was the only one to top every boulder in the finals.
Another comp over and another second place. I am so so psyched with my result and I really enjoyed the comp but… I now have three weeks in Boulder to go check out some rock! I am so excited to have a break in the season to do some actual rock climbing! We have had one day out so far at Lincoln which was really good fun and such a beautiful place. I managed to get up a 7c+/8a called Phobos but that was my limit for the day with the combination of still being sore and tired from the comp and also the insane altitude! I am definitely going to be fit after a few weeks here!!
We had a rest day today and I had to have some work done on my shoulder as I messed it up a little on the last move of the third boulder in finals. Check out what I looked like after some grastom…
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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3 weeks of climbing outside! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=452)
24 June 2012, 7:25 pm
After the first half of this year being full of competitions and climbing indoors I have finally managed to spend some time away from plastic and done nothing but climb outside! My knowledge of the bouldering in Colorado was pretty minimal and before I knew it I was learning that the hikes were long and hard and the altitude was intense. Our first adventure took us to Lincoln lake, Mt Evens. You park at 13000ft and walk down to 12000ft the walk down is steep and the air feels so thin. Climbing down here was hard work and I got very short of breath but I was so psyched to be out on rock. The hike out was HARD but extremely satisfying. Despite the hard walk out we returned to Lincoln a couple more times and I got a few boulders done here I think the most enjoyable and pleasing was a V9 called Rebellion.This boulder was so much fun to climb and there was a big move that I couldn’t make in the middle, this meant I had to jump to a small crimp instead of a big just… check out the video here.
After a week of the alpine bouldering experience I was so so tired and ready spend a week in bed. Not only had we been climbing almost every day Mina and I were psyched on training too so lots of pull ups are press ups were happening before breakfast! I had done some amazing climbing in the first week of my trip and seen some beautiful sites. Being in Boulder, getting out climbing and spending time with like minded, psyched people has been amazing and ever more enhanced my passion and love for the sport.
I talk a lot about trying hard and putting every thing you can into a boulder which is something that has totally transformed my climbing this year and has definitely made me much stronger mentally and physically both in training and in competition. However, this is not something that I had ever tried to translate onto rock. I guess mainly because I rarely get outdoors. On this trip I have got onto boulders ready to try hard and get to the top. I have felt holds on a climb and thought ‘as if I can hold that’ and gone on to complete the boulder in a few tries and I have held on so tight that I cut the side of my finger. I climbed an amazing V11 called Whispers of Wisdom, a magical line of good spaced out holds up a steep wall with a 20m slab to finish. I don’t think I have ever tried so hard on anything. After working the moves and trying to find some girly beta I was exhausted (not forgetting the 40minute hike at elevation). I had one go and got pretty far but felt absolutely wasted! I knew I could do the moves so I knew I could do the boulder, so despite my tiredness I pulled on once more after a good rest and decided to give everything I had left and it was all required. I fought my way up, got insanely pumped and unbelievably terrified but I made it.
Most of my time in Colorado was full of trying hard, getting very hot and having BBQ’s. Conditions were far from perfect which made climbing hard extremely difficult. I managed to get in some good boulders including a V12 called Mind Matters (possibly V11). On the same day I did this I also managed to flash Dark Horse V10. Dark horse is a very impressive line with the crux right at the top. By the time we got round to trying it it was pitch black! I can be quite a wuss at times, I get scared doing big moves high up even indoors. I was so psyched to flash this boulder because the crux is a huge move to an edge right at the top. Unfortunately I didn’t get any footage of Dark Horse but check out the video of Mind Matters below.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Mind-Matters-small-Shauna.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Mind-Matters-small-Shauna.jpg)
I also managed to complete another V12 called Riddles in the Park. This boulder was an amazing power endurance line through a steep roof, so much fun! This boulder is at Upper Chaos and the hike up there is so hard! I tired the moves and made a few links but I was too tired to complete it on day one but we headed back up there the very next day. I took the walk slowly attempting to conserve some energy and it must have worked. I got the boulder second try, totally unexpected and I was so excited!
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Riddles-in-the-Park-small-Shauna.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Riddles-in-the-Park-small-Shauna.jpg)
I had not known what to expect coming out here. My trip was booked very last minute and I had kinda expected to have 3 weeks of chilling out and doing bits of climbing here and there. A day out alpine bouldering makes for a very full day, the hike always ensures you feel like you have done more than enough even before any climbing. Although the walk ins are hard the sites are beautiful and the climbing has been fun. Climbing out in the mounains is such an amazing experience you can get so far away from everything and just be.
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Climbing into the night hours away from the car can be a little scary especially after we saw a bear, but it is a peaceful and eerie experience totally worth it for better conditions.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/292146_10100943906874953_88580742_n.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/292146_10100943906874953_88580742_n.jpg)
I have had almost 3 weeks here in the warm temperatures and I am so happy with how much I have managed to get done! There are boulder problems here that I would really like to come back and try in cooler temperatures. I spent no more than 2 days on a boulder problem here and this excites me for what I could try on longer trips in better conditions.
I managed to fit in some chill out time too, shopping, going to the water park, floating down a very shallow rocky river on a tube and even a cake competition. Mina and I won with our amazing hand shapped split tipped lemon cake. David Mason has possibly the worst skin ever! So to celebrate his birthday we made this…(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/IMG_0136.jpg)
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I would like to say a big thank you to Jackie and Chris for letting me stay at their place! It has been amazing to be surrounded by psyched climbers. Also David Mason and Mina Leslie-Wujastyk you are both amazing thanks for letting me come out climbing with you! All image and video credits go to Mr Mason!
I now get to spend a couple of weeks in the UK. I will compete in the British Bouldering Championships before heading to Magic Woods for some more hot temperatures, bad conditions, chilled out relaxed climbing…?
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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A wet weekend competing! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=485)
9 July 2012, 11:22 am
So I returned home from the insanely hot temperatures in Boulder to rain. It was bliss for about an hour or so but after a week of pretty much none stop rain I was ready to leave the country again. Before rushing off I had a few important things to do.
The British championships was one of these important things which was supposed to take place at an event called Cliffhanger. Cliffhanger is usually an awesome event full of different things to do and see but this year the true harsh wet British weather lead to the event being cancelled. We had a months worth of rain in 24 hours, it was BAD even for England.
Despite all this the British Bouldering Championships were to go on! Arriving in the damp, misty, cold, muddy field early Saturday morning it was safe to say psyche levels were not so high. The qualifiers were actually quite good fun. The qualifying format is different to most competitions with 10 boulders that all the competitors get 2 hours to try. It is a very strange format requiring you to be confident but also clever. Timing is key, making sure you get enough rest but not getting cold or running out of time. It is also hard to know what boulder to try first as the grades range from around V3 to V8, its almost impossible to know what to try and when. The boulders went well for me, I made a few silly mistakes, I forgot to tap my foot on a start hold and got called off on one and I messed up the first move on another boulder. I managed to get both climbs second try and qualified for finals in first place.
The Finals were back to World Cup format, the boulders looked really good fun and I couldn’t wait to get on them. I climbed last and my first attempt on the first boulder didn’t go as well as I had hoped. There was a very shouldery press for the last move and I managed to tweak my shoulder again. I got back on cautiously and managed to do the move quickly but very controlled putting as little strain on my shoulder as possible.
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Getting a boulder second try when you know you could have and should have flashed it is annoying and it is very easy to let this get to you and effect your performance. It’s hard to carrying on climbing smooth, precise and trying hard! One attempt can make all the difference… I flashed the second boulder, it was a really fun sideways jump followed by awkward moves on oddly textured volumes. The next boulder was insane, I knew it had been done but when I was climbing it I had no idea others had done the moves or how I could do the moves. My first attempt was pretty useless as I was let down by the other should. I had to figure out another way. After throwing some crazy shapes at the start and jumping to the bonus I found myself sat in the splits wondering how I could get over to the last hold. After a painful while sat there I pressed out and just reached the very bad edge of the final hold, crimping as hard as I could I managed to whack my foot up high once more and get a very very satisfying match!
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Here’s a short Video of boulder 3 I found on Youtube, not very clear but you can get the idea…
Relieved and sore I sat wondering how the final boulder would go. Alex was in the lead by one attempt and we had a steep boulder remaining. I totally thought I had lost it. When it came to my turn only Mina had topped the final climb. I knew at this point I had to top this boulder to win. I have messed up under this kind of pressure before and come so close but not quite managed to get the final boulder, this time I didn’t mess up. I somehow composed myself and flashed the final steep crimpy boulder. This time I had enough left, I can only hope this is the case in the next big comp…
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/426892_264860490286479_1823761193_n.jpg)
I maintained my British Senior Bouldering Champion Title. The boulders were amazing and so much fun to climb on, painful though.
I have also had a meeting with Craggy Island, who I am happy to announce as a new sponsor of mine. I will be working with them to promote the sport in a positive way.
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The last few things before leaving for Magic Woods include a bit of filming in North Wales and I will also be running a coaching weekend for the Royal Air Force climbing team with Dave Barrans who was a very happy winner of the Male British Bouldering Championships.
Congratulations to Molly Thompson-Smith and Dominic Burns who became the new Junior British Bouldering Champions, really impressive strong performances from both climbers
Full results HERE!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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THE CAVE (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=506)
13 July 2012, 4:44 pm
Any of you who have ever been to Parisella’s Cave will be totally aware of the lack of beauty, the insanely polished rock, the lovely stench of goat poop and the hard crazy moves it has to offer. The cave is definitely not for every one but it stays dry and that is definitely a plus since it very rarely stops raining at the moment. And at least its outside, although the climbing style can feel very much like indoors, definitely good training though.
Anyway, since returning home from the majestic sites of Colorado I have been to the cave twice and had two decent sessions. On the first session I managed to get two V11’s. Half Way House which is a powerful climb with a really big cross over move to a shot hole crimp. Deadpointing the shot hole is really awkward and its quite high too so it ‘s a bit of a heart breaker move but very satisfying when you stick it. The other was Pit Of Hell a low start to a very classic boulder problem in the cave Rock Atrocity. I also worked the moves on the lower start to Pit of Hell, In Hell but I was tired and they felt so hard. Next session however I got it second try. It was warm and sweaty but I tried really hard and fought my way up the burly V12.
The cave is local to me and it’s such a good work out but as much as I love it I can not wait to leave for Magic Woods now!
If you read my last blog about the British Championships you will have read about my epic on boulder 3 in finals. Another video has been put up of this boudler and shows my epic struggle up it…
British Bouldering Championships Short - Shauna Coxsey on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/45647841)
For more entertainment check out Outcrop Productions Climbing Works International Festival Video. It seems like so long ago since this took place but it was an amazing competition and the video is worth checking out…
The Climbing Works International Festival 2012 on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com/44935211)
In this months Climb Magazine I also have a five page interview!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Broken Heart, BROKEN LEG! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=515)
25 July 2012, 10:49 pm
Have you ever experienced that moment just after you hurt yourself when you stop, hold your breath, scrunch up your face and hold on to the area of pain, waiting to see if it goes away, hoping that it was just a shock and that you are actually okay. I lay on the bouldering mat curled up in a ball but the pain wasn’t going away. All I could think of was the noise I heard when I hit the mat. A few deep breaths helped me to compose myself. A short while passed and I decided to try stand on my leg, I really wanted it to be okay, I wanted to carry on climbing, finish off the boulder and walk out. As I tried to put weight on my right leg the pain brought a sickly feeling into my stomach… I knew then that it was bad.
Magic Wood is a beautiful place and I don’t think I have ever been so psyched to try so many problems in one place. After a few days of exploration, excitement and trying hard in the heat, I had gathered a number of projects, fallen in love with the woods and I was very ready to try hard and get up some boulders. I had heard so much about Magic Wood, everyone I knew seemed to have been and I couldn’t wait to see it for myself. Totally safe to say it did not disappoint. The idea of such a high quantity of steep boulders in a small beautiful area excited me a lot and the best thing is that nothing is ever too far away! After the hiking in Colorado, walking to the boulders in Magic was bliss.
Team Hangar out in Suiss, gutted I didn’t get to stay the whole time! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_sad.gif) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0225.jpg)
There are so many boulders I wanted to see and try and endless problems to project, so knowing what to try is really hard. I wanted to try everything and do things quick just so that I could fit more in. Injuries however definitely hinder such desires and motivation. After the first two days I had at least two boulders that I wanted to get back on and do. At the beginning of my trip I had a little shoulder issue and had to spend some time resting. The rest worked well and I managed to get Jacks Broken Heart V12 done. I had tried the moves for about an hour previously but my shoulder prevented me from making that much progress. However, it went down first try on my next session! I then went on the try Foxy Lady V11, I wasn’t too keen in this as the holds were tiny and hurt my skin a little but the efforts my friends were putting in were inspiring so I decided that I should join in and have a good go.
Here is a short video I was sent, a random guy filmed my ascent of Jack’s but he missed the first move, we have more footage coming soon but for now you can check this out… I was happy with my climbing but already thinking about what to try next. The heat of the next day lead to a late start and I was tempted by the thought of a rest day until I saw a really cool v10 called Rythmo that my friends were keen to try. I had to join in, the steep arête was far too inviting. It took a while to figure out the short beta which unfortunately required the use of a very wide a greasy pinch and on two attempts on the problem I was fully shut down and rapidly fired into the ground back first. It finally went and we move on to the next problem Piranja which was also a V10. I was really excited about trying this, a friend had got it a few days before and I really like the sound of it… good holds, big moves. On my flash attempt I came up just short on the huge move to the smallest hold. I had felt the edge of the hold and was quite annoyed that I didn’t go far enough. I got straight back on to that move and did it no problem. This is when I jumped off, I didn’t fall I turned around and jumped off onto the mats I had placed myself. I have taken so many awkward falls and landed on some sketchy mats. This time the mats were fine, my landing didn’t seem to funny, my ankle didn’t twist but I heard a little snapping sound and my leg was really painful…
So after coming to the realisation that my leg was definitely messed up and that I couldn’t actually walk it was time to commence the epic piggy back ride out! Ged Mac (http://www.theclimbinghangar.com/) is a legend he carried me all the way to the campsite and although the walk ins in Magic are not too long they are not so smooth and require quite a bit of tree dodging, boulder hopping and you are constantly going up and down. Within an hour of jumping off the boulder I had my leg in the ice cold river water troff whilst the guys sorted everything out for our journey to the hospital.
The journey to the hospital felt so long, since the pain began I had thought of little else and now my head was full of emotions and the pain didn’t seem so important any more. Without knowing what was actually wrong or how long I would be out for it was hard to know what to feel. Positivity and negativity were fighting in my mind but even in the best scenario my climbing in the woods was highly unlikely to continue and that thought added to the pain was enough to keep the tears falling.
I found a very short video accidently taken whilst we were in the hospital… it has made me smile every time I have watched it, Ged Mac getting into his Fatherly role (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
The hospital staff were really helpful and I spent less than 2 hours there. The doctor poked and prodded me for a while and eventually told me that he thought it was broken, shortly after the X-Ray confirmed this. A very happy chap who told me ‘oh it’s okay, it’s only a little break, nothing much to worry about’ as nice as the man seemed I really wanted to hit him!
I know that it could have been much worse and it could have happened at a worse time but I didn’t care my leg was broken, I couldn’t climb.
I have to have daily injections too, I think Ged was far to interested in this..(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/IMG_0215.jpg) I spoke to my sister that evening and informed her that my BeastMaker Finger Board was going up. Right now I am not too sure how long I will be out for but Adidas ROCKSTARS and Munich World Cup are definitely not going to be possible for me. This year has gone so quick, I have done so much and so much has changed in my life. But now that I have some time to really stop and reflect I can truly appreciate how lucky I have been. My summer was totally packed full of climbing trips, comps and family events and now the family will only have to be fit in around one thing… TRAINING!
I have been in this situation before and I have worked through it, stayed psyched and got stronger.
I am now back home and very happy to be here! BMC Insurance is unbelievable and I would definitely recommend it! I was put up in the guest house as camping wasn’t so ideal, they flew me home, arranged a taxi service to my front door, they even covered the petrol costs to the airport!And to think I almost didn’t take it out…
As for Magic Wood, I can’t wait to return when Piranja will be at the top of my tick list!
I hope you guys enjoy the rest of your trip…
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Next week I will put up a short video of the a few boulders I managed to do in the couple of days climbing I got done… watch out for it (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Faster, Higher, Stronger (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=533)
2 August 2012, 12:37 pm
I have been at home now for almost one week, I thought it might have been quite chilled out and relaxed but I seem to be as busy as ever. I took a trip down to London to have an X-ray and speak to a specialist about my injury. Going to London was very last minute and quite surreal. London is all you here about in the UK at the moment with the Olympics going on and here I was getting in and out of the city as quickly as possible. London is very busy at the best of times but there was a new level of insanity on the tubes, it was hard work on crutches. Imagine trying to get on to an escalator on crutches… it is not easy and I would guess impossible if you didn’t have someone to help! Luckily my brother in law kindly took the day off work to drive me to Oxford and escort me to the hospital. Thank you very much Bob!
I was treated amazingly at The University College Hospital, the staff were fantastic and I was in and out in no time. With it being such a fresh break there was little information they could give me but I got a nice new bright pink cast and I will return next week for another X-ray which will hopefully provide us with a little more details.
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So everything is all about the Olympics… If I had stayed in Switzerland I wouldn’t have watched any of it. I am not the biggest fan of watching TV, especially sports. I would much rather participate than watch others. However, sofa bound and with sisters who adore the legendary games I have now seen quite a lot. I saw the faces of pride and honour as the olympians walked out behind their flag at the unique and breathtaking opening ceremony. I have seen the faces of the athletes who have worked so hard and given their all and had huge amounts of pressure to preform, the faces of disappointment and regret, the face you have no control over that comes at the moment when you wish you could turn back time a little and go again, with no mistakes, no errors, just like you have done thousands of times in training. I have also seen the faces of disbelief, excitement and relief as athletes have won or placed higher than they could have imagined! The effort put in by some of our GB athletes has been unreal and truly inspiring! Watching the mens gymnastics got me psyched to train seeing their power and ability to hold it together and perform when it mattered most. I hope there are people throughout the UK that are inspired maybe to train harder or to begin competing or even take up a new sport and find a new passion.
