The Fanatic Search 2 - A Girl Thing (2011) Movie Script
A GIRL THING
In the beginning, as we well know, man placed his seed in the womb of the woman.
Millions of spermatozoa, a torrent, a raging river... all would die, except one!
THE BIRTH
My name is Brooke, I'm 9 years old and I love climbing...
My mother was champion of the world four times, so I guess I just started a bit like that...
Are we ready?
Yeah, it's been a long time I started, I was about one
From I started to walk
I started just by the inspiration of my mom climbing
She never falls when I belay her...
I like it all
I like to onsight routes, here ... it's been a lot of time
So, there is not much more for me to on sight, but the 6s
Do you want me to undo these things?
So how was it? Not too hard?
My daughter, she's a fanatic, she's really addicted, she needs a lot of it, and she never stops.
She is for me an amazing kid of cause. Cause she's mine. But she's different also and very smart.
She loves school, and one of the reasons she is really good at school, because she's a hard worker the teachers can tell you.
Every one admitted say that her strongest quality is that
she never gives up, and she always wants more, and it's the same in sports
She is a climber and a gymnast
And it's often really hard to get her to leave the gym, to come down from the routes.
She wants more and sometimes it ends in tears because I say "no, stop!"
We are going home now, and you need to pack your bag, the day is over, you still have homework,
we have to have a dinner, to take a bath ... she's a good getter. Yeah
A lot of people ask me why do my kids love to climb
and why do they seem to be as passioned by exactly what I am passioned by.
I don't really have the answer because I have two kids and they are both really passioned by climbing. I think it's magic.
It's a magic for us as a family, and I feel really lucky but I don't think that I did anything specific to make them love climbing.
I think it's who they are and climbing was their thing
They came in contact with climbing in a very young age, it worked for them,
it made them feel strong, it gave them the confidence,
All the things it's given to me, it gave to them
and I think magically it work for all of us.
I train a lot, especially in the winter. Mostly inside; not too much outdoors, we train 3 or 4 times a week.
There is no secret. A lot of people say "what you do?" And I say "don't push your children to climb". If they wanna climb, they'll climb.
Make it fun, keep it fun, it has to be a game.
Hello, could I have enough Toulousan sausages for five?
It's for a film on rock climbing. Even at Shopi they film you; they really think completely of you!
Yes, but why at Shopi?
Why not? Because Shopi is the best!
Look up there!
It's up there where we're going to climb?
Yup, on "BigBang"
is it hard?
Yup, it's a 7c+
And you've already worked on it?
Yes, twice
Oh no, she's cut both her hands...
ow, it really hurts!
Let's rinse them... okay?
I've got a good pinch!
You've got a good pinch? Great... I've got a good undercling
Mom, can I put in the draws?
It's your job to put in the quickdraws?
No, normally it's my mother's but this time I'm going to do it
First I take this, then the pinch, there's a little sloper thing, um, maybe a bit better than a sloper... after I... uh...
Hold on, you've lost me there!
Go on Shawn, you'll figure it out alone
I don't understand anything that you've said, okay?
Ok...
I take the undercling, there is an undercling... uh... nobody does it like me...
There are these small holds, with a few long reaches
Yeah, I can get scare sometimes, but after I fall, I am not that scared.
Oh! I blew it!
Yeah, you slipped a little... Good, you can optimize this section. You don't really know this climb very well
I can't always know what I have to do
Like this with the left hand, it's good!
I'm often surprise by the motivation the kids have. They can be as motivated as an adult.
But I think they have all the same tools that we have as adults
but they are kids and it's a game for them. They love it, they just want more.
They can go again and they are not tired. We are tired, they are not tired. There's the evolution.
But Mom, I feel like you're giving me too much slack!
Ow, I took it in the eye! The quickdraw!
This quickdraw's bothering me!
It's going to be tough linking it up...
Take!
Well, what do you think, will it happen?
Yup, it's gonna be tough!
It's always like this, you know. I wait hours to climb when I'm with the kids, then I'm super pressed to get a route in!
Two sessions later, Brooke succeed leading "BigBang", her second 7c+. Two weeks after that, she did her first route graded 8a in Rodellar, she's the youngest girl to reach this level!
Oh no! I blew it!
THE ART AND THE WAY
I began when I was very young, mostly in alpinism, thanks to my dad;
and soon after, I was taken quickly by cragging and the game of progressing...
The routes and the sends that bring to me the most are the esthetic lines.
That is where I get the most pleasure in climbing, notably in the Gorges du Verdon, in the Tarn...
When I was about ten, I started competing and immediately took to it, because it added an element of spice to the activity.
Looking back now, I realize that very quickly, I had achieved a pretty good level for my age.
But at that time I didn't realize, I just climbed and did well; I was super motivated by the game and to get better at it.
The first year that I could do international competitions, in 2004, I was world champion.
That had impressed me because I wasn't in the best of my form,
and winning my first world championships had been something very important for me.
And the first year I was senor over classed, I won the European Championship
Second to the last finalist, the most decorated female competitor of all time, 5 times world champion,
she had been European Champion in the Senior coming from first year Cadette category,
she took it all, and great at the cliff as well,
let's hear it for Charlotte Durif of France!
And now in my first year as a real senior, I won my first World Cup in Chamonix this summer.
The winner tonight, Charlotte Durif!
Well, the Pic St. Loup is a huge hole!
An enormous overhanging cave hidden on a cliff that you can't see,
You get there by abseil and you discover an immense cave,
in the middle of nowhere.
I like to climb on sight because I succeed at it,
in fact I think that it's my climbing style that allows me to well adapted to on sight climbing.
And since I don't like to return to my climbs once I've had a shot on them, I prefer the on sight.
To do this 8c on sight, it was really just luck!
It was never even one of my goals to climb 8c on sight; it was more like "that will never happen!"
...And then finally you progress and in the order of things you tell yourself "and if one day you reach that level?"
The route itself, "Les Rois du Petrole", it goes where the cliff is the most overhanging,
a line pretty obvious, with a section that is nearly a roof.
It's a huge overhang which eases up very slowly... and you begin on these big balls,
you climb between them, you jam your toes, your heels...
It fit me well, there were a lot of knee bars, it's a climb of endurance even though it's very physical,
it suited me well even if there were several spots that I could see myself falling.
So there it is; a combination of being in good shape, a bit of luck and to find a nice line.
My father helps me a lot, seeing that he's followed me since I was very young,
that he observes and accompanies me, he sets my limits as well,
If he knows that I set for myself certain goals, he'll do everything to help, he knows what I need.
I feel that I don't climb at all in the same way when I'm with him.
I'm used to passing a lot of time with him, and when he belays me I can really focus on what I'm doing.
