Pan American Championships 2014

Hi Everyone,

It's been a while since I last posted…I wanted to save my newest post for after the Pan American championships in Mexico City so here we go! I’m sorry this is quite lengthy, so I separated the paragraphs into the different days of competition if you guys only are interested in a specific part.

First of all, I would like to say how incredible the Canadian team is, not just as climbers but also as people. I had such a great time the whole week in Mexico getting to know everyone even better; we shared so many laughs and had tons of fun competing. On top of that, our team brought home a total of nine medals including three gold, one silver, and five bronze and had 19 Canadians make finals in a combination of Lead and Bouldering. That is 17 more people then we've ever had! Such an amazing job team :)

It’s a bird it’s a plane…its superman Creds: Shane Murdoch

Where do I begin? For me, Pan Ams is always a very interesting competition given the fact that it only happens every two years. If you are reading this as a competitive climber you probably know how much everyone improves over one season let alone two, so for me one of the most enjoyable parts of Pan Ams is being able to see how much other teams improve as well as how much I personally improved since the last Pan Ams in Chile. Going into the competition this year I really didn’t know how I would fair against all of the other youth competitors in my category. With the exception of the bouldering World Cup in Hamilton, I hadn’t competed in any international competition since Pan Ams in 2012 since I decided not to go to the World Youth Championships in Noumea this year. So I must admit I was a little bit nervous but nevertheless always excited to get the opportunity to represent Canada in Mexico City.

DAY 1-Lead Qualifiers

The first day of competition was on Wednesday and this consisted of two lead qualifying climbs, with the top 8 advancing to the final round. Our first climb was up the right side of the wall, a somewhat vertical/slightly overhung technical climb. Earlier that day I had watched the youth C climb an easier version of our route so I already had a pretty good idea of the crux. From what I could tell looking at the route there were two cruxes; one about halfway up on some side pull crimps with small feet and the other being near the top, consisting of large moves in between features and finally a stand up to an undercling.  For the majority of the route I felt solid; it wasn’t until I got past the first crux that I started to feel a bit pumped. About ¾ of the way up just at the end of the second crux is where things started to get interesting. After I stuck a small side pull I swung my left foot over a small roof and leaned over to reach a small undercling, I stuck that hold with my pinky finger and used all the strength I had to pull up and get the rest of my hand on the hold. After being very close to falling I hung on as tight as I could for the rest of the climb and managed to top the route a few moves later. After completing the first climb I knew most of the Americans would top so I had a feeling it would all come down to how well I could climb on the second route.

On my way to sending route #1 Creds: Shane Murdoch

The second route was the steepest roof I have ever climbed in my entire life. The holds weren’t bad for ¾ of the roof until the footholds became sparse and I had to resort to double toe hooking or heel hooking.  Just as I was nearing the lip of the massive overhang I stopped to take a rest and evaluate my next moves. The next move was a one arm throw over the lip to a hold that looked like a jug from the ground but ended up being a sort of round and greasy ball. As I jumped over the lip I latched onto the hold and screamed as loud as I could; I swung my foot over to the feature on the opposing wall only to have my foot not be able to reach the hold. After two great climbs I qualified in fifth for lead finals.

Thank god the roof is over....14 draws later Creds: Shane Murdoch

Route #2-Creds: Shane Murdoch

DAY 2-Bouldering Qualifiers

Day two was bouldering qualifiers. After a great showing of strong climbers on the previous day it was evident the problems were going to be really difficult. I stepped out onto the mat mid morning ready to pull hard. I flashed the first slab problem and topped the second problem on my second try. I tried incredibly hard on the third slab problem but I didn’t end up being able to get the last few moves. The fourth problem was a big overhang, more my style but so powerful. After a good qualifying round, I was tied for 6^th with fellow Canadian Beth Vince going into the semi final.