Climbing is not an olympic sport currently but this games has made me start to wonder what will happen if it becomes one. Climbing being in the biggest sporting event in the world, recognised by the whole nation, our athletes getting the support and funding to take the sport to a new level. I have seen how much the sport has grown in the time I have been part of the climbing world and its crazy. Hundreds of new walls opening across the country and the number of people participating throughout all age groups rising constantly. Yet so many people are still unaware of this sport, how far could it go, how big would it become if climbing became an olympic sport and what effects would it have.
One of the things that I love most about climbing is the social aspect, I see a lot of my climbing friends like family. I first started climbing at the North West Face in Warrington, it is not a very big wall but the atmosphere was always so welcoming and everyone no matter how old or how strong would chat and climb together. I think that starting climbing in a small wall and not having very much to go at meant people pushed themselves more, tried hard things even knowing they couldn’t do them. Problems and routes naturally became projects and limits were inevitably pushed. Now that climbing walls offer such a huge amount at all levels people don’t really get forced into pushing themselves the way they once did, with competitive climbing coming more into the limelight and the potential for it to feature in such major events this could be the thing that pushes British climbing up to the next level.
The sports is changing, developing and progressing across all disciplines indoors and outdoors both in and out of competition. So much has changed with out me realising and I want to try to be part of ensuring the development and progression is positive. Last year I was part of the organisation for the first national Womens Climbing Symposium and it was an incredible success with over 100 female climbers from across the country coming together to celebrate and analyse their sport, discussing and learning ways to improve their participation.
Breaking my leg has changed my plans for the rest of this year, I am going to miss some of the biggest competitions and I have had to cancel a big trip to the states. But I now have time, something which has been very scarce over the past 6 months. This means I can be more involved with the 2012 Womens Climbing Symposium which I am very excited about! The event will be taking place on Saturday November 3rd. If you are female and you climb and you are going to be in the UK then you should be there! Check out the Facebook page HERE to find out more details.
I have had time to reflect on the year so far, realise how lucky I have been, appreciate the opportunities that I have been given and reflect on the success I have had. I never imagined doing so well and it’s only now I have stopped that I realise how far my climbing has come in such a short period of time.
Training has now recommenced, Bob has put my Beastmakers up and a good friend of mine Mark is going to help me fix up my shoulders and improve my upper body and finger strength. It feels so good to be doing something and getting stuck in. I am really quite excited to see how much stronger I can get.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_0234.jpg)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Training and Motivation (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=546)
19 August 2012, 8:49 pm
I have been trying to write my next blog for over a week now but my mood and feelings are changing daily so every time I come to write the tone and emotion of my writing changes, which means I have to start afresh each time and I never seem to make any progress.
In a short amount of time I have had to accept that I wont be able to compete in 5 international competitions and I had to cancel my 7 week trip to the states. I have also been dealing with the annoyance of being on crutches, needing help to do the simplest of things like getting a glass of water.
I began to train very soon after returning home from Switzerland to try and take my mind off things and give myself a focus. To being with training was fun and gave me something to do. Although it wasn’t long before I realised how gutted I was about how my plans for the rest of the year had been destroyed. When I first broke my leg everyone had an unusual amount of optimism about my recovery. I was told I would be walking within 2 weeks of breaking it, fully healed in 4 weeks and back climbing. I wasn’t so sure but the doctors seemed so positive. My weekly trips to The University College Hospital London have revealed a different recovery timescale and a much more realistic one. Bones take 4 to 6 weeks to heal. I am now in my 4th week of recovery and my last x-ray showed my bone was still broken and I am still crutch bound with no weight allowed on the leg.
I was not so optimistic about the speedy recovery. But I must have had a little hope because not being able to walk this week ended any possibility of being back in time for The World Championships in Paris next month and this realisation was pretty devastating.
After this my psyche levels were not so high and motivation was lacking! Dealing with injury isn’t easy but I am really lucky that I can still train. Training over the past weeks has been interesting but motivation has not always been easy to find. I went from being psyched, having something to do and thinking that I had accepted the changes to my plans, to thinking what’s the point? When I came back from Switzerland I knew motivation and positivity could only get me so far and I wanted to make the most of the situation. I needed a coach to help me maintain, make gains and fix up my shoulder whilst I was out. I can’t thank Mark enough for taking me on and putting up with my grumpy days, demotivated moments and my moaning and whining!
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC_0327-219x569.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC_0343-292x569.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC_0352-379x569.jpg)
I never fully realised before but I need goals, aims, ambitions, something to focus on that makes training worth it. With all my goals for the year seemingly impossible I didn’t really feel like training. Luckily, with my mood constantly changing this feeling didn’t last too long. I have managed to write new goals and figure out a new plan for the rest of the year to give me a reason to train, a reason to get psyched.
On Friday I will be heading to Munich where the last round of the World Cup Series will take place. I am currently in second place overall. I am excited about my new plans for the rest of the year and I cant wait to be climbing again and focusing on my new goals but I think watching this competition is going to be hard. I had really been looking forward to competing here and although I have had a few weeks to get over the fact that I can’t, I still don’t think it will be easy.
Back to training though, I am now really psyched again. I know what I want to do and I am really looking forward to getting my climbing shoes back on. I even have a hole in my hand from training for the first time in years! It’s good to have a structure and someone to push me. I am determined to come back to climbing stronger and fitter. I didn’t choose to have this time off but I can make the most of it! I can still not put any weight on my leg and it still hurts a bit but I am hoping that I can start to put weight on it soon.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/DSC_0346-379x569.jpg)
Thanks to Dan Knight for the pictures (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif) I have to say a big thank you to the GB Team physio Rick Webber who organised my x-rays and appointments in London. I also need to thank Rebecca Dent the GB Team nutritionist who has helped me understand what I need to be eating and when to ensure I am getting enough food to heal and recover from training too.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/423460_10152007049855315_1477528890_n-225x300.jpg)
Thanks to BEASTMAKER (http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/) again!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Munich – A New Perspective (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=567)
28 August 2012, 11:21 am
Another airport, another flight and I was in Munich once again for the last round of the World Bouldering Cup series. After a taxi journey to the Olympic stadium and then a hilly walk to the venue I arrived crutched out and totally lost in emotion. The guys were up first so I got to have a nice leisurely breakfast with the girls before heading to the comp. It was there the surreal and lost feeling to the weekend began. Breakfast didn’t matter as much as usual and my head was in a place it had never been. All of the girls on the team are amazing and they were so helpful but I felt so distant from them.
At competitions you have to be very self absorbed because you need to do all that you can to perform at you best. I don’t mean in a negative way towards others but you have to think about your own needs. I cannot say how other people are before, during and after comps because I guess everyone has their own way of doing and dealing with things but I know how I usually feel so I wanted to stay out of the way as much as possible.This trip made me think about how big the whole head game is. Its not just about the morning before or even the night before a competition. I think the mental game starts from the moment you decided your doing the competition and the moment you decided what result you will be happy with (and the real result not the one you tell people). There are infinite things that have an effect throughout the build up to an event and I guess the day of the event is when the true mental test begins. The majority of the competitors easily have the ability to do the qualification boulders. But its the ones who have their head in the right place that will be at the top of the results list. Sometimes mistakes happen but it is how you deal with them. Even the people at the top can have a bad performance and I guess this is usually due to the mental aspect as these people have demonstrated their ability so many times. This competition had examples of this in both the male and female qualifiers. It was strange being there and not having to make any conscious efforts to maintain my psyche and composure as it didn’t matter for me. I was viewing the competition from a completely different perspective for the first time so I was able to see what it feels like from both sides, as a spectator and a competitor. Although, I had my own head game of dealing with not being in the event and controlling my emotions, mainly frustration.
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Watching the mens qualifiers was not so bad. The GB guys did awesome Stew, Ned and Adam were all though to the semi finals so spirits were high as the women headed into isolation. And after an epic and unsuccessful walk (crutch) to try and find lunch it was time to watch the female qualification…
In qualifiers the top ranked climbers go first so I would have been out second. Anna, Akiyo and Mina Markovic were the first three out. Mina Markovic and Akiyo were the only people who could beat me overall so I was interested to see how they performed. Mina Markovic looked really strong and qualified in joint 5th place for semis which I was surprised by but not as much as Anna and Akiyo. Akiyo ended up in 9th and Anna 11th. It was when I saw their placements I started to wonder how I would have done. Would I have seen the sequences and topped the boulders. Basically I am never going to know so there was no point at all thinking about it yet I couldn’t resist. Most of the time when I pull on to a boulder, especially in qualifiers, I am a bit nervous and I never normally know how I got to the top. It just seems to work out, so looking at these boulders was totally pointless as a spectator and climbing mindset is incomparable. What definitely did ease my frustration, was watching Mina Leslie-Wujastyk absolutely crush! Topping all five boulders and qualifying in joint 5th with Mina Markovic! And then Katy Whitt also climbed amazing qualifying for semi finals in 15th.
There were times in the day where I wished I was at home not thinking about the comp at all, which was a very unlikely situation, if I was at home I would be watching the live feed anyway. There were also points where frustration almost got the better of me with the unanswered question circling in my mind… why did I have to break my stupid leg?! Back on a positive note I got to be more aware and put more energy into supporting the GB athletes and learn from this new outlook on competition. By the end of the day my broken leg story was beyond well rehearsed and I had enough sympathetic looks to last me a lifetime and I made it through the day with out tears or anger. I have been told a few times to log the experience under character building, I thought this was stupid at first but it kinda makes sense now.
I was not really looking forward to watching semi finals if I am honest. I wanted to be there competing and defending my overall position not watching to see where I would end up based other peoples performances. After watching the first few climbers I knew it was going to be a hard to qualify for the finals. Topping all 4 boulders put you in for sure but to get in with 3 they had to be done fast. The boulders looked like so much fun. It was hard to watch when I wanted to be up there climbing so much but with the intensity of the overall results and the excitement of so many Brits in Semi Finals I was very lost in emotions. As the end of the Semi Finals neared Mina M was in 5th place and Akiyo in first. If both made it to finals I had to watch my changes of not making the overall podium play out. Mina was bumped out of Finals and finished in 8th place. It was so unfortunate for her as she really did look so strong but I guess thats the way it goes and her not making finals also meant I was guaranteed 3rd place overall.
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Akiyo climbed amazingly well and looked super strong so I accepted my overall position here. It was time for no more nerves for me and to enjoy watching the finals. I had never realised how exciting and intense finals are. I thought I wouldn’t get nervous but got more nervous watching than I have ever been competing. Akiyo put on a flawless performance topping every boulder on her first attempt. The boulders looked like really cool, maybe a little too easy for the girls with 5 out of the 6 finalists topping everything but it was still a good show to watch. I was definitely sat on the wrong side of the barriers and although I really did enjoy watching I never want to find myself sat there again. I guess it was quite a motivating experience. The mens finals was also incredible to watch with Stewart Watson of Team GB finishing in 5th. The guys boulders were very gymnastic and really entertaining.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/overall-podium.jpg)
I am very glad the weekend is over. I knew it would be hard but I wasn’t too sure how I would feel after it all. 3rd place overall is more than I could ever have imagined at the beginning of the year. I am not disappointed in the slightest. Anna and Akiyo are amazing athletes and both a massive inspiration to me. I am really looking forward to joining them again next year.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/IMG_0291-426x569.jpg)
I have sore hands and really tight shoulders from all the crutching this weekend. Surely it has to be good training. I have to thank Mina for carrying my bag to the airport and then pushing me around on a trolley. All of the team were so helpful! Thank you! On Monday the 3rd September I have my next x-ray. Fingers crossed that its healing up and I can finally begin to walk!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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5 jours à Paris (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=590)
18 September 2012, 5:29 pm
Paris is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. Unfortunately, with the competition being on and only being off my crutches for a few days I was not able to see many of the majestic sites it has to offer. My consultant had suggested I remain on crutches for a couple of weeks to help my leg build up slowly and not cause any damage. However, I had started seeing a physio and under his guidance and with my determination to be crutch free I decided to go without. It is so strange having one really weak leg but also blissful to be off the crutches despite getting tired very quickly and my foot and hip aching lots, steps without bannisters were really quite challenging too.
Watching the mens qualifiers was really cool. The World Championships sees the best boulderers, lead climbers, speed climbers and para-climbers get together in the same place to embrace the aspects and the diversities of our unique sport. In the mens qualifiers there were 5 British men competing amongst the 114 men from more than 60 countries ready to fight their way into the semi finals. The boulder problems looked really fun – there were a lot off different angles making them really diverse and providing a good test to find the best all round climbers not just the strongest. Ned Feehally was the only Brit to make it to semi finals as the womens qualifiers were just as difficult. I knew after Munich it was going to be hard to watch again in Paris but I am glad that I went. It was so good to see my friends and watch them climb. There were 4 British women climbing with Katy Whittaker and Diane Merrick getting painfully close to making the semi finals.
After qualifers the week seemed to go really quickly. There was so much going on with the competition and it was really good to watch and have a few days rest from training . It was nice to chill out with good people and explore a few sites in Paris, taking in only a glimpse of the beauty and culture to be explored. I made sure to eat lots of crêpes and pain au chocolat and I maybe drank a little too much red wine, but its safe to say I fully enjoyed and made the most of the rest! I even got to take a few photos…
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0721-379x569.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0737-2-441x569.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0792-569x273.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0801-2-569x379.jpg) I managed to control my frustration and just enjoy being at the event as a spectator. Watching the mens bouldering final and the lead finals was really fun but when the Womens Bouldering Final came around my true feelings and emotions hit me. The competition was in a massive venue and it was all very exciting. The enthusiastic crowd created an intense atmosphere and the feeling inside the venue was electric. I wanted nothing more than to be stood lined up next to the other finalists looking out and absorbing all of this. This year was not to be for me and I have to take everything I can from the experiences my injury has brought. A massive congratulations to Mélanie Sandoz and Dmitry Sharafutdinov for their amazing performances. The lead climbing also brought lots of excitement to the event and displayed impressively high levels of determination and persistence, Congratulations Jacob Schubert and Angela Eiter.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0804-300x200.jpg)
I would also like to congratulate Fran Brown (http://www.ukclimbing.com/news/item.php?id=67442) the Para Climbing World Champion. This lady is incredibly impressive and a massive inspiration. I think it is truly disappointing how few people are aware of para climbing and more needs to be done to recognise and appreciate our para climbing athletes.
Paris was a great end to an exciting year of competition for me even if it wasn’t the ending I had expected or hoped for. I came to realise at this event how lucky I have been this year, I have met some of the most amazing people ever and it’s quite sad to think how long it is before next season comes around. It seems like a while away but the next few months will be busy and I am sure my World Cup adventures will being again before I know it.
So I am now back home and my life for the next month is going to consist of doing lots and lots of rehab for my little leg whilst training for a few things I am hoping to do in the coming months (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif) This weekend though, Dave Barrans (the current British Bouldering and Lead Champion) and myself will be setting for Boulder Breaks, a competition taking place at my local wall, The Climbing Hangar in Liverpool. Unfortunately, I can not test my boulders as I wont be climbing without a rope until next year so Dave gets that luxury. If you are at all interesting in climbing on some of the best boulders EVER, having fun, winning some money or amazing raffle prizes or dancing til 4am make sure you are there on Saturday 22nd September! Find out more information HERE! (http://www.theclimbinghangar.com/events/boulderbreaks/)
In other news.. on my return from Paris I had a package waiting for me. A few months back I had a photo shoot for a fashion Magazine, The Gentlewoman. It was so much fun to go down to London and be incredibly girly for the day. I had my nails, hair and make up done and I look like a different person in the picture. Definitely a new experience for me and I come across extremely girly in the interview but its quite entertaining. In this months issue I appear in their ‘Introducing’ section.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0810-3.jpg)
Here are a few more photographs that I took whilst wondering around Paris, turns out its quite hard to hobble and take pictures but I tried…
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0797-2-569x379.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0796-2-569x246.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0790-2-379x569.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0768-2-569x379.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0725-2-569x379.jpg)(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/IMG_0343-569x569.jpg)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Back On The Wall :) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=661)
26 September 2012, 10:43 am
I am so psyched to be back on the wall. After almost 10 weeks out I am now back climbing and it’s amazing. When I first got injured I was determine to come back stronger and fitter than I was before. I had a great fear of coming back to climbing feeling totally lost and weak and getting annoyed.
It has been quite surreal being back on the wall. I still have a long way to go before I can do what I love (that being working a really hard boulder and pushing myself) but moving on the wall again is bliss. I have noticed significant improvements in the few sessions I have done already which is making it really exciting! My very first session back was full of mixed emotions – I was really happy to be climbing but it felt so unusual to be on a rope and I became very protective of my right leg. My right leg is still significantly smaller than the other one and it does get noticeably tired. The physiotherapy is going to require some persistence to get it fully fixed up but I really want my leg back to normal as soon as possible! It’s so good to be back and I am looking forward to playing on a rope for the next few months as jumping off a bouldering wall is not an option for a while.
Coming back has been quite scary; I haven’t climbed on a rope since last year so it felt strange to be in a harness but there were so many things that felt unusual. My fingers felt super strong but my arms didn’t hold out long. It took me a while to realise but when I was tired and came to a move that required the use of legs it all became clear. I had basically been pulling myself up the wall. I had a massive fear of falling too, I guess from the worry of hurting my leg. I was so happy to climb again. However, I wanted to feel perfect on the wall but I guess my expectations were too high for my first session back. The second time I got on a rope everything felt so natural and I could move so freely. I felt like a different person. I managed to breeze some routes I had previously fought my way up and backed out on. I no longer felt like I was heaving myself up the wall. I am really pleased with the progress I have made in such a small amount of time and with a little bit of conscious effort I can now manoeuvre myself up a steep wall without practically campusing. I get so psyched by the small progressions!
