The day after. Or actually already two days after the finals of the Worldcup Bouldering in Eindhoven.
Because of a mistake. (Won't tell you any names or details) I was climbing in Ettringen during Dutch the qualifications last April. At that time I was pretty quiet and light about it as I thought 'well, just happens and outdoor climbing is better then indoor climbing'. But somewhere in my brain there is a little voice that keeps on telling me 'Girl you're stronger then last year, you should have been there. And why don't you just write it down or say it that it's not your fault that you weren't there on the walls.'
And now I just told you.
I was told only the best three climbers would go for the 'Wildcard' for the Worldcup in Eindhoven. Later, after the qualifiers in April I figured it was the best 4 after the national team members. Bit painful...
I have no idea where I'll be next year (Yosemite, Iceland, Canada...?) But if I have that chance to qualify again, I'll try to do so :)
So, no competition climbing for me last weekend. Though I suddenly still got involved.
I'm national judge and the organisation was short in judges, so suddenly I was there.
I had 'to get into' the rules and system, but that was quite easy. And the positive thing was, that I had a first row view!
On Saturday evening I had so much engery after seeing all the climbers, that I decided to go and climb as well. And Monk it was. A full evening with all kinds of funny, strange, difficult, slopey, long, short boulders. Satisfied I left for the hotel in Mierlo.
Saturday, semi- and finals-day. The Dutch only had Vera and Nicky in the semi's.
Though, it was a busy day.
Mountain Network, a Dutch company that owns several climbing gyms in the Netherlands, was responsible for the venue (structure and the stage). And as the Netherlands is quite unpredictable weather wise you always have to count on at least some rain. This weekend was not just forecasted with 'some rain' but with LOADS of rain. So you'd expect a proper roof above the climbing walls and isolation. But nope...some sail that flappered in the wind was the only thing to protect the climbers and boulders from the rain.
There were even rumours that the competitions would be canceled because of it!
And then there was the structure itself. Four times I found a little pin on the floor under the walls. It was not just a little pin, it were crucial little things that work as locks and so basically keep the structure together. With such a pin missing, the structure can basically drop down with just a bit of wind. So four of these missing...
I climbed up with the excuse to fix the holes in the roof and also placed two pins back...
Now I can go on and on with complaining about the structure and safety (for example how to work with scaffold-hooks and how this was all a perfect example of how not to work with it...) but, I was writing about climbing and not about safety issues in stage building. (Though...hopefully it will all be better next year...)
This post is not finished (yet) due to some internet problems here, it keeps on disappearing. Really annoying. So tomorrow I'll write some more :)
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