On Saturday 9 June I will participate on the IFSC European Youth Cup in Voiron (FRA).
You can follow the competition on Live Streaming. http://www.eyc-voiron.com/
Qualification for me starts at 14 h and should be finished at 17 h
Finals at 21 h 15
EYC Moscow (25-27/5/12)
On Friday we left with 5 climbers from Belgium for the second EYC 2012 in Moscow.
It was a nice adventure to travel with the metro through Moscow.
Qualifications
The first qualification route I could top out together with 3 other girls. I could also top the second route with 6 other girls. In my age group were only 9 climbers so we all went to the finals.
Maëlys Gillart (female youth B) climbed really well and was qualified for the finals! Also William Frimout and Loïc Timmermans (both male youth A) were qualified. Unfortunately Koen Baekelandt was just 11th.
The competition wall (Photo: Dmitry Sushpanova)On Saturday we had a day off so we went to visit Moscow. We saw the Red Square which was really beautiful. It was great!
Belgian Team
THIS IS NOT MY SPORT 🙁
On Sunday Maëlys finished 5th in the finals! William became 7th.
Junior female had the same final route as us and in the iso I discussed the route a bit with Tina Johnson Hafsaas (NOR). Juniors climbed first and the shouts of the spectators learned me that only Tina topped the route (the iso was next to the competition wall).
I had to climb last in Youth A and I knew that two girls had topped because of the public. A new European rule says that there is NO COUNTBACK anymore when there is a tie in the final, only the climbing time counts. So I knew what I had to do since suddenly my sport changed from lead climbing to lead-speed. The final route was surprisingly easy and I raced through the route to win the competition. I’m not so happy with this victory because it’s not fair towards the other girls that topped too and no fun either. My sport is lead climbing.
I hope the European Council will delete this rule.
Podium EYC Moscow
Loïc also had to climb last in the final. He knew no one had topped because he had heard them all falling and hitting the wall. So for him it was a real lead competition. He climbed very well and won!
I am happy that I could go to Moscow. It was really nice to be there and it was a great experience!
Nice pictures on this Russian site
EYC Edinburgh (19-20/5/12)
The first EYC 2012 was held in Edinburgh (Scotland). I am now climbing in youth A (age group 16-17).
The qualifications went well, although I climbed too slow in the first route and I had a time-out. The second route was in the overhang. I could top out and I liked it very much.
Chloé Caulier climbed really strong! She topped the first route, but unfortunately she also had a time-out. She topped the second route too! Julia Chanourdie topped both routes.
Celine Cuypers (youth B, 14-15 years old) climbed fantastic in her first international competition. She topped both qualification routes!
Celine Cuypers (Photo: Yves Guérit)
There were 5 climbers from Belgium in the finals: Sébastien Berthe, Loïc Timmermans, Chloé Caulier, Celine Cuypers and me.
My final route was again in the overhang and it was really great. In the middle I did not see a foothold, but I managed to pass. I touched the final hold and won the competition. I am happy and thankfull! Salomé Romain (FRA) became 2nd and Julia Chanourdie (FRA) 3rd.
In my final route (Photo: Denis Timmermans)
Chloé Caulier climbed very well! She climbed as high as the 4th, but because of the new European rule of time she became 5th. Celine Cuypers became 3rd, which is really amazing! Loïc Timmermans became 3rd in the male youth A and Sébastien Berthe became 7th in juniors male.
Chloé Caulier (Photo: Denis Timmermans)
It was a great competition! In the Belgian team we were with 18 climbers. Afterwards we went walking in the Scottish Highlands which was really nice!
Belgian Team (Photo: Yves Guérit)
Petzl Lead & Speed (5/5/12)
The Belgian Championships adults were held in Entre Ciel et Terre, a great climbing gym in Louvain-la-Neuve.
In the qualifications I could top out the first route together with other girls. Maëlys Gillart and Celine Cuypers topped too, they are actually too young for this competition but could take part for the experience.
I found the second route very difficult but I could top it out together with Mathilde Brumagne. Unfortunately she was 2 seconds out of time.
In the final route the beginning was already very hard. I climbed up to a point where I hesitated to cross over. I got pumped and I fell in the next move. Mathilde Brumagne was very strong. She climbed almost up to the top, which is really great! She became Belgian Champion! I became 2nd and Chloé Caulier became 3rd.
Celine and Maëlys climbed very strong! Maëlys became 5th and Celine 4th.
In the male finals the route was also very hard. Loïc Timmermans became Belgian Champion. Jurgen Lis climbed also very strong and became 2nd. Jonathan Thomas became 3rd.
In speed Jurgen Lis became Belgian Champion with a very fast time! I won the female speed, Magali Hayen became 2nd and Chloé Caulier 3rd. It was sad for Emilie Guérit who injured herself during speed.
Report and photos at Belclimb (in French and Dutch) and Climb2Climb (in French).
Photographer: Hube
Easter holidays 2012
Together with my parents I went rock climbing in France during Easter holidays. Before we left I sent a mail to my friend Julia Chanourdie from France to ask her if it was possible to climb in La Chambotte in this season. This is a great climbing area not so far from where she lives. She answered me that we could maybe climb together and the family Chanourdie invited us at their home!
Julia, Anak, Lucie (Julia’s sister), Lise (Julia’s mother)
The beautiful view on the lake
Sunday April 1st
We went climbing with the family Chanourdie in La Chambotte, with its beautiful view on the lake. I climbed together with Julia and she showed me the nice routes! First we warmed up in two 7a’s and later on we climbed ‘Babouin’. The first part is a 7c and when you climb further it is an 8a. The Chanourdies helped me and I could climb the first part flash. I fell in the second part. Julia also showed me a beautiful 8b named Tartine. She and her father helped me to work it out. Julia also climbed very strong and worked out a really hard 8c. Thank you Julia that we could climb together!!
