Good combinations: Les 12 heures de Durnal & Youth lead 2

Some people know me for doing 'stupid' combinations. For example the National Youth Championships the day after the BOTS (a 21 hours long adventure race). I wouldn't call these combinations stupid, but rather: good working combinations. The hard activity on the first day makes me satisfied and the second day I am tired so that my expectations are low. This results in a competition with a low stress-factor and - as it turns - good results.

Last weekend was again a good example. On Saturday Eli and me accepted the challenge "Les 12 heures de Durnal", in which you have to climb for 12 hours (no shit) and try to make as many attitude meters as possible. Our goal was to make fun and to try to reach the 1000 meters. The first goal was definitely achieved, the second goal just missed by 30 meters.

After the BBQ we went to the climbing gym Yellow Stone in Roosendaal, where Sunday the Youth Lead 2 was hold. After asking if it was allowed to put our tent next to the gym the staff laughed at us and said that it was no problem at all (one of the guys also slept in his van next to the gym). Climbers are great people :-)

Sundaymorning everyone was jealous of us, not having to wake up early and not having to travel to the gym this morning. The qualification routes were looking fun and not too hard and without having too much trouble I topped both. In the afternoon I started to feel the day before and in the isolation I fell asleep. This turned out to be a perfect power nap and the final route went good although I didn't felt that strong. Thirst place!

Lead 3, Monte Cervino Bergschenhoek

Last weekend was the Lead 3 in Monte Cervino, Bergschenhoek. I was looking forward to this competition, not only because I like their routes most times, but even more to see everone again after the summer holiday.

The summer holiday was great. Not many hard routes were done, but the hikes, bouldering, multipitches and just being in the mountains for five weeks made it a perfect holiday. Other good news is that I got my propedeuse, which proves that it is possible to manage training, being a board member and university.

Back to the competition, after arriving in Monte Cervino I felt very excited, happy to see everyone and I was really looking forward to climb. It was a pity when I saw that the first qualification route was not overhanging, with lots of small crimpers. Completely not my style. I tried to think back to some of last summer's multipitches, in which were also many small crimps. I also climbed those, so why not this route? Still not really convinced, but having a bit more trust in myself, I stepped in the route. I was crawling on the wall very slowly, close to falling many times. With only 13 seconds (of 8 minutes) left on the clock I clipped the top quickdraw. Yihea!
The second route was more made for me, cruising through the overhang with positive holds and not too long moves. I fell in the end because I didn't really saw where to go. In the second place I went to the finals.
Ending in a high place after the qualifications always makes me nervous. I want to keep that high place but there is more to loose. This time was no exception. Being nervous makes me look at routes in a way that I only see problems. "Oh Noo! So long moves, I don't know if I can clip the quickdraw from there... What if that hold is bad?" This makes me way less motivated to climb the route. So when I stepped in the route I was scared of falling around the second quickdraw, where was a long move from two underclings to a hold on a module. Arriving at that point I decided that jumping is better that doubting and I suprised myself with a jump. After succesfully passing this point I felt more relaxed and I was way more confident. Climbing and jumping through the route I ended up pumped at the end of the overhanging part. With no more force to hold the grips, I fell. Enough to keep my second place!

I am very happy that it was possible to change my static climbing style into a more dynamic style and I am very psyched to get even more dynamic, faster and stronger :D

Training modus is on for the NK!

Lead 2

After a intense period at the university I didn't had that much time to train, which made me feel quite insecure about the Lead 2. Am I still good enough to reach the finals? How is it with my strength and endurance? With all those questions in my head I went to Mountain Network Amsterdam, where the competition was hold.

I don't know what exactly happened there. Maybe it was magic, maybe I am just stronger than I thought I am, but suddenly the climbing went great! The first qualification wasn't that hard so - as most other girls - I topped that one. The second route looked way harder and more dynamic. Not really my style but I made the best of it and really enjoyed the route. Falling high up in the route made me secure for a place in the finals.
The final route was a long route through the overhang. No far moves, new very grippy holds and movements which fit me pretty good. Perfect! After the overhanging part my foothook slipped off which made me come back to the ground. But I felt really happy with my performance and the 2nd place!

Results:
Woman:
1. Nikki van Bergen
2. Aniek Lith
3. Eva Vink

Men:
1. Tim Reuser
2. Mark Brand
3. Casper ten Slijthof

NSK 2015

Last weekend the National Student Championships (NSK) sports climbing were hold in Eindhoven. The really nice routes, all the happy, enthousiastic students and the big prizes contributed something which was a great event!

In the qualification round there were 22 routes, from level 4 up to a 7b. For every route you got 1 try and your best 4 routes counts for the score. By onsighting the 7b I managed to get easily in first place to the semi-finals.
Besides climbing there were also some side-events. One of them was coloring a drawing, so at one moment you saw all the tough climbers painting :) Other side-events were figure of 8, dynamic quickdraw and climbing in pairs. Although I was pretty horrible in them, they were very funny.

The semi-final was a pink route through the roof, it didn't looked so difficult and without any trouble I climbed it, as 4 others did. Hopefully they made the finals a bit harder!

And they did! There were some nice shaped holds in the route which I didn't knew before. I thought they were quite OK, but it turned out to be horrible slopers. After dragging myself through that sloper section my right arm was so pumped that I fell off the next hold.

This was enough for the first place! They made an awesome podium with for numbers 2 and 3 a big ball to sit on and for the number 1 a hanging chair :)

Looking forward already to the next NSK!

Lead 1, Nieuwegein

*English below*

De kop is eraf! Allereerst die van de (chocolade) paashaas in Odenwald, die een val van een rotsblok niet overleefde. Vervolgens ook die van het nationale lead seizoen, afgelopen zondag in Nieuwegein!

De paasdagen dus doorgebracht in Odenwald, Duitsland. Een prachtige omgeving met veel verschillende klimmogelijkheden. Helaas regende het de eerste dag maar de twee daaropvolgende dagen heerlijk geboulderd en trad geklommen. Conclusies die getrokken konden worden na dit weekend: een paashaas kan beter niet van een rots'glijbaan' naar beneden, van een oud matras kan je prima crashpads maken en van paaseitjes een standplaats!

Bij de eerste lead westrijd in Nieuwegein was het prachtig weer buiten, wat ik niet kon weerstaan. Op de fiets naar de klimhal dus! Na 50 km had ik een goede warming-up achter de rug en stond ik in de klimhal. De bouwers hadden mooie routes gebouwd en het klimmen ging lekker. In de finaleroute verloor ik halverwege echter mijn concentratie, waarna ik uit de route viel. Zonde maar tevreden over het algemene klimmen die dag.




The head is off! First the one of the (chocolate) easter bunny in Odenwald, who didn't survived a fall from a rock. Later also that of the national lead season, last sunday in Nieuwegein!
So we spent the easter days in Odenwald, Germany. A beautiful area with many different climbing opportunities. Unfortunately it rained the first day but the next two days where full of nice bouldering and trad climbing. Conclusions that could be drawn after this weekend: an easter bunny could better not been thrown down from a rock slide, from an old mattress you could make a nice crashpad and from easter eggs a anchor!
During the first lead competition in Nieuwegein the weather was beautiful outside, which I couldn't resist.So going by bike to the gym!After 50 km I've had a good warming-up and arrived in the gym. The routesetters did a really good job by making nice routes and my cimbing went well. Unfortunately I lost my concentration in the finals, which made me fall. That was a pitty, but I am satisfied about the general day :)