I still find it hard to believe I actually broke my leg. This could be partly due to the fact I still have no idea how it happened and even now I find myself sat wondering why it snapped. The past weeks have all seemed like a bit of blur and when I think of how much has happened I find it hard to comprehend. Before I broke my leg I felt like I was living in a dream in some ways. I realised at young age that it was possible to compete internationally and climb for a living and since that point thats all I have ever wanted to do. It had all come about so quickly and to be honest I guess I was living my dream without really realising it. Everything went so much better than I could ever have expected and I am bewildered with what I have achieved. I kept expecting to get a reality check… well I guess I got one. This year took me to Texas & Colorado USA, Sweden, China, Slovenia, Austria, Italy, back to Austria, back to Colorado USA, a brief trip to Switzerland and then to Germany and France. Although there is never a good time to break your leg it definitely could have come at a worse time. If it had happened at the beginning of the year I think I would have been in a very different situation now. And right now I wouldn’t change my life at all. It was hard and unbelievably frustrating to miss two of the biggest events of the year and I can not begin to explain how it felt to sit and watch in Munich and Paris despite me trying many times. However, the experiences has taught me a lot. I have gained a new perspective that I feel has given me a broader understanding of the competition climbing world I already felt so comfortable in. Sometimes it’s good to be able to stand back and observe. There are so many things I had failed to notice when wrapped up in my own bundle of focus, psyche and concentration. Not competing and realising how much I wanted to be has also made me incredibly psyched for next season. People keep telling me ‘all things happen for a reason’, usually because they feel the need to say something and don’t really know what, but I have decided to embrace this cliche and take all the positives available.
It’s definitely not been all positives and I do not intend to pretend that it was. The time that I have had to take out has been very channelling in many ways. Being injured is never fun and I am lucky that I wasn’t out for long and that I was able to train. Training whilst injured is much harder than I thought it would be though. I like to think I am quite a positive smiley person but at times demotivation crept in and it was hard to maintain psyche.
My life finally feels like its getting back to normal and shortly my travels will being again. This weekend just past, myself, Dave Barrans, Ned Feehally and Rob Napier set for The Climbing Hangars ‘Boulder Breaks’ event. It was my first time setting for a finals and it gave a new respect for all of the world cup route setters out there! Doing this made me more nervous but also more excited about setting for this years ‘La Sportiva Rock Legends’! My plans for the next few months keep changing but I will be sure to update you all along the way (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
A massive thank you for the support from all the people who sent me messages, emails, cards etc whilst I have been out and the people around me who have kept me sane and motivated! To all of you who shared your stories of broken bones and injuries I wish you a speedy recovery! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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British Lead Climbing Championships (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/?p=675)
8 October 2012, 8:16 pm
This weekend I found myself taking the very long but familiar journey up to Edinburgh’s International Climbing Arena or Ratho as it’s known. For those of you who have never been to Ratho, it is one of the most impressive (and coldest) climbing centres I have ever seen. Back before I began competing internationally I travelled up to Ratho with my Dad to watch a World Cup there. I remember walking in to the spectacular arena and my passion and drive for competition exploding within me. It’s a very memorable moment in my life; silly but its probably one of the small things that has lead me to where I am today. Anyway… I am still yet to walk into the venue without being totally intimidated.
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I had been hoping to be able to do the British Lead Climbing Championships for a while. I had been back climbing for less than two weeks and I had to wait until my physio and coach both agreed I was ready. I ended up signing up less than a week before the event. I was so excited about being able to climb again. I had begun feeling so comfortable on the wall again. After being a mere spectator at the last few competitions my drive to compete was back and strong. It was quite nice as I didn’t have much time to build the competition up in my head, so not much time to get nervous or worried.
It was an early start on Saturday morning to make it up in time for Junior finals. Myself, 2 sisters, 1 brother in law and a nephew arrived wrapped up and prepared for the bitter cold always present within the quarried walls of the EICA. I can not thank my family enough for the support they give me, sitting in a freezing cold climbing centre for 2 days is not my idea of a fun weekend but if you have ever been to a competition when they have been in attendance you are sure to have heard them cheering away! They are truly amazing! We all watched as the junior finals commenced. It was so good to see the raw talent that we have coming through. Congratulations to all of the junior British Champions!
Next morning it was an early start again. I was up 5th on my first route. The route was on the steep wall which I was quite happy about, it might not be my strongest angle but its where I am happiest. The climb looked really fun up to the roof where there was a toe hook for the right foot. My right leg is much stronger than it was a few weeks ago but toe hooking is still a long way off for my tiny leg. Alex Puccio had climbed first and had the high point but hadn’t made it to the top. I made a conscious effort to climb quite quickly as my endurance is not the best. I felt really good until the toe hook came; quickly realising that wasn’t going to happen, I tried to use my other foot more but fell. This effort put me in joint second with Michaela Tracy and we had one more qualifier to go.
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Photo Credit: BMC – Alex Messenger
I was quite worried about the second climb because it was a techy, balancy, awkward looking route up an angular vertical and slabby wall. Not to mention the right leg rock over at the top. I climbed almost last on this route and was surprised that only Michaela had managed to top it. I didn’t really know what to expect but before I knew it I was rocking over, grabbing the last hold and making the last clip. Everything seemed to fall into place on this route and I felt amazing whilst climbing it; it was one of those moments where everything just works.
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/IMG_3728-379x569.jpg)
Photo Credit: Robert Donnelly
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Photo Credit: Robert Donnelly
After a quick nap it was finals time… Isolation was in a nice warm bouldering room but this contrast only made the arena feel so much colder. There was just one route left to go and it looked really fun but also very long and through the steepest section of wall. I did a little bit of warming up (not that I could do much as I was so scared to fall off) and sat listening to music finding some psyche. I sat waiting to climb; it felt quite surreal to be tied into a rope and not going out to boulder. I was quite nervous but I got distracted by getting my headphone wire stuck in my knot… blonde eh!
Normally when I come to a route climb I have an idea of where I think I will get to, where I want to get to and where I could get to. This time I didn’t really have a clue. I just decided to go for it, try hard and see what happened. Once again I was speeding my way up the less steep section of the wall, climbing quickly but cautiously to prevent mistakes. After all one slip, you fall, its over! I think thats one thing that always terrified me about route climbing competitions, mistakes are usually detrimental. The climb was fairly steady up to the roof, where suddenly it fully kicked in, a hard clip and some burly moves to a huge pinch which had me stumped. I knew what the route setter had intended but it wasn’t possible for me to move, I had felt quite fresh but after 30 moves a burly match on a big fat pinch was not possible for me. Attempting this was the end of my competition.
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Photo Credit: BMC – Eddie Cooper
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Photo Credit: BMC – Alex Messenger
After an intense half an hour where I was unsure of my overall position due to an appeal I found out that I had placed first… I was so happy to retain my title! Ed Hamer won the mens after an impressive effort up the incredibly hard looking mens final route! It was also really good to have some of the juniors who had competed the day before make the senior finals!
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Next weekend I will be attending Alpkit’s BIG SHAKE OUT (http://www.alpkit.com/bigshakeout) event. And after that hopefully some rock climbing (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
Link to the BMC report of the event HERE! (http://www.thebmc.co.uk/coxseys-reign-remains-unbroken)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Fire, Blood and Excitment (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/10/fire-blood-and-excitment/)
31 October 2012, 4:37 pm
It’s been a while since my last post and lots of things have been going on. I spent a weekend at Alpkit’s (http://www.alpkit.com/) Big Shakeout coaching some little psyched children. It is amazing to see the talent we have coming through and the motivation these children have is inspiring. Alpkit put on an awesome event filled with adventure and entertainment and I event got to brush up on my fire poi skills.
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Photo Credits to Daniel Wildey (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Daniel-Wildey-Photography-Com/235630863161382) So for the past few months myself, Stephanie Meysner and Ged Mac of the The Climbing Hangar have been arranging the 2012 Womens Climbing Symposium. An event that aims to connect, inspire and develop women’s climbing through collective climbing experiences, the latest research and the best coaching. Last year the event was an incredible success but it was our first one and we learned a lot and took a lot away from the event. I could not be more excited about this year! There is so much going on expert coaching, talks from some of the most inspiring people of British climbing and Exclusive clips from Hot Aches new film ‘Odyessy’ and Jen Randalls recently released film ‘Push It’. For more information check out our Facebook page HERE (http://www.facebook.com/WomensClimbingSymposium2012?fref=ts)!
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The event was feeling very well organised and after putting in so much work towards it I decided I could justify leaving the country and getting some sun.
Margalef, Spain, rolling valleys of deep green trees with strips of beautiful orange and grey limestone endlessly flowing through. The amount of rock in Margalef is totally overwhelming and at first I found it extremely intimidating but came to find it unbelievably exciting.
Leaving for Spain was really quite unusual. I have taken most of my adventures this year alone and met people along the way but this time I was sat on the plane with some good friends psyched and ready to crush some pockety rock. It had been a very long time since I last went sport climbing outside. My climbing has improved so much and I had no idea of my limits or what I wanted to try. I was however, definitely ready to spend some time out of the country, no comps, no plastic holds, just time to chill out and enjoy climbing.
The small town of Margalef is perched on a hillside deep in one of the valleys. At first glance it looks like a tiny desolate place but unfolds upwards to a cute little church buried amongst the overlapping buildings.
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On arrival the weather was less than desirable so the amount climbing and sun bathing was lacking. The weather was a little up and down for the duration of the trip but we had enough days of beautiful sunshine to make it hard to leave. I knew I wasn’t fully fit and I was quite certain I was going to scare myself on the end of a rope. I had never tried anything harder than 8a outside on a rope before, considering so much of my climbing life was spent focused around sport climbing my lack of days spent sport climbing is quite pathetic. In Margalef I got on a route called Darwin Dixit. Good holds and huge moves on very steep ground up to a mono and then a pockety head wall. It was first graded 8c and now 8b+. Having never pulled on anything this hard my psychological fear of the climb proved to be challenging to overcome. Before even getting on the climb I was convinced the moves would be insanely hard and the fact that the holds were wet just allowed for me to create more barriers. I was surprised to do all of the moves on my first try and they didn’t feel too hard. I lowered off pleased with my effort but the thought of linking it all together was very hard to comprehend.
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After a rest day we were up early to try and get in some climbing before the dark angry sky inevitably brought the rain back again. Even though we only got a little bit done before the rain came hammering down it was our best day climbing! I got back on Darwin and after getting scared at the start on the huge moves, had a really productive and progressive session on it. I managed to climb it in two sections and figure out some more efficient beta on the lower moves as it was steep enough to remain dry in the down pour. The day continued into a full day of trying hard, avoiding the rain and climbing on any dry rock we could find. This included one of the best routes I have ever climbed! A beautiful 7a up big fat tufa’s. So much fun! Another long night of heavy down pour left motivation lacking and the prospects of finding some dry rock were looking bleak. However, Rachel Hoyland, psyche enthusiast was at the ready to drag us out in search of something to climb on. Another productive day where I gained another project, a really cool steep 8a. It was so much fun to climb on and scared me quite a lot too which just made me want to do it more. I got really psyched about doing it and had a few red point attempts. The thunder God however had decided not to allow me to do the climb that day. The crux was a mono in the roof, every time I went for the mono there was a loud terrifying clap of thunder which scared me far too much to consider carrying on with the climb.
It went down the next morning first try though after a few squats and a good Beastmaker (http://www.beastmaker.co.uk/) travel finger board warm up. Then it was back to Darwin. I felt tired and the holds were still a little wet, it didn’t feel possible so I spent a little time improving my beta and decided to save energy for a few goes the next morning before flying home.
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Sunday morning, our flight left at five and we were up early to make the most of the perfect conditions, cold, sunny, dry… well pretty much everything was dry except for the third hold which I had to do a huge move off. Ned’s drying skills allowed for red point attempts to go ahead. On my first effort I found myself at the mono crux, my hands were freezing and through fear of injury I went no further. I decided that was my warm up go and composed myself to try again. In just a few days I had gone from not being able to comprehend even attempting a route this hard and being terrified on the end of a rope to being ready to climb it. I was insanely psyched and I even felt confident. Mark had kindly dried the hold, my hands were warm, I was ready to go.
I pulled on and before I knew it I could see the sky… I was upside-down with my head just off the ground. As the confusion settled this allowed the throbbing pain from my finger tip to sneak in…
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I had pulled the hold off. GUTTED is a massive understatement. I still can’t believe I pulled a hold off such a classic route of the area, sorry! Guess all the training has made me too strong!
Emotions were mixed but frustration was most evident. Margalef is amazing, I would recommend it to any one. Loosing my finger tip made leaving much easier but I really hope to return some day. I had an awesome week with Rachel, Mark and Ned. Being with good people in such beautiful places makes me realise what a unique and incredible sport climbing is.
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It’s now only 2 days until the symposium and I am getting very excited and nervous. There are 130 women traveling from across Europe to be at the event this year! I am just writing my talk for the day now and reflecting on my world cup year is making me so psyched for 2013! I will let you all know how the day goes!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Womens Climbing Symposium 2012 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/11/womens-climbing-symposium-2012/)
5 November 2012, 11:05 pm
The level of female climbing is being taken to new extremes across the globe. Within the past few weeks there has been significant break throughs in the sport. Tomoko Ogawa (http://www.dpmclimbing.com/climbing-videos/watch/tomoko-ogawa-first-female-v14) became the first ever woman to climb V14, unbelievably inspirational! Another inspirational female and one of my own personal hero’s is Ashima Shiraishi (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashima-Shiraishi/235398463107) who recently climbed two 8c+’s the first on her 6th day on, the second on her 7th day on. (I get tired after two days climbing). This young lady is only 11 years old and she has also climbed V13 a desire I am yet to accomplish myself.
It’s great to see females pushing the boundaries of our sport but the womens climbing symposium was about all female climbers… I started climbing at a really young age and grew up in the climbing world. A couple of years back I started coaching a ladies night at The Climbing Hangar, doing this highlighted my ignorance to so many issues that many females face in the climbing community. Both psychological and physical barriers that had never been apparent in my own climbing. The womens climbing symposium was a day designed to celebrate our sport bringing a sense of community and togetherness.
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Your 2012 WCS organisers! CREDIT: NICK BROWN of OUTCROP FILMS (http://www.outcropfilms.com/) Our mission statement was to connect, inspire and develop womens climbing through collective climbing experiences, the latest research and the best coaching… I believe we achieved this!
For the past six months or so myself and Stephanie Meysner have dedicated our time to organising this unique event. I would like to state, simply for those who think we did this for commercial reasons, that neither of us made a penny from the day.
Friday the 2nd of November, Steph and I were up early and out for a run. It was a beautiful sunny morning with a light mist glistening in the cold wintery air. It had been a late night as we were up planning our opening speech, thinking of jobs and generally getting nervous. The run allowed for some time to clear our heads and start the day feeling satisfied that we had already been productive. After a delicious Bold St Coffee breakfast the mental preparation day began. Lots of errands to run, things to be picked up, get delivered and set up. At midnight we were sat in the office at The Climbing Hangar (http://www.theclimbinghangar.com/) with two good friends yet again going over our opening speech nervous but very excited too.
Saturday 3rd of November, the morning of the second Womens Climbing Symposium (http://www.facebook.com/WomensClimbingSymposium2012) at The Climbing Hangar, Liverpool. Floods of enthusiastic, psyched women were coming through the door and it wasn’t even 9 o’clock. The energy in the building was high and my own apprehension was growing. 10AM came: Steph and I stood in front of 130 women, some of whom had travelled from as far as Spain and Switzerland, all of these women were there because we had told them the day was going to be amazing. The pressure was on but we were confident that the 2012 Womens Climbing Symposium was going to be incredible.
The day began with coaching workshops taking place and a talk from Jos Vanrenterghem – Head of Biomechanics at LJMU titled ‘Explaining Shauna’. I didn’t get to hear much of this talk but as far as I am aware the conclusion was basically that I am nothing special, I have just spent a very large amount of my life climbing and that put with my crazily high level of motivation and determination has lead to my current position on the world stage. The coaching workshops all seemed to go really well. This year we had participants sign up to two workshops from a choice of four. I really wanted people to come away from the event with something useful and instrumental to their own climbing. The workshops were an hour long and repeated 4 hours throughout the day, the coaches worked extremely hard and were brilliant.
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Coaches for 2012 WCS CREDIT: NICK BROWN of OUTCROP FILMS (http://www.outcropfilms.com/) I have to give a massive thank you to every one of the the coaches who gave their time away from work and family for little more than travel expenses. Leah Crane, Ellie Howard, Lucinda Whittaker, Diane Merrick, Suzan Dudink, Emma Twyford, Kitty Wallace and Audrey Seguy THANK YOU!
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Coaches for 2012 WCS CREDIT: NICK BROWN of OUTCROP FILMS (http://www.outcropfilms.com/) During lunch we played an inspiring and exclusive clip of Hot Aches Productions new film ‘Odyssey’ and also a clip from Jen Randall’s new film ‘Push It’. Both of these movies are released soon and both got me super psyched! I would recommend you check them out! Fran Brown was next to talk. A few months back I saw a video of Fran climbing at The Arch and I could not believe I hadn’t heard of her before. At the world Championships in Paris I saw Fran’s awesome performance that claimed her the World Para-Climbing title. She is one of the most inspirational women I had ever seen and I wanted to do what I could to help her to share her story and with that raise awareness for para-climbing.
Fran’s talk was heartfelt, motivational and truly inspiring. The reaction from the crowd was amazing! You can follow Fran on her blog HERE (http://www.franbrown.org.uk/)!
Lucy Creamer (http://www.lucycreamer.com/), one of the UK’s most accomplished climbers, was up next to give a talk on Injury and Identity. It was evident from the reactions of the crowd that a lot of people could relate to Lucy’s words. Injury is something that many of us have faced and it can almost be comforting to to know that other people find it difficult and challenging.
The next coaching session took place parallel to GB Team nutritionist Rebecca Dent’s talk – Food for fitness and health – keeping you firing on all cylinders. Teaching people how they can get more from their climbing sessions. Lot’s of questions and notes taken during this talk so hopefully the ladies took so useful information away. Time to drink lots of chocolate milk!
After this there were only two talks left to take place. David Simmonite’s talk on women in the climbing media and my own talk. David’s talk was chaired by Audrey Seguy and went really well. David (editor of Climber Magazine) has to be credited as we asked many media representatives to attend the event and it was only David Simmonite who accepted our invitation. His talk provoked some interesting comments and it was clear that there were very mixed opinions from people in the crowd. David Simmonite on the back of his presentation made a great offer to the women at the event: he has put aside a space in Climber, one of the most read climbing magazines in the UK, for a submission (written, photo or both) from a woman that attended the event. If it’s worthy, not only will he publish it, he will pay standard journalistic rates! This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute towards the construction of our climbing media and possibly start a career as a professional journalclimberist.