Getting my slab on-Qualifier #3 Creds: Shane Murdoch

Qualifier #2 Creds: Shane Murdoch

 DAY 4 –Lead Finals

After a well deserved rest day watching speed it was finally time for lead finals. I woke up that morning feeling a bit off; maybe it was my nerves kicking in or the mystery meat I ate the night before but either way I accepted it and got prepared to give it my all. About an hour after we got into iso it was our category’s turn to preview. We walked out to the wall, facing the crowd - a moment later we got our first glance at the wall. My first thought was wow, what a perfect route. Slightly overhanging, crimpy and powerful - this is going to be so much fun. Fourth to climb, I stepped to the wall, closed my eyes, took a deep breath and smiled beginning my journey upwards. I moved confidently through the first three draws then moved right to a gaston before going over the lip and up onto the headwall. I grabbed the gaston with my right hand shifting my weight over to match then bang, just like that my left foot popped and with that I was flying through the air. What just happened? When my feet touched the ground it hit me. My dream of making the podium at a continental event was gone and a rush of anger and frustration washed over me. It should've been my perfect route. I had climbed so well in qualifiers and I knew I was capable of getting so far on this route but unfortunately things don’t always work out. As much as I was really upset with my performance I realized I had to forget about finals so I could perform well in bouldering semis the next day.

 My foot is still on the wall right?! Creds: Shane Murdoch

DAY 5-Bouldering Semis

Bouldering semis and finals were a bit different at Pan Ams this year. The format was still five on five off, however instead of four boulders there were only three each round which leaves little room for mistakes or for that matter falling at all. Semis problem number 1 was a technical route with a mix of slopers, small finer rails and non existent feet - a theme common at the competition. I managed to flash problem number one, which gave me the confidence boost I needed to tackle problem number two.  The second problem was a 40-degree roof, which I was beyond excited about. Looking at the problem to me it seemed like there were two possible ways to get to the bonus hold. Either a big move from the second hold or a few extra moves left on some flat looking holds. I was torn between which way I should get there but in the end I went with my gut instinct and took the long way around, as it looked like the way the route setters intended it to be climbed. I got to the bonus my first try and jumped and screamed my way up the rest of the wall (literally) securing a flash on the second problem as well. The third and final problem was a balancey slab problem with the smallest flattest crimps I’ve ever held onto. I secured the third and fourth hold rocking onto my left foot in an attempt to reach the bonus but every time I moved my foot slipped off the hold. I didn’t end up getting that move but later learnt that many people had trouble with this move as well. After my semis performance I moved into finals in fourth place from count back to qualifiers.

 

Semis problem #2 Creds: Shane Murdoch

Semis Problem #1-Shane Murdoch

Bouldering Finals

Bouldering finals was that same night. After three stellar climbs that morning I knew I had to climb just as well or better in order to keep my position or move up in finals. The finals problems were on the opposite side of the wall from semis…the more vertical section. Problem one consisted of a split start on two pinches for the hand and two features for the feet. After the start move to a small edge there were four more precise moves on large slopers before a rock-over to the finish hold. I took my time to look at the problem and figure out the sequence to make sure I didn’t make any dumb mistakes. I hopped on the wall and made my way to the top reaching the finish hold with my arms in full extension. Problem two was a 9 move awkward problem that moved out of a corner and traversed left on some big flat holds then one move upwards to a feature with a foothold for the finish. It took me two tries to get the first move but once I did, I made it to the last move. I set up for the final move and just missed the seemingly non-existent finish hold. After that attempt I was sure I could do it, however with about 1:30 left on the clock I had no time to rest. When I attempted it again, I couldn’t get the last move. I ended up with only the bonus hold on this problem. As I was sitting waiting for my attempt on the third problem I couldn’t help but notice the continual and familiar thumping noise of feet hitting the mat. I chuckled to myself the last problem is a dyno…nice! In the months leading up to the competition I had been working on dynos so I was ready to give it my all. After what seemed like only seconds it was my turn to climb the final problem. I turned around and realized I was right…the first move a double hand dyno from two pinches to two round slopers over a lip. I got on the wall, glared with anger at the two holds looming above me and geared up to jump with all my might. My fist attempt was not great but the move felt possible. On the attempts following I would grab the holds with both hands sticking them for a second but I wasn’t able to hold on long enough to stop my swing. Unfortunately I had to walk away from this problem empty handed, although my scorecard was full with 13 attempts.

Finals problem #1 Creds: Shane Murdoch

My try hard face Creds: Carlos Cardona

I ended up placing 8^th in Lead and 5^th in Bouldering. Initially I was frustrated as I didn’t achieve my goal of a top three finish, but I was half a move away from making the podium in bouldering. With the exception of one climb I can honestly say that I climbed the best I ever have at any competition which is a feeling that in my opinion no result can top.

