I-pods, I-pads!?...I-sad :(

       A new generation of crag kids are amongst us. Gone are the days of chasing grasshoppers and jumping between stones. I-phones, I-pads, I-sad. I grew up as a crag kid and my parents took me everywhere! Spring trips to Skaha, camping in the Ghost, trad climbing in Snow Canyon... My first lead climb at age 11 was on Tonsai Beach, Thailand where I got to know Knut Rokne, one of the most influential people to my climbing career. I sent my first 12 as a young teen in Vegas on a family trip and climbed my first multi pitch with my daddy up Yam when I was 10. The more I think about it, the more I realize how incredibly lucky I was to have such positive influences in my life. Growing up with coaches like Knut Rokne, peers like Vikki Weldon and Josh Muller and ‘uncles’ like Ryan Greenburg and Levente Pinter... It’s no wonder I am so inspired to hit the road and climb up a storm! 

My parents instilled an endless love for the outdoors in me from a very young age. When I was too little or perhaps too unfocussed to climb, I would gather sticks by the rivers of Bow Valley crags and watch them float downstream as my parents climbed endlessly. Making boats was my favorite pastime once I grew tired of climbing. I would mash rocks into the earth and draw pictures with mud. Stomp in puddles and play with ants...I was very good at amusing myself!

But today I saw something sad. I saw what my childhood could have been had I not had such amazing and down to earth parents. Had I grown up in this new generation of technology and chaos... These kids are being brought to world class climbing destinations, just like I was when I was little, but they are missing everything! They sit in the shade with their Ipads and Headphones... too lazy to move out from under me when I begin a new line.

Today opened my eyes to the new pressures that parents face with the intrusive technologies of todays world. I was lucky enough to escape this pandemic...but I think I still owe a pretty big thanks to the climbing community that helped raise me. So thanks Dad for making nature a game and thanks Knut for always going out of your way to get me on real rock! I can only hope that some kids from this generation are as fortunate as I was. 

Let me entice you... Greek Paradise!

       The Greek Island of Kalymnos; Filled with climbing communities that swarm between the striking cliff bans like honey bees. Mopeds putter about the sea side roads through air pockets filled with the scent of fresh oregano. The climbing here is endless and I can feel my fingers speckle with sweat as I excitingly clench the guide book.

More striking though, is looking up at the walls in real life. Wild stalactites jut out from steep roofs and colorful tufas ripple up towering face climbs. It feels as though you would need binoculars to locate the chains on some 40m climbs, but if you squint hard enough you can catch a metallic glimmer of reflected light.

With only a couple hours of evening sun upon our arrival here, we wandered into a stunning cave with a breathtaking view of the sea. Adjusting to sport climbing from bouldering is quite a difficult transition and something I am still working on to be completely honest.Trusting these rope things can be quite testing mentally, especially on the enormously exposed face climbs! I’m embarrassed to say that I couldn’t muster up the courage to lead anything on day 1... thank goodness day 2 was better! I’m psyched to see how the week progresses :)

Wolf modelling on belay in the sunset

Finally getting over my fear of leading, Fouska 7a

     I’ve been here for two days now and already time is flying. Two weeks is definitely not enough time to spend in sport climbing paradise! Being here makes you feel like a climber... it makes you ponder putting all those ‘important’ and ‘responsible’ things in your life on hold... so you can just climb. If you never see me again, I suspect you can guess where I’ll be!

Evolv

Calgary Climbing Center

Flashed

Flashing Elies, 7a+ 

Mental Secrets: 2014 Tour De Bloc Nationals and a Recap of the Season

          To the many of us who regard climbing as an individual sport, I would like to share why this weekend changed the way I see climbing as a team sport. I always thought a “climbing team” was a group of people who met on a scheduled basis to push each other’s weaknesses. To train like mo fo’s and keep the psych level pumping while offering constructive feedback. But the people I look up to most in the climbing community have given me so much more than just those things...In fact two very special people to me have tapped into my psyche in a way that has transformed my competition headspace and experience.