I have to admit that I could not fully engage in David’s talk as I was beginning to get quite nervous about my talk. It had been a long day, I was quite tired and my voice was sore. I remember when I started my blog at the beginning of this year I wondered if any one would be interested, who would read it and why? I was starting to think similar thoughts now, did people want to hear about my year, would it be interesting enough? The number of people who read my blog has grown beyond a figure I could ever have imagined and I had planned my talk to try and allow other people to relate to what I was saying.
It was a little bit of a shaky start but before long I was in the flow of describing the ups and downs of being on the world cup stage and the roller coaster ride that has been my life for this past year. The doors opened including sponsorship, coach, meeting amazing people and traveling the world. And then the barriers faced, the realisation that being on the world cup scene means giving everything to climbing which has resulted in some relationships in my life ending and traveling alone can be hard. I talked a lot about trying hard, it took me 15 years of climbing to discover that trying hard can transform a climbing experience and it’s not just at a high level that it can make a difference. Everyone can try hard, push their own personal boundaries and get more from their experiences.
I hope my talk ended the day on a high. After awarding a few prizes, thanking everyone for coming, the participants the coaches, talkers and our helpers on the day (especially my sisters) it was time to say goodbye. The Womens Climbing Symposium was over for another year.
I personally think that Steph and I did a pretty good job! We worked hard and it was all totally worth it!
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CREDIT: NICK BROWN of OUTCROP FILMS (http://www.outcropfilms.com/) Thank you to the sponsors of the Womens Climbing Symposium 2012… The BMC (http://www.thebmc.co.uk/), UKC (http://www.ukclimbing.com/), Crimp Oil (http://www.crimpoil.com/), Five Ten (http://fiveten.com/), Gear for Girls (http://www.gearforgirls.co.uk/) and Cotswold
Nick Brown from Outcrop Productions (http://www.outcropproductions.co.uk/) is currently working on putting together a video of the day so in the next couple of weeks we will be releasing that! Exciting! Mike South who was also filming on the day is working on producing videos of the individual talks that took place on the day. So keep checking on here and our Facebook page for those! Also our forum is now up and running. There is a bit of a delay in getting things rolling on there but HERE (http://forum.theclimbinghangar.com/index.php) is the link.
It’s quite an unusual feeling having nothing but climbing to think about now. In the back of my mind for the past few months I have had symposium thoughts floating about constantly. Now it’s time to get focused on training and climbing on ROCK!
SO PSYCHED!
more WCS photos to come very soon!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Fear and Loathing (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/11/fear-and-loathing/)
18 November 2012, 9:48 pm
I thought I was back, I thought the whole leg thing was over and it was time to get on with climbing…
Coming back to climbing after breaking my leg was so exciting. I was anxious yes but I was always on the end of a rope and before long I was confident enough to go for dynamic moves and push myself to my limit. I have been back climbing now for about two months.
Last week I got the okay from my physio and coach to start bouldering again. It had been almost 5 months since I had bouldered. My emotions were so mixed, fear and excitement were battling away in my head. It wasn’t long before fear took over and this lead to frustration. I then got really upset due to my lack of control over my head. I had been feeling so good climbing on a rope, pushing myself and enjoying climbing but I am a boulderer. It’s where my passion lies, it’s what I do. Everything used to click when I bouldered previously. The once familiar composed state of control was no longer accessible.
When I pulled on boulder problems easily within my capability a fear would come over me, the words ‘I’m scared’ would instantly come out of my mouth and I was grabbing the nearest jug; as the realisation of my unconscious actions sunk in so did the frustration. This wasn’t me. I felt like someone else on the wall. I hated climbing. I couldn’t move freely. I couldn’t think.
If it wasn’t for my coach this session would have ended very abruptly and on an extremely negative note. An emotional roller coaster is the easiest way I can explain my climbing experiences recently. I was reluctant to continue climbing. Since I very first started, climbing has always been about fun and enjoyment. I wasn’t having fun and I wasn’t enjoying it. Reluctantly I continued to climb and progress was made even to a point where I was falling off. It was in a very controlled manor but it felt good to try hard again, to pull on really bad holds and do moves at my limit. After getting to a point of frustration that brought me close to tears I was now feeling psyched and motivated to work on the barriers that were such evident psychological flaws in my climbing. I had gone through every emotion possible in about 2 minutes multiple times throughout the session. I was mentally exhausted at the end.
It was a week before I climbed again and my second session back was much better. I was definitely still on the emotional roller coaster but the highs and lows were less extreme. I completed a few problems I had backed out on the week before and the progression was obvious but I felt so far from where I had been before my injury. This new mental state I found myself in when climbing was totally foreign to me, I was terrified of never finding the blissful natural flow again.
One of the most irritating things was whenever I pushed hard off my right leg I got a pain, similar but less extreme to the feeling when I broke it. This pain would cause me to hold on as tight as I could and instantly stop any motion, causing me to get tired fast and created lots of knots in my back. I was booked in to see my physio the next day to see if the pain was something to worry about or just part of the healing process. I also thought it might have been slightly psychological. In fact the pain was VERY real. It was scar tissue, soft tissue and nerve damage (healing pains). Nothing too extreme and it wasn’t to prohibit running or climbing. It did however require some rather unpleasant and tearful deep tissue massage… all part of this lovely road to recovery eh.
At this point I spent a lot of time reflecting on my two bouldering and the experiences both physical and mental. The feeling of trying something really hard and pushing myself was something I had missed. A campus board just doesn’t quite give the same satisfaction. Towards the end of the second session I was going for moves I expected to fail on, pushing past where I thought my limits were and beginning to explore the new strengths I had gained from the past months of training.
I know I am not at my fittest right now, but I am much stronger than I was before I broke my leg. Having an increased ability combined with a decreased mental ability was insanely confusing. As an athlete you become very aware about your body’s and mind’s strengths and weaknesses. Everything for me had changed, I no longer know where my limits are.
I had bouldered twice on plastic, begun to fall on hard dynamic moves and begun to try hard again. The weather was good and it was time to face up to bouldering on rock again. I guess it seems a bit crazy considering I was still so scared but I was also so psyched and so motivated. I wanted to beat this fear, sort out my head and get back on it! We went to a small venue, Pantymwyn. A steep strip of limestone next to a cute little river amongst lots of trees. It was a really fun day out in the beautiful crisp, autumnal setting. But… I got scared and the venue is far from high. I had a spotter right behind me constantly and always a good pad set up. However, as soon as my foot was anywhere but below me fear would prevent me from moving. If I could lock off and reach with my feet below me then a problem was possible. Otherwise the this mental barrier was too much. I got angry at myself for being so pathetic. Frustrated at my ridiculous mentality and generally disappointed in my climbing.
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CREDIT: RACHEL HOYLAND (http://www.facebook.com/RachelHoylandPhotography?fref=ts) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMG_1658small-200x300.jpg)
CREDIT: RACHEL HOYLAND (http://www.facebook.com/RachelHoylandPhotography?fref=ts) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMG_0628-569x569.jpg)
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That night I was asked by coach to spend some time reflecting on my fear. I sat with a brew trying to make sense of it all. At first I got very frustrated. Why was I getting so scared on stupid things? Why couldn’t I control it? Would I ever be able to get over this? It sounds silly to think that so early coming back to climbing but this is my life, my passion and my job. The fear of not overcoming this barrier was almost as terrifying and the barrier itself.
The very next day we were off out to the gritstone. I was aching all over. I had pulled SO unnecessarily hard the day before that my fingers and core were aching. From steep polished limestone it was over to the slabby sticky grit. It was another crisp afternoon, in another beautiful location. Time to embrace those things on the end of my legs and give the arms a break from pulling. Trusting my feet was not something I wanted to do but paying around of a few easy boulders was so much fun it didn’t seem too scary. I had a mini break through and managed to gain some momentum in my climbing that had been missing. There was one boulder that I watched a friend climb, he climbs flawlessly on gritstone, it’s incredible and inspiring to watch, he climbed this boulder and it had a really cool release, stand up and catch move in. I watched him climb it and thought wow I wanna do it, despite it looking scary. I jumped on and got to the stand up release, I was scared, my leg was shaking and my head was fighting hard the urge to jump off. I went for it! I missed the hold due to me not actually looking where it was before I got on but I went for it, I tired, I fell. I tired not knowing if I would make the move or not. I committed to uncertainty. I was so shocked, relieved and psyched all at the same time. The move was so cool and I really wanted to do it and next go I did. I went for it again, a move totally out of control and I actually went for it.
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CREDIT: RACHEL HOYLAND (http://www.facebook.com/RachelHoylandPhotography?fref=ts) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/IMG_1682small-569x379.jpg)
CREDIT: RACHEL HOYLAND (http://www.facebook.com/RachelHoylandPhotography?fref=ts) I am far from where I want to be. I feel strong physically but I am not yet sure how strong I am. I am still dealing with frustration and anger but I have now decided to embrace the recovery process once again, learn from it and continue to make conscious efforts to ensure this journey to recovery that I am on continues to be positive.
I had not expected this transition back to bouldering to be so difficult. With out the people around me I think it would be a very different story. I have been surrounded by support and patience. The progress I have made in such a short amount of time is all down to some amazing people… THANK YOU!
I have also begun to help a good friend with a project of his ‘Climbers Against Cancer’. Reads his story HERE! (http://www.fcancerembracelife.com/content/year-life) You will be hearing much more about Climbers Against Cancer – CAC in the near future, it’s going to be big. Be ready!
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Legends ONLY! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/12/legends-only/)
2 December 2012, 10:40 pm
LA SPORTIVA LEGENDS ONLY
The past few weeks have been really busy so I didn’t have that much time to get nervous or excited about going to Sweden. Before I knew it I was back in the familiar surroundings of Manchester Airport, I almost felt liked I had missed the place. I was sat in the airport waiting to fly out to Stockholm to set some boulder problems for some of the worlds best boulderer’s, suddenly it all sunk in.
I had to set for one of the most watched events in the history of the sport. The 2011 La Sportiva Legends Only video has been watched over 100,000 times on youtube. I had to set boulder problems at and far beyond my own physical limit. It was super exciting but I was extremely nervous too!
I love route setting. I think its really satisfying to put some holds on a wall in a specific way that people will have pleasure climbing up or trying to climb up. I like that people will enjoy boulder problems for different reasons. Maybe they find it challenging, fun, easy, flowing maybe even awkward. I think its cool that people can find different aspects enjoyable. Like the people who enjoy scary slab climbing, they are crazy!
I always try to set boulder problems that people will enjoy. I like to try and make moves that people might not have done before. After all a boulder problem is suppose to a be ‘problem’ that you have to figure out right?
So in the week before Legends Only I set a few hard boulder problems at The Climbing Hangar (http://www.theclimbinghangar.com/). It was a really fun day setting, making up crazy moves and setting boulders from funky awkwardness to basic pulling on tiny crimps and big pinches. I was a little worried that my boulder problems might not climb very well as I had been off the wall for so long and hadn’t set in a while. Luckily this was not the case at all and I was really really pleased with the boulder problems I had created. Between myself and a friend we set 20 boulder problems and tested them. I completed a few but the rest were to be mini projects. These problems were all possible for me though and I could do most of the moves. I had to take things to a whole new level for Legends Only though. It was time to set the hardest problems I could imagine. I know a lot of people in England say you can’t get harder than V8+/7b+ indoors… It was time to put that theory to the test.
I arrived in Sweden to lots of snow and freezing cold temperatures. I am not the biggest fan of the cold but it was so nice to see the snow brightening the dark city and giving it a very Christmasy feel.
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Setting began around 10am Friday morning after lots of coffee of course, having a trained barrista on your setting team is definitely a MUST! We were a team of five myself, Robert Rundin, Jocke Berglund, Stefan Eklund and Chris Ellis. So with good coffee being the source of most motivation and success in my life it was time to begin setting. A huge blank wall lay in front of us and there were lots of ideas floating about which was definitely a good thing! Between us we had ideas for each section of wall so it was just down to whacking some holds on the walls and seeing what we came up with.
People often ask me if I have a plan when I come to set a boulder problems, if I draw something up or have a detailed idea ready. The truth is I never really have a plan. I might want to set a specific move or use a certain hold but my method is to simply get the holds on the wall and see how they feel. Setting boulder problems at and way beyond my own physical limit was new but this did not change my method, just the size and angle of the holds and the distance between them. It was hard to comprehend where the competitors physical barriers were. Did they even have any? If I put a crimp on the wall, even the smallest crimp, almost invisible, I am pretty sure they could hold it. The boulders had to be possible but hard. So the question was how do we make some of them but not all of them fall off?
A competition is a show, it has to be entertaining for the audience or else whats the point? The boulders had to be perfect, too many tops and having people tie would be rubbish and not so fun to see at all. Too few tops and the comp is lame too! The boulders we came up with after eight hours were all very different. Each one tested the athletes in a different way from basic pulling power to balancy awkward compression. The boulder problems were tweaked and tweaked and tweaked until it was time for the compeitiors Adam Ondra (http://www.adamondra.com/), Sean McColl (http://seanmccoll.com/), Jakob Schubert (http://www.jakob-schubert.at/), Dmitry Sharafutdinov and Guillaume Glairon-Mondet (http://guillaumeglaironmondet.blogspot.co.uk/) to have 2 hours working on the boulder problems.
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The boulders looked much easier with all of the test jugs on! Yep, the competitors got a chance to practice the competition boulder problems. So these guys can climb v14 and harder on rock. They can flash HARD boulder problems! So these problems that they were competing on had to be REALLY HARD! They had two hours to work out the perfect beta, practice the hard moves and perfect the insecure movements. I was pretty nervous about seeing these guys on the problems. I was scared that they would all be too easy and it would it be highly embarrassing and would result in me giving female route setters a bad name.
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Sean and Adam during the test period! Turns out those guys are all pretty weak and we had to make three of the boulders easier… punters eh! It was quite satisfying to see them falling off (I mean that in the nicest way possible). It’s easy to watch them climb and think that they aren’t human, that they are invincible. It kinda looks like they are sometimes but they were definitely tested and pushed. Not one boulder was flashed in practice. PHEW! We moved a couple of holds about and by the end of the practice period no moves were left undone. Only one boulder had been completed start to finish and I think every climber had one move that they had not yet completed. Exciting!
In the next 24 hours I began to think that they might be too easy! I got more nervous about this comp than I do about competing myself. There were 700 spectators coming to the event and thousands of people watching on the live feed. My name up there as chief route setter meant that if the boulders were rubbish and didn’t put on a good show it was all on me!
The competitors arrived in very classy style: limo, smoke, lights and a very excited crowd. 5 of the best climbers in the world about to compete in what is fast becoming acknowledged as one of the best competitions in the world! It was go time…
The first boulder was so cool! It required a tough fight though some volumes with the competitor facing the crowd, followed by very exciting wild flick that got the crowd hyped up. We had expected this boulder to see every climber top and we’d expected most to get it first try. The climbers did not live up to such expectations, the group was split already. They far exceeded expectations on boulder 2. In practice the huge dyno looked crazy hard! With some epic falls the climbers were slamming into the ground all over the place. This was not the case on comp day. Each of them climbed it in flawless style and made it look simple.
Two boulders down. It was going good. Number 3: tiny little holds, every one but the final jug was a screw on. It had a really cool, stupidly hard rose move in the middle. It was crazy to see how insanely strong some of the guys looked on this move and how much others struggled. The climbers strengths and weaknesses were definitely highlighted in this competition. Sean, Jakob and Dmitri all crushed the third boulder! Jakob hadn’t even competed the move in practice yet with the crowd and his fellow competitors stood cheering him on he climbed it beautifully. The fourth boulder was up the steepest section right in the centre of the wall on big green blobs and some impossible looking black triangles. In practice this had looked to be the hardest problem. Imagine a tiny little crimp in a super steep roof and then an even smaller crimp and then off these two holds a dyno into a compression and you have the crux. The first four climbers got close, Jakob looked like he had it but the swing was just too much. I had been so happy with this boulder problem. It climbed so well and looked really cool but as they first four climbers proved it was also insanely hard! Dmitry was last to climb. I really wanted everyone to see how this boulder problem climbed. I think Dmitry could possibly have the strongest fingers in the world? He caught the dyno first try and with the ecstatic electrifying crown battled his way to the final move. He got so close, painfully close, but greased off right at the last moment. A very valiant effort and totally inspiring to watch.
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A comp shouldn’t be over until it’s over… The last boulder would be the decision between Sean and Dmitri for first place. I was so happy with the way it had turned out and the last boulder was still super exciting. Dmitri flashed the boulder almost effortlessly but Sean just had to top to win. As a route setter this is quite a good ending, a very close competition and the crowd loving it! Sean knew what he had to do as did the crowd… He had a bit of a nightmare on the crux move of this boulder in practice and on his first attempt this was visible. After fumbling the foot placement that amusingly he’d never actually practised before as during the test period he’d always pulled onto the move using the practice jug which made the foot placement easy. One go was enough to learn how to do it efficiently and his next try was perfect. Perfect enough to claim him first place.
All in all route setting is pretty stressful and I can imagine it is not so fun when it goes wrong. When it goes right, its awesome! I am totally satisfied with the competition and I just hope that everyone who watched enjoyed it as much as I did? My first chief route setter job at one of the biggest comps ever and I think I did quite a good job (for a girl (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif) ) haha! I also think I might have managed to set something harder than V8+? What do you think?
Congratulations to the organisers for putting on an amazing show! I have never been to such a smoothly run climbing competition! The Legends also need a huge appreciation, they are the ones who make the show after all. RESULTS LIST!
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Also, I would like to thank all of the competitors for supporting Climbers Against Cancer! I will publish a piece about CAC next week so stay tuned for that…
PlanetMountain Report: HERE! (http://www.planetmountain.com/english/News/shownews1.lasso?l=2&keyid=40353) Check out the behind the scenes video made by Sandstones Media…
La Sportiva Legends Only – Backstage (http://vimeo.com/54728411) from Sandstones Media (http://vimeo.com/sandstones) on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com).
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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WCS 2012 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/12/wcs-2012/)
5 December 2012, 6:00 pm
On Saturday November 3rd the second Womens Climbing Symposium took place. It was incredibly successful. 130 women turned up to take part in coaching, inspirational and informative talks and to celebrate our sport.
