On Friday we left with 5 climbers from Belgium for the second EYC 2012 in Moscow.
It was a nice adventure to travel with the metro through Moscow.

Qualifications
The first qualification route I could top out together with 3 other girls. I could also top the second route with 6 other girls. In my age group were only 9 climbers so we all went to the finals.

Maëlys Gillart (female youth B) climbed really well and was qualified for the finals! Also William Frimout and Loïc Timmermans (both male youth A) were qualified. Unfortunately Koen Baekelandt was just 11th.

The competition wall (Photo: Dmitry Sushpanova)

On Saturday we had a day off so we went to visit Moscow. We saw the Red Square which was really beautiful. It was great!

Belgian Team

THIS IS NOT MY SPORT 🙁
On Sunday Maëlys finished 5th in the finals! William became 7th.

Junior female had the same final route as us and in the iso I discussed the route a bit with Tina Johnson Hafsaas (NOR). Juniors climbed first and the shouts of the spectators learned me that only Tina topped the route (the iso was next to the competition wall).

I had to climb last in Youth A and I knew that two girls had topped because of the public. A new European rule says that there is NO COUNTBACK anymore when there is a tie in the final, only the climbing time counts. So I knew what I had to do since suddenly my sport changed from lead climbing to lead-speed. The final route was surprisingly easy and I raced through the route to win the competition. I’m not so happy with this victory because it’s not fair towards the other girls that topped too and no fun either. My sport is lead climbing.

I hope the European Council will delete this rule.

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Podium EYC Moscow

Loïc also had to climb last in the final. He knew no one had topped because he had heard them all falling and hitting the wall. So for him it was a real lead competition. He climbed very well and won!

I am happy that I could go to Moscow. It was really nice to be there and it was a great experience!

Nice pictures on this Russian site

The first EYC 2012 was held in Edinburgh (Scotland). I am now climbing in youth A (age group 16-17).

The qualifications went well, although I climbed too slow in the first route and I had a time-out. The second route was in the overhang. I could top out and I liked it very much.

Chloé Caulier climbed really strong! She topped the first route, but unfortunately she also had a time-out. She topped the second route too! Julia Chanourdie topped both routes.

Celine Cuypers (youth B, 14-15 years old) climbed fantastic in her first international competition. She topped both qualification routes!

Celine Cuypers (Photo: Yves Guérit)

There were 5 climbers from Belgium in the finals: Sébastien Berthe, Loïc Timmermans, Chloé Caulier, Celine Cuypers and me.

My final route was again in the overhang and it was really great. In the middle I did not see a foothold, but I managed to pass. I touched the final hold and won the competition. I am happy and thankfull! Salomé Romain (FRA) became 2nd and Julia Chanourdie (FRA) 3rd.

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In my final route (Photo: Denis Timmermans)

Chloé Caulier climbed very well! She climbed as high as the 4th, but because of the new European rule of time she became 5th. Celine Cuypers became 3rd, which is really amazing! Loïc Timmermans became 3rd in the male youth A and Sébastien Berthe became 7th in juniors male.

Chloé Caulier (Photo: Denis Timmermans)

It was a great competition! In the Belgian team we were with 18 climbers. Afterwards we went walking in the Scottish Highlands which was really nice!

Belgian Team (Photo: Yves Guérit)

The Belgian Championships adults were held in Entre Ciel et Terre, a great climbing gym in Louvain-la-Neuve.

In the qualifications I could top out the first route together with other girls. Maëlys Gillart and Celine Cuypers topped too, they are actually too young for this competition but  could take part for the experience.

I found the second route very difficult but I could top it out together with Mathilde Brumagne. Unfortunately she was 2 seconds out of time.

In the final route the beginning was already very hard. I climbed up to a point where I hesitated to cross over. I got pumped and I fell in the next move. Mathilde Brumagne was very strong. She climbed almost up to the top, which is really great! She became Belgian Champion! I became 2nd and Chloé Caulier became 3rd.

Celine and Maëlys climbed very strong! Maëlys became 5th and Celine 4th.

In the male finals the route was also very hard. Loïc Timmermans became Belgian Champion. Jurgen Lis climbed also very strong and became 2nd. Jonathan Thomas became 3rd.

In speed Jurgen Lis became Belgian Champion with a very fast time! I won the female speed, Magali Hayen became 2nd and Chloé Caulier 3rd. It was sad for Emilie Guérit who injured herself during speed.

Report and photos at Belclimb (in French and Dutch) and Climb2Climb (in French).

Photographer: Hube