5th Eybl Bouldernightcup

Hey :-)

This post is about the 5th Bouldernightcup in the Cac gym which I already mentioned in my last post about the comp in Hallein. This competition is always great fun because it takes place in "our" gym and as it's just a fun comp nobody takes it too serious. Apart from that it's the first climbing event I've participated in. About 3 years ago I just tried my luck because I wanted to know how strong I am. At this comp there are always three categories: Hobby mixed, Profi female and Profi male. There are some problems which are only for the hobby climbers and some which are only for the pros, additionally there are always a couple of blue holds which make the boulders a bit easier for the hobby climbers. I think that's a great mode because the hobby climbers basically try the same problems like the stronger competitors, they simply may use some more holds, therefore it's a comp for everyone. However, back then I started in the hobby class and the problems challenged me quite a bit despite the blue holds. When I first started in the Profi class I finished with 2 or three bonuses after a 70 minutes battle :-D (there are always three groups that climb 3 times 20 minutes and once for 10 minutes). Ok I have to stop now before I get too nostalgic xD. The last two times I've participated I've always made finals, consequently it was my goal to at least qualify for the final round at 21:30. Apart from that I wanted to climb well after my poor performance in Hallein one week ago. My plan to climb confidently and quickly took off and I manged to get 5 tops out of 8 after the first twenty minutes :-).

Me in one of the tougher qualifiers

During the next 20 minutes I managed to do the 3 remaining problems so I finished the qualification round after 35 minutes with 8 tops in 13 tries which positioned me on 2nd place. I was very pleased with the result and confident for the final round.

Another problem of the qualification round

While the others were still climbing I took some rest. At 21:15 we had to go to Isolation. Then there was the presentation of the athletes. (8 for Profi male and 4 for Profi female, in the hobby class there are no finals...) Next, there was the inspection of the four final problems. The first problem was set in a 60° degree wall starting of on two neon pink jugs leading to a huge grey cornet followed by a purple jugy volume. The topout looked pretty standard. The second problem doesn't look any more complicated. Basically it was a traverse from the right to the left on a vertical wall, finishing with a long undercling section on a grey volume.

Inspecting the second final boulder

The third boulder was the only one which looked more tricky. It started on two volumes followed by two green slopy side pulls, leading to 2 similar volumes with several possibilities to hold on. The tophold was a round ball attached to the ceiling. The fourth problem looked straight forward again. It started on two big volumes. Leading into a roof with a top out on a slightly overhanging wall. I decided to start on the fourth boulder. We climbed alternately 4 guys, 4 girls, 4 guys... When it was my turn I went out chalked my hands and took off. I didn't take the time to check the moves once again. The first move was a dynamic lock off to a slopy undercling in the roof. When I reached the second hold I repositioned my feet and made the long cross move to the second hold in the roof, a green sloper which was attached to a grey spherical volume. From this position I jumped out to grab a multicolored crimp around the roof edge.

grabbing the multicolored hold around the roof edge

Then I put a heel hook on the green sloper on the grey volume to cross over to a yellow pinch.

Reaching for the yellow pinch

I matched hands on the pinch and repositioned my feet then I grabbed the second last hold with my left on its top. It was a slopy pinch. Until now I climbed fluently without thinking but then I got stuck. The top jug was on the left side of the wall and  neither I could cross nor match hands on the slopy pinch to make the last move to the left.

Hopeless position in the final

After hanging around for more that 1 minute at this positions I fell off the wall. I was quite fed up and pumped. Although there was enough remaining time I didn't manage to top the boulder. In the isolation zone I tried to encourage me for the next final problem. It was the boulder in the 60° overhanging wall. I was still a little bit pumped, nevertheless I managed to top that one after falling three times at the dynamic move from the cornet to the jug-shaped volume. 

The first long move on the spectacular final boulder

Preparing for the long reach to the purple feature

The next final was the traverse on the vertical wall. On my first try I fell at the cross move to the bonus hold.

squeezing the yellow pinch

In my second go I briefly matched the yellow pinch which made it a little bit easier to grab the bonus hold which was a bad crimp. Then I jumped to the undercling volume and placed my feet on the tiny footholds. I was really determined at that point. I managed to grab the grey volume on the top which gave me a little easing of tension. Next, I wanted to match hands on top of the volume. Unfortunately it was really slippery and I fell unexpectedly. Due to the length of the traverse (about 14 moves) I was quite pumped. So I didn't manage to top that one.

Very close to the top

The last final boulder was the only one which looked not that obvious. I tried it several times but I couldn't stick the second green slopy sidepull. I was simply to pumped and later it turned out that I used a wrong approach. 

Struggling with the last final boulder

So I finished on 6th position with 1 top in 4 tries and 3 bonuses in 6 tries (full results: http://www.wettklettern.org/index.php?Mode=ShowErgebnis&BewerbId=189&Detail=1&KlassenID=0) At first I was a little bit disappointed because I didn't manage to stay on my second place but then I was quite pleased with the result. After the competition I helped the routesetting team that did a great job by the way, to set some problems for the kids bouldering comp which took place the next morning.

Uhhps that post got a bit long ^^ I hope you still like it! Feel free to comment :-) 

Keep climbing :-)