Climbing is many things to me. Passion. Obsession. Desire. Drive. Beauty. Climbing is a reason to be outside and experience the world. But more than that, climbing is travel and people.
Being a climber has taken me places I’d never dreamed of going and allowed me to meet people I’d never have met. What other sport takes you across the ocean to an obscure location, usually in the middle of the woods, where you’ll meet amazing like-minded people from all walks of life.
In what other sport do you get to “play” side-by-side with your heroes? Good luck ever playing basketball with Michael Jordan, or throwing a football around with one of the Manning brothers. But climbing a route at the same crag as Chris Sharma, Dave Graham, or Lynn Hill, that can happen to anyone, you just have to be in the right place at the right time.
Who knows, you might even end up having a beer with your idol at the end of the day.
The right place this spring was Catalunya, Spain. Here you will find the some of the best climbers in the world climbing the hardest sport climbs in the world, everyday. It’s truly amazing and inspiring to watch and be a part of.
For two weeks this spring Andrew Bisharat, senior editor at Rock and Ice and also my boyfriend, Keith Ladzinski, photographer extraordinaire, Elly Stewart, Keith’s intern, and I had the opportunity to live and climb with Chris Sharma and Daila Ojeda in their home region of Catalunya, Spain.
Spain is basically a country made of limestone and tufas. World class climbing sits just off the road and is abundant to say the least.
Ours days quickly took on the comfortable routine of Chris and Daila, which I now refer to as “Spain style”. Wake up around 10:00am, or 11:00am, or noon, whenever you’re body decides it’s had enough.
Drink coffee, read a book, relax, deal with things around the house, and talk about the days plans. When the time feels right and the sun is sure to be off the wall, motivate and head to the crag. Once at the crag the amount of climbing tended to be minimal, but the amount of effort put into each climb was huge. A muerte, to the death, as the Spanish say. Short spurts of everything you had with chill, tranquilo, moments in between.
I learned a lot about the type of life I’d like to lead from watching Chris and Daila. Of course they are great climbers, but more than that, they are great people. Caring, kind, welcoming, thoughtful, and tranquilo. . . except when climbing, then it’s a muerte.
~Jen Vennon, prAna Ambassador
Andrew Bisharat and Keith Ladzinski tell the story of our trip to Spain in the new Rock and Ice, issue 196. It should be on the newsstands next week. Look for the amazing cover of Daila Ojeda on Mind Control, 5.14c.
Breath, life, vitality of the spirit.
The last day Chris sent “Power inverter” 9a+ FA, one of his really hard projects bolted in the espectacular wall in Oliana. Also Dani Andrada sent at the same time “Duele la realidad” 9a bolted by himself too.. it was fun watching them cheer eachother on while they climbed.. it was motivating for everybody in the cliff.. thanks guys and good job!! 
Yes, warming up is important!! hehe”
