[Nibile]

it's an old entry on his website http://patxiusobiaga.com/, but I didn't know anything about it. he got a car accident and came out with a hernia in his neck, that clearly has not healed.
he says he can barely climb...
sad news I think, he was one hell of a fighter and a light for all those who want to push personal limits. the competition scene and sport climbing in general miss people like him. first one to onsight 8c+, world champ, Action Directe, etc etc...

[slackline]

He's doing other stuff e.g. multi-pitching and long-boarding...

[Nibile]

getting in shape for "Wo Gu" and "Silbergeier", nice to see he's not lost his spirit!!!

[Paul B]

getting in shape for "Wo Gu" and "Silbergeier", nice to see he's not lost his spirit!!!

That place looks amazing. Its interesting to see how much enjoyment he gets out of the learning and having to work hard aspect of longboarding. I've seen it a bit in others who love training which sometimes makes me wonder if climbing is the real motivation or its just a general motivation for self-improvement and could be directed obsessively into a number of directions.

[Nibile]

I have a few friends who shifted from climbing to other disciplines, mostly running and cycling, and they put the same kind of effort in them as the used to in climbing.
like, they don't just go for a run or a ride, some have taken un triathlon, others marathons, others serious mountain biking and so on.
maybe climbing is just a way to search for challenges and personal improvements.

[andy popp]

I've seen it a bit in others who love training which sometimes makes me wonder if climbing is the real motivation or its just a general motivation for self-improvement and could be directed obsessively into a number of directions.

For some - but not for others, obviously. I have never been at all 'sporty', have had little interest in training and haven't reacted much when I have trained. If ever I've climbed 'hard' its been almost a side product of a giving over to just the act of climbing.  So I do think for me there is something intrinsic to climbing that I can imagine very few other other activities giving me. Despite being weak and clumsy it was the one physical realm where I felt at home. And it doesn't matter how shit I get it will always be the one thing I want to do.

[ghisino]

he says he can barely climb...

which translated in punter terms means he's casually onsighting his 8a's and 2nd going his 8b's, according to someone who's spotted him at the crag. 

Just much less focused in giving it 100% effort (which he probably can't), says the same source.

[Jaspersharpe]

Next thing Patxi will be running a sub 4 minute mile and 2h30 marathon.

[iwasmexican]

think it also has something to do with the fact that if he s spent the last however many years training 7 days a week and hardly anything else then to suddenly have that taken away is going to leave a massive void that needs something else to fill it.

[edit] he says 17 years in his blog...

[slackline]

Natalija Gros follows suit (without the car accident)

Slightly less DFBWGC fodder, but given ypy's efforts I don't think we've now't to worry about.