WC Imst - the final ...

I wrote previous post before final was done. Later i just wanted to add final experience, when it is finished. But, I won. Not just place itself, more all the circumstances, emotions and thoughts around it, brought me to a point, that i decided that this final earns a post for itself.

About climbing, I climbed well. I enjoyed every single move of a route. It was another great and interesting masterpiece form route setters, like already yesterday's seminal. Hard and continious. Something what you just desire to get on a comp.

Foto: @sloveniaclimbingteam BY Roman Krajnik 

Even, that i fall actually on almost last move, I ran out of the time few holds before. But, I didn't really care. I was very happy with what I did. Not looking by height on the route or possible medal, but from the fact, that with participation on this comp, i won a battle with myself. The most important one. I won for me, no matter which place I would take at the end of comp.
So, it was very easy to sit down and look for others. I was also really really cheering for other girls, specially Janja, who just showed again an strong performance.

Foto: @sloveniaclimbingteam  by Roman Krajnik 

Team success was accomplished by Domen Skofic's bronze medal, Tjasa Kalan 6th and Urban Primozic 7th place. More than great! :D

Thinking back, actually all day i felt something different.  From morning on, i had a feeling that ankle feels better than previous day(s). Also when i went on the wall for warming up, it seemed like part of pain just went away, ankle felt more flexible and less swollen. It still wasn't tottaly ok, but I felt like I could press more. Well, i still limped when we took a walk down on hill to the presentation of final :(.

Foto: @ifsc

Looking backward, I don't really know what happened. Did a head do some trick for me and push the pain away? Was it kind of a mind trick, or just time brought it's power and ankle was actually healed? I still don't know... Regarding to limping after comp and next day, I suppose the first case happened. But how?(!?) In my mind, I didn't do nothing special. I didn't think about it or set my mind on some special level to do this.

It seems like my head just did it spontaneously for me. Like all the commitment, everyday focus, desire and training would collect it's power together and bring it out when I need the most.

Like something, in what you are/were investing everyday focus, energy, power, will and really live for and mean so much to you would stand at your side and repay for what and how you've been doing in recent years. I am not religious, but if such a carma exist,  I believe in it since now :)

WC Imst - qualifications and semifinal ...

When I sit down in a van to took my place on a way to Imst, i had mixed feelings. I was happy, that i am there. I also believed, that i really did all i could in those days. Looking from all aspects - treatment and climbing side, so my 'soul' was clear. All i could do was hoping for the best (health).

I still believed, that if the foot will work, i can fight and try to climb, but if not, i just can't do much in routes. I didn't care so much, what maybe i loose in days without propper training. Because i knew, that with 'may-not-working foot' not even top form can't help.

Foto:@slovenia climbing team by Roman Krajnik

I had started qualifications pretty soon and didn't know much about route. It didn't bother me, because the biggest challange at the momment was to trust to stand on the foot and use it. Climbing was very, very accourd, stiff and uncoordinated. For a momment it looked like, that after almost two weeks i forgot what to do, if i have to use bouth legs... Luckly, i adapted fast. Already on 2nd route conditions were better and I started to trust feet a bit more, clipped the top and was quite happy with the situation. 

Foto: Roman Krajnik 

But it didn't mean nothing at the momment. I knew that the biggest concern is, that i keep my foot cool and calmed down as possible. Because it is only way that it will allow me to use it on this long day for one route more (=not swallow to much that I wouldn't be unable to use climbing shoes again).
Semifinal route was something, that i would usually just run into it and enjeoy hold after hold. This time, i admit, i've been quite struggling from clip to clip. I hated every left foothold, not even mention the heelhoks, tried to forget everthing and say to myself 'everything is ok, just step on it' and fighted furter...

Foto:@the circuit climbing by Eddie Fowke

Somehow, suddely i found myself on last move.Very long and commitment one. Well, i didn't commit at all and fall. Congrats to teammate Janja, who shwed how to do this thing and finished the route! ;)
It was also a great team suces, i think best ever, with 5 members going on to finals! - Janja Garnbret, first time for Tjasa Kalan (who also just missed it for 1place in Briancon), Domen Skofic, Urban Primozic and me! :)

After Briancon

Comming home with injured ankle was not easy. I was upset, because i knew that i was really in a good shape before. But what happend, happened. And i can't do nothing about this fact anymore.