I don't ask myself "is my belayer sick of holding the rope for me, is he really focused on what I'm trying to do?..."
It relieves me of a lot of distractions.
I didn't feel too bad and I told myself "okay, I'll go take a turn in the 8c", but without any thought at all of doing it on sight.
And so you begin to climb and you realize that it's going well, that it fits you, that it's not to complicated to read,
well, I was able to work it out pretty easily... You start to really put up a good fight and it works,
and all of a sudden you tell yourself "okay, I have to tempt my luck, I have to go right to the end" ...And there it is,
like that, just under the anchor... I was completely wasted and I said to myself "I can do this just once in my life",
It was a beautiful experience and when you clip the belay its a huge relief,
because you tell yourself "you did it, you found your route, you jumped on the occasion"...
It was really an opportunity not to miss, a beautiful opportunity.
Fuck, I can't go on!
I didn't really realize, in fact, it's not to do an 8c on sight, it's not really... that doesn't bring me that much,
it's more to have climbed a super line...
Well, yeah, to climb for example an 8a+ or an 8c on sight, there's not much of difference for me...
Well, afterward I can say this but on the spot I was... uh... I told myself "Wow, now what have I just done?"
So with hindsight, I tell myself "good is good"
...uh ...it was really a beautiful climb and if it had been an 8a+ I would have been just as happy.
When I clipped the belay I said to myself: "Yup, a send, I did it on sight",
after I lowered off my father said "fucking bravo", he high five me and I said "yeah, thanks", and then "oh yeah, really, not bad!"
And then you look back at the route, it's impressive, it's daunting,
it's ...yeah, nice job, I'm happy!
THE CAREFREENESS
I love it here, the landscape and everything, it's beautiful!
I like France, the french, the people... yeah it's true, it's cool!
Yep, half of it is motivation.
Usually I'm not training, no diet, on the contrary... I don't know, I'm just living!
I love life too much! I like good wine, eat a good meal, do what I want to do.
I like to eat good stuff, to cook... Life's little pleasures, I like it! After climbing, you finish your day, you do something else,
you start cooking, nice meals, you take your time, it helps your mind to escape, it's just awesome!
Yep, I like that too!
So Nina, today, your first big attempt, how do you feel?
Great, I'm really motivated... it's a bit warm out, but I'll have to deal with it anyways, there's no other choice... No it's cool, motivated!!!
The first pitch is at least 40 meters, 8a+...
Noooooooo!!!!! I'm no!!! Fuck, Nooooo!!!!! I've got no strength!!!
Fuck it!
Melissa: Don't worry, you have all the time you need
It's so hot!
Year, and it's my last day here. I had to do it today! Ah, I was so stressed!
Second Try - 1 hour later...
I almost fell right at the top! I'm completely knackered and there's still 4 pitches to go! Yeah, it's cool!
The second one is all small, a very physical 8a with little columns, bam bam bam!
It's pretty strenuous, very overhanging... it demands a lot!
I just forced my way through it! It's the pressure to link it up. I know why I suck at competions, I just can't deal with the pressure.
Two, that's done! Still three to go...
I don't feel good now, I don't feel good!!!
Melissa supported me, we took everything, even playing cards; we prepared food, we were taking big rests after hard pitches.
Here we're not as comfortable!
What are you doing there!?
Crosswords, to keep busy, waiting for madam to recuperate.
She's teaching me!
We're not yet in those pitches there... In the climbing spirit...
Actually, when I was working on it, I thought I would never be able to lead this thing, it's too hard and it's too abrasive on the fingers!
My God, this battle! I didn't want to fall!
Yep, the summit is there!
Off belay! Oh my God, that's so cool!!
There it is, number four! That's done, So cool!!
Off belay!
Great, this pitch was really just pure pleasure, no more stress, nothing...
and I don't even feel tired, it's great...
When you're trying a long route, you think: "Do it!", I was extremely motivated, and you don't get tired 'cause you're always thinking:
"It isn't finished yet, the end is on top".
It's something I really wanted to do, and I only had this one day to do it, and I had to do it! It was important to me!
I was really motivated to have a big project, a long route, 'cause everything is necessary, not just strength in your arms;
really everything, you have to manage the exposure, the rope handling... it's hard but I
Well, that's done!
You get here, at the top, with the sun, so, so cool!!
Thanks for this beautiful route!
Melissa, I get on so well with her, I really like her and...
Fuck! I wanna kill you!! This is so heavy!
In my opinion, the partner is half of the climbing experience, she got sick of it sometimes, it was getting very annoying for her,
but she wanted me to succeed, and it's cool to feel that.
Pfff, that was so hard, I can't do it anymore!
I've gotta go now, otherwise she's gonna kill me! Come on pal, I pulled all that I could...
No, I had the feeling you weren't pulling me at all! Look at this!
...Well done!
Still alive!
My God, I felt like a whale! I weighed at least 50 kilos more than my normal weight!
I couldn't do it, I was thinking: "Come on, help me! I can't pull on these fucking crimps!"
God, it was awful... fuck!!
We did a good job, that's cool!
You've already done a lot of long routes, no?
Yep , I've done quite a few, but actually, I've never really led long climbs.
I often went on them, fell, and never took the time afterwords to come back and work on them...
But yeah, I have many to do, a lot and a lot and a lot!!
THE LOVE
It is a real luck to discover climbing, it is so beautiful, it brought me everything, all the most beautiful things I have in my life,
except my family, climbing brought me everything.
To me, Oliana is the best crag in Catalunya today; it's a super, fantastic cliff.
All the routes I was able to lead at this cliff, from 8a to 8b+,
are without any doubt, five stars!
This year, my goal is to try a harder grade than where I am now; climb 8c, and I'm super motivated with this project!
I fell twice at the top of the route, I wasn't lucky...
but it isn't frustrating either because each time there's so much to climb, that it's a pleasure anyway.
I started climbing in the Canaries Islands, and where there are lots of passionate climbers; maybe more climbers than there is rock!
But when I started to leave the island and discovered Catalunya, with all it's potential, I told myself that I wanted to live there.
Why deprive myself and live far away from the best crags?
Being with someone like Chris, who's a real fanatic and above all, who doesn't spread out his projects, concentrating on one climb at a time,
without worrying about the investment needed, helped me to tell myself "Come on! I can be patient too and do something special"
It's awesome to live with someone like him. He shares with me his climbing, the moves on his projects,
and I do too, we never get tired of it! Well, actually, sometimes yes, like "Oh please, shut up!!"
I think I must be... "I know him" for other people. And Odaja is the same, she is like ... Every second talking about move on her project.
You are just like "OK, do your route, stop talking about".
It's really awesome to be able to climb with someone like him, it's a privilege, a luxury.