Feb 1 TDB, Scott Eveleigh Photography

The beginning of my season was filled with disappointing results and a whole lot of stress and insecurity. Usually qualifying high to secure a position in Finals, I would continually s*** the bed in the Finals round. Utterly fed up with my results and moreover my shaky non-committed fall-phobia flailing limbs...I knew I had to change something. 
          The young woman I turned to for help is a climbing prodigy. She keeps her cool 24/ 7 ( or at least tricks all of us into thinking so...). She moves confidently and purposefully. She trusts herself and her instincts and she is hands down one of the most beautiful climbers I have ever watched and had the honour to coach. I figured it was time for the tables to turn since Alyssa Weber had continually been kicking my ass for a couple years now! When I asked Alyssa back in february “What do I need to do to podium at a tour?” she replied “just have fun... I know it might sound a little cliche but it is the most important part. We all climb because it is fun, so why not make that the ultimate goal?” 

Alyssa Weber, World Cup Hamilton:Pam Eveleigh photography

At the time, this was an earth shattering epiphany for me! Have fun? What’s that....? I mean I have a lot of fun when I’m having a boulder sesh with my friends or training hard with my team... but Finals had always been an extremely stressful experience for me. Finals was a panel of judges who gave you five minutes to climb ridiculously hard problems that could later determine your fate as an international athlete. That is a BIG DEAL and A STRESSFUL DEAL. But the more I thought about it the more I realized that whatever the situation, we

Erica Carlson, Canmore: Jeff Walker Photography

 all feel the stress from our personal expectations and definitions of success/achievement.
At the Feb 15th Tour De Bloc in Vancouver at the Hive I took Alyssa’s advice. I let go of my expectations... I let go of the end goal of where I wanted to be and focused on the problem right in front of me. I focused on the movement and the sequence.. how cool the transitions were between features and how funny the problem was that made you climb it backwards right off the start! I had an absolute blast and for the first time ever at a Tour, I was on the podium! 
The other person that played a huge role in changing my mental approach to competition climbing is Erica Carlson. She is a carefully thought out and well rounded beast of a competitor who has the ability to focus in on problems like a microscope. Unoriginal as I am, I adopted the key words she uses to ready herself: “Calm, Strong and Focused.” For me, having these simple words to focus on carrying out made a world of difference in my competition game. A calm, strong and focused Jelisa was a very different climber than a frantic, over-gripping scatter-brained Jelisa. 
It sounds silly that two simple adjustments to my competition mentality could make such a difference in my performance... but it’s true! With the help of Alyssa and Erica, I finally feel like I’ve grown into myself as a competition climber. Whether I’m on a lucky streak or not, I am much more confident climbing under the gun and for the first time in a long while I’ve actually enjoyed it! 

Womens 3: Aidas Odonelis Photo

          Tour de Bloc Nationals was the last competition of the season and it was a major success for me! I went into that competition just wanting to have fun and try my best. Combining the mental techniques that had worked for my peers really helped me get through the entire comp in a positive manner! Once the semi-finals round was completed I was utterly shocked to learn that I had qualified 2nd for finals. I looked at the rankings like a child eyes their Christmas presents under the tree!

Womens 1: Adias Odonelis Photography

        Although I didn’t touch a single bonus in finals, I am proud of my climbing! I wasn’t held back by any pesky mental barriers... I was shut down strictly on a physical level which is how it should be! I gave everything I had left in the tank and despite the difficulty I experienced on the problems I found them very entertaining to climb on. I am pleased with my 4th place finish this year and I owe a big thanks to the two girls who helped me overcome my mental hurdles. We call climbing an individual sport, yet I don’t know a single other sport where your rivals are willing to share their tips and techniques with you. Where your team mates know exactly what to shout out to you in a crowd full of white noise. A team atmosphere undoubtedly clings to the air at the TDB’s and for some people... we really count on that support to succeed.
  

Shout out to my sponsors: 
Evolv
Flashed
Calgary Climbing Center