Julia in Babouin 8a
Working out Tartine 8b
Monday April 2nd
I could climb Babouin in La Chambotte. I found it really hard! I also worked out Tartine 8b again.
La Chambotte Babouin 8a
Babouin 8a
Tuesday April 3th
We had a rest day and went to visit the family of Chloé Graftiaux in Chambéry.
Marie and me
Wednesday April 4th
Rainy day. We went climbing in La Balme. This is a great climbing area where you can climb when it rains. It is only 2 minutes walking and there is a big cave with lots of tufas. I climbed a 7a and I worked out a famous 7b+ named Cathédrale. I found it very hard and I could climb it in the first attempt.
La Balme Cathédrale 7b+
The cave in La Balme
Thursday April 5th
We drove to La Chambotte again and I did three attempts in Tartine. I fell two times on a very hard move halfway and the third time a little bit further.
Tartine 8b
My father
Friday April 6th
We decided to climb another day in La Chambotte. I did 2 attempts in Tartine and I could hold the hold where I fell on yesterday. Afterwards I did another attempt and I fell a few moves further. In total I did 7 attempts and I always went a little bit further. Every time I learned something new or I found another method. The last attempt I fell almost at the top, 2 moves away from the belay. I was really tired and I was a bit disappointed, but I liked the route!
A beautiful lizard we saw at the crag
La Chambotte
Saturday April 7th
We had a restday and in the afternoon it started to rain again. We washed our clothes in a laundry and we drove to St. Léger du Ventoux. When we arrived we saw that the parking where you can camp free was full of people! It was the weekend of Easter and there were a lot of climbers.
Sunday April 8th
On the parking of the climbing area we met a group of climbers from Belgium including my friend Celine Cuypers. She went climbing together with us. We went to the sector FFMeuh. It was great that I could help my friend by explaining the moves of ‘FFMeuh’ (7c+) to her. She worked out the route and she topped in in her 1st attempt!! Congratulations! She climbed really strong despite of the cold and the hard wind. I worked out an 8b/8b+ named ‘Le mur des cyclopes’. It was really cold!
Celine Cuypers FFMeuh 7c+
Monday April 9th
We went again to the sector FFMeuh. I did an attempt in the 8b/8b+ and I passed the hard start and I could climb up to the crux at the top of the route. In the crux I could do the first really hard move and then I placed my foot on a foothold that did not look solid. I thought: “Maybe this foothold can brake.” And indeed it broke when I placed my foot on it so I fell. I was allready really tired and I was thankfull that I could climb so high. On my second attempt I passed the hard start again and this time I climbed through the crux and topped out. Thanks to all the climbers who cheered me on! I was really happy and thankfull!
Le mur des cyclopes 8b/8b+
Tuesday April 10th
This day we had a restday again. We bought food and we went to a great place near the river the ‘Toulourenc’.
Wednesday April 11th
My mother became ill and my father and I went to the sector ‘Face sud’ because it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. English climbers explained me the moves of the 8a/8a+ ‘Slip bouse’. I worked it out and I found it really hard. I could top out in the first attempt. Afterwards I worked out the 8a ‘Hilti Blues’ with the help of friendly climbers from Germany. There were really difficult moves and I also found it very hard. I also could top out in the first attempt.
Saint Léger du Ventoux Face sud
Thursday April 12th
We went again to the ‘Face sud’. They said that it would rain but the sun was shining and it was great weather for climbing! We met Rafa and Anne-Lyn and Muriël Sarkany. I tried to work out an 8c named ‘En voie dur Simone’ but this was too hard for me. The beginning was really difficult and overhanging with far moves and very small holds. After this I worked out the beginning of an 8a named ‘Quelques instants au bord du monde’ with the help of a French climber. Then I climbed the whole route.
Trying the 8c
Friday April 13th
We drove up North to visit our family who was on holidays for skiing. I could even ski a little bit (my first time outdoors). My aunt lives there and showed me how to ski.
Saturday April 14th
We drove back to La Chambotte because I wanted to try Tartine again. It was raining and misty but we went to the crag anyway hoping that Tartine was dry enough to climb but water was seeping through the rock and many holds where wet. Impossible to climb. I was a bit dissapointed but there will be a reason that I could not try the route this time.
It were great holidays and I am thankfull for everything I received!
Belgian National Youth Competitions 2012
Belgian Youth Cup (21 and 28 January 2012)
The first competition of the Belgian Youth Cup took place in Klimax (Puurs). A lot of climbers participated. I could top out the qualification routes. The final route was hard, but I could top out for which I am very happy. Chloé Caulier became 2nd and Manon Matheys 3rd.
Photo: Denis Timmermans
The second competition took place in l’Escale (Arlon). It was a great competition and together with Chloé Caulier I could top out the qualification routes. The second one I climbed too slow, I did only have 1 second left! The final route was very hard and technical. It went well but the last move was very difficult. I fell into the tophold and my feet came of the wall but I was very happy that I could top out. Chloé Caulier did a very good attempt to top the route but unfortunately she fell at the last move. She became 2nd and Manon Matheys became 3rd.
The Podium in Klimax
My friend Celine Cuypers also won the Belgian Youth Cup in Youth B!
Upcoming competition
Edingburg
End of may