Kyle’s second profile of a club member - this week, Eva.
Figure 1- Our very own BCC cover photo. Eva on Fire Ball (E1 5b) at Fair Head. Photo: Rory Dixon
Hi Eva, tell me a little about yourself. Where are you from?
Hi Kyle, so as some of you already know I come from the Czech Republic. I grew up in a beautiful part of the country called the "Moravian Slovakia" (Slovácko).
But you learnt to climb in Belfast?
Yes, I came here as an Erasmus student. I had the best time with the QUBMC (Queens University Belfast Mountaineering Club), I loved the social aspect of climbing with the club just as much as I loved the climbing itself. I first got some taste of trad climb during the Easter trip to the Peak district few months after I started climbing and I absolutely fell in love. I didn't really grasp the concept of outdoor climbing at the time. My climbing partner Thomas O’Hagan used to call me the energizer bunny because I just wanted to do one climb after another just like I did indoors. Eventually, I worked out that climbing outdoors is much more enjoyable with a few breaks between climbs to fill up on some sugary food, but the psyche for outdoor climbing didn't really go away for me.
I eventually returned to Belfast and right now I am at Queen's, doing a PhD in Psychology.
What made you choose Belfast?
It was a bit of a coincidence. My university had a list of international universities to choose from and Queen's was one of the few UK ones. I wanted to go to UK since I thought that would really help me to improve my English, and Belfast seemed like a good and reasonably cheap place to go to.
So, you came to learn one of the finest dialects of English?
At first, I really didn’t understand anything people were saying. I remember trying to work out what people at the shop checkouts want from me when they were asking If I wanted a beee’g. But I made friends by laughing when other people were laughing, and I did OK.
Have you tried climbing back home? I’ve watched a few videos of the Wide Boyz climbing there, some of the stuff looks insane.
So, after my first year in Belfast, my Erasmus was over and I decided to go back to Czech republic. I really wanted to keep on climbing but first I had to meet some Czech climbers. Luckily, Brno - the place where I lived, has an amazing climbing culture. The place has only about 1.5 times the population of Belfast but there are about 5 really good artificial climbing walls (one is outdoors - made out of concrete) and several places to go bouldering. There is also some sport climbing in the surrounding area in the "Moravsky Kras", e.g. a 9b+ called “Vasil Vasil” set up by Adam Ondra, who’s local to Brno (I didn’t climb that one though :)).
I've also climbed in the "Buchlovske hory" sandstone area and a few other places. I think the climbing really differs by area but from my experience, it's generally quite tough and not as well protected as the climbing I've experienced in Spain.
What styles/types of climbing do you enjoy most?
Trad is the top one for me, but any climbing is better than no climbing.
Most enjoyable climbing experience?
It's hard to pick one, probably the Midnight cruiser (Figure 1), even though I took a bit of a fall when I was leading it (thanking Kora for the belay). It's just such a nice delicate climb, exactly my style. On the day when I led it, we had a great weather and it was generally just a brilliant day.
Least enjoyable climbing experience? I have a feeling I might be involved in this one.
Indeed! My least favourite experience was also at Fair Head. Luckily, I was just seconding this one, but it was still quite the horrific experience. Kyle and I did a climb called ‘Raglan Road’ (E3 6a) and the first pitch was just amazing. Afterwards we were just looking forward to a nice, relaxing finish on the second ‘easier’ pitch but my goodness, were we horribly, horribly wrong. I don't want to give too much away in case people want to go up there and climb it but imagine scary traverse followed by an overhanging offwidth. I just bout managed to get to the top and I believe my first words were "This is the route they make you climb in hell over and over."
As Martin Bagshaw wrote on UKC ‘This climb needs an ab station after the first pitch. Must have done some sinning in a previous life to be awarded with the top pitch.’ Still a cracking first pitch though. Think I may have helped you a little with a tight rope on the top pitch.
Yeah, I think it was the first time you saw me crying on a route.
You had a better time on with me on the Doffer (E1 5b)?
Another one I don't think I'll be leading any time soon. My comment on the UKC says it all: "If off-widths and pain is what you're into, then I would highly recommend this route."
Slightly more condense than my UKC comments of the same route.
So how is your Isolation training going? What have you been doing to stay sane?
Luckily, I have a few holds and pull up bars around the house, so I can do some training. I am currently working on a "project" of traversing a beam in our upstairs room, probably a solid 6b bouldering grade. Doing pull ups every day also helps to keep me reasonably sane.
‘Any goals for the future, any routes you want to try, new crags to visit?
Leading Marconi (E3 5c) is the next one. But let's see what shape I'm in once this isolation period is over. I might be glad if I can scramble to the top of the Escalator (Diff on Hen Mountain) this year!
Figure 2- Eva cruising the Fair Head classic Girona (VS)
Figure 3-Eva on the Bernia Ridge in Costa Blanca
Thanks for reading. If you want to be involved or know someone in the club (especially non committee) that wouldn’t mind answering a few questions let me know. -Kyle Stewart
Figure 4-Eva, doing everyday (non-climbing) things