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Chris Sharma

Big Interview

Interview with Chris Sharma, who spent some time in Czech Republic while doing his show  in climbing gym Smíchoff.

Lezec.cz/Czechclimbing.com would like to thank Chris for taking the time to do this relaxed and very interesting interview.





Chris Sharma in Lokal blok gym

photo by Karel Šváb


Have you ever been to the Czech Republic before?
No, first time.

Do you know anything about our climbing?
Yes, you have sandstone areas, traditional climbing, no chalk, climbing with knots. It is interesting. I would like to see these areas, I don't have time this trip, I have a very busy schedule. Tomorrow I am going to Milan and the next day to France.

And are you interested in climbing here?
Yes. I always climb on limestone- my hardest routes are on limestone. I am interested to climb on other types of rock- like sandstone, like at Red River Gorge or here. It would be good.

You started climbing at age 12, now you are 28. If you look back, how would you describe the progress and changes of Chris Sharma in the last ten years?
Ten years ago…… I was already very motivated for climbing, but I think I was still not that serious about climbing.  Or I was serious when I was thirteen, fourteen, sixteen, but then I had an injury.  Just go through the time, when you confuse, you don't know who you are. I was not sure that I wanted to continue my life as a climber. I was thinking that it would be cool to do something different. So that was the reason I wasn’t so focused. But now I am much more committed to climbing, and to my lifestyle.
.

It seems to me that lately your climbing has been connected with self-knowledge or climbing became for you away to know yourself better? Is it like that?
Yes, for sure, I mean for me it’s so good to have passion, something that gives me direction in my life. So when I have a new project, I know exactly what to do, everything is so clear. For me I don't consider climbing like a sport. I consider climbing like an activity, a lifestyle, a way you express yourself, an artistic thing. It’s my way of being myself. You don't have to follow any rules. You just go and find new routes, which motivates me and I can also be outside and meet people.

You spent some time in a Buddhist monastery and meditated there. Did you simply need some time for yourself, did you need  take off from the climbing circuit, or was the destination of this trip to work on your soul to move your climbing forward?  What was the main point of staying in a monastery?
Yes, I spent sometime in India, Japan, California. Like I told you I had an injury and before that I was just so motivated for climbing and I was so happy, because climbing was everything for me. And in this moment I could not climb for eight months, I injured ligament in my knee,  so I realized that I have to  be able to be happy inside myself not just from climbing, but what ever I am doing. Just not depending on climbing, so I took some time off from climbing to get know myself in different way.  It was really helpful. And when I came back to climbing, it’s always fresh, discovering something new. It’s always important to me to keep climbing fresh. It’s not an obligation or like job. It’s something  that I choose, because I like it. Climbing is something that we do for our whole life. I never force myself, like I have to do 10 routes a day, when I was motivated I go climbing, if not I don't go climbing. For that reason the motivation come back naturally.
It is problem when someone became professional climber maybe, it becomes like a job, there are so many expectations, pressure. All the sudden it stop being fun. I have seen many climbers who became professionals and stop enjoying climbing.


photo by Vojta Vrzba


You have a sponsorship with Prana and Evolv. It brings responsibilities towards them. Do you feel any pressure from them?
Like I said. Climbing is not a typical job. It is something creative, what is coming from deep inside you, you have to be inspired. I think if there is pressure from outside, it can stop being fun. I think I was lucky, because I never had any pressure from my sponsors and from the beginning my parents supported me. In my mind I separate two things, I go climbing and it’s my pleasure and there is the moment I have to work. I must do sideshow, or do photos, it’s the work part of being a professional climber. So when I do the work part I focus on that, and when I go climbing I just focus on climbing. I think it could be a problem when it mixes together, you do it like business, it could be stressful. I think it is important to separate these things to experience climbing in a pure and fresh way. It took me a long time to find this balance. Even though I don't have some outsider pressure, I still fell it in myself, maybe I was thinking I wanna do something else, but then I started to realize that all my friends are working and how lucky I am that I can go climb and have this opportunity. I started being more committed to climbing. Climbing is my life, and what I do.
The important thing is to enjoy climbing, if not, something is wrong. It is something that we choose to do to make us happy. It’s not like we are doing something that will change the world.  We are just going climbing, not saving the world. It is important to us. You can be frustrated in the moment, but I think professional climbers have to deal with this balance.


You said, „I don’t think I’ve been able to be focus the way that I’ve been when I’m climbing. It totally channels my energy in such a way that I completely lose myself. And that is such a good feeling.“  So even climbing is a meditation for you?
Sure. The time I was meditating was very hard, to be focus in your mind, to not think about anything, especially when you are just sitting there, but for me climbing is the activity when you are so focused, that you loose yourself. For me climbing is a very good escape.

To lose your own ego helps you improve your climbing?
I think so, yes. It is very hard to loose your ego in this way, but when I go climbing and in the moment you are really trying hard, you don't think about anything else.

Do you think that all negative thoughts such as climbing grades and drive for success inhibit climbers to move their  performance forward?
Yes for sure. When you are trying a project for so many days, weeks, month you know that you are physical capable, but then so many things happening in your head to make you fall. So it is better not to take a project too serious, don't be aware, just go climb and be happy. Not care to do the route so much, just to climb. I think this is important. 

