Munich World Cup: Bubble Wrapped Barriers

W3, Munich WC 2013 : Photo: Patho Pix

     Three years ago, today. I topped my first World Cup Boulder in Munich. Women’s three... It was a dyno to a sloping dish and I held it with utter despair and determination to prove that I could play this game. To prove that I could solve their tricks....and swim like the little fishy I was in a sea of bigger, better fish. 

     Climbing is full of clicks and epiphanies. It’s also full of silly limits and definitions of what you ‘can’ and ‘can’t’ do... Bouldering outside has taught me this through the utter agony of projecting. Having the possible slip through your fingers so many times, and somehow clutching the belief that success is still possible in a sea of failed attempts. But that’s what makes climbing special and so rewarding. Limits and Boundaries keep our sport spicy and fresh, because without them, we’d never surprise ourselves of what are actually capable of. 

     I didn’t truly believe that I could top a world cup boulder problem three years ago. For some reason, I expected it to be so physically beyond my limit. I expected a boulder like this to be designed for Shauna Coxsey and Alex Puccio. I didn’t believe I was a wold cup climber...because I had never been one. I had no experiences to draw from besides the Tour de Bloc finals      I had competed in, and I usually only ever topped 2 of the 4 final boulders at most. 

So I built an invisible barrier. And the goal of topping a world cup boulder was bubble wrapped in a cloud of false illusion. I wanted it...but it didn’t seem tangible. It wasn’t until my die hard fingers refused to give way when I latched the dyno on my 5th attempt of women’s 3, that I unlocked a new chapter of my climbing. 

Rattikin Boulder Masters, Klosters, 2015 Photo: The Circuit Climbing

     When I compare that little fishy to the slightly more seasoned fishy I am today, I can’t help but smile. Yesterday was NOT my day! But I made the decision to compete, regardless that my body felt weak recovering from the flu. Still, I found myself at the top of boulder 1 with ease, playing on the slab and doing reasonably well instead of grating down the wall, and I fell on the last move of boulder 4 on my flash attempt.

W1, Munich WC 2015, Photo:Sytse van Slooten

     For a while I was upset. I knew I could have done three of those boulders, and three boulders would have put me in semi’s. Instead...I only topped one. But then I realized...this is the new chapter. Figuring out a competition head, trusting my sequence and actually solving these problems in 5 minutes. 

     When I compare myself to the little fishy who thought she couldn’t even top a world cup boulder, I have to say that it is pretty damn cool to now believe that I’m capable of topping so many of these problems. I’ve come to accept progress as a slow crawl, to be patient with it and myself. Some days suck and some days are brilliant. But one thing I’ve learned about competitions is that I freaking love them. I have so much fun no matter what. I love the game, the tactics, the stress... I love how the idea of success is shattered in front of my eyes every single time, and that it guts me. I love how it motivates me to push harder, to be better and to learn from all my stupid mistakes.

     A World Cup is a rare experience. I have Tonde and Malek to thank for reminding me of that, and encouraging me to compete even though I was ill. Yesterday I had a blast trying to pop as much bubble wrap as I could to unlock my next limit. It’s getting closer..... ;)

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Jelisa Dunbar

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