Check out the video made by Outcrop Productions!
Women’s Climbing Symposium (http://vimeo.com/54950782) from Outcrop Films (http://vimeo.com/outcropfilms) on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com).
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Merry Christmas Everyone! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/12/merry-christmas-everyone/)
24 December 2012, 8:49 pm
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2012 has been an incredible year for me. So much has happened! I almost find it hard to think back to the beginning of the year. I have travelled across the world, seen to some awesome places and met some amazing people. I have tried my best to fill you in along the way and I really hope you have enjoyed reading my ramblings. I started my blog at the beginning of 2012 and the number of people reading has continued to grow. I would like to thank you all so much for the support (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif) The messages and emails I received whilst I was out with my broken leg showed me how caring and thoughtful you can be and provided the motivation and inspiration I needed to come back from my injury stronger and fitter. I couldn’t be more excited about 2013! I will be sure to continue informing you of my adventures, so stay tuned (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I would like to wish you a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I was thinking of going over some of my favourite moments this year but I think its easier to do it in pictures so here goes…
JANUARY(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/1.-JAN-Hueco-Sunshine-2012-562x569.jpg) FEBRUARY (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2.-FEB-ABS-Nationals-2012-569x560.jpg)
MARCH(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/3.-MAR-Jen-Randal-Finals-2-539x569.jpg)
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APRIL (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/5.-APR-China-WC-no.1.jpg)
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MAY (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/7.-MAY-Vienna-569x469.jpg)
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JUNE (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/10.-JUN-Vail-569x471.jpg)
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JULY (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/12.-JUL-BBCs-530x569.jpg)
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AUGUST (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/15.-AUG_-566x569.jpg)
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SEPTEMBER (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/17.-SEP-Hanging-out-in-Paris-569x569.jpg)
OCTOBER (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/18.-OCT-569x467.jpg)
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NOVEMBER (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/22.-NOV-555x569.jpg)
(http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/23.-NOV-551x569.jpg) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/24.-NOV-First-session_-569x549.jpg)
DECEMBER (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/25.DEC_-569x569.jpg)
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A huge thank you to my sponsors FIVE TEN & CRAGGY ISLAND.
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Chattanooga – Tennessee (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/01/833/)
7 January 2013, 6:10 pm
Two days before leaving for the states I was having a chilled climbing session, setting and trying some hard boulder problems. I felt good and not too weak after all the food over Christmas. I felt strong and psyched. Then right at the end of my session I heard a little noise and my finger began to throb instantly. Devastated! It was the holidays and there was no chance of seeing a physio and before I knew it I was on the plane with very mixed feelings about leaving home.
I thought I had had my share of injuries for 2012 but I guess this is to be my first of 2013 and hopefully I will get injuries out of the way nice and early.
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I hadn’t thought much about my trip to America at all. I knew where I was flying to and that I was going to be living in a spaceship but that was about it. I had no clue where we would be climbing or what the style was. The trip came around so quickly with Christmas being so busy but I found myself in the familiar surroundings of Manchester Airport once again leaving the rainy UK behind. The plane journey was not the best. I love children but being stuck next to a baby who cries for hours on end did not add to the comforts of the plane. After a delay in Philadelphia I arrived in Atlanta where a very kind friend of mine, Kevin, was waiting to pick me up with pink lemonade and whole foods cookies to hand… Legend!
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We are actually living in this house!!! I hadn’t seen dry rock for weeks in England and I was itching to get out and see what the Chattanooga area (where I was actually staying) had to offer. Blue skies, dense forrest and endless blocks of perfect sandstone… safe to say it’s bliss out here! I would describe the rock as a cross between font and the grit but DRY! It is super sticky and full of incredible lines. With my finger taped up I was off to test out my fear of climbing above pads. I was limited to what I could climb as anything crimpy was way too painful but there’s so much to go at that it didn’t matter at all. On day one I was very cautious of my finger but I just wanted to climb everything and holding back was hard! I did a few boulders including a really fun V10 called Biggie Shortie, a scary V9 called Bed Wetter and a few classics including The Wave V5 and Deception V7. Both beautiful lines and totally different styles of climbing. There was one boulder I wanted to try more than anything else. The Shield, it is an amazing line of creases up a smooth face. It was pretty much the only boulder I knew of in the area before coming out and it was hard.
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I am not the type of person who refuses to climb anything easy and only wants to get on hard climbs but I really enjoy pushing myself and trying hard moves. I was also really psyched about testing my new strengths gained from training. I had seen videos of people climbing The Shield and walked past admiring it so many times. I felt so ready to get on it myself. So I have done some damage to a pulley in my ring finger on my left hand. It had been hurting but not too much but The Shield was not going to give me any sympathy. In fact I think I offended the boulder by trying it as it fought back and won making my finger worse.
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I have been climbing for 15years and I still don’t know how to listen to my body. Knowing when to stop and rest is not as easy as it sounds as I am sure many of you will have experienced this. I guess the temptations of dry rock and perfect lines was too much for me and now I am stuck icing my finger and reading my book and watching friends pursue their projects. It is new for me to observe outside. I haven’t spent much time climbing on rock at all and when I have I have usually been really psyched and oblivious to other peoples approaches. It can be refreshing to be in a familiar surrounding but taking a new perspective. If you read my blog about Munich World Cup 2012 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2012/08/munich-a-new-perspective/) it is a very similar situation once again.
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I took a few days off. Total rest! Filled with pancakes, baking and pizza to lift some spirits. Injuries, bad skin and coming painfully close to projects has left us all in need of some baked goods (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I usually go to areas to try and climb hard because that’s what I love but now I get to enjoy climbing the classics. It is easy to let frustration and anger get the better of you. At first all I wanted to do was feel sorry for myself. But it is time to embrace the slopers and open handed holds (work on some weaknesses) and enjoy being in a world class bouldering area and not being in the rain. Little Rock City, Rock Town and Horsepens 40 are amazing places to hold back and take things easy. And maybe my finger will heal up and I can try and climb something harder towards the end of the trip. But no more pushing it for me!
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CAC – CLIMBERS AGAINST CANCER – Follow FACEBOOK! (http://www.facebook.com/CacClimbersAgainstCancer?fref=ts) WEBSITE! (http://climbersagainstcancer.org)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Back Home And Training (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/01/back-home-and-training/)
23 January 2013, 10:06 am
Last week I made the decision to leave the USA early and come home. After trying to make the best of my finger situation I made the hard decision to cut my losses and come back to the UK for treatment and recuperation. I was sad to be leaving, the climbing in Tennessee and Georgia was absolutely world class. I had a great time and met some awesome people but equally it’s really frustrating being away on a climbing trip unable to climb.
I landed in the UK and went straight to my physio. He broke the news that I have torn a pulley in each of my ring fingers and that the only way they’re going to heal is to rest. Though annoying, at first I embraced the resting, did lots of baking and went out and played in the UK’s latest flurry of snow.
As you may expect the novelty of all this sitting around and playing soon wore off and I started to need to do some exercise. Even while away on my trip I had really begun to miss the feeling of training, the effort, the aching, the burn. I hadn’t woken up with aching arms or sore core for weeks. After training so intensely for a few months I almost felt lost without it. I think training is pretty addictive and I was feeling kind of guilty for being so lazy. It was time to get back on it.
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I had my first session back on Monday. It was hard to get motivated to train at the climbing centre when all I wanted to do was go climbing but with my coach there to keep me focused it wasn’t long before I was falling on my face unable to do one more press up and fighting hard through my core workout. It feels so good to be pushing myself again. I might not be able to climb but this time out will allow me to focus on some weaknesses I would have otherwise not been able to focus on. I’m really optimistic that this time is going to be really productive and we can use it to our advantage coming into this years World Cup season. I’ve got my fingers crossed for speedy recovery and its so satisfying to get that achy burn back again.
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PHOTO CREDITS: RACHEL HOYLAND (http://www.facebook.com/RachelHoylandPhotography?fref=ts) I also have some exciting news to announce. I am now an official ambassador for Crimp Oil. Crimp Oil (http://www.crimpoil.com/en/) is is the first 100% NATURAL blend specially made for climbers for recovering from fingers injuries. It helps to kill pain in tendons, joints and muscles. Crimp Oil is composed of 6 essential oils and 1 plant extract for the well-being of your fingers. Also it smells REALLY good! I am using it up to 4 times per day to help my fingers fix up! Get yours HERE! (http://www.bananafingers.co.uk/crimp-oil-p-1535.html)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Climbers Against Cancer (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/02/climbers-against-cancer/)
5 February 2013, 6:04 pm
So most of you will already have seen the CAC tee-shirts that are filling climbing walls with colour across the globe and taking over all social media sites. But how many of you know the story behind the whole thing. It is so easy to get on board with CAC and it is amazing how much of an impact it has already made but we should also try to not forget the harsh reality behind it all!
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John and his daughter Charlotte CAC Climbers Against Cancer is all down to one incredible individual John Ellison and although others have been involved with helping to get it up and running John has been the catalyst for it all. Last year John Ellison was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I have known John since a very young age and I have never seen him without a smile upon his face and some sort of witty comment at the ready. This has definitely not changed. If you have heard anything at all about CAC or about John himself I am sure you have heard nothing but good. Because the man is nothing but good.
Cancer. A word that so many people are terrified of. When someone mentions cancer do you think of death? I will admit that until recently I was guilty of this. Cancer will affect every single person in the world, directly or indirectly. Cancer used to be thought of as the end of a life but now we have found ways to treat it. This shows that we can find the cure.
To be honest I do not see John as a man with cancer. His positivity and generally bubbly personality means that most of the time I totally forget. I worked with John to help get his new project up and running. CLIMBERS AGAINST CANCER. Just a few months ago John, myself and Graeme Alderson sat and discussed the idea over lunch. I remember saying ‘John, This is going to be huge!’. But none of us could have expected the support and interest that it has already had. Since the very beginning John has taken his situation with such positive light and he is doing so much good with his situation. This man has an incredible way with people and he doesn’t half know how to talk. This has lead to a very extensive web of connections throughout the climbing community. A community that John has passionately embraced over the past years.
Climbing is unique. It is my life, job and passion. Inevitably the majority of my life is spent in the climbing world. I meet people who climb for so many different reasons and enjoy different aspects of the sport. Everyone participates in their own way. I have always been so fascinated by the way climbing can be so many different things to so many different people. Yet everywhere you go be it at the climbing centre on a sunday afternoon, trad climbing on Stanage Edge, hanging out in the famous campsites of Yosemite, at the opening ceremony of a world cup, a late night cave session, your first trip to font, everywhere you go there are people who share this passion for climbing. Think about the people you have met? The family this sport/hobby/recreation/lifestyle has created for you.
We are powerful as a group of people. We share the same passion. Okay, so maybe we differ in disciplines, views and opinions but one thing we share is the love for this sport. John saw the kindness, togetherness, the sense of community and the love in our sport and he decided to harness the good it can bring.
It’s time to raise awareness. Take the fear out of the word cancer. Raise money and FIND THE CURE! John’s project Climbers Against Cancer is big and its growing but it could be bigger and better. It’s up to you now! All we are asking you to do is buy a CAC tee shirt. This is a totally non profit organisation. The money raised will be spread across cancer research charities over the 5 continents. It’s said that one in three people get cancer. Personally I find that terrifying! It’s a disease that no one is immune to. Any one of you reading this could be affected. Play your part in finding the cure. Buying a teeshirt is simple. Click HERE! (http://www.shop.climbersagainstcancer.org)
Once you have your t-shirt get a picture uploaded to the website. Get involved and become part of the extensive and growing CAC family. Join myself, Alex Puccio, Jakob Schubert, Sean McColl, Jorg Verhoeven, Ramón Julian Puigblanque, Sachi Amma, Sasha DiGiulian, Angie Payne, Dave Macleod and hundreds of others.
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Photo Credits: Lukasz Warzecha John is involved in every part of the t-shirt production. From picking the shirts up at the printers to packing them and posting them out. He is promoting CAC in every way possible at competitions, online interviews and even on the radio. Behind all of this John still has cancer. He is in pain every day. But he is not letting any of this stop him and despite my nagging he hardly even stops to rest. John might be dying but he is living more than anyone else I know!
John (http://www.climbersagainstcancer.org/welcome-cac/) isn’t the only one fighting cancer. We all should be!
“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about it’s width and depth”
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John and myself at the launch of the CAC WEBSITE! (http://www.climbersagainstcancer.org/welcome-cac/) (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/IMG_2223-569x379.jpg)
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Rehab… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/02/rehab/)
28 February 2013, 1:10 pm
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Photo: Alex Messenger Coming back to climbing once more… I have never spent so long off my arms. Since I started climbing at the age of four the worst injuries I have had have been knees or legs, so I have always been able to use my arms. I have had a few niggles in my fingers but never enough to keep me off the wall totally. I had two weeks off when I went on a family holiday once and I think that’s the longest rest my arms have ever had.
So after 15 years of climbing I had my first serious finger injuries. I got a pair. Always best to do things properly and not just half hearted eh! I have had a lot of questions, messages and emails about my injury, the rehab and coming back to climbing. So hopefully I can help some of you out a little in this blog.
I hurt my finger two days before leaving for the USA. Going on a climbing trip with a fresh finger injury truly sucks! To make things worse I stupidly gave in to my desire to climb on the beautiful sandstone whilst away, it was so teasing, with a delusion that my finger wasn’t that bad. It inevitably got worse. So my first piece of advice would be to listen to your body! When something hurts do not just ignore it!
My second piece of advice would be to get professional help as soon as you can. When I landed back in the UK I went straight to see GB team physiotherapist Rick Webber. He was massively helpful and gave me a diagnosis and a full rehab program. I think it can be really hard to find a good understanding physiotherapist. Climbing is still a small sport, in comparison to many others, so a physiotherapist with good knowledge of climbing injures is not so easy to come across. I would definitely recommend Rick Webber. I also got sport massage treatment from Rich Hollingsworth. He is really understanding and works on most of Sheffield’s climbing community. It’s people like these who keep me working so I can keep training and pushing myself. Thanks you!
After a few weeks of rehab, standing under a fingerboard slowly increasing the amount of weight I could bear through my fingers, I was able to begin doing pull ups. Incredibly slow and totally in control which actually made them feel really hard. Something I found really hard during my rehab was deciding what pain was pain and what was just discomfort. I was lucky enough to have Mark my coach with me throughout my rehab, he really helped guide me as to what I should be doing, but I still really struggled with deciding how things felt, as only you know how much pain you are in. I think it is also really important to remember that not every step you take will be forward. Some days I felt tired or I had a cold coming on and I would feel like my injuries were getting worse. Exercises that felt easy would be painful again and my motivation would dip. It’s easy to forget the progress you have made when all you want to do is get back to being totally fit and at your best. My third piece of advise would be to keep things around you that help you stay motivated, be that a coach/friends or pictures of your latest project.
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Over the last year I’ve pushed myself harder than I’ve ever pushed myself before and I’ve really begun to realise there is a very fine line between training and injury. Pushing your body hard can be painful and the important thing is knowing the difference between training pain and injury pain. Once you’ve been injured a few times its easy to become scared that you might do the same again when climbing and training. The voices in your head questioning every time you feel a little niggle or something starts aching. The important thing during this period, and my fourth point, is to do the rehab you’ve been given and keep doing it. Don’t second guess yourself, trust in what you and others know works. For me to do this I make regular visits to Rick and Rich to keep me reassured and help me to learn more about how my body works. I also do as many sessions as I can with Mark so he can tell me to press on when need be and equally to back off when I’ve done enough.
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My final point is to stay positive. Just like breaking my leg, tearing a tendon did not mean I had to stop training. Running, press ups and core could all be done with a finger injury and even slab climbing too! So over the past few months I have been able to focus on different aspects of my climbing that I otherwise might not have had the time to do. Climbing is a fascinating sport with so many parts to explore. Injuries like these whilst frustrating, always seem to open up so many things that I can work on in my climbing which I think is super exciting!
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This past week has been really busy. I have visited my sponsor Craggy Island down in Guildford and coached some awesome people. Coaching definitely makes me realise how much fun climbing can be and how many different ways there are to enjoy our sport. I also attended a press event for The BMC. Chatting to journalists and doing some filming for channel 4 which was lots of fun.
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Fran Brown, Molly Thompson-Smith and myself at BMC press event. Photo: Alex Messenger This weekend is CWIF and three weeks after that is the first round of the IFSC Bouldering World Cup series. My last serious bouldering competition was over eight months ago. People keep asking me if I am nervous, worried, scared… But honestly I am just really excited and can’t wait for the season to start again. I have been making massive progress with my climbing and my injuries are feeling good, bring on 2013!
As a recap this is my list of things to remember when injured…
1) Listen to your body.
2) Get help.
3) Stay Motivated.
4) Do what the doctor/physio says and keep doing it.
5) Stay Positive.
…
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PSYCHED to be back climbing and feeling like myself on the wall again! Photo: Alex Messenger (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ALM_7718-569x378.jpg)
Photo: Alex Messenger (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/ALM_7703-378x569.jpg)Photo: Alex Messenger
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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CWIF 2013 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/03/cwif-2/)
5 March 2013, 5:18 pm
First comp of 2013. Emotional roller coaster would be a massive understatement. I was really excited about competing again. I have watched so many comps over the past 8 months and started to get way too familiar with spectating. I felt very ready to get back on the wall and feel the buzz of competition climbing again. However this was not a smooth process and the CWIF qualifiers were far from great fun.
I have been back climbing now for about 3 weeks so at first it was touch and go whether I would be able to compete. Physically I was ready and fit. My finger had been feeling better and I was starting to feel good and move well on the wall again. After so long off not feeling like myself when climbing this was a massive step for me.
CWIF qualifiers took me by surprise, I hadn’t prepared for the qualifiers at all. I wasn’t ready to be climbing with so many people, hanging around waiting for problems and for that kind of pressure. I fell off lots, got frustrated and didn’t know how to make sense of what was going on in my head! I was aware that if I didn’t do something I wasn’t going to qualify so decided the best thing to do was just go climbing, take the pressure off and use the experience as training mentally more than physically. A big thanks to Dave Barrans who got me psyched to pull on some of the problems I would have otherwise totally ignored, gave me no sympathy but lots of motivation. I shook my way up a few moves and slowly started to feel more comfortable on the wall.