I would like to say a HUGE thank you to the event organizers, route setters, judges, my incredible parents, teammates, my super amazing coaches and my sponsor Flashed. Without you guys none of this would be possible. Also a shout out to Delaney Miller’s parents - you guys are wonderful - thank you so much for your support!

Full results of the competition

http://www.ifsc-climbing.org/index.php/world-competition/calendar

Next up is a TDB at my home gym Jan 10th - can't wait!

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and have an awesome New Year!

Becca 

Sending fist bumps with Dad-Shane Murdoch

Hamilton World Cup 2014

I remember watching the Hamilton World Cup last year on the live feed, analyzing every move, every problem and watching intently as the seemingly impossible boulders were completed by the world's best. Last year the World Cup seemed like a distant dream for me, almost unattainable. But this year things changed; at every competition I tried to keep a smile on my face and climb every problem how I did at training - with determination. And after my first Tour De Bloc Nationals this year, I qualified to compete in the Hamilton World Cup. It was an experience I'll never forget!

The morning of the comp, I watched the men's qualifiers. I sat down in the second row of the stands with my teammate Alyssa Weber and my mom, only to find Juliane Wurm, Alex Puccio, Shauna Coxsey and Anna Stohr sitting in front of us. That's when it hit me. I would be competing against the top climbers in the world...wow! As the men's qualifiers got underway it became increasingly evident that the problems were EXTREMELY challenging, so I had more of a sense of what to expect during my qualifying round in the afternoon.

Alex Puccio and I :) - Photo Creds - the amazingly fabulous Alyssa Weber

At 3:30 I walked into iso with the Canadian girls. At first I was really nervous; I didn't know what to expect or what the vibe would be like in iso. But the first thing I noticed when I arrived was all the top-ranked girls warming up together, laughing and just having fun. I was quite surprised by this; I was expecting the vibe to be serious at an international competition but it was just like they were climbing on a normal training day which made me happy and stoked to climb.

After a long 3 hours in iso, it was my turn to climb. I was brought to the gym on a golf cart and I had ten minutes to get my shoes on and get my mind psyched and ready to go. Once I was in the on-deck chair I reminded myself to just go out and have fun. In what seemed like a few seconds, I was walking towards problem 1 with a smile but ready to crush. Unfortunately, problem 1 didn't go so well :( It was a vertical problem that consisted of a press into a corner and a jump sideways to the second hold...I bet you can all guess how that went for me - haha. After my not-so-successful attempts on problem 1, I was pretty frustrated but told myself to release all my anger on the next boulder.

Problem #1-MK Photography

Problem 2 was more my style. It began on a complete roof; the opening section was three campus moves before a giant purple volume. Once I got there, things got interesting. After I grabbed with my right hand around the volume, it was a massive bump again to a giant sloper. It took me two tries to just stick that move as I was fully extended and could only do the move with a heel hook around the right side of the feature. Once I got that move the bonus hold was next. I matched the bonus hold and campused to the second-last hold. I was so close; my heart started beating faster and the crowd began to cheer loudly. I threw for the last hold, grabbing it on the very edge. Immediately, I felt myself falling backwards. That happened two more times. I never topped problem two but after I had gotten so close I knew that the problems were actually doable and that maybe I could pull off one of the next ones.

Gearing up for the big move on problem 2-MK Photography

Problems 3 and 4. Ohhhhhhh man, where do I begin? The move to the bonus hold on problem three was the stopper move. There were two really crappy flat crimps on a feature, then it was a big pull over the lip to a tiny slot (the bonus hold). I tried time and time again to heel hook the feature, to push off the feature, to bicycle the hold to the right of the feature. But nothing was working. I later found out that a knee bar may have been slightly useful unless you're Shauna Coxsey and can do it with a double heel hook! Problem 4 was a giant sideways dyno off two very bad flat side pull crimps. Knowing dynos are not my strong suit, I was a bit worried. I tried super hard and actually managed to catch both holds every time, but had too much momentum so I swung off every time.