So, pretty fast i realized, that all i can do is, to put all my concers and energy in best treatment possible! I believed, that if the ankle will work, i can go and climb in imst. If not, not even such a brilliant shape wouldn't help me.A

It was easy to stay really focused and optymistcs at the beginning. I thought, ok, one week at most, than i will put my shoes on, do some more training,, catch up everything what i may missed in last week(s) and go to next comp as nothing happened.
All that time, i still climbed. One-foot-only, but I was more than happy with that. Just that I could climb, at least! :D and do a therapies later...

But as a week or even more than 10 days passed and i still didn't saw quite lot of improovement on healing, i admit, that doubuts come into my head. From day to day it was harder to stay focused and believe 100%. In all, healing, my shape, go to Imst...

Thanks to adidas outdoor for a very nice and personal cheering post and letter. In momments like this, i found it very precious. ...

There also come a momment, when i expected  that i will put my shoes on, and i couldn't. Simply couldn't , because foot was to big to squeeze it in. :(

I got pretty upset and for a momment just thought about to pack my stuff and go home. Sit at some corner, stay there for a while and think everything is miserable - don't worry it won't be for a long;). Luckly, i didn't.

In momments like this, i am thankful to have a coach. With a simple  few words "is it really matters if you put this shoe on today?!?", he just put the things in the right way. And i did a good session after too :).
Well, it really didn't matter if i would put shoe on that day. Or even next day and day after. And i didn't. What was importnat was, that i will/would put my shoes on, when need, for a weekend. And even, if i may (may!) don't go to imst, i would still climb and train those days as i do/did. One foot only...

Well, but just the day before leaving to imst, conditions turned out a bit better. I found a shoes, very soft and 3 size bigger than my usually, which i was able to put on. After almost two weeks of using flip-flops, i was finnaly able to put at least something on my foot! And i was happy with it.

Thanks to Lasportiva for nice and fast support and stock me up for a new challange :)

WC inBriancon -not really a good weekend ...

Last year the storm blown away the finals, this year an injury did it for me :(...

Well, as you can read from previous posts, I was really looking firward to this comp. I loved the current shape and fact, that there are plenty of comp at this period followed one after another.

All foto: Roman Krajnik

So after just two days at home, with a little time to sort out all the obligations and do some training, i was really excited for next challange to start! :)

Qualifications started pretty early and in front of us was kind of hot and pretty long day. How long and tuff it is going to be, at that momment, i din't know jet. Sure, i even couldn't  imagine and expect it. I have clipped the top in one qualifixations route and fighted against the heat almost to top in 2nd one. I felt really good and were excited for semifinals to start... BUT, during the warming up i felt. Not a lot, just a bit. But probbably not even 30cm was enought, that i landed hard and badly on the mats and felt a pain my ankle :(. Fist I thought and hoped, i get just scared and stressed out, because teammate Domen Skofic just twisted his ankle on last training before we went on a comp. And i didn't want to believe this can be this again. I went back to isolation, get some help and support by organizer's doctor and later continued with warming up. All seemed pretty good, but soon it showed up, it wasn't. Ankle got swollen, but i could move it and used it. I could put on climbing shoes and even if it wasn't perfect i decied that i will try and climb. And maybe tomorrow it will be all good, I thought. I have climbed very reserved and precised in demifinals, used almost one foot only, but it was still more than enought for finals (and even provisional 2nd place). After comp, i really didn't felt well and just wanted to go home and sleep... and hope that tomorrow evetythi6ng is going to be better.