If I say Realization, Es Pontas, Jumbo Love  and Golpe de Estado. What comes on your mind?
There are very special memories. For me Es Pontas is the most perfect line. With deep water solo I really love it. I really like to do new routes. It is creative process. So for me is very special moment in my life, to find such a nice line and than the whole process around it. I am not so motivated to climb the hardest routes, but I wanna find something what is very beautiful in nice nature.


Chris Sharma v Es Pontas 9a+/b, firs ascent, 2007, deep-water solo, Mallorca



Do you intend to go back to Mallorca?
Yes, but I don't have any new project. This is the problem for me. For me it is important to have a project, and I did not see any other there. I always look for something new, for a perfect line. Even if it is a sport climb, it should be a different style, to force me to learn new things.  Es Pontas  is such a perfect line in this style and it is hard to find something nicer, which is higher quality and will motivate me.

DWS is very difficult for trying. Do you abseil down to check the line?
It depends, there are no rules, there are no ethics, one ethic is no bolts. Yes, but I can rappel down and check the holds. But problem with Es Pontas  is that is so overhanging  and it is not possible to try the dyno, so I had to do it from the ground.


I want to talk about Realization- there is some discussion about the name of this route. When Christophere Lafaille bolted it in 1989, he named it Biografie. In 2001 when you sent it, you renamed it Realization. Silvain Millet after his second assent called it Biografie  again. I am confused.
Well, Arnold Petit put the middle anchor, so everyone was call this one Biografie. But actually in USA is tradition that the person who does the first ascent names the route. For me is fine to call it Biografie  or Realization, I don't really care about names, but I called it Realization, because the other route has already the name.

How long did you try Realization?
So like, when I was sixteen I tried it. Then I was pretting close, but I fell many times at last move and then I came back when I was nineteen, fell many times at the top and then I did it the next year. So it was really a process.  Very good experience, because I never had a big project. Starting and finishing was a lesson for me, this experience help me in my life. If you are committed to something, you have to finish it.


Left from Realization you have opened a new hard project. Will it be a new King Line?
Yeah, yeah. Very hard. I just bolted, I didn't do the route. I can do all the moves,  but it is hard to imagine doing all the moves. Maybe in the same way like Biografie, something that was next level.

About Jumbo Love you said that it was the hardest thing you have ever done. Is it still like that?
I think my route „Golpe de estado“ is the same grade, but the whole process around Jumbo Love was more difficult. It is far away, a long walk and a long route. It was challenging for climbing and for the whole process.


photo by Vojta Vrzba


What kind of feelings do you get after the successful ascent? Is it happiness, relief?
Everything. You know it is very important process to finish a route, it is not enough just fall all the time. You work on it, trying, dreaming about it….you live it. When you do the route you are very happy. If you never sent the route, then what is the point of climbing? There must be a goal. If you finish the project you feel empty. But I always have to have a project, everything is so clear. Goals keep me focus, show me directions.

Every route  moves you forward or shows you something new, then you search for the next project. When do you intend to finish this searching? When do you say it is enough?
This is the life of climbing- to try something new, to work on something. The point of climbing is finding something new, but in same time you must be happy. So there is no start or end, it is continuing process, always looking for new things, searching in nature. I think when I did Biografie, I felt very satisfied, I was thinking that maybe is time to move on, try something else. But I really love climbing, so I look for harder things. You always want to push your limits. Maybe when I will be older and I won't be able to climb hard, but there are always new things to discovery, even sport climbing has an adventure part, like exploring a new place, to finding new routes, you are not sure if is possible.

You have been on the road a long time. Have you ever thought of settling down? Will it be in Spain?
I was traveling nonstop for ten years. Now I am just happy to have a home in Spain, I try a project and come back home. For me it is a more balanced lifestyle. It is hard if you travel for project, you sleep in strange places, you always have pressure on time. So I am kind of tired of being on the road. For me Spain is the perfect place. I like the culture, people, language and climbing. In California there are not good places for climbing, so I was force to travel. On the other hand it was good, because I see the world and meet so many new people. But now I am happy to have a balance.

You compete right now occasionally. Do you like to compete from time to time or are competitions a part of your sponsor contracts?
Yes I like competitions, I do it for fun. For me it is not the big goal of climbing, but when I go compete I focus on that and I try to focus my energy in that one moment, because outside you can fall and try again, but at competition you must give everything. It is fun game. Maybe this year I try some competitions.

What do you say about the new generation?
Yeah, I climbed with Adam Ondra in Spain. He is very talented climber, I am sure in future he will push the limit. Before I was the younger climber, now I am the oldest. It is cool to see the things are changing and It will be cool to see what new generations of climbers will be able to do in the future. Adam has a position to take a climbing to another level.

When I asked my friends what they would like to ask you, it was often about your training.
No, I just work on my project, this is for me training. I try like a 9a+ three times a day, then I practice this hard route, it gives me motivation to improve myself.

I am sure there is a plenty of climbers who look up to you as their climbing idol. Do you realize it and how do you deal with it? Does it restrict you in how you act in public or at climbing crags?
I really enjoy climbing, I like to be in new places, look for new routes, so I often climb on places where there are not that many people around. I am happy if people are inspired by me. For me it is honor too that I can motivate people, I like to share my climbing with other people.  I just focus on what I do, just be natural, to be myself, in every moment. I don't worry about that so much. At popular cliffs people want to take pictures with me, and it can be tiring sometimes, but this is like my job. I cannot complain.

On interview cooperated Standa, Andrew and JirkaS.

Simona   [edit] 07:22 02.07.2009Print 

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