Then came the last problem. I turned around to look at the route and thought, heck yah! As I scanned up the route I noticed the bonus was the second-last hold. I paused for a moment and thought what in the world.....the span between the bonus hold and the last hold was massive. I saw the top of the wall was not taped out and I knew I had to shuffle my way along the top to reach the finish hold. On my first try I got to the last move but fell trying to match the lip. Every time the same thing happened, no matter how much I hung down on my arms and kept my core tight I was just one inch too far from the finish hold. So with that I knew my time competing at the World Cup for this year had come to an end. As much as I wasn't happy with how I climbed, I put a smile on my face, waved to the crowd (that felt SO cool) and walked off the mat to join my fellow teammates, my mom and my Dad sitting in the crowd.

Good ol' last move on problem 5 - Creds: Miguel Jette

Quali routes getting done by the world's best!

I think what I learned the most from the weekend was to really think about the different possible ways to do problems. The reason I got stuck on problem 2 was that I was basically trying the last move the same way and not pressing my foot against the right wall, which would have been way easier. Normally at local competitions, I'll think about many different ways because if I try a move and it seems really difficult, I always think I must be doing it wrong or missing something. But when I got stuck at the World Cup, I thought I was doing the correct beta but the move was just too hard because they're World Cup-standard problems. But I shouldn't have thought of it that way. For me what it came down to I think is experience. Looking back, I know I had the strength to do problem 2 and 5, but I need to gain a lot more experience which will evidently come with time.

My first World Cup experience was one I will never forget. It was amazing to see so many young up- and-coming climbers in Finals...so motivating! I ended up placing 35th, not the result I would have liked, but so grateful for the opportunity to represent Canada. Thank you so much to everyone who helped me get to where I did this season. You all rock! :)

Current Word Ranked #1 Akiyo Noguchi

Just a quick update on what has been happening with me recently...my sister and I were featured in the June Gripped issue - shout out to Brandon Pullan for making that happen. As well, Sara and I were on Banff Center Radio last week talking about our climbing experience so I will try and find an online version of that when it is released! As for what is next, competition season is over for the summer. I'm stoked to be attending the National Team training camp here in Canmore in July. I'm going to keep training hard for the Pan American Championships in Mexico in November and try to get outdoors as much as I can!

Happy summer shenanigans,

Becca

The not so photogenic but awesome Canadian Team

Embracing Every Moment-MEC 2014 Canadian Bouldering Championships

After two weeks of break from school including four great climbing days in Red Rocks Las Vegas my spring break has unfortunately come to an end. The long drive home from Vegas has given me the time to reflect on the past few weeks. Last weekend I was in Ottawa for the Canadian Open Bouldering Championships. Going into the competition I made sure I set no expectations for outcomes other than to just be in the moment and have fun. Although I had consistently placed top three at local competitions and I won the Western Canadian competition just a few weeks before, I knew there were many incredibly strong ladies that on any given day could come out on top; so I tried to think of the competition as just another training day.

Saturday morning was the qualifying round. I walked into isolation with a smile on my face ready to crush some boulders. I had a good three hours before it was my turn so I tried to keep myself stoked by helping my teammates who were climbing before me with their warm-up. After what seemed like an eternity, it was my turn to climb. I sat down in the on-deck chair and cranked my pre comp jam Lose Yourself by Eminem, thinking to myself just go out there and have fun, you have trained hard for this, you are prepared.

Semis Route #2 Creds: Aidas Odonelis

I got problems one and two on my first try, giving me a good eight-minute rest before problem three. I turned around only to face my nemesis, a vertical wall with few, far apart holds. I managed to get to the second hold, a giant feature. I breathed for a brief moment then I attempted to press over to the bonus hold, realizing I would have to find a way to get my foot up really high or do a one hand jump to reach it. I think we can all guess how that worked out….not very well. After not obtaining the bonus hold on route three, I was not a happy camper. So I decided to let all my anger out on problem number four. Problem four consisted of an awkward push into a corner then a sideways jump to two holds on the roof before a few more holds to the finish jug. I managed to get this problem on my first try by just grabbing the last hold with two fingers. Maybe I should get angry more often, haha.

After my attempts on the five boulders were complete, I ended up in 8^th place qualifying in the top twenty for the semi final round Sunday. I knew I had given it my all on Saturday, topping four out of the five possible boulders, which I was extremely happy with. But I knew I would have to climb even better in Semis to move up to the top six to qualify for the final round.