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Credit: Mark Stringfellow (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/481203_489808381055904_486136336_n-569x494.jpg)
Credit: Mark Stringfellow I qualified for semi finals in 4th place which I was happy considering my performance and I was really looking forward to the world cup format in semi finals. No more waiting around in a crowd of people just 5 minutes to climb, 5 minutes rest. This is the format I am familiar with and it feels like I have a lot of experience doing this style of competition. It allows me to focus on me and my climbing and nothing else. Which I guess seems kinda weird considering the crowd of people watching.
It felt quite unusual to be in isolation again the whole environment was very familiar yet I felt like a bit of an intruder. For a period of time I went from one competition to the next and everything became so routine. I didn’t have to think about what to eat or when to warm up. I didn’t take much notice of what others were doing because I was so confident in my own preparation. But this time things felt different. 8 months is a long time and I felt like i’d forgotten everything. I hadn’t thought about any of this being an issue. Luckily my instinct took over and everything went well but it did make me feel much more nervous and unprepared than usual.
Semi finals were exciting. Apart from being a bit hesitant when crimping with my injured finger, which was to be expected, everything went well. The problems were fun I had found my competition psyche and I completed all four boulder problems. Qualifying for finals in 3rd place.
After a 3 hour rest it was time for Finals. Warming up felt more natural in isolation and I was getting excited to see the boulder problems. I didn’t know what to expect coming into CWIF. 6 weeks off climbing totally, less than 3 weeks back into climbing and my first serious comp in 8 months. My finger was feeling really good and I was ready to go out and climb. Take each boulder problem one at a time and see what happened.
The final problems were lots of fun, well set and I was very happy with how I climbed. I flashed 3 problems as did Leah Crane which meant I won on count back. It was quite surreal. The whole competition had been such a test for me. Its hard to explain the psychological pressure, stress and exhaustion that come with competing. Climbing is definitely not all about the physical elements.
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Credit: Alex Messenger CWIF 2012 was a significant moment in my climbing and CWIF 2013 is no different. Thank you to the Climbing Works for putting on yet another amazing event.
In two weeks time I will be in China getting ready for the first round of the 2013 Bouldering World Cup circuit. It seems like so long since I last did a world cup yet its hard to believe how fast it has come around.
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Chonging – China – Bouldering World Cup (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/04/chonging-china-bouldering-world-cup/)
1 April 2013, 3:21 pm
For those of you who didn’t see the little write up I posted about China on Facebook here it is with more picutres this time…
China was one of those trips that felt like it went by in a blink but when we were there it felt like we’d been there for ages! Chongqing is the worlds largest city with almost 30 million people, everything feels very busy and life appears quite rushed. Knowing where a few things were from last year (most importantly Costa) it made getting around a lot easier and I felt like I had time to look around and see more of the life behind the business of the city. I often forget how lucky I am to have the opportunity to travel with climbing and see incredible places!
After a season of surprises and success last year it was hard to know what to expect in the first World Cup of 2013. I do not feel that I put on my best performance in Chongqing, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t frustrated with my climbing. However, I have to say when I reflect on the past 9 months since I last did a World Cup and all that has happened making finals and finishing in 5th place is definitely an achievement. I still have progress to make both with my climbing and injuries so I am looking forward to the next world cups!
A massive thank you to all of you who got up to watch and support Team GB! There will be a big team of us heading out to Millau for round two in JUST 3 DAYS!!! Make sure you are watching (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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Heathrow – Before the epic journey to Chongqing!
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Full row of four each on the way out. (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif) Happy Traveling!
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What do you tink to our food supplies? After China 2012 I arrived much more prepared!
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Day 1 – Jet Lag = Lots of Coffee YAY COATA!
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Day 1 – The view from our hotel. Hot and humid!
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Day 2 – We went exploring.
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Day 2 – In our CAC shirts!!
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Day 2 – We did lots of exploring.
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Day 3 – Lonsdale photoshoot which was interesting…
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Day 3 – The city from above.
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Day 3 – Dianes Birthday!
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Day 4 – Comp Day – Psyched and ready!
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Day 4 – Presentation
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Day 4 – Warming up! It was HOT HOT HOT!
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Day 4 – Qualifiers Photos Thomas Clayron & Heiko Wilhelm
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Day 5 – After a hot Semi Finals
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Day 5 – Finals Photos Udo Neumann
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Day 5 – Finals.Photo Heiko Wilhelm. I think this photo sums up my feelings about the 2013 Chongqing Bouldering World Cup!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Millau – France – Bouldering World Cup (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/04/millau-france-bouldering-world-cup/)
8 April 2013, 10:52 am
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MILLAU There was just one weekend between the first two World cups. It was Easter weekend filled with some quality family time, training, a little interview on Radio Four and maybe a few Easter treats too.
Millau seemed to creep up on me. The world cup season last year was like one constant epic journey, everything went by so fast it seemed hard to keep a grasp on reality. It’s easy to get lost in a world of flights, trains, changing time zones, different languages and new surroundings. I have a feeling this year will be no different.
The journey to Millau was not so fun. We were up at 5.30 to get the train from Sheffield to London, then we flew to Montpellier and then drove to Millau. However, it was quite nice to arrive tired and ready for bed as girls were climbing first and isolation closed at 8AM! I still haven’t got used to climbing third in qualifiers. It’s quite scary. Qualifiers went okay. I had a little issue with a big scary move on problem 4 and stupidly backed out and I also made a few silly mistakes but I was happy with my climbing and even happier with my attitude which had been an issue for me in China. Luckily my mistakes didn’t cost me too much and I came 6th.
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Photos David Barrans Nerves. I don’t understand them. This semi final was possibly the most nervous I have ever been in a world cup. The sickly butterflies feeling that I have never understood now makes so much sense. I have never really had issues with nerves so I don’t really know what to do with them but I guess I was about to go out and compete regardless so all I needed to do was what I know, go climbing.
As I have said before and many others will too, climbing is not all physical. Having the ability to do 1-5-9 won’t get you to the top of a world cup boulder nor will being the most confident person out there. There is a complex mix of components that can effect a performance. Every time I compete I find new strengths and weaknesses and learn more and more about the complexities of these components.
In China my head let me down. I didn’t try hard. I have come to realise it isn’t always easy to try hard. It takes practice. But it is possible to practice and it feels so good when it all comes together. Which is exactly what happened in Millau on problem 3 in semi finals. After falling once on a hard press move I pulled on again knowing what I needed to do but unsure if I could make the move. I had to fight pretty hard. I found what had been missing from my climbing for so long. I put everything into the boulder that I could and found myself at the top.
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Photos David Barrans I qualified for finals in second place. I was very happy with my climbing and really excited by how hard I had pushed myself. Unfortunately when you push yourself something usually gives and my back was quite sore from all the twisting and jumping. But I was happy and psyched for finals.
Observation of the final boulder problems left me feeling a little worried. The first boulder was a run and jump. My WORST nightmare. It’s not that I am bad at them but I really dislike them! It’s easy to think that something you don’t like is a weakness when that isn’t necessarily true. I had to over come this in front of a crowd of people and thousands watching online. It was frustrating, funny, terrifying, awkward, embarrassing, rewarding and actually kinda fun. I failed at the run and jump 7 times. I wasn’t even close to holding the holds. On my eighth attempt I decided to actually look where my hands were going, not just concentrate on my feet. It worked somehow. Finally!
The finals got better and better. I topped the second problem second try after a silly mistake and flashed the third. The last boulder looked fun but hard. When it came to my turn to climb it seemed only Anna had topped it. Which meant if I did to I could place second. After missing the awkward dyno a few times I got to to the top. I was happy with the performance I gave and excited to see the results. After getting my things together I wandered round to the front of the boulders only at this point did I look at the score board. I had 4 tops in 14 and Anna had 4 tops in 13. I had NO idea it was so close. This brought a great smile to my face. To come second to Anna is never a disappointment. She is simply incredible and a massive inspiration to me. To be that close behind was awesome! After a comp of battles and overcoming barriers I could not be more pleased with my result.
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Photos Jen Randall Millau was a really fun trip. We had a team of nine competitors 5 girls and 4 guys. Victoria, John Partridge’s girlfriend also travelled with us. A big thanks to her for taking the role of Mum and always knowing where we should be and when! It really did feel like we were a team! Congratulations to Leah and Mina who both made semi finals! Leah put in an awesome performance and just missed out on finals! I think it’s going to be a fun season! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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We had fun! Bring on the next one!
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Kitzbühel – Austria – Bouldering World Cup (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/04/kitzbuhel-austria-bouldering-world-cup/)
29 April 2013, 11:53 am
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K I T Z B U H E L – TEAM GB Another world cup is over. I have left the warm sun and beautiful snow topped mountains of Austria behind and I am now back home recovering from the aches and pains.
Kitzbühel was an interesting competition. Once again I came away with new things to work on and develop. I wonder if I will ever walk away from a competition totally satisfied with my climbing performance.
The competitors were split into two groups for qualification. So you had to finish in the top 10 of your group to qualify for semi finals. Which somehow seems a lot harder than top 20 overall. A huge awkward dyno was mine and Leah’s hard introduction to the competition followed by a tough slab and some burl. We both managed to make our way to the semi finals along with Mina who flashed all of her qualifying boulders qualifying for semi finals in joint first with Alex Puccio.
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Photo: Andreas Aufschnaiter (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/04/431824_10151368216957283_919262455_n-379x569.jpg)
Photo: Eddie Fowke (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/04/IMG_1533-379x569.jpg)
Photo: Dave Barrans Semi finals is the most nerve racking round for me. I was super nervous again and I even started to get scared it might effect my performance. Our first boulder problem was on the slab. The only boulder I was unable to complete in qualifiers was the slab and here I was stood below that part of the wall again. I rarely feel prepared pulling onto a slab. So I just jumped on and found myself stood up on two good foot holds with one move left. I didn’t quite know how I had got there. I really did not want to fall and try again. It took me 3 minutes to get to the top but luckily I managed to hold the tiny finishing crimp. Semi finals was one of my best climbing performances ever. I fell only once when I greased off and other than that I climbed well and in control and I felt really comfortable.
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Photo: Dave Barrans I qualified for finals in first place. I was terrified. Very satisfied with my performance but climbing last in the finals was not something anyone has ever spoken highly of.
There was a little break in which Leah, Mina and myself entertained ourselves by comparing biceps. Leah won the gun show, top left. My tiny arm is top right and Mina’s bottom left. Did you guess right?
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After a while back in isolation we had the presentation and then viewing. The boulders looked quite weird with a few different ways to climb some of them. There was one in particular that I wasn’t looking forward to.
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Photo: Andreas Aufschnaiter (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/04/397962_516307588404741_314655280_n-380x569.jpg) Photo: Andreas Aufschnaiter Climbing last is so not fun in a flash fest final. I totally admire any competitor who has qualified in first and maintained their position! I knew the boulders were getting quick ascents and on the first boulder problem I made a silly mistake and topped it second try. There was NO room for any mistakes in this final. The second boulder problem just wasn’t happening. I went back into isolation after this boulder fighting back the frustration and pain. I knew at this point that I couldn’t come back. It wasn’t easy to come out and climb knowing this but I managed to keep my cool and top both the third and fourth boulder problems first attempt. (apologies for the scrappy footwork on the last move of number four)
Although I am not happy with my performance there are always positives to take away. I qualified in first place to finals, my best result of any individual round. After the second boulder in finals I controlled my emotions and climbed well after wanting to do nothing but spit my dummy out and go home. And this time I didn’t get scared at all. I was committed to not only making the moves but holding the holds when I got there even at the top. Check out the picture!
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Photo: Dave Barrans A massive congratulations to BOTH Anna and Akiyo who flashed all four of our final boulder problems. It is so impressive to not only have the physical ability to do that but the mental ability to maintain composure and perform. Seems route setters may be slightly underestimating the level of the female climbers – 5 people topping all of the boulders in semis, and 2 people flashing all of the boulders in finals. The mens final sounds like it was crazy hard. A huge congratulations to Jakob. A lesson learned – if there are 3 pieces of tape on the wall you MUST have two hands and one foot touch the marked holds (not two feet and one hand).
Kitzbühel was another really good trip. It is amazing to have a big, psyched team at the world cups. We had 2 people one hold away from semi finals and Mina just one hold away from finals. Although knowing how close you were can be incredibly frustrating it’s also exciting to know how close it was and the future success we can look forward to.
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Very good :strongbench: :wub:
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Log – Dragomer, Sloveina, Bouldering World Cup (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/05/log-dragomer-sloveina-bouldering-world-cup/)
14 May 2013, 12:02 pm
I feel like I am walking away from the world cup in Slovenia having given as much as I could in the final. It was a massive breakthrough for me to try as hard as I could and I am please to have achieved one goal. Despite making route reading errors I can not be unhappy with my performance. Another final, another podium.
This entire competition was full of extremely funky, enjoyable and interesting problems! The climbing was fun and actually about the right level! There was only one boulder in qualifiers that I didn’t like so much and it was the only one I didn’t do. The second one. It was awkward and pretty scary at the top! I really enjoyed climbing the other boulder problems and I finished second in my group. I felt pretty relaxed in qualifiers which was nice for a change. Mina was in the same group and qualified in 5th. Leah qualified in the other group and Dave upped his game to join us three in semi finals this time!
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Photo: Eddie Fowke (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/05/321316_521722631196570_953588175_n-379x569.jpg)
Photo: Heiko Wilhelm (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/05/DSC6351-X2-569x379.jpg)
Photo: Eddie Fowke So we had 4 brits in Semi Finals. The semi final problems were really hard! I was so nervous. I walked out to the first problem to find a wall of pink volumes and no obvious way to get between them. It was jump on and see what happens kinda problem. Luckily a few times when I went for a move I accidentally but thankfully got caught in a knee bar. The next boulder forced me to put up a bit of a fight! But I managed to hold the sweaty volumes for just long enough to get the top on my second attempt. And then it was the nightmare slab. I didn’t have much fun on it. I made very little progress and got frustrated. This however fuelled my determination for the last problem. I knew it was going to be a close call to make it to finals. I had flashed the last boulder! So I decided falling off was not an option. I just could not let go! It worked. I wish I could do that all the time.
I qualified for finals in 4th place. After some lunch and a little nap it was time to head back to isolation. I felt more relaxed than usual for this final. I was really excited to see the problems and for once I felt reasonably fresh and without any real aches or pains. The presentation and observation took place and the butterflies were beginning to make themselves known in my belly. The first problem was a huge dyno with powerful finish. I felt good on this problem, I did not climb it as I had planned but some quick thinking at the top secured me the flash and saved me some energy. I had no idea how to climb the second boulder problem. There were so many holds! AS you can see from the picture.
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Photo: Heiko Wilhelm Too many holds and I didn’t know what any of them were. It was another jump on and hope for the best problem. I tried SO HARD. I flailed at the bonus with very little belief that I could hold it but somehow I remained on the wall. Surprised, pumped and panicked. I had not expected the top of the problem to be so hard and my arms were too tired to make another move. I knew I couldn’t possibly do that move again, but then that’s what I thought the first time. But this time I was right I wasn’t getting back up there. On problems like that it is hard to know if you should push on with a proven sequence or try something new. Such decisions are not easy when you are down the wall never mind when you have 30 seconds to get back on, a huge crowd watching and you know it could make all the difference in what position you end up.
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Photo: Thomas Caleyron The third boulder was my least favourite. Sweaty, slick, slopey volumes in a groove is not my idea of fun. During observation I wondered if I would be able to get off the ground so getting the bonus was good. I had a good battle but it left me with a little less finger nail, sweaty paws and not another top. I was amazed yet not surprised when Akiyo and Anna came back so fast after having completed a boulder that had felt so impossible.
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Photo: Thomas Caleyron The last boulder was yet another battle. This time I won. I tried to go the way we had planned in observation on my first attempt. It did not work and it would not work. Luckily I came up with some new beta and although far from easy it got me to the top. Pumped, tired and a little sore but satisfied.
In all I am happy with my performance. And now I have my first bronze medal. Just one more colour to complete the set (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
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Photo: Thomas Caleyron A massive congratulations to Dave Barrans who finished 8th! I am sure it won’t be long before you will be seeing multiple GB faces in the line up for finals. It was great to have a big team out again!
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On another note… I managed to get out on some real rock a few times over the past month. A while back I climbed an awesome boulder problem in North Wales called ‘Roof of Baby Buddah’. Check out the video below! I also got out on some peak limestone. I did a fun little V11 that tested me in more ways than one. Tsunami, at Rubicon. I had totally forgotten how small holds can be and also how much you have to TRY on rock (even on the warm ups).
Roof of Baby Buddah, 7c+ (http://vimeo.com/64465631) from Shauna Coxsey (http://vimeo.com/shaunacoxsey) on Vimeo (http://vimeo.com).
(http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/05/IMG_11872-379x569.jpg)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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It doesn’t always go to plan… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/05/it-doesnt-always-go-to-plan/)
20 May 2013, 10:50 am
So I have just had my worst result since it all started going so well almost two years ago. I guess it was always going to happen and I am not going to lie, I have been so nervous about not making a final for so, so long. In a strange and unusual way there was a sense of relief buried amongst the ranging emotions of frustration, disappointment and fatigue.
I had been so excited about this competition. Last year Innsbruck was my favourite World Cup of the season. I came so close to standing on the top of the podium and throughly enjoyed competing. This year I did not enjoy my time in the city so much, yet I am walking away having gained as much from my experience this year as last year. Just in a very different way.
I have no excuses to give. I climbed well in qualifiers completing all of the boulders after a battle on the second. All of the boulder problems in semi finals were topped both before and after I climbed. It just wasn’t my day. I guess everyone has a bad day in the office at some point right? (well, maybe not Anna)
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Since I made my first final in a World cup, I have made every final in all the World cups that I have entered, until this weekend. The only time I have ever sat and watched a final was when my leg was broken and it was the most frustrating and infuriating experience ever. I wanted to be up there with the others so much and I found it so hard to sit back and watch. This time was different. I had competed. I had attempted to earn my place in finals and failed. It was only through fault of my own that I was stood in the crowd. This time I watched with no feelings of jealously, just admiration.