And by just watching him climbing, I learn things, he infuses me with things that I've never seen before, like facility and ease...
He also influenced me a lot to try to exceed my level,
and above all, his passion for climbing, that he transmits to you, Chris or people like Dani (Andrada).
She is really talented climber, you know climbing a lot of things,
but it's hard to have that discipline and like determination.
I wanna do this route. I have to try so many times, you know.
Usually, I don't really work on climbs, but with this one, I told myself I would give it some time.
No more leading climbs I know I can do anymore, but to do something which will completely occupy me, will be more important.
And that's the case for "FishEye". If I manage to lead it, no matter the time I will have used trying, it will be very rewarding.
It's cool, that will make our first 8c, that will be one of our routes.
It's cool because she is really psyched on this route. First time she is really focused like...
She is not getting frustrated. She just really loves the route, that's important for her. I think she's gonna do it.
This tee-shirt is beautiful on you!
Before like she, you know, all the moves, you know there is a lot of sections with so many hard moves on the route
so you can fall in so many places. No, she just climbing. It all really easily so.
It's cool, you could see how she really improved over the last two month, you know.
She really just loves to climb on that route, such a perfect route. Every time it's like a pleasure to go and try the route.
It's hard to try a route for a month, or two month, trying a route like a big project.
It's easier to go and try a lot of routes and do maybe three tries and you have this feeling... satisfaction.
But it is really the satisfying thing to really see how far you could climb, how hard you could climb...
Yeah, it's amazing route!
It's cool she had some different blocks in the route, just following this first section in the blue rock.
She gets this on her clings. She fell their like five times or something... and then
she made it through, she stuck it twice and fell after, and now she did it ...two times to the last move.
Cool like every time she is progressing.
I'm wasted!
She looks good there!
It's a crazy route because at the very top it is a really tricky and balancy move on slopie small pocket.
After so much time climbing, it is like 50 meters... you get it to the top
You are concentrated and...
Crazy! Your first 8c!
My heart!
She had to work so hard to do it. It's cool to see that she finally made her goal.
She climbed really good, like... Perfect!
She killed it too... Not only like "do it", but "do it in a nice way", like really fucking very good.
She climbed fast too...
Not easy at all for her to see anything... like super solid!
What stress! Every time I placed my feet in holds I didn't usually use!
Awesome! You did it! Fuck! 8c!
Yeah! And this one in particular, no?
I feel great, seriously, as if I was lighter! I took off at least 50 kilos from my shoulders!
Today, when I got to the last hard move 50 meters off the ground, I thought I really didn't want to fall and do it all over again,
and it worked, and that's it, it's done!
I did 8c! Now I can have a baby, no?
Oups, that's recorded... yesterday, Chris told me: "First you do 8c, then we'll see!"
Ok! Get ready for tonight!!
THE SELF-SACRIFICE
Isn't mom's milk good with a bit of lactic acid?
Being a mother doesn't stop you from being passionate about climbing, look at Mariona, Berta...
It's only a question of choices, like everything else in life sometimes you'd like to do everything, sometimes you concentrate just one thing
life is long, and you have plenty of time to climb, be with your children, your friends, write, do what pleases you.
But you must be aware at the moment that you make these choices, to go to what pleases you most,
and not merely return to the same activities because of their familiarity.
If there's a time when you reduce your climbing to be with your kids, that's also extremely beautiful!
I think that not long after giving birth, you have some sort of special energy,
you can re-appropriate your body and climb very well, you get a hormonal release, and more!
Often I find that because climbing is an activity that is so absorbing, many other things pass right by me..
your nose glued to the rock all day long, your trips where the only objective is to climb, your circle of friends made up only of climbers.
I love climbing, and I would really like to pass the rest of my life climbing, all the years I can,
but it's also important to disconnect for sometime, it's also enriching to change,
not to stay always focused on the same thing, and that is true of having a kid, writing a book, taking a trip to Africa...
If something interests you, it's okay to reduce your climbing a little,
otherwise you retreat into life, just for climbing. Climbing is just one thing, right?
It's a story of choices... in life you take different paths, you open some doors and close others...
Having a child is like falling in love, is it bad not to fall in love?
No, you can live very happily without knowing this feeling even if I find beautiful to live it, to know love;
Being a mother is the same thing, is it bad not to become a mother?
No, and if you don't become one, you can be extremely happy with what you already have.
I think that it's an authentic and primary opportunity which is given to us by nature,
you connect all at once with your roots, with the earth, with nature... It's really beautiful,
I think it's the most beautiful thing given to me to experience.
I think that the bottom of the cliff is a great place for children, I read a lot of articles saying it is too dangerous, not adapted...
But I think that in this society, we try to overprotect our kids, forgetting that what is best for them is to be with their parents
and if they are always at the cliff, what a beautiful place to be with them!
I think it's far more dangerous to take them to daycare in your car.
When you're pregnant, your whole body changes, as does your climbing! But I climbed up to the 8th month,
and I also gained a lot of weight! I looked like a bomb and took on 20kg!
I was climbing pretty badly, but just being outside,
walking, doing a few easy climbs, helped me to feel good.
When you turn the soil, and when you let it sit for a while to then plant it... I think it's just like a woman's body.
When you're pregnant, your body rests, everything regenerates, tendons, muscles.
Then, with hormonal change, the joy of being with your child,
the desire to do what you couldn't do for months, everything is much better!
Over there my baby's crying!
When I climb, it's the only time that she stays calm, it's great!
That's it, that's what fear makes you do!
Argh! I'm so angry!
Geila, get out of there!
What am I doing? I'm going to climb to the top!
THE FRIENDSHIP
Like many years ago, in one magazine I saw photo of ?Carina? on this route. And then "ok", I had it somewhere in myself,
and then a month ago, I get e-mail from Mariona.
"I saw the photo of one really good, would you like to try it with me?" And so the story start.
What makes the route even bigger is that it is just one route in the whole this part of the world.
That you have to walk, I don't know, Crau said 45 minutes, but we were walking 1 hour, 1hour 15, tired. This is instead of warming up.
And then you have to lower down, it's complicated.
I think the motivation is such a big thing... It's like a puzzle, everything have to come together
So for me personally for one route it's the line that you see, nice place, good atmosphere, the team you are working the route on.
Wow! Crazy! Fuck!
I can't wait to see the column!!
Are you getting emotional Martina?
Yeah, it's awesome isn't it?
It doesn't seem impossible, but to me, it's hard mentally! It's mostly mental isn't it?
Ok, I fly
God! What agony!
We have to talk about some moves.
So you have this good one.
Yeah.
This one, pocket.
But the problem that the feet are really...
