Interview

  • Climbing

    When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport?

    Being born in southern Argentina, in Patagonia, nature and mountains have been a part of my life since the beginning, and I always felt they were the right place for me. I discovered climbing through my sister, who used to climb with her boyfriend. So I got hooked early on and I've been climbing ever since. I've always been fascinated by the movement, by the need to find and solve new sequences and improve my technique. The mental challenge of constantly facing new problems has been the main motivation in my climbing life so far, and the fact that I can now make a living out of this makes me feel really lucky.

    Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?

    The first climbers who inspired me and to who I looked up to were Ramón Julian and Edu Marin, two examples of how discipline and hard work have a reward. Along with Marco Jubes, I think they have been my role models, besides being good friends and outstanding climbers. They have taught me much and they've helped me become the climber I am today.
    If now I have become a role model to other people, I think that would be more of a consequence rather than a goal that I set myself to. And I guess that's a good thing, because if I was able to learn positive values from Ramón, Edu and Marco, maybe now I can pass these values to other people. And this is something that makes me really happy, although it was never my intention to become anyone's role model.

    What were the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? Did you immediately recognize them as such or only later on?

    Finishing high school, when I moved to Catalunya, my first competition in 2010, when I started route setting internationally outside of my country and team up with Edelrid. I recognized most of these steps almost immediately as milestones because, in my mind, they were the right steps I had to take to make the dream of spending my life following my passion come true.
    For example finishing high school gave me more freedom with my schedule. Catalunya is a paradise for climbing, competitions have connected me to a lot of people, they have taught me a lot and have made me train hard and push my limits. And have support of a great company like Edelrid gives me the resources I need to complete the puzzle.

    What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

    After an incredible 2015, I decided to finish the year and start 2016 climbing with my friends in Siurana. While I was climbing hard and not having had a proper warm up, I injured my right forearm and one finger. It has been my worst injury so far and I had to spend many months in rehabilitation, but thanks to Felix Obrado's -my physiotherapist- help and patience, I was able to recover. Were hard times but for sure the most important

  • Training

    Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

    As a competition climber, I'm used to follow a strict training program while preparing for competitions. Because you need to be strong in one place and one time, but depending on my personal projects and goals, there are periods during which the training is strict, whilst during other times it's more relaxed.
    At the beginning of the year I have a first idea of some of the projects I want to do and other compromises (rock trips, competitions, route settings, sponsor meetings, etc...) so with that I prepare a first version of my calendar and my training periods. After that I'm updating the planning as the year progresses.

    What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?

    Don't be afraid to try new things. Try to find and work hard in your weaknesses and enjoy the process. For sure try to get a healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition is key, and good rest as well. Listen to your body.

    What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?

    Both things are passions of mine.
    I love the mountains, and as a route setter I enjoy playing with holds and movement sequences in the rock climbing gym.
    It is true that indoor climbing, particularly in competition, is evolving into something increasingly different from actual rock climbing, and I am aware there's people who have negative opinions in that regard. I enjoy it very much, both as a climber and as route setter.

    Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?

    Yes, both.

    How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?

    Sure, professional climbers are strong athletes, but there are lots of other things that play a role if you want to make a living out of climbing. Good attitude, for instance. Besides, a pro climbers' work is not just climbing, at this point I think everyone has his/her own formula, and I know many different ones from my friends.

  • Climbing Psychology

    Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?

    If you're thirsty, you go for a glass of water, right? You don't just stand there, thinking: "I'm thirsty... How I wish I had a glass of water!".
    I think the same thing happens with everything else. If you really want something, you're going to work hard for that thing, you're going to find the way to accomplish that goal. If you are born with some natural gift that helps you in the process, it's going to be easier, otherwise it might be harder, but if you really want it there will be no excuses!

    How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?

    Motivation is the key. Training at your limit is really hard, so I think it is very important to set a goal and focus on that goal and give it your best every day. This goal will keep your motivation high during the hard moments.
    My goal is to keep on enjoying every moment 'a muerte', improving as a climber, and as route setter.
    As for my climbing projects, I will tell you more about them on social media when the moment comes. See you there!

    How to you deal with extremely hard climbing problems? Do you ever get frustrated and give up on them or do they motivate you even more?

    The most important thing is to have a positive attitude. Both for hard projects and in your everyday life, to see the good parts in every situation is going to help us to keep on going forward. You need to be aware that bad or difficult moments are going to come, and realize those moments are also a part of the process. To widen our perspective allows us to value any situation as it deserves and to endure the hard moments. This focus can lead you to realizing our dreams.

  • Future of rock climbing

    Is there anything you would like to change about the current developments in climbing?

    I would like that the whole climbing industry would aim towards sustainability. It matters and it's a priority. I think Edelrid is an example of how you can innovate and make a top-quality product in an environmentally friendly way.

    Where do you see the sport going in the next years, what will change and what is your role going to be in it?

    The sport is getting bigger and it is reaching more and more people, and I guess that is going to have both positive and negative consequences. Either way, I hope the change will point towards respect and sustainability.
    I see myself pushing my limit and climbing as hard as I can and as long as I can, also setting new routes, boulders etc... Moving forward, I'm pretty sure my future is going to be associated to the climbing industry, in some fashion, I guess from the inside. Maybe I'll be helping in developing new products, or maybe giving my vision for business management on climbing gyms and or companies. Also, I'd like to help young and upcoming athletes, trying, with my experience, to give back as much as I can to the climbing world and community.