Luckily it was an amazing final to watch. An impressively large and enthusiastic crowd made for an intense and exciting atmosphere and the climbers put on an incredible show. I got the opportunity to watch finals from the other side of the fence. No pressure, no stress, no nerves, no butterflies. However the sweaty palms and curiosity remained the same but this time I got to see everyone climb so the curiosity was kept at ease.
Although I can take away many things for this competition and I really did enjoy watching the finals, it is not my plan to be observing again.
I have to say a huge congratulations to both Jan Hojer and Jule Wurm for their first World Cup victories. Jule was awesome to watch. She did not hold back and won the competition in impressive style. From someone who has been there and know’s all to well, it is NOT easy to keep your cool and flash the last boulder when you know it counts. Jan also put on an amazing performance for the crowd. After qualifying for semi finals and finals in last place he owned the finals and totally deserved to be stood on top of the podium!
Next up I have a couple of days at home. There is time to squeeze in a few training sessions and some meetings before we leave for Canada next week. And then its two more World cups in a row before the big break in the season. It’s amazing what one result can do to your motivation (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_wink.gif) Time to get back on it!
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Also… Since my last blog I have also had my first magazine cover! Thanks Climb Magazine (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif) I hope you purchased a copy of their 100th edition!
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Toronto, World Cup 6 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/06/totonto/)
4 June 2013, 8:50 pm
The World cup season is long. I think it’s almost impossible to maintain a high physical state or a mental state throughout the six months that the competitions span. A full World cup circuit takes you to several different countries to do the same thing. Try as hard as you can to get to the top of a few boulders. You push yourself to your limit in every way you can. Holding on as hard as you can, getting yourself into the strangest positions and fighting with everything you have to not fall off.
This year has taken me to China, France, Austria (twice), Slovenia, Canada and now I am in Colorado, USA for the next round. To try again to better my performance and climb as perfectly as I can. Thousands of miles and hundreds of moves and yet I still want to try again.
This past competition was hard for me. I had a few issues with a knee injury from a few weeks back and I found a new barrier in competition climbing. Knowing how hard to push it when something hurts. Things often hurt. Aches and pains are part of the sport. When something only hurts on certain moves and even then it’s more of a discomfort it’s hard to notice until you push it.
The aim for every competitor is to get to the next round but what’s it worth? How hard can people really push themselves. I hit the point where my body decided I had done enough and when climbing in finals I was distracted and found it hard to focus. It makes me wonder how much the other competitors will push themselves.
In qualification and semi finals I had managed to climb well despite my injury. The boulders were fun to climb, although it was a shame that problems were not harder for the women in semi finals, I think that they were great for the crowd to watch. I can not remember so much about the final boulder problems but I do remember the very impressive LOUD crowd that got behind every single one of us! The Canadians sure do know how to support!
Yet another World Cup has past. And yet another injury to overcome. But I’m still climbing and still smiling so it’s all good (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I can not forget to mention the totally incredible effort by Anna Stöhr. She is unstoppable. Also Killian taking his 20th title. WOW.
(http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/06/295549_10200313428023081_1362134051_n-569x320.jpg) (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/06/389182_10200313430423141_1192046165_n-569x320.jpg)
Photos: Udo Neumann
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Vail, USA, Bouldering World Cup (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/06/vail-usa-bouldering-world-cup/)
12 June 2013, 5:44 am
Firstly I am sorry it has taken me so long to write about the last World Cup. I got fully sucked into the Colorado experience and I have been out climbing and hanging out with friends so blog writing just hasn’t quite found it’s way into my life until now. All the boys have gone out and I had a super long lie in and now I have some peace and quite in the sunshine (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
So Vail. The last round for a little while and the 7th world cup of the year. We had 4 days between Toronto and Vail which is not very long to recover at all let alone when you have an injury. It was a bit of a journey from Toronto but myself, Leah and Mina managed to find ourselves at a familiar house in Boulder having made no wrong turns.
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My knee had started giving way when I was carrying heavy bags and I still had no idea what I had done to it. As hard as it was to accept the signs were becoming clearer that maybe I shouldn’t compete in Vail.
The Spot climbing gym were putting on a pancake party for all of the world cup climbers. There we so many nations having fun and climbing. This is something we never get to do, not on such a scale anyway. I went along but there was no way I could pull on. The frustration of being sat at the side and watching was back AGAIN!
The Austrian team Physio Klaus Issle is pretty much the only reason I was able to climb in Vail. He managed to figure out what was going on with my knee. He eased everything off and enabled me to use it. Thank you so much to the Austrian team for being kind enough to share the support you have and A MASSIVE THANK YOU to Klaus! One day maybe the GB team will have this network of support behind them at the comps?
Our drive to Vail from Boulder was not so successful but we made it (a couple of hours late). We had a few days in vail to adjust to the altitude and hang out in the beautiful surroundings. We even drove to the top of Mt Evens one day. Now that is HIGH!
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Our arrival in Vail.
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The top of Mt Evens
I made the decision to have one attempt at every qualifier. My knee felt a lot better but I had to be very careful and heel hooking and toeing down was still not good. In qualifiers you have 5 problems and of those 5 problems 4 had right heel hooks. I managed to battle through 2 of them. Find alternative beta on another and I made it to the last hold on another but a combination of fatigue, the altitude and pain threw me off. The last boulder was a slab with no heels it felt like a gift to climb on.
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I was really happy to be going into the semi finals along with Leah, Mina and Dave Barrans. However, my experience in semi finals is potentially the worst comp experience I have ever had. I got 2 bonuses. No tops just 2 bonuses. I thought I had messed it up, they just felt so so hard. I headed toward the crowd with a grumpy face to find it returned by lots of smiles. Grumpy turned to confused to happy and thankful. I had scraped into finals in 6th place.
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I hadn’t really known what to expect in this competition. I was happy to be climbing and heading into finals in 6th was a gift. It was the first time I had felt no pressure, no nerves and just excitement. It was my first experience climbing first in a final. I have no idea how hard the problem would be or how anyone else had done. It was up to me to find out. I got to go first and see if I could set the pace for the other climbers. I went out to every boulder to have fun. And it worked. I enjoyed this final more than any other. I do wish I had had a little more left to give on the final problem as I feel I gave one of my best performances ever but never mind I am sure I will get another opportunity.
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Finals
I want to thank everyone for the support this year so far. I literally feel like I have blinked and the past 4 months have gone by but so many people have been watching the comps and cheering m on along the way. It’s incredible to know that so many of you are behind me. THANK YOU!
There is a big break in the competition season now. Until the last round Munich which is mid August. So now for me its time to enjoy the summer. I will be in CO for the rest of the month getting out on some rock and embracing the sunshine.
The day after Vail we headed to a magical climbing area called Independence Pass. The boulder problems are in Ice caves and have the most amazing features. It was my first experience climbing above Ice and it was so surreal. The perfect place if you want cold conditions and sunbathing when you top out. A big thanks to Jackie and Chris for giving us the tour and bringing all the bouldering mats! I managed to flash a beautiful line called The Vampire V8 and I battled up Choke hold a horizontal roof full of big pinches V9/10.
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Photo: Dave Barrans
A good start considering I was supposed to be resting.
Have a good summer everyone! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Sunshine, Ice Cream and BBQ’s with friends (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/07/sunshine-ice-cream-and-bbqs-with-friends/)
4 July 2013, 12:53 pm
Home sweet home! Although the past months have been lots of fun and very full it feels nice to be in one place for a while. And being back in my own bed is amazing.
The world cups took me all over the world and it was all go go go for a while. So I was really happy that we were able to pause for a while in Boulder, Colorado. I definitely felt ready for a break from traveling and competitions and psyched to get back out climbing on the rock in the mountains and see some good friends.
Being up in the mountains surrounded by a breathtaking landscape is definitely one of my favourite places to be. The big walks at high altitude make for a long and tiring day out and the climbing added on top of that means you rarely get home feeling anything but exhausted. Although as hard as it is I feel a great sense of satisfaction after a long day out, climbing a boulder problem is a bonus really.
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Unfortunately the first week of my trip was was not so fun. I somehow managed to get a cold despite the temperature never dropping below 30°C in Boulder. I think my body decided it deserved a rest after the intense competition season. After a few days in bed I was able to hike but that was the extent of my exertion. Climbing did not happen so much and I had to have a rest day every other day. Over a week into the trip I finally felt like I was on the road to recovery and the downwards spiral had ceased. I had sat and watched the boys crush and now I was psyched to have a go at trying hard myself. I warmed up with the group and had a play on a few things. But there was just one problem I wanted to try. There was one problem that had been on my mind since my visit to Colorado last year. I had been told it might not be climbable due to the high snow but I wanted to check just in case . It was all good to go, Well after Martin did a bit of digging. It would be rude not to try it right? I was so surprised to do all of the moves really quickly. I tried the problem last year and I remember it feeling crazy hard and there was one move I couldn’t quite do. This year I felt stronger and after giving in to my stubbornness and trying the beta Ned suggested I had all the moves dialled. Darkness was closing in so I only had a few attempts from the start. They just got better and better. I fell going to the jug right at the end.
I was amazed, happy, psyched, cold and tired. I ended the day with that high point knowing that I could do the boulder.
After a rest day tubing down the river through Boulder it was time to get back up to Lower chaos and try again, I was so excited about trying the boulder again. I knew for sure I could do it and couldn’t wait to get back on it. I had to hold just one more hold than last time and that was it. What could go wrong…. Unfortunately conditions were not on my side and the excitement was quickly replaced with frustration. Also, I do not think that tubing qualifies as a rest day, we all felt super tired and none of us got to the top of our projects. I had made no progress and the boulder felt really really hard! I guess V13 is supposed to feel hard but it was annoying to have felt like I had taken a step backwards.
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We spent the next day at a shooting range. Turns out I am not very good at shooting a gun and It was time to get back out again. This time we went EARLY. I did not want to let conditions get in the way again and to save the pressure of only having a short amount of time on the problem we went super early. I have to thank Ned and Jackie for their big big support, waking up at 5am isn’t easy.
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You get to see sights like this at that time in the morining though. Turns out that getting up at 5am to go climbing is a really bad idea for me. I need sleep and don’t do very well without it.
Projecting is so hard. It was such a mental battle and it was totally new to me. I had gone even further backwards. I could barely do any moves. We had just over a week left. The added pressure of time did not make things any easier. We went home and had a lazy day via Ice cream.
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Myself and Jackie is Estes I had got to the last move on a day when I had not felt at my best. How could I possibly not do the problem. Especially when in isolation the last move was not so bad.
After day climbing at Mt Evens clearing my head and trying different boulder problems I was ready to have a rest day and get back out on the project. I climbed an awesome problem called Clear Blue Skies, V11. It was good to turn my focus to something else and do some different moves.
Turns out my cold decided it wasn’t done with me yet and one rest day turned into two. After two rest days motivation was not so easy to find. It was 37°C in Boulder and laying on the sofa seemed much more appealing than going out climbing.
The realisation came to me whilst I lay on the sofa that I was afraid of trying it again. It had left me both emotionally and physically fatigued and progress in previous sessions had been reversed. I was afraid because I knew I could do it. I had got to the last move. Touched the last hold.
After some pep talking from the boys (or you could call it abuse and name calling) I peeled my butt off the sofa. After a stop off for the cookies and muffin supplies we were on our way. The walk up to Lower Chaos is beautiful but also hard, long and tiring. I like taking my time and not arriving at the boulders totally wasted. You can see miles of dense forest covering the vast landscape so the walk is really pretty.
I had not expected to climb the boulder on that day all. I was afraid of being shut down (again). I had convinced myself it was too hot. Luckily some of my good friends were out climbing too so I was excited to see some of my favourite faces and have a fun evening.
I had already started thinking when I could come back. If I could come back. Would there be time. Would I be getting in the way of everyone else’s plans.
After a warm up I was sat back at the bottom of Nothin’ But Sunshine again. Looking up wondering what today’s session might have in store. I met Alex Puccio under the problem and for the first time I got to discuss the beta with someone else who was trying it. There were subtle differences in our methods but on something that hard subtle can make all the difference. I have to thank Alex for giving me the more efficient beta on the last move.
It was fun to climb with Alex and Angie. I think it was important for me to have fun on this climb. I had to relax. I had tried a few times from the start and something had gone wrong each time. Either I caught a hold wrong, put my foot on wrong, greased off etc. It all came together on one go. I hit the holds right, tried hard and did not let go! I still don’t think the realisation has sunk in.
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Photo: Angie Payne
Thanks to Ned and Martin for coming out on their rest day’s to carry pads and motivation up the big hill.
I had never really understood how people can become so transfixed by one piece of rock and spend session after session trying the same moves. But now I get it and there is no explanation for it.
It was crazy to come back to something a whole year later. The difference in my strength and ability was crazy. The moves felt insanely hard last year and it is almost hard to believe I have climbed the whole boulder problem. There is one person who I have to thank, my coach, Mark Glennie. He has pushed me to my limit, let no injury get in the way of training and made me believe in myself.
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Thanks to Bearcam Media (http://vimeo.com/cameronmaier)
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I got to hang out with some amazing people!
(http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/07/IMG_1811-569x569.jpg) (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/07/IMG_1994-569x569.jpg)
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See some amazing things!
And I also came home to lots of boxes from Adidas! Psyched to get training now!
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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British Bouldering Championships (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/07/british-bouldering-championships/)
9 July 2013, 9:06 pm
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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.
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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!
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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 (http://i2.wp.com/www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif?w=630)
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.
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A great final 4 flashes (http://i2.wp.com/www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif?w=630)
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!
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Broken Bones Heal Stronger (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/07/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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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In the last picture I know all the guys.
It's frustrating and embarassing at the same time.
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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! :strongbench:
Good to see Shauna's comeback too from being a talented but relatively weak climber to a beastly strong talented one!
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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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/08/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.
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I also got psyched on filming too! I made a little movie of Ned climbing a new line in North Wales, check it out…
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Enemy Anemone (http://vimeo.com/72353316) from Shauna Coxsey (http://vimeo.com/shaunacoxsey) on Vimeo (https://vimeo.com).
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!
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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!
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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!
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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!
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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! (http://i0.wp.com/www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif?w=630)
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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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A bad day at the office… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/09/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.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Dry Toast and Bananas (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/09/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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/09/vastervik/)
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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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Photo David Mason (http://i0.wp.com/media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/09/Shauna-David-O-Goliat-3.jpg?resize=569,379) 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.
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Photo: David Mason (http://i2.wp.com/media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/09/IMG_2679.jpg?resize=569,569) View from the island (http://i2.wp.com/media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/09/IMG_2729.jpg?resize=569,569)
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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.
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Next stop for me will be HERE! (http://casamauri.wordpress.com)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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A Fine Line (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/10/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? (http://i0.wp.com/www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif?w=630)
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Photots thanks to Nick Brown – Outcrop Films (https://www.facebook.com/outcropfilms?fref=ts)
Video from Nick Brown and Ben Pritchard soon! (http://i0.wp.com/www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif?w=630)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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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?? :lol:
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Climbers go Pin Up for CAC… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/10/climbers-go-pin-up-for-cac/)
15 October 2013, 12:17 pm
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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!
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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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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El Miedo De Caer (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/10/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 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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WCS13 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/11/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.
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MORE PITCURES HERE!!!
BMC REPORT HERE
Eva Lopez Blog HERE
Crux Crush Report HERE
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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2783 MILES in pictures… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/11/2783-miles-in-pictures/)
12 November 2013, 12:59 pm
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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A Sneak Peek (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/11/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)
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A special mention to my sponsors Adidas UK, Five Ten and The Climbing Hangar for making it all possible…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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! (http://i2.wp.com/www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif?w=630)
Take a moment to think about what you have learnt this year.
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Goodbye for now Ticino (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/12/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! (http://cruxcrush.com/2013/12/17/keeping-it-all-in-perspective-interview-with-angie-payne/) 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.
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Picutre Blog and a video from the trip coming sooon (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Switzerland In Pictures… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/12/switzerland-in-pictures/)
23 December 2013, 12:31 pm
Day one – All packed, up early and ready for the long drive.
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Ferry time.
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Stormy ride across to France.
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Blue Skies and snow topped mountains to greet us in Ticino…
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cresciano
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cresciano
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cresciano
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cresciano
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Franks Wild Years – One of my favourites!
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cresciano
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Brione
Ged Mac
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AJ
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Sasha
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Home!
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Chironico
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cresciano
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Chironico
Two of my favourite Americans…
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Chironico
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Chironico
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Training in the house after unsuccessful days out on the rocks.
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Chironico
Day 2 on my five day misson – Freak Brothers
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cresciano(http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2013/12/IMG_3568-569x564.jpg)
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Chironico
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Most days I took my blanket out to the crag (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
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Chironico
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Lugano
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Home – Filming
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Chironico
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Home
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On the last day of the trip we woke up to a winter wonderland.
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Looking Forward But Only After Looking Back (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/01/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! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif) Good luck with your goals for 2014!
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Training Isn’t Easy (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/02/training-isnt-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.
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Albarracín (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/04/abarracin/)
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! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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A busy month! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/05/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 (http://tv.thebmc.co.uk) 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.
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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.
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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.
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The 4th semi final boulder problem
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Probably the hardest I have ever tried in a competition. Boulder 1 in finals.
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My favourite photo EVER!
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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!
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Here are a few of my favourite photos from past month… (http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/05/10274000_673880542647444_3116001292114528038_n-379x569.jpg)
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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The cold unforgiving brutality of the competitive climbing environment ;) Nice one again Shauna :2thumbsup:
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And it’s over… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/07/and-its-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
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VAIL
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HAIYANG
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LAVAL
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Photo Credits to Heiko Wilhelm and Eddie Fowke
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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My return to the wood… (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/07/my-return-to-the-wood/)
16 July 2014, 1:25 pm
2 years ago I went to Magic Wood for the first time ever. I spent a few days climbing in the beautiful setting, totally overwhelmed and incredibly motivated by the volume of rock. In the evening on my third day out climbing I jumped off a boulder, I should note that I landed perfectly, no sketchy spotting or bad mat placement, and I broke my leg. An incident that, ironically, transformed me into a much better climber.
I was both excited and reluctant about returning. My emotions were confused with those coming from finishing the bouldering World Cup series. I arrived in Andeer, Switzerland wanting to sleep, eat and sunbathe. Climbing was the reason we were there but it was my two week break, my holiday after such an intense period. Motivation was a little difficult to muster initially. My life had been so fast paced, organised and tiring. Finally I had the opportunity to stop, rest and be in just one place for 2 weeks. Luxury.