Last day in Verdon, last chance for Martina to send the route...
She doesn't really like what you're eating.
For the route like this you need somebody who is really motivated...
Somebody who wants to do it also... Gives you energy.
Here, you can not really warm up.
Just... going down and trying some moves, and then you go.
Even if we maybe are not strong enough, we can still do it with the motivation.
What is important when you... I was there totally pumped at the beginning.
Then you should not think that I have to more cracks at the end you can finish there. I was just thinking "ok",
this meter more and this meter more, and there is another rest...
I think in this route you should use your force a lot.
Hold body pressure especially in the part when you have this too long.
You should not forget about your feet because you divide the tension.
So it's a... challenge for the endurance, for the patience in your mind.
Olala, so happy!
She's a machine, no? Inhuman!
THE WISDOM
We split our lives between France and the States.
Didier and I bought a house 15 years ago,
and now we only come here for our vacations.
We're in the States for the kids' school and as soon as they're finished, sometimes a few days earlier,
we come here to have a good time climbing and take our holidays quietly.
For me, the definition of someone who is a "fanatic" is someone who is hooked, who isn't able to get rid of something they love a lot.
Unfortunately, that could be something unhealthy like alcohol or drugs, or it could be a sport like climbing.
I think there are a lot who are fanatics, you could say "addicts", very addicted...
Sometimes you might say "let's go do something else, let's go biking or let's go to the sea..."
Yeah, it bores us to do that! In fact, when you're a climbing fanatic, you only want to climb!
It's true that when I do too much, I feel unbalanced, that's why it's good for me to do it now with the kids; it brings back the balance.
Sometimes we climb a lot, sometimes a bit...
This allows me to continue to climb in my fanatic mode, but also having a new life of being a mother, with the family, the children...
it's very nice!
Passion fruits, pineapple, mango, mint, lemon, cassis, strawberry, cherry...
Strawberry?
Uh, no, what's the second thing that you said?
Uh, I said a lot!
Lemonade with lemon? Are you sure?
Lemon? Well, I have sour lemon, normal lemon or green lemon... (Robyn) Normal! (Shawn) Sour!
Me, I know that for example, if I were to go back to competition, I would want to be number one, my family would suffer.
I wouldn't be able to take care of my family as well as I can now.
Now we do everything together and it's an ensemble of things, there's Shawn who climbs,
Brooke who climbs, me and all the others who climb with us. And it doesn't matter if we haven't climb enough when the day is over.
But when you're a world class professional climber and you want to be the best, it's something else.
Then it's training in the morning, everything well scheduled, so you leave the rest on the side.
When I was at the top I worked out a lot!
What's most important thing is spend time with your children and not be too selfish with climbing.
'Cause climbing if part of that being fanatic, it is also can be selfish. And it's all about me, and I need to train...
Sometimes it's not such a good mix.
I am not one that wanna do 8c or 8c+ when I am 50 or 60 years.
I just wanna always be strong. I don't like to be weak.
So I always train just enough to able to do 8a or 8b fast and feel like I'm climbing well.
If my body doesn't respond, I'm not happy. That's priority, is that I always train just enough to able to hold on to routes that are 5.13.
The one thing that I have received and that I have earned from climbing is believing in myself, in others, making friendships
and the lifestyle that we live around climbing is magical.
It's gotta be 105 degrees there! When I had my head upside down at the rest in the hole I could really feel it!
So I have a climbing school called ABC for kids and it's a program that teaches very young children how to rock climb
Mean take children as young as 3 years old, so ABC for kids is agility, balance and coordination
And we start with all kinds of different activities, and little by little as we see that they are more and more motivated
For climbing they going to a program that's only climbing
They are almost like my own kids, I feel very close to them, they're all very different, each one with his own particularity,
all that I take from them and it nourishes me!
It's very beautiful for me, it's a big part of my life to work with children now,
to bring to them something and in the end it's they who bring the most to me!
They adore me and I, them; they're an extension of my family.
My best memory as a climber... uh...
I think I have to go back to the day when Lynn and I were room mates in the south of France.
One of the first years that I did the competition season and she did it also.
We were head to head in competition and the best friends. We still absolutely best of friends now.
For me Lynn someone just the brightest person.
We are good friends for long time and I think will be good friends forever.
She's the first...
I did first free ascent of the Nose in 1993, and then I came back and did again in a day.
An idea was to pick a challenge that would utilize all the skills from my traditional background,
climbing competitions and the mental that it would take to do something new. So that was my best accomplishment so far, I think.
Lynn was the first person to succeed in the mythic quest to free climb the 1000 meters of the Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. The fact that a woman had achieved where men had failed, has added strength to her accomplishment by stifling macho posturing in a male dominated sport and by profoundly etching woman into the history of climbing.
Climbing has become much more specialized now. You see people that just boulder, and some people that just climb in a climbing gym.
I started out on slabs and one pitch routes, and when I went to Yosemite we did boulders, free climbs, cracks and big walls.
And I did my first big wall when I was 17. And my parents didn't now what I was doing, luckily, they didn't know.
So I think it was a nice way to be introduced to climbing because I saw many different forms. All of this is fun and good.
For example Chris Sharma started out on an artificial wall in Santa Cruise. So he got strong really fast.
Whereas my introduction into climbing was completely different culture one. Low angle, very touching go,
very settle technique shifting away. And I think it was good to start because you think about the subtlety of climbing.
And the bigger difference though is the protection, and putting natural protection in cracks. Sometimes scary leads...
I learned how to gage, where I am gonna fall, what I have for protection. Big walls are very good for character building. You have to really keep your head together,
and wait until you are relaxed enough, or may be not relaxed, but calm enough
and loose it enough to see where you are going, go to that hold and don't fall.
So we learned, actually people joked about this but the first rule in climbing was "don't fall". So I tried not to.
All of her appearances at the "ROCTRIP" events, are telling examples of the passion she shares, of the competence still at the top after all these years and, quite simply, the happiness she exudes on the rock.
I love coming to the "ROCTRIP"s because first of all it's a good chance to meet people that I've known for years
and come to Europe which I love. And the "ROCTRIP" is a spirit of climbing.
It's the social element and fun, and we like to push ourselves out, the great experience for everybody
It's not a real competition in a sense that it feels like a lot of pressure. So I think people have great time in acting, make climb better.
It's more fun to watch.
Lynn's Huge fall!
Ok, let's go!
That's it...
Thanks! I'm happy!
I think that counts the experience a lot, because it is necessary to be excite, but not too much!
Otherwise one become too nervous and it is difficult to be precise.
Actually the secret to climbing a long time and climbing at a high level is passion, once again. If you love to do it, you'll always do well.
To all these climbers, to their charm and kindness, to Mariona, to my daughter Bruna... Love!