Unfortunatley, my wish does not come true and morning didn't bring nothing good. I have spend the midday by the doctors, x-rays and fiziotherapist, but even that he tried with all his best it was not a lot to do.
On this point, i would really like to give a big THNKS to everyone, who stand  this day at my side, were there for me and hoping for best.
But, unfortunatley, i couldn't do a lot, and couldn't imagine to climb in circumstnces like this. I had to cancel the final performance and watch it from the public. I admit, it was not easy at all. But still, i would like to congrats JaIn Kim, Jessica Pilz ad Anak Verhieven to took a place on the podium and Gautier Supper for his first victory infront of his home crowd. Well done! ;)

Interview on national radio

After an really good and historical result fir Slovenian sport climbing, with viceeuropeanchampion Janja Garnbret we were guests in an interview on 1st chanel of national radio.

If you've missed it, but have this luck that you understand slovenian, you can listen it here again ;).

European championship tite and win on 1stWC stagn Chamonix! :D

Well, it seems my feeling and thoughts were not wrong. Before the comp, I knew, i've trained pretty well and felt like physically i am in really good shape.

Al foto: Luka Fonda

But, since last comps has passed pretty much time and every year and comp is a new story. you never know what new  season will bring ... But, ohnestly, i really didn't bother my head too much with those thoughts. I just really really wanted to climb in the way that i believed that i am able to, no matter of the result. Because I know, that I did what i could in preparation time and if i bring this up on wall, i will be satisfied. No matter of what this will mean at the end.

During the comp, regarding maybe also to this aproach and belief in good training, i was kind of more relaxed than previous years. Qualifications started well. I've toped out first route and finished hold before top in 2nd one, due the mistke of choosing wrong foothold sequences. Also in semifinals in clipped the top, among the other 3 girls. I felt pretty good on the routes, holds seems all good and pump was something i didn't really noticed on the way up.  Good feeling to enter the final! :)

Final route was kind a different to me, with very technical part and cosequence of heelhooks in firts half, followed by some crimps and kind of a bouldery/technical climb out at the finish. On observation, it looked very inteesting and nice. I admit, I was little concerned about the start, but i believed, when/if i reach the second part, i will be ok. And yes, it seems somehow exactly like this was later my actuall performance.

Climbing in Chamonix, especially at late night finals in front of huge public and on a great routes is always something special. Atmosphere there is really intense and you can hear crowd cheering and supportong a lot. I admit, i heard cowd cheering loud, when joung and very stong Slovenian teammate Janja Garnbret climbed before me. I knew, she definitely just did something great, what she is really able to do, but could just guess what this could be... It may stressed me out a bit, but suddenly when i arrived under the wall, i have erased all those thoughts and had just a route and my plan in front of me. I have enjoy the way up to the top and clipping the final chain felt really well. But in the same time it gave me strong feeling, that we will see another top. But still, i was kind of calmed, because i know,that i finals i did what i could. And, that I have won Europeanchampion title, first for me, fisfifirst for Slovenia. And feeling was even better to have a strong teammate company at my side!

At the end, it showed up, that the Europeanchampionship title was also an victory on 1st World Cup stage in Chamonix! :)

Well, i have to say, that at the momment i am felling really good and am satisfied with current shape and glad about all preparation done in winter and spring time. And sure, that i just can't wait for next comps and WC stages - next one just in few days in Briancon and 10days later in Imst.

Can't wait, wish me luck! ;)

Team training camps in Mitterdorf and Swiss :)

As usually, few weeks before lead comps starts, with team we are used to spend time abroad, to use the opportunity to climb more on a big wall.

Also this year, it was no exception and we spend some good weekedns in Kletteracademie Mitterdorf and later, just few days before moving on to a first WC&Europeanchampionship in Chmonix, in Swiss.

It is no need to say, that routes were great, we did some nice trainings and had really good time too! :)

all foto: slovenia climbing team

Tanks to Griffig kleterhalle Uster, kletterzentrum Gaswerk, kletterzentrum St.Galen and sure Urs Stoekler for all help and support!

in FINAL on bouldering European championship in Innsbruck - 6th place! :)

Well, this poste is for quitea lot backward, but i still feel like i need to tell something about this event.

