 Could you please tell how it all began? How did you start climbing? At what age? Who helped you? Who was your coach and what was your parents’ reaction?
I must tell you that I have always been practicing any kind of sports, but there were always team sports, once in the Spanish TV I watched a documentary about two girls climbing in Verdon (France). Immediately I wanted to practice that impressive sport. I first started with my brother in love who used to climb and mountaineering. After that a group of climbers close to my village were teaching me and gave notions of all concerning to mountain and climbing. That was around 15 years ago and as my parents always gave me big in all my “passions” they just assumed that that was other one and they just supported me as another time.
What attracts you in climbing?
For sure it’s the difficulty that involve when you are starting to introduce in climbing. Always feel that it is so hard and so difficult. This is the main thing that attracted to me when I started. But also it was an individual sport and it always takes place in nature.
What do you prefer: to climb on rocks or to take part in competitions? Do you like competitions?
In the beginning the competition was developing, and many friends push me to go and try them. I really didn’t want but very quickly started the good result in Spanish cup, and I focused on. After I left Spanish comps and only did world cup. In 2000 I decided to stop competing anymore and only focus in rock climbing. It was my best decision ever. Finally I was doing what I always loved. Just to climb outside and every kind of routes.
 How do you train and what do you pay most attention to while training?
I train to big periods during the season that involve a year. Meanly I train in a climbing gym, bouldering or climbing with rope. I train as hard as I can and I put special attention depending on what is going to be my next route or project.
Do you prefer routes or bouldering?
I really prefer routes than bouldering, I have done pretty much bouldering too, but actually I feel myself more climber when I climb routes. It’s something that I feel inside of me, when I climb a route my feelings got more powerfully inside of me. I feel more compromise on it. But bouldering never forgot.
What kind of relief do you prefer? If you choose a high category route for you what will be it’s specific characteristics?
My obsession in climbing always it’s been to be as a climber the most complete as I can. If I go to an area that there are pockets, I feel that I can do strong things there, if I go to a very overhanging area feel that I can manage there too. But one thing is true, naturally I’m good in small holds, so when I try a route that suites me better for my natural style of climbing I can do it faster than one that is too overhanging.
 Have you ever tried to climb solo? Why?
I just have done very easy stuff, nothing notorious. I understand that to climb in “solo” is a very personal, I know that somebody take an example of that climbing that can result to a really tragedy. One friend of mine once even before climbed a route, wanted to try it in solo style. Obviously I told him, how could he done that if he still wasn’t able to climb it with ropes?
It was amazing that situation that happened some years ago when it was in “fashion” some climbers use to climb in solo.
Where do you prefer to climb? What rocks are you favorite? What is the best place in the world to climb?
Actually I don’t have big preferences where to climb. I climbed in many places that are so nice. The experience has taught me that there are nice routes in every place, may be few in some places but I like that mentality. Just go and don’t close my mind because if you like to climb in every style and rock you can find good routes. Anyway it’s true that actually there are some special areas in Spain, as Rodellar, or in France as Gorge Du Tarn or Ceuse, that are so famous…But sometimes I think that climbers like homogeneous climbing areas, that’s why those areas are so appreciated.
What personal traits are characteristic for the rock climbers?
It’s a kind of sport where you must be your own “coach”. I think the determination is one of the best qualities for a climber.
 What else, besides climbing, do you like to do? What other professions do you have? What do you do in free time?
I like photography a lot, to hike in the mountains. And when mountains and photography are together…I have had so many good time taking photos in the nature or mountains…
I’m insurance seller too. My father died six years ago and I took his insurance clients. When I’m abroad a partner makes my job. In the last two-three years he had made a lot of job for me…
What helps you in climbing walls, what thoughts or ideas?
The main idea is the motivation of wanted to climb the route or the project you have been working for. I think that this is the main idea.
Could you tell any funny stories from either your own climbing experience, or from other peoples’? The more, the better.
Some years ago I went to Riglos (Conglomerate rock, multi pitches area in northern Spain). Two hours by car from my home. We started badly the day, our old car suddenly stopped and we had to go to the car garage to a quick repairement. OK. We arrived at 15:00, pretty late for a multi pitches route…Started at 16:00 and we realized that the night would surprise us. Yes the last two lengths we did completely in the dark. Big tension of course, the kind of rock of Riglos doesn’t allows to climb anything at night, the bolts are very far away and it’s difficult to find them. Anyway with extra tension we reach the top. In the way back down to the car we lost the way many times because there was no way to find the correct path. Finally at 22:00 hours we arrived to the car. Oh, shit, where is the key?! Two possibilities: in the bottom of the wall of in the top were we picked up all stuff. Arrived to the bottom with some lights that a friend left us and no keys nowhere.
We walked up to the top of the wall and yes, just in the same place were we picked upon every gear there were the keys. Fortunately! We descent again to the correct place this time and we arrived 24:00, just at midnight.
We couldn’t believe that we were again down. It was a very desperate day, I can assure you.
 What are your current goals in climbing? What achievements do you consider your best by now?
I would like to get fun climbing. Still I get fun so for the moment I will practice as hard as I can in every single moment climbing. In the nearest future I would like to climb some multi-pitches routes, sometimes hard ones other times classical routes. I feel that like to get oxygen. I enjoy a lot doing this and every summer I do that.
Always looks like the last achievements are the best ones, but I have done pretty hard routes or boulders. I like to think more in a global term than just focus in one route. Since 2000 year I have climb in so many places and do so great routes, NOIA 8c+ (Andonno, Italy), BAIN DE SANG 9a (Switzerland), YEAH MAN (300 meters max 8b+, multi pitches route). TSUNAMI, 8c/c+ (Alquezar, Spain), or BIMBALUNA 9a/a+ (St.Loup, Switzerland)…
All of them there have been so difficult to climb, and so many energy was put on each route, that is difficult to chose a single one.
Photos by Rikar Otegi
Ðóññêàÿ âåðñèÿ |