In the beginning, as we well know, man placed his seed in the womb of the woman.
Millions of spermatozoa, a torrent, a raging river... all would die, except one!
THE BIRTH
My name is Brooke, I'm 9 years old and I love climbing...
My mother was champion of the world four times, so I guess I just started a bit like that...
Are we ready?
Yeah, it's been a long time I started, I was about one
From I started to walk
I started just by the inspiration of my mom climbing
She never falls when I belay her...
I like it all
I like to onsight routes, here ... it's been a lot of time
So, there is not much more for me to on sight, but the 6s
Do you want me to undo these things?
So how was it? Not too hard?
My daughter, she's a fanatic, she's really addicted, she needs a lot of it, and she never stops.
She is for me an amazing kid of cause. Cause she's mine. But she's different also and very smart.
She loves school, and one of the reasons she is really good at school, because she's a hard worker the teachers can tell you.
Every one admitted say that her strongest quality is that
she never gives up, and she always wants more, and it's the same in sports
She is a climber and a gymnast
And it's often really hard to get her to leave the gym, to come down from the routes.
She wants more and sometimes it ends in tears because I say "no, stop!"
We are going home now, and you need to pack your bag, the day is over, you still have homework,
we have to have a dinner, to take a bath ... she's a good getter. Yeah
A lot of people ask me why do my kids love to climb
and why do they seem to be as passioned by exactly what I am passioned by.
I don't really have the answer because I have two kids and they are both really passioned by climbing. I think it's magic.
It's a magic for us as a family, and I feel really lucky but I don't think that I did anything specific to make them love climbing.
I think it's who they are and climbing was their thing
They came in contact with climbing in a very young age, it worked for them,
it made them feel strong, it gave them the confidence,
All the things it's given to me, it gave to them
and I think magically it work for all of us.
I train a lot, especially in the winter. Mostly inside; not too much outdoors, we train 3 or 4 times a week.
There is no secret. A lot of people say "what you do?" And I say "don't push your children to climb". If they wanna climb, they'll climb.
Make it fun, keep it fun, it has to be a game.
Hello, could I have enough Toulousan sausages for five?
It's for a film on rock climbing. Even at Shopi they film you; they really think completely of you!
Yes, but why at Shopi?
Why not? Because Shopi is the best!
Look up there!
It's up there where we're going to climb?
Yup, on "BigBang"
is it hard?
Yup, it's a 7c+
And you've already worked on it?
Yes, twice
Oh no, she's cut both her hands...
ow, it really hurts!
Let's rinse them... okay?
I've got a good pinch!
You've got a good pinch? Great... I've got a good undercling
Mom, can I put in the draws?
It's your job to put in the quickdraws?
No, normally it's my mother's but this time I'm going to do it
First I take this, then the pinch, there's a little sloper thing, um, maybe a bit better than a sloper... after I... uh...
Hold on, you've lost me there!
Go on Shawn, you'll figure it out alone
I don't understand anything that you've said, okay?
Ok...
I take the undercling, there is an undercling... uh... nobody does it like me...
There are these small holds, with a few long reaches
Yeah, I can get scare sometimes, but after I fall, I am not that scared.
Oh! I blew it!
Yeah, you slipped a little... Good, you can optimize this section. You don't really know this climb very well
I can't always know what I have to do
Like this with the left hand, it's good!
I'm often surprise by the motivation the kids have. They can be as motivated as an adult.
But I think they have all the same tools that we have as adults
but they are kids and it's a game for them. They love it, they just want more.
They can go again and they are not tired. We are tired, they are not tired. There's the evolution.
But Mom, I feel like you're giving me too much slack!
Ow, I took it in the eye! The quickdraw!
This quickdraw's bothering me!
It's going to be tough linking it up...
Take!
Well, what do you think, will it happen?
Yup, it's gonna be tough!
It's always like this, you know. I wait hours to climb when I'm with the kids, then I'm super pressed to get a route in!
Two sessions later, Brooke succeed leading "BigBang", her second 7c+. Two weeks after that, she did her first route graded 8a in Rodellar, she's the youngest girl to reach this level!
Oh no! I blew it!
THE ART AND THE WAY
I began when I was very young, mostly in alpinism, thanks to my dad;
and soon after, I was taken quickly by cragging and the game of progressing...
The routes and the sends that bring to me the most are the esthetic lines.
That is where I get the most pleasure in climbing, notably in the Gorges du Verdon, in the Tarn...
When I was about ten, I started competing and immediately took to it, because it added an element of spice to the activity.
Looking back now, I realize that very quickly, I had achieved a pretty good level for my age.
But at that time I didn't realize, I just climbed and did well; I was super motivated by the game and to get better at it.
The first year that I could do international competitions, in 2004, I was world champion.
That had impressed me because I wasn't in the best of my form,
and winning my first world championships had been something very important for me.
And the first year I was senor over classed, I won the European Championship
Second to the last finalist, the most decorated female competitor of all time, 5 times world champion,
she had been European Champion in the Senior coming from first year Cadette category,
she took it all, and great at the cliff as well,
let's hear it for Charlotte Durif of France!
And now in my first year as a real senior, I won my first World Cup in Chamonix this summer.
The winner tonight, Charlotte Durif!
Well, the Pic St. Loup is a huge hole!
An enormous overhanging cave hidden on a cliff that you can't see,
You get there by abseil and you discover an immense cave,
in the middle of nowhere.
I like to climb on sight because I succeed at it,
in fact I think that it's my climbing style that allows me to well adapted to on sight climbing.
And since I don't like to return to my climbs once I've had a shot on them, I prefer the on sight.
To do this 8c on sight, it was really just luck!
It was never even one of my goals to climb 8c on sight; it was more like "that will never happen!"
...And then finally you progress and in the order of things you tell yourself "and if one day you reach that level?"
The route itself, "Les Rois du Petrole", it goes where the cliff is the most overhanging,
a line pretty obvious, with a section that is nearly a roof.
It's a huge overhang which eases up very slowly... and you begin on these big balls,
you climb between them, you jam your toes, your heels...
It fit me well, there were a lot of knee bars, it's a climb of endurance even though it's very physical,
it suited me well even if there were several spots that I could see myself falling.
So there it is; a combination of being in good shape, a bit of luck and to find a nice line.
My father helps me a lot, seeing that he's followed me since I was very young,
that he observes and accompanies me, he sets my limits as well,
If he knows that I set for myself certain goals, he'll do everything to help, he knows what I need.
I feel that I don't climb at all in the same way when I'm with him.
I'm used to passing a lot of time with him, and when he belays me I can really focus on what I'm doing.