Firts of all, maybe you've missed me on some bouldeing WC's this year, but it was a decision, made already at the end of the last year. I decided that I would like to put all attention in preparation to lead season and  based on a provisional scheulde and locations of wc's worldwide, choose to attend one of the biggest evenst's - an boulderin Europeanchampionship in Innsbruck.

all fotos by: Luka Fonda

There, I really just wanted to climb well and at the end were really happy that i could climb in the final among other best 6 girls. Maybe my climb on that comp was really not perfect, but somehoew it was still pretty good. Despite of an input attended to bouldering this spring (almost zero to nothing), it was actually pretty good :).And, even more, we all know how it is in bouldering and that it could be a little 'gamble' from time to time, even podim was not far away...

This comp was just enought and a good marker to me, that i did a pretty good power base for up-comming endurance training and lead season and that if i countinue that way, it can be fun this year! :)

Vist at adidas headquarters and Cafe Kraft

It has been quite a while since my and also team visit at adidas headquartes. I had really good memmories to last times spend there and also this time I didn't get wrong when I excpeted it is going to be great! :)

After really nice welcome, we had some workshops, team photoshooting, meetings and sure - gym and climbing sessions. So, all good stuff together packed up into two exciting days, with lots of new informations and goods :).

foto: Roman Krajnik

It was also great to visit Cafe Kraft and recieved all value tips, 'tricks' and advices from Dicki and Patrick, who definitely know what they are doing. Sure, because it would be too much to remember them all in just a session or two, we got a nice present to remeber those excercises at home (book Gimme Kraft ;) .

foto: Roman Krajnik

Well, summed up, they were great two days spend with adidasoutdoor!

foto: Roman Krajnik

a little bite of rock climbing :)

In between training there come a time for a little break from plastics and time for some of rock climbing. Unfortunately, by weather and routes like this, not really long enough. :(

As you maybe noticed (on Slovenia climbing team fb profile), part of the team took a trip to Font, but another one, more lead oriented staid at home and moved to a weekend on Slovenian coast to Mišja peč/Osp.

Focus and plan wasn't to realize nothing hard (even, that I feel quite ready to:), but to climb as much as possible, enjoy and get a bit of different break between training.

So, I've climbed plenty of routes about 8a, 8b and so on... some of them I visited for first time, some reclimbed and with some just closed up 'unfinished business' from last years.

It was a good weekend spend on Mišja peč/Osp classics, which I definitly reccomend to you ;)

First IFSC world climbing camp in Central Saanich (Canada)

About a week ago, I have an opportunity to cooperate on first world climbing camp. So what it was?

It was a 3 day educational-competition event for youth climbers, competitors, their coaches and all, who wants to get some extra information about (competition) climbing and experience competition itself. You can also read, what they say about an event on their web-site**.

But, moreover, it was a time, where and when, all participants could get a personal touch with the best speed, lead and boulder climbers in the world, coaches and route setters, have an opportunity to talk and learn from them.

Adam Ondra talks to his group of climbers. Foto: 

The event itself was made like a 'camp'. On Friday and Saturday there was a time to get know each other (about 100 participants, from ages around 13 - 45, but mostly youth) and 11 'group leaders' (world cup climbers, officials and organizers*).

Little clinc - 'in the mind of routesetter (and competitors on other side)'

There was a time for different workshops, connected to competition, implemented by us. Like 'on-sighting' with Anam Ondra and Maja Vidmar, 'warming up for competition' with Sean McCall and Domen škofic, 'everyday obligations and training' with Sebastian Halenke and Charlotte Durif, 'in mind of route setter' with Adam Pustelnik, ...

On Saturday and Sunday, it was a time of competition. There were 6 categories, 3 for male and female; beginners, intermediate and advance climbers, divided in groups despite of their level of climbing provided on sign in application. Saturday was a time for 'flash' and Sunday for 'on-sight format'.

coach's work ...

There were also a speed qualifications and finals. All participants (including us), were required to do both - and we did :). My role (as a 'coach') was to take care of my group of participants (and optional also some others), warm them up, provide them all information what they need for comp, follow their climbing, collect results, talk and share some extra advices ect,... Interesting experience, which I hope I did well :)

Me, my help by leading a group - Anna McColl (glad to meet you) with part or our group (unfortunately some of them already had to leave home earlier ... :(

What was also interesting on this camp was, that competition routes were set and tested by us (world cup climbers), mentored by one of route setter. It was another great, unique and very value experience on this camp for me, about which, I could write for a while.