We arrived to a very wet scene. Apparently it had been really dry for the past months and the farmers were welcoming the rain. We did not share their joy. Our first week was better than the forecast suggested. Things were often damp and it rained a fair bit. We were able to take strategic rest days and take advantage of the cooler conditions brought by the showers. During my first days out climbing I remembered why I had a deep desire to return to the place. Nostalgia around every corner and unfinished business drawing my psyche to the surface. There were two boulder problems on my tick list. Both had tested me 2 years before. Both I longed to finish. The first Piranja.On my first attempt of this problem I fell slightly short on the crux move and landed in a frustrated heap. I pulled back on immediately, doing the move quite easily I got to the final jug and let go. This was the moment that my leg snapped. I have an extremely vivid memory of that moment. The pain pulsing and my desire for it to stop so I could have another go. It didn’t. Instead I spent the next hour being carried out of the forest by my good friend Ged and the remainder of the evening in hospital at the comically named department ‘Notfall’.
It was important for me to go back to Piranja. To finish it and close that door. It took me longer than I expected to do the climb. Being so absorbed in my emotions surrounding the boulder problem I had forgotten that it is actually quite hard. I had to try hard to get up it physically as well as mentally. I did it. I jumped down once again. A distinct and welcome sense of satisfaction followed me around for the remainder of the day.
A couple of days later I manage to send the second boulder problem on my tick list. One Summer In Paradise. This boulder problem stuck with me for 2 years. In the back of my mind distant but clear. Trying this problem again was a little like seeing an old friend after a period of absence when it’s like nothing has changed and you sit down and chat for hours. I remembered every move, every foot hold and my motivation was right there waiting for me too. After one session reacquainting myself with the moves I managed to finish it on my second try from the start, the first time I forgot my sequence and ended up giggling my way off the rock.
Once that was done I was a little underwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong I was psyched out of my mind to do the problem but it lacked the fight I had been craving. Rock Climbing to me is a way to test myself. I enjoy pushing myself. I love the feeling of completing something that you have worked really hard for. I was telling the truth when I said there were only two boulders on my tick list but what I didn’t mention earlier was my wish list. At the top of that list stood New Base Line. 8B+, V14, Hard. I had promised myself that I would at least try the boulder.
Simply putting bouldering mats beneath an 8B+ so that I could try it was kind of daunting. I was afraid to try. I didn’t know what to expect. This was the first time ever that I was going to try and climb something that hard. I felt the holds, they were not very good. But what had I expected? Jugs? I was hesitant and reluctant to put my shoes on. Ned quickly pushed all of my uneasiness aside and helped me find the confidence to not only try but figure out and complete almost all of the moves.
The sequence on this boulder problem was complicated and intricate for me. I had to figure out precise beta for all of the moves and work really hard to remember it when trying my best not to fall off. Once I had done the boulder in sections I knew it was possible and it was terrifying. Knowing that something is possible sparks a new head battle. My first session trying the climb from the start I stepped off near the end. It was a cold day and my hands were numb. I felt tired. It was a committing move and I was scared to fall. I was furious at myself. Anger and disappointment brought tears to my eyes. How could I just step off.
It rained for the next three days. The possibility of it drying before I left to go home seeming more and more unlikely. Leaving it unfinished seeming more and more imminent. On Saturday 12th July I woke up after one of the worst nights sleep I have ever had. We went to the forest filled with optimism and hope. Only to be rewarded with wet rock. This was it. My last chance and I couldn’t even try. I spent the next few hours attempting to find psyche and motivation to try some other boulders with Ned but I couldn’t. There was a small part of me that was still optimistic, maybe it could dry. It was due to rain again in the late afternoon but the sun was out and there was a breeze, albeit a slight pathetic breeze but it was there.
We went back up the hill to find only one hold remained wet. It was crazy! Just hours before it was dripping. Suddenly I had a chance. To say the day was an emotional roller coaster is a slight understatement. This was not helped when I once again stepped off the boulder problem at the same move that had challenged me last time. I am always amazed at the psychological battles climbing presents. On my second attempt I was ready, I wanted to commit, I wanted to at least try to commit. But messed up the beta and fell off flustered and annoyed I didn’t even get to try on the move that had been challenging me. I had made so much progress and got so close. Surely I could leave pleased with myself? Luckily I didn’t have to face that ending. On my next attempt I got through the start quicker and more efficiently than ever before. I reached my crux and without hesitation threw as hard as I could to the next hold. I proceed to get extremely flustered, squealing and panicking as I topped out. It still hasn’t sunk in. I have watched the video over and over on my phone. The squealing is rather amusing actually. As was the 10 minutes following my ascent as I tried to get down off the boulder. Luckily that wasn’t caught on camera.
Astronautenfieber – A really fun but slightly scary 8a!
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One Summer In Paradise-
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Exploring Switzerland on rainy days -
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Ned
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Prianja -
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Right Hand of Darkness – 8a
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NEW BASE LINE!!!!!!!!
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Ned flashing Jacks Broken Heart – 8a+
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Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Real Life (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/09/real-life/)
25 September 2014, 9:01 pm
So I am finally sitting down and writing. I have been putting this off for quite some time now through fear of sounding like I am moaning and complaining. But that’s pretty much exactly what I am about to do. I try to be as honest as possible with my blog posts and this is the reason I have been reluctant to write. Over the past few months I have been struggling with niggles and injuries. Some small and simply irritating and others leaving me unable to climb at all.
My life has been incredibly fast paced this year. With my busiest competition season to date and my attempts to squeeze in as much rock climbing as possible I didn’t have much time to do anything else. Especially not get injured. The World Cup season was incredibly intense. 8 World Cups in just 11 weeks! Countless hours spent travelling and on the go. I think it would be hard not to get worn out or injured. We demand a lot from our bodies over the World Cup period. Thankfully I didn’t get any serious injuries during the season, just little niggles that were mildly hindering and irritating.
After the World Cup season finished I escaped to Magic Wood. Although the bad weather there was incredibly frustrating it actually allowed me to take a good chunk of rest. We only managed to climb on 6 of the 14 days we spent in Switzerland. I returned to the UK excited by my achievements on rock in that time but I was also massively unmotivated to train again. I worked hard with my coach to break down the World Cup season, clear my head and focus again. With the help of my training partner I found my psyche and felt ready to prepare for the World Championships. It was the last big comp of the year and my enthusiasm to train was back in full force. My first session back on the training plan brought all of my positivity, motivation and psyche to it’s highest high until one move flipped everything. It was a really hard shoulder move and I came up a little short for the next hold. As my feet hit the mat an unfamiliar sensation of discomfort began to pulse in my shoulder. As the evening progressed so did my frustration and the pain.
This was exactly 3 weeks before the World Championships. I spent every minute doing everything possible to try and promote healing. I saw my physiotherapist every few days and got massages from my sport therapist as often as possible. Initially I was unable to move my arm without pain. I couldn’t even lift a glass of water! There is no nice way to put it. Dealing with injury sucks! It’s like someone putting all of your emotions in a mixer and putting it on full speed. I went from positive, happy, cheery Shauna to negative, grumpy, teary Shauna multiple times every day. Each morning meant it was one day closer to the World Championships. I felt like my life was on fast forward. The event got closer and closer way too quickly. Some days I made progress and other days I would push it too far with my rehab exercises and take a step backwards. It was an agonising and tormenting process.
My coach was involved in every aspect. Taking time to attend physiotherapy appointments with me, meeting with my sports therapist and talking to me every day. I am incredibly lucky to have someone so dedicated and passionate to help me through the hard times. I appreciate that many people don’t have this luxury. But I was the only person who knew how it felt. The big decision was left until the very last minute. To compete or not… Together we made the decision to go.
I had not appreciated how much all of this played with my head. Thinking back now I feel rather stupid that I assumed I could turn up after 3 weeks off, with an injury and expect perform at my best. I knew I could climb. It was painful and irritating but I was strong and capable so I knew I could do the boulders. Before I injured my shoulder I was at my strongest and fittest. I was climbing well and most importantly I felt good. It was not my physical state that hindered me. 3 weeks is not long. I didn’t lose much strength or fitness but I had not prepared for the psychological effects.
This injury was simply unlucky. I don’t think it could have been avoided. I just got into an awkward position and pushed it a little too hard. I have thought a lot about how and why this happened but I have finally accepted that it was just unfortunate. I think this actually makes it even more frustrating! It was unavoidable. The weeks following Munich were full of ups and downs too. I had to take more time off, get more treatment and continue rehab. To make things worse the weather in the UK was amazing and all I wanted to do was get out and potter on the grit. I remained positive. I was determined to get fixed up and find my love for climbing again. I had some really fun sessions outside jumping around on slabs and doing some easy classics with Ned before I turned my attention to competing at my very last event of the year, Adidas Rockstars.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about going to another competition. I was ready to welcome the end of the season with open arms. Embrace the break and not worry about all of the pressures and stress that are unavoidable in competition climbing. I was scared that I wouldn’t be in the right mind set for Adidas Rockstars. However, my fear was replaced with relief as the invigorating buzz of excitement and anticipation hit me on my journey to the airport. The very last competition of the year and the very best event too! Adidas Rockstars isn’t like other competitions. It’s at a whole new standard. From the moment the athletes arrive they are treated like rockstars. Or how I imagine rockstars are treated. You get put up in the Hilton, with treats waiting for you in your room, a huge goody bag when you register and you are fed and watered throughout the entire weekend.
The day before the event I headed out with some fellow Adidas athletes to check out some of the local bouldering spots. An abrupt end to my session came when I jumped off a boulder and rolled my ankle. I cannot thank Adidas enough for how they handeled with the situation. Within a couple of hours I’d been x-rayed, scanned and diagnosed by the doctors at the local Sports Clinic: Partial ligament ruptures, lots of pain and a big blue ankle. I sat on the bed and felt a rush of relief as they told me it wasn’t broken. But then it was time to try and stand on it… Tears ran down my face and eventually pain won over my determination. I left the clinic on crutches. I was to have my ankle strapped up the next morning. If I could take the pain I could climb.
I woke on the morning of the competition determined. My first challenge was to get to the bathroom without crutches. It took a while but I managed it. The day before I had met with my good friend John Ellison. John founded the charity Climbers Against Cancer after being diagnosed with terminal cancer 2 years ago. John suffers every minute of every day. How could I complain about a sore ankle! I headed into the competition with a smile on my face ready to give whatever I had. The competition was great! Despite not being able to push myself or try as hard as I would have liked to, I had so much fun.
Another Competition over. Another year of competition climbing done. Another injury… I was heading home with yet another injury to deal with. My confidence and positivity were dwindling and I was left wondering what I did to deserve such an unlucky streak. I am really quite good at looking at the positives and accepting the negatives but I can only keep my brave face on for so long. All I want to do right now is go climbing. All I ever want to do is go climbing. There is no magic to dealing with injury. We all know exactly what we are supposed to do with regards to rehab and staying positive but sometimes that is just hard. I am lucky to have so many other things to keep myself occupied. With the Women’s Climbing Symposium coming up this weekend I don’t have much time to think about anything other that the event. Of course I am squeezing in time to do my rehab exercises, ice and elevate (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Right. Apologies for my moan and grumble. I promise I am finished now. I know it’s not that bad. I have no serious injury. It’s the end of the season. I have no competitions coming up. And surely I am way overdue a lucky/injury free streak? Aren’t I?
I wish all of you suffering from injury a quick speedy recovery!
(http://media.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2014/09/10647218_977699388923780_3328143286134936500_n-569x379.jpg)
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Time to break the silence (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2015/05/time-to-break-the-silence/)
1 May 2015, 12:57 pm
Last November my boyfriend and I set out on an adventure to the USA. Travelling around America in a camper van is the idea of a dream holiday for many people and something I had wanted do for quite a while. I didn’t exactly expect to be doing it in the middle of winter and […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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I feel like it’s time to start writing again (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/02/i-feel-like-its-time-to-start-writing-again/)
10 February 2016, 8:48 pm
Finally I have managed to sit down and get some words out and post them on my website. It has been an incredibly long time since my last post and I feel like it’s time to start writing again. So here it goes… I guess I should start with a little recap on the last […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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The free camper looks like a win!
http://www.justkampers.com/jkblog/just-kampers-are-proud-to-sponsor-shauna-coxsey-69
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now that's proper sponsorship
result
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Should have the classic "Ned & Shauna" stickers on the top of the windscreen.
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"Shauna Coxsey: Professional Climber"
8)
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Nice happy interview, looks like a good deal for both sides.
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Trips to London (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/02/trips-to-london/)
18 February 2016, 8:59 pm
It’s been a busy month already. Time really feels like its moving at a very fast pace right now. Does that ever change? In a standard week I do a beastmaker session on a Monday morning and then I drive over to The Climbing Hangar to train in the evening with my coach and Leah. […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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How did you start climbing? (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/03/2122/)
6 March 2016, 9:26 pm
How did you start climbing? It’s the question I have been asked more times than anything else in my life. I don’t get bored telling the tale though. I am constantly asking people how they found the sport as I find it fascinating. I do wish I could remember it more. Much to the surprise […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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CWIF 2016 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/cwif-2016/)
21 March 2016, 9:57 pm
The Climbing Works International Festival took place last weekend. This competition has a big reputation and rightly so. It’s a gathering of motivated, passionate climbers who come together to have a good laugh at a great event. It’s an opportunity for climbers of all abilities from all over to try a selection of famously tricky […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Ropes Of Maui (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/04/ropes-of-maui/)
11 April 2016, 10:51 pm
I tried Ropes of Maui for the first time a couple of weeks back. I’d been wanting to try it for a while but my free time and the good conditions never aligned. Ned and I really wanted to spend Easter weekend climbing on rocks and luckily the coach agreed. We’d made plans to go […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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:2thumbsup:
Yoga doesn't help you climb 8B though....
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Nope.
Dozens of sessions of fingerboarding and board climbing do.
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The 2016 season has started! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/04/the-2016-season-has-started/)
22 April 2016, 1:43 pm
So we’re in Tokyo. It’s totally crazy. We’ve been running around the city since we got here; sight seeing, eating yummy food and checking out the climbing gyms. I haven’t really found the time to get any words down about the World Cup last weekend until now. I think I am still processing it. Winning […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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JAPAN! (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/05/japan/)
4 May 2016, 12:05 pm
Sorry it’s taken me so long to post again. I seem to spend my life either sat on an aeroplane or sat in a hotel room so I really don’t have a valid excuse for not getting my words out quicker. Time just seems to be going by so fast yet thinking back to when […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Shauna clearly doesn't need no stupid keto diet to be the best!
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Must be the acro yoga.
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Chongqing, China (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/05/chongqing-china/)
13 May 2016, 2:10 pm
We’ve just arrived in India for the fourth World Cup of the season so I figured it was about time I got some thoughts down about the last World Cup two weekends ago in Chongqing, China. Thinking back it’s hard to remember anything but the heat and humidity. It was an incredibly challenging round. The […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Mumbai, India (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/05/mumbai-india/)
18 May 2016, 7:18 pm
I’d always liked the idea of visiting India. I’d looked into travelling there a couple of times but no plans ever came to fruition. I was quite excited and also a little surprised to hear that there was going to be a World Cup in Mumbai. However, once again the packed calendar would not allow […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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The warm up wall was outside, there were some fans pointing at the wall but it was still unbearably hot
I totally misread this, and though what the hell were they letting fans in there for.
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The warm up wall was outside, there were some fans pointing at the wall but it was still unbearably hot
I totally misread this, and though what the hell were they letting fans in there for.
I thought she'd got lost and they were helping her find the way!
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Beta sprayers are everywhere
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It was also incredibly shocking and humbling to see first hand the poverty and distress that is so prevalent in India. Walking to the venue was a sobering experience. I had been told to prepare myself for the sights but there’s nothing that can prepare you.
This was my biggest issue when I was working in India. I saw some of the workers areas of abu dhabi which were pretty bad and I had been to many areas of china and seen the poverty, but india was a whole new level.
The people I met were lovely and the food was amazing but it the memory that sticks in my mind most is sitting in a car with a stick thin women and here thin baby tapping on the window begging for food only to have our driver say something aggressive in the local tongue.
The first thing I said when I came back was why would you ever go there on holiday?
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The longest stint I've spent in Mumbai with work was three months. The contrast from my swanky hotel, air conditioned car and office compared with the life of so many in Mumbai was difficult, as was the contrast between the lives of those living in Bandra, Juhu and South Mumbai compared to the shanty town and the dwellers under the flyovers.
It was an experience, but not one I necessarily enjoyed. I will undoubtedly be back soon.
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Leah's point of view on india here (don't think its in the blog pile sorry if it is) http://www.leahcrane.co.uk/blog/mumbai-madness
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Innsbruck (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/06/innsbruck/)
7 June 2016, 6:37 pm
Wow. What can I say? I am so flipping happy about my results this year. I always dreamed of winning World Cups, never really thinking about it actually happening. I feel so lucky and fortunate to be where I am now. So many people have helped me along the way and I can’t thank every […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Munich 2016 (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/09/munich-2016/)
5 September 2016, 8:50 pm
The Munich World Cup is always one I look forward to. It holds a special place in my heart. Six years ago I made my first ever final in Munich. I remember how it felt to stand in front of that crowd for the first time. The atmosphere totally consumed me. It was exhilarating albeit […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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Wow. Hell of a ride for Shauna. So well done on the overall title and at least you got that and Munich done before the surgery.
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6 Weeks Post Op (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2016/10/6-weeks-post-op/)
5 October 2016, 8:45 pm
It’s been exactly six weeks to the day since I had an operation on my shoulder. It seems totally crazy to think its been that long. I remember the moment that I hurt my shoulder. I remember it well: the pain; the confusion; the fear. How did it happen? Who knows. It seemed insane that […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)
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The Paywall (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk/2017/04/the-paywall/)
10 April 2017, 9:25 pm
I fully support the athletes commission in opposing the paywall for access to the IFSC competition live stream. The paywall has implications for the competition organisers, athletes, sponsors and most importantly, the fans of the sport who tune in to watch IFSC competitions. I started climbing at the age of 4, no one in my […]
Source: Shauna Coxsey (http://www.shaunacoxsey.co.uk)