I don't ask myself "is my belayer sick of holding the rope for me, is he really focused on what I'm trying to do?..."
It relieves me of a lot of distractions.
I didn't feel too bad and I told myself "okay, I'll go take a turn in the 8c", but without any thought at all of doing it on sight.
And so you begin to climb and you realize that it's going well, that it fits you, that it's not to complicated to read,
well, I was able to work it out pretty easily... You start to really put up a good fight and it works,
and all of a sudden you tell yourself "okay, I have to tempt my luck, I have to go right to the end" ...And there it is,
like that, just under the anchor... I was completely wasted and I said to myself "I can do this just once in my life",
It was a beautiful experience and when you clip the belay its a huge relief,
because you tell yourself "you did it, you found your route, you jumped on the occasion"...
It was really an opportunity not to miss, a beautiful opportunity.
Fuck, I can't go on!
I didn't really realize, in fact, it's not to do an 8c on sight, it's not really... that doesn't bring me that much,
it's more to have climbed a super line...
Well, yeah, to climb for example an 8a+ or an 8c on sight, there's not much of difference for me...
Well, afterward I can say this but on the spot I was... uh... I told myself "Wow, now what have I just done?"
So with hindsight, I tell myself "good is good"
...uh ...it was really a beautiful climb and if it had been an 8a+ I would have been just as happy.
When I clipped the belay I said to myself: "Yup, a send, I did it on sight",
after I lowered off my father said "fucking bravo", he high five me and I said "yeah, thanks", and then "oh yeah, really, not bad!"
And then you look back at the route, it's impressive, it's daunting,
it's ...yeah, nice job, I'm happy!
THE CAREFREENESS
I love it here, the landscape and everything, it's beautiful!
I like France, the french, the people... yeah it's true, it's cool!
Yep, half of it is motivation.
Usually I'm not training, no diet, on the contrary... I don't know, I'm just living!
I love life too much! I like good wine, eat a good meal, do what I want to do.
I like to eat good stuff, to cook... Life's little pleasures, I like it! After climbing, you finish your day, you do something else,
you start cooking, nice meals, you take your time, it helps your mind to escape, it's just awesome!
Yep, I like that too!
So Nina, today, your first big attempt, how do you feel?
Great, I'm really motivated... it's a bit warm out, but I'll have to deal with it anyways, there's no other choice... No it's cool, motivated!!!
The first pitch is at least 40 meters, 8a+...
Noooooooo!!!!! I'm no!!! Fuck, Nooooo!!!!! I've got no strength!!!
Fuck it!
Melissa: Don't worry, you have all the time you need
It's so hot!
Year, and it's my last day here. I had to do it today! Ah, I was so stressed!
Second Try - 1 hour later...
I almost fell right at the top! I'm completely knackered and there's still 4 pitches to go! Yeah, it's cool!
The second one is all small, a very physical 8a with little columns, bam bam bam!
It's pretty strenuous, very overhanging... it demands a lot!
I just forced my way through it! It's the pressure to link it up. I know why I suck at competions, I just can't deal with the pressure.
Two, that's done! Still three to go...
I don't feel good now, I don't feel good!!!
Melissa supported me, we took everything, even playing cards; we prepared food, we were taking big rests after hard pitches.
Here we're not as comfortable!
What are you doing there!?
Crosswords, to keep busy, waiting for madam to recuperate.
She's teaching me!
We're not yet in those pitches there... In the climbing spirit...
Actually, when I was working on it, I thought I would never be able to lead this thing, it's too hard and it's too abrasive on the fingers!
My God, this battle! I didn't want to fall!
Yep, the summit is there!
Off belay! Oh my God, that's so cool!!
There it is, number four! That's done, So cool!!
Off belay!
Great, this pitch was really just pure pleasure, no more stress, nothing...
and I don't even feel tired, it's great...
When you're trying a long route, you think: "Do it!", I was extremely motivated, and you don't get tired 'cause you're always thinking:
"It isn't finished yet, the end is on top".
It's something I really wanted to do, and I only had this one day to do it, and I had to do it! It was important to me!
I was really motivated to have a big project, a long route, 'cause everything is necessary, not just strength in your arms;
really everything, you have to manage the exposure, the rope handling... it's hard but I
Well, that's done!
You get here, at the top, with the sun, so, so cool!!
Thanks for this beautiful route!
Melissa, I get on so well with her, I really like her and...
Fuck! I wanna kill you!! This is so heavy!
In my opinion, the partner is half of the climbing experience, she got sick of it sometimes, it was getting very annoying for her,
but she wanted me to succeed, and it's cool to feel that.
Pfff, that was so hard, I can't do it anymore!
I've gotta go now, otherwise she's gonna kill me! Come on pal, I pulled all that I could...
No, I had the feeling you weren't pulling me at all! Look at this!
...Well done!
Still alive!
My God, I felt like a whale! I weighed at least 50 kilos more than my normal weight!
I couldn't do it, I was thinking: "Come on, help me! I can't pull on these fucking crimps!"
God, it was awful... fuck!!
We did a good job, that's cool!
You've already done a lot of long routes, no?
Yep , I've done quite a few, but actually, I've never really led long climbs.
I often went on them, fell, and never took the time afterwords to come back and work on them...
But yeah, I have many to do, a lot and a lot and a lot!!
THE LOVE
It is a real luck to discover climbing, it is so beautiful, it brought me everything, all the most beautiful things I have in my life,
except my family, climbing brought me everything.
To me, Oliana is the best crag in Catalunya today; it's a super, fantastic cliff.
All the routes I was able to lead at this cliff, from 8a to 8b+,
are without any doubt, five stars!
This year, my goal is to try a harder grade than where I am now; climb 8c, and I'm super motivated with this project!
I fell twice at the top of the route, I wasn't lucky...
but it isn't frustrating either because each time there's so much to climb, that it's a pleasure anyway.
I started climbing in the Canaries Islands, and where there are lots of passionate climbers; maybe more climbers than there is rock!
But when I started to leave the island and discovered Catalunya, with all it's potential, I told myself that I wanted to live there.
Why deprive myself and live far away from the best crags?
Being with someone like Chris, who's a real fanatic and above all, who doesn't spread out his projects, concentrating on one climb at a time,
without worrying about the investment needed, helped me to tell myself "Come on! I can be patient too and do something special"
It's awesome to live with someone like him. He shares with me his climbing, the moves on his projects,
and I do too, we never get tired of it! Well, actually, sometimes yes, like "Oh please, shut up!!"
I think I must be... "I know him" for other people. And Odaja is the same, she is like ... Every second talking about move on her project.
You are just like "OK, do your route, stop talking about".
It's really awesome to be able to climb with someone like him, it's a privilege, a luxury.
