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Deep Water Soloing 2014: Finals
Sep. 3rd, 2014 09:20 pmAfter break of a couple of hours, during which I went for Moroccan mint tea and a hippy nut bar at a cafe in town, the wall was stripped down and the final three problems were put up ready for the last part of the competition.
This isn't a brilliant photo, but it shows just how bare the final configuration was: the male finals problem is the blue running from left to right, the female and U16 male problem is red running from right to left, and the U16 female is green running from the middle up to the top left corner.
The evening event started with the U16 competitors, all of whom were absolutely amazing. They may have been shorter than most — some of them were tiny! — but they more than made up for it with solid technique and astonishing power-to-weight ratios. They were followed by the eight female finalists, including a few competitors who'd come all the way from the open sessions on Saturday.
( Female finals photos )
Following the end of the female final, there was a short break during which the competitors inspected the wall and Neil Gresham talked a little bit about the competition, mentioning the quality of the setting and how well the problems tested the different weaknesses of the climbers, with people falling off at a range of different places on the wall — rather than everyone simply struggling with the same crux move.
While this was going on the weather changed for the better, with the late summer sun breaking through the clouds at just the right angle to catch the wall in all its glory. As a result, instead of having to shoot into the sun, I finally got an opportunity to take some glorious pictures of the finalists lit by a beautiful orange, late summer sun. Pure perfection.
( Male final photos )
All in all, it was an awesome weekend, a great event, and a real inspiration. Let's hope it gets more people climbing and let's hope it happens again next year!
This isn't a brilliant photo, but it shows just how bare the final configuration was: the male finals problem is the blue running from left to right, the female and U16 male problem is red running from right to left, and the U16 female is green running from the middle up to the top left corner.
The evening event started with the U16 competitors, all of whom were absolutely amazing. They may have been shorter than most — some of them were tiny! — but they more than made up for it with solid technique and astonishing power-to-weight ratios. They were followed by the eight female finalists, including a few competitors who'd come all the way from the open sessions on Saturday.
( Female finals photos )
Following the end of the female final, there was a short break during which the competitors inspected the wall and Neil Gresham talked a little bit about the competition, mentioning the quality of the setting and how well the problems tested the different weaknesses of the climbers, with people falling off at a range of different places on the wall — rather than everyone simply struggling with the same crux move.
While this was going on the weather changed for the better, with the late summer sun breaking through the clouds at just the right angle to catch the wall in all its glory. As a result, instead of having to shoot into the sun, I finally got an opportunity to take some glorious pictures of the finalists lit by a beautiful orange, late summer sun. Pure perfection.
( Male final photos )
All in all, it was an awesome weekend, a great event, and a real inspiration. Let's hope it gets more people climbing and let's hope it happens again next year!