Settin my first route :)

Get to know, what like are other roles of things, you usually do, experience and challenge yourself in role the of coach, workshop holder, route setter, ... To see, if you could, can and actually want to do this after your career and sure, know to value a bit more, what others do to you during the comp. Stand on the other side of the competition field as usual, gives me a LOT!

The camp, was also a chance, when we can spend time and get know better other climbers, who we are meeting regularly on comps, but this time in an more relaxed environment and specially with more time to talk, climb and spend time together.

So, for me, it was kind of on unique, but a VERY successful event, with mix of climbing, learning, competition (for youth), leisure, but all in one, gaining a LOT's of precious and value knowledge and skills on both sides - participants and organizers as well!


Definetly something, what I am looking forward to repeat, if there will be another chance like this! :)




After all, we showed big support to CAC with grop T-shirt photo.



More fotos about an event you can find on facebook here (the circuit climbing), here (the boulders gym) ...


*Organizers: Kimanda Jarzebiak (main organizer), coach Roman Krajnik (SLO), international route setter Adam Pusteknik (POL), world cup competitors: Adam Ondra (CZE), Sean McColl (CAN), Domen Skofic (SLO), Sebastian Halenke (GER), Maja Vidmar (SLO), Mina Markovic (SLO), Helene Janicot (FRA), Charlotte Durif (FRA), Libor Hroza (CZE), Klaudia Buczek (POL), Aleksandra Rudzinska (POL)
**On web side page they wrote: ''Meet the world's top competition athletes, and learn from them! :) Spend the weekend with the top climbers on the world cup circuit in lead and speed, who will share their knowledge and experience with you. You'll attend workshops given by these top-ranked athletes, as well as international coaches and officials. Then you'll be assigned to a team led by one of the elite athletes, and compete alongside them in a fun lead and speed competition. ''

National award for sport climber of the year

As every year, also this year Slovenia alpine gives away awards for best mountaineer and sport climbing achievements for the past year.

For me, it was already 5th in the row, but it is always nice to receive a accomplishment and a throw a look back at the past season, before new fully starts. In the men's category, Jernej Kruder receives his first award. Congratulation also to best coach - Roman Krajnik all other team mates for great achievements in the past year and all strong youngsters, who definitely did a great job!

More, (unfortunately only in Slovenian) you can read here.

Talking about climbing ..

At the beginning of monuth I have been guest of two talk shows/interviews about climbing, life of an athlete, my view of climbing, achievements, ...

For both those events, I would like to thank for invitations to KŠK (klub študentov kranj) and PD Domžale (together with library Domžale).

Unfortunately, the events are already passed, but for all who missed it, couldn't come or just didn't know about it, it is still a chance to see it. About the content of the talk you can read here on this blog and here is a very nice link to the filmed version on you tube (unfortunately just in slovenian). Thanks to Borut Peršolja, the organizer and invitator of 'Gorniški vrčer Domžale' for this nice evening and memmories!

Training in January

I know I didn't post for quite a while, but it doesn't mean nothing was happening.

New aditional boulder wall in our national gym 'Verd' :D

Well, it is true, that after the competition season there are less things and events to write about. But still, it doesn't mean that there is less climbing.  It is even more! :) For all, who had been maybe wondering a bit, what I am doing at the moment I can give you a simple answer - training!

Sometimes alone with coach, sometimes together with other team members. With positive energy, good people, quality training and wall(s). I think this year we really found a perfect balance and the way to work! And it is pleasure to come back on training(s) every day! What it will brings, we will see. But I believe, it could be something good for all of us! :)

What I would also like to add and give thanks about at this place is, a great new additional boulder in our national gym. So, thanks to adidas outdoor and all volunteers (coaches) to put it together for us! :)

Till next time, have fun and climb strong! ;)
bye, mina