And by just watching him climbing, I learn things, he infuses me with things that I've never seen before, like facility and ease...
He also influenced me a lot to try to exceed my level,
and above all, his passion for climbing, that he transmits to you, Chris or people like Dani (Andrada).
She is really talented climber, you know climbing a lot of things,
but it's hard to have that discipline and like determination.
I wanna do this route. I have to try so many times, you know.
Usually, I don't really work on climbs, but with this one, I told myself I would give it some time.
No more leading climbs I know I can do anymore, but to do something which will completely occupy me, will be more important.
And that's the case for "FishEye". If I manage to lead it, no matter the time I will have used trying, it will be very rewarding.
It's cool, that will make our first 8c, that will be one of our routes.
It's cool because she is really psyched on this route. First time she is really focused like...
She is not getting frustrated. She just really loves the route, that's important for her. I think she's gonna do it.
This tee-shirt is beautiful on you!
Before like she, you know, all the moves, you know there is a lot of sections with so many hard moves on the route
so you can fall in so many places. No, she just climbing. It all really easily so.
It's cool, you could see how she really improved over the last two month, you know.
She really just loves to climb on that route, such a perfect route. Every time it's like a pleasure to go and try the route.
It's hard to try a route for a month, or two month, trying a route like a big project.
It's easier to go and try a lot of routes and do maybe three tries and you have this feeling... satisfaction.
But it is really the satisfying thing to really see how far you could climb, how hard you could climb...
Yeah, it's amazing route!
It's cool she had some different blocks in the route, just following this first section in the blue rock.
She gets this on her clings. She fell their like five times or something... and then
she made it through, she stuck it twice and fell after, and now she did it ...two times to the last move.
Cool like every time she is progressing.
I'm wasted!
She looks good there!
It's a crazy route because at the very top it is a really tricky and balancy move on slopie small pocket.
After so much time climbing, it is like 50 meters... you get it to the top
You are concentrated and...
Crazy! Your first 8c!
My heart!
She had to work so hard to do it. It's cool to see that she finally made her goal.
She climbed really good, like... Perfect!
She killed it too... Not only like "do it", but "do it in a nice way", like really fucking very good.
She climbed fast too...
Not easy at all for her to see anything... like super solid!
What stress! Every time I placed my feet in holds I didn't usually use!
Awesome! You did it! Fuck! 8c!
Yeah! And this one in particular, no?
I feel great, seriously, as if I was lighter! I took off at least 50 kilos from my shoulders!
Today, when I got to the last hard move 50 meters off the ground, I thought I really didn't want to fall and do it all over again,
and it worked, and that's it, it's done!
I did 8c! Now I can have a baby, no?
Oups, that's recorded... yesterday, Chris told me: "First you do 8c, then we'll see!"
Ok! Get ready for tonight!!
THE SELF-SACRIFICE
Isn't mom's milk good with a bit of lactic acid?
Being a mother doesn't stop you from being passionate about climbing, look at Mariona, Berta...
It's only a question of choices, like everything else in life sometimes you'd like to do everything, sometimes you concentrate just one thing
life is long, and you have plenty of time to climb, be with your children, your friends, write, do what pleases you.
But you must be aware at the moment that you make these choices, to go to what pleases you most,
and not merely return to the same activities because of their familiarity.
If there's a time when you reduce your climbing to be with your kids, that's also extremely beautiful!
I think that not long after giving birth, you have some sort of special energy,
you can re-appropriate your body and climb very well, you get a hormonal release, and more!
Often I find that because climbing is an activity that is so absorbing, many other things pass right by me..
your nose glued to the rock all day long, your trips where the only objective is to climb, your circle of friends made up only of climbers.
I love climbing, and I would really like to pass the rest of my life climbing, all the years I can,
but it's also important to disconnect for sometime, it's also enriching to change,
not to stay always focused on the same thing, and that is true of having a kid, writing a book, taking a trip to Africa...
If something interests you, it's okay to reduce your climbing a little,
otherwise you retreat into life, just for climbing. Climbing is just one thing, right?
It's a story of choices... in life you take different paths, you open some doors and close others...
Having a child is like falling in love, is it bad not to fall in love?
No, you can live very happily without knowing this feeling even if I find beautiful to live it, to know love;
Being a mother is the same thing, is it bad not to become a mother?
No, and if you don't become one, you can be extremely happy with what you already have.
I think that it's an authentic and primary opportunity which is given to us by nature,
you connect all at once with your roots, with the earth, with nature... It's really beautiful,
I think it's the most beautiful thing given to me to experience.
I think that the bottom of the cliff is a great place for children, I read a lot of articles saying it is too dangerous, not adapted...
But I think that in this society, we try to overprotect our kids, forgetting that what is best for them is to be with their parents
and if they are always at the cliff, what a beautiful place to be with them!
I think it's far more dangerous to take them to daycare in your car.
When you're pregnant, your whole body changes, as does your climbing! But I climbed up to the 8th month,
and I also gained a lot of weight! I looked like a bomb and took on 20kg!
I was climbing pretty badly, but just being outside,
walking, doing a few easy climbs, helped me to feel good.
When you turn the soil, and when you let it sit for a while to then plant it... I think it's just like a woman's body.
When you're pregnant, your body rests, everything regenerates, tendons, muscles.
Then, with hormonal change, the joy of being with your child,
the desire to do what you couldn't do for months, everything is much better!
Over there my baby's crying!
When I climb, it's the only time that she stays calm, it's great!
That's it, that's what fear makes you do!
Argh! I'm so angry!
Geila, get out of there!
What am I doing? I'm going to climb to the top!
THE FRIENDSHIP
Like many years ago, in one magazine I saw photo of ?Carina? on this route. And then "ok", I had it somewhere in myself,
and then a month ago, I get e-mail from Mariona.
"I saw the photo of one really good, would you like to try it with me?" And so the story start.
What makes the route even bigger is that it is just one route in the whole this part of the world.
That you have to walk, I don't know, Crau said 45 minutes, but we were walking 1 hour, 1hour 15, tired. This is instead of warming up.
And then you have to lower down, it's complicated.
I think the motivation is such a big thing... It's like a puzzle, everything have to come together
So for me personally for one route it's the line that you see, nice place, good atmosphere, the team you are working the route on.
Wow! Crazy! Fuck!
I can't wait to see the column!!
Are you getting emotional Martina?
Yeah, it's awesome isn't it?
It doesn't seem impossible, but to me, it's hard mentally! It's mostly mental isn't it?
Ok, I fly
God! What agony!
We have to talk about some moves.
So you have this good one.
Yeah.
This one, pocket.
But the problem that the feet are really...
Last day in Verdon, last chance for Martina to send the route...