Unfortunately semis did not go as well as qualifiers on Saturday. I was not able to top any of the boulders, falling numerous times on the last move of problems one and three. To make finals, the females needed at least one top and two bonuses to advance. I had four bonuses and no tops, so sadly my semis climbs were my last for this year’s MEC Canadian Bouldering Championships.

Alberta girls representing!

As much as I was a bit disappointed with my result, I am really proud of how far I have come this year. I ended up placing 12^th at the competition and 5^th overall in the national ranking (top 3 local+regional+national). Thinking back to last year when I couldn’t even make finals at local competitions to where I am now feels incredible. My first Nationals experience really made me realize how important it is to embrace the journey, every single moment, the good and the bad. When things don’t work out it’s not the end of the world. After all, there is always another competition and another route to climb.

Thank you so much to everyone who has made this bouldering season enjoyable -my coaches, friends, my mom, dad, my twin sister and my sponsor Flashed. You guys rock!

As for what is next on the agenda, I have Youth Lead Regionals in a week and a half in Coquitlam followed by Youth Lead Nationals in Montreal during the May long weekend.

Another post to come soon,

Becca 

The top six finalist receiving their prizes!

Journeying Upwards

The competition season has been busy in Alberta. With a competition almost every weekend, it is evident it is getting closer and closer to the height of competition season. Which means Regionals and Nationals are right around the corner!

The past month has been quite the whirlwind, between training, competitions and final exams and I have finally found some time to share my latest blog post, which is exciting.... I have so much to talk about. For this post I want to mainly focus on two important competitions that just recently took place. Bouldering provincials in Calgary and my two favorite lead competitions in Edmonton this past weekend.

On my way to sending open female final #2-Creds: Sara Frangos

Going into bouldering provincials this year I was pretty psyched. After surprising myself and making open finals at every bouldering competition this season I was ready to give it my all. I really used to dislike bouldering competitions, last year i kept getting shut down at every competition. Maybe it was self doubt or just getting too frustrated at the seemingly impossible problems but either way, something changed this year and I think I have a pretty good idea of what that is. Ever since I first started competing I have looked up to local climbers such as Stacey and Vikki Weldon and many of the other strong Calgary adult bouldering team. When I got the chance to compete with many of them last year I felt intimidated, how will I ever be as good as them I asked myself. But after the first bouldering comp this year I realized I was not that far from the top adult competitors. Their dedication and drive to train and win the competitions only made me stronger and more motivated to try and catch up. So when bouldering provincials arrived this year, I knew I would just go out, have fun, give it my all and see what happens. It ended up feeling like I climbed the best I ever had in finals at that competition, despite the jump start on problem #3. Haha at least I know what I need to work on :)

Check out this video from Bouldering Provincial Finals!

http://vimeo.com/87305417

After bouldering provincials we had a week of rest then it was off to Edmonton for the two rope competitions at Vertically Inclined and Rock Jungle Fitness. These are two of my favorite rope competitions of the season, I'm not exactly sure why but I think it is just the fun vibe both comps give off and all the super motivated competitors that attend them. For the first time in a while (at a lead comp) I felt like I climbed confidently and I just had fun. After all, like my coach Sonnie Trotter says, "if ya screw up there is always another competition!" That is what I kept in mind last weekend and what I will keep in mind as I journey upwards towards the National Championships.

Quali #1 RJF- Creds: Pam Eveleigh

As for my busy upcoming schedule I have two rope competitions this coming weekend in Banff and at our home gym in Canmore. Then I'm off to Edmonton the next weekend for Tour De Bloc open bouldering Regionals, should be a blast! Lastly a HUGE thank you to Flashed, my parents, coaches and friends for all your support :)

Happy Climbing,

Becca :)

 

Team Trotter (Canmore Climbing Team) representing Five Ten- Creds:Monika Helbig

My Results

2nd Place 16-17 Female Bouldering Provincials and Overall Provincially

2nd Place Open Female Bouldering Provincials and Overall Provincially

1st Place 16-17 Female Verticaly Inclined

1st Place 16-17 Female Rock Jungle Fitness

2nd Place so far for Lead open Female

View Full Results Here http://albertaclimbing.org/category/results/