She doesn't really like what you're eating.
For the route like this you need somebody who is really motivated...
Somebody who wants to do it also... Gives you energy.
Here, you can not really warm up.
Just... going down and trying some moves, and then you go.
Even if we maybe are not strong enough, we can still do it with the motivation.
What is important when you... I was there totally pumped at the beginning.
Then you should not think that I have to more cracks at the end you can finish there. I was just thinking "ok",
this meter more and this meter more, and there is another rest...
I think in this route you should use your force a lot.
Hold body pressure especially in the part when you have this too long.
You should not forget about your feet because you divide the tension.
So it's a... challenge for the endurance, for the patience in your mind.
Olala, so happy!
She's a machine, no? Inhuman!
THE WISDOM
We split our lives between France and the States.
Didier and I bought a house 15 years ago,
and now we only come here for our vacations.
We're in the States for the kids' school and as soon as they're finished, sometimes a few days earlier,
we come here to have a good time climbing and take our holidays quietly.
For me, the definition of someone who is a "fanatic" is someone who is hooked, who isn't able to get rid of something they love a lot.
Unfortunately, that could be something unhealthy like alcohol or drugs, or it could be a sport like climbing.
I think there are a lot who are fanatics, you could say "addicts", very addicted...
Sometimes you might say "let's go do something else, let's go biking or let's go to the sea..."
Yeah, it bores us to do that! In fact, when you're a climbing fanatic, you only want to climb!
It's true that when I do too much, I feel unbalanced, that's why it's good for me to do it now with the kids; it brings back the balance.
Sometimes we climb a lot, sometimes a bit...
This allows me to continue to climb in my fanatic mode, but also having a new life of being a mother, with the family, the children...
it's very nice!
Passion fruits, pineapple, mango, mint, lemon, cassis, strawberry, cherry...
Strawberry?
Uh, no, what's the second thing that you said?
Uh, I said a lot!
Lemonade with lemon? Are you sure?
Lemon? Well, I have sour lemon, normal lemon or green lemon... (Robyn) Normal! (Shawn) Sour!
Me, I know that for example, if I were to go back to competition, I would want to be number one, my family would suffer.
I wouldn't be able to take care of my family as well as I can now.
Now we do everything together and it's an ensemble of things, there's Shawn who climbs,
Brooke who climbs, me and all the others who climb with us. And it doesn't matter if we haven't climb enough when the day is over.
But when you're a world class professional climber and you want to be the best, it's something else.
Then it's training in the morning, everything well scheduled, so you leave the rest on the side.
When I was at the top I worked out a lot!
What's most important thing is spend time with your children and not be too selfish with climbing.
'Cause climbing if part of that being fanatic, it is also can be selfish. And it's all about me, and I need to train...
Sometimes it's not such a good mix.
I am not one that wanna do 8c or 8c+ when I am 50 or 60 years.
I just wanna always be strong. I don't like to be weak.
So I always train just enough to able to do 8a or 8b fast and feel like I'm climbing well.
If my body doesn't respond, I'm not happy. That's priority, is that I always train just enough to able to hold on to routes that are 5.13.
The one thing that I have received and that I have earned from climbing is believing in myself, in others, making friendships
and the lifestyle that we live around climbing is magical.
It's gotta be 105 degrees there! When I had my head upside down at the rest in the hole I could really feel it!
So I have a climbing school called ABC for kids and it's a program that teaches very young children how to rock climb
Mean take children as young as 3 years old, so ABC for kids is agility, balance and coordination
And we start with all kinds of different activities, and little by little as we see that they are more and more motivated
For climbing they going to a program that's only climbing
They are almost like my own kids, I feel very close to them, they're all very different, each one with his own particularity,
all that I take from them and it nourishes me!
It's very beautiful for me, it's a big part of my life to work with children now,
to bring to them something and in the end it's they who bring the most to me!
They adore me and I, them; they're an extension of my family.
My best memory as a climber... uh...
I think I have to go back to the day when Lynn and I were room mates in the south of France.
One of the first years that I did the competition season and she did it also.
We were head to head in competition and the best friends. We still absolutely best of friends now.
For me Lynn someone just the brightest person.
We are good friends for long time and I think will be good friends forever.
She's the first...
I did first free ascent of the Nose in 1993, and then I came back and did again in a day.
An idea was to pick a challenge that would utilize all the skills from my traditional background,
climbing competitions and the mental that it would take to do something new. So that was my best accomplishment so far, I think.
Lynn was the first person to succeed in the mythic quest to free climb the 1000 meters of the Nose on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. The fact that a woman had achieved where men had failed, has added strength to her accomplishment by stifling macho posturing in a male dominated sport and by profoundly etching woman into the history of climbing.
Climbing has become much more specialized now. You see people that just boulder, and some people that just climb in a climbing gym.
I started out on slabs and one pitch routes, and when I went to Yosemite we did boulders, free climbs, cracks and big walls.
And I did my first big wall when I was 17. And my parents didn't now what I was doing, luckily, they didn't know.
So I think it was a nice way to be introduced to climbing because I saw many different forms. All of this is fun and good.
For example Chris Sharma started out on an artificial wall in Santa Cruise. So he got strong really fast.
Whereas my introduction into climbing was completely different culture one. Low angle, very touching go,
very settle technique shifting away. And I think it was good to start because you think about the subtlety of climbing.
And the bigger difference though is the protection, and putting natural protection in cracks. Sometimes scary leads...
I learned how to gage, where I am gonna fall, what I have for protection. Big walls are very good for character building. You have to really keep your head together,
and wait until you are relaxed enough, or may be not relaxed, but calm enough
and loose it enough to see where you are going, go to that hold and don't fall.
So we learned, actually people joked about this but the first rule in climbing was "don't fall". So I tried not to.
All of her appearances at the "ROCTRIP" events, are telling examples of the passion she shares, of the competence still at the top after all these years and, quite simply, the happiness she exudes on the rock.
I love coming to the "ROCTRIP"s because first of all it's a good chance to meet people that I've known for years
and come to Europe which I love. And the "ROCTRIP" is a spirit of climbing.
It's the social element and fun, and we like to push ourselves out, the great experience for everybody
It's not a real competition in a sense that it feels like a lot of pressure. So I think people have great time in acting, make climb better.
It's more fun to watch.
Lynn's Huge fall!
Ok, let's go!
That's it...
Thanks! I'm happy!
I think that counts the experience a lot, because it is necessary to be excite, but not too much!
Otherwise one become too nervous and it is difficult to be precise.
Actually the secret to climbing a long time and climbing at a high level is passion, once again. If you love to do it, you'll always do well.
To all these climbers, to their charm and kindness, to Mariona, to my daughter Bruna... Love!