British Lead Climbing Champion, 5 times!

The Junior BLCC has been my favourite competition for many years, it really is the prestigious National event that you want to win.  Its great fun competing on home soil, and it’s been mine now for 5 years in a row, in my age category!

I first won it in 2011 as a Youth B. This was way back in the days competing against Brendan Gallagher and Dom Burns (on lead!), Billy Ridal and Alex Waterhouse were there too.  Roll on to 2012 as Youth A, I find myself the champion against names such as Luke Dawson, Buster Martin, Johnny White, etc and again as Youth A in 2013 with the usual strong names.  Then I’m in Juniors and at Uni and I still compete and want to make it 4 times in a row – the Junior field was smaller but still with Luke, Orrin Coley and Ellis Butler –Barker I had to stay focused. Yes four in a row!  Finally the last year as a Junior and its really important to me to make it 5 consecutive Championships in a row.  Success is sweet. 

BLCC 2015 Junior

BLCC 2011 Youth B

In action at the 2015 Junior BLCC

My last year as a Junior saw me win the other two events that make up the Youth Cup – so I am the Champion in that too. Sweet way to finish in the Juniors. 

The second day at the BLCCs was the Senior competition, the field now has many talented climbers but I intended to make the final.  However, I got my arm tangled in the rope making the penultimate clip on my first route which I was intending to top.  I managed to stay focused on the second route, the slab, but was unlucky to miss the finals by one place.

Going well on the first qualifier of senior BLCC

The following week I decided to enter the Leeds Depot Battle of Britain, just for fun, and had a really good day qualifying in 3^rd place for the finals!  The 3 final problems were evil, with a distinct lack of holds, but it was really good fun working out how to use the volumes. I was a little disappointed to end up 4^th, but not surprised.  It was a great day and proved to me that I’m no couch potato at bouldering comps!

5 month round up!

I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last blogged, but yep I am still alive, survived my first year at Sheffield University and am still climbing.

British Universities and Colleges Sports - Bouldering

February saw me in another boulder competition; this was the British Universities and Colleges Sport Bouldering competition (BUCS), a massive event embracing many sports and about 6000 athletes. I was in the Sheffield University team in the Bouldering (no lead climbing comp), with about 200 competitors in the male bouldering and only 4 to go through to the finals I knew it would be a tough day; it was great climbing as part of the Sheffield team and I was happy with my bouldering but did not expect to be in the finals. I was amazed to find I tied 4^th for a place in the finals. It was a great atmosphere in the Climbing Works for the final. I knew the three problems were going to be hard, and there would be one on a slab, (which would need more balance and flexibility than I have).  The slab problem took 7 goes to top, my lead climbing stamina came in as I could just keep trying in my allotted 4 mins. 

BUCS final problem one, photo James McIlveen 

I was totally stunned to find I had come third; beaten only by Joe Swales and Ashley Wolsey-Heard.

On the back of their BUCS success the University of Sheffield team were invited by the BUCS organisation to enter the European Universities Sports Association competition in Poland (more about this later).

Team Training in Europe and EYC Dornbirn (AUT)

My lead training had been going well, and over the Easter break I travelled out to Austria for some training on the walls at Imst, Trivol and Arco, with some of the GB junior team for a few days. There were some fantastic mountain passes we drove over, between Italy and Austria. And some pretty good ice cream to be had in Italy.  Then it was back to Uni before the first EYC of the year.

Finally, in May, it was out to Dornbirn for the first EYC of the year.  We had a day to rest and explore before the competition, Dornbirn is very quaint and at risk of sounding like the tourist office the countyside is quite beautiful too. 

 

The comp wall had plenty of overhangs, and after a good look at the routes I was feeling quite confident….  However on my first route I stupidly found myself wrong handed and all was lost. This put me really low in the group and I was very disappointed, yet again I have mucked up the first route, I know I could have done so much better. 

The first route (yellows), that caused my downfall.

I pulled myself together and had a much better climb on the second route; finding myself being joint 11^th place on that route.  However my appalling first climb put me in 20^th overall.  I need to seriously think why I don’t perform well on the first route at the International Competitions. I know I can climb so much better.  Hopefully I will resolve these head matters before my next International. 

Having a better time on the second route

Preparation for EUSA and World Cup

The EYCh clashed with my first year exams, a real pity as they were in Edinburgh; however the day job has to come first sometimes.  I am now busy getting my stamina back, a quick trip to Ratho last weekend shows I need to work a bit on this still.

A bit pumped, photo Ian Dunn

I have two main events over the summer that I am really looking forward to, the first is the EUSA comp in Poland (mentioned above) the University of Sheffield have been really supportive to me over the year, I am really looking forward to being part of the team to represent them, they have organised us some great kit and it’s going to be an interesting competition, a little different to the EYC format, although still overseen by the IFSC.

 http://www.climbing2015.pl/7-news/278-poland-will-host-european-sport-climbing-championship-2015 

Each competitor has to do two disciplines, I have gone for boulder and lead (speed is not quite my thing), although I am a bit worried as the boulder comp is the day before the leading. Our teams consist of Jen Wood, Luke Dawson, Sam Williams and yours truly; we don’t yet know who are on the other teams internationally but hope to do really well.  As far as I know we are the only GB Uni team entered so we are also representing GB. Unfortunately this clashes with the EYC at Mitterdorf, it’s just not possible to do that event as well.

Later in August is the IFSC World Youth Championship in Arco, I need to get training hard.

  

Thank you 

I would like to say a huge thank you to my sponsors this year, University of Sheffield, Sports Sheffield, Catalyst, Johnson Matthey, and not forgetting Beyond Hope for all the kit. 

Sponsorship!

In December I was amazed to find I had been awarded the Sheffield University Elite Sports Performance Scheme Level 2 Award, and The Catalyst Higher Education Accommodation Award.

http://www.browzer.co.uk/shef/connor-byrne-wins-elite-sports-performance-award_8194

I had applied for the Scholarships at Sheffield University when I started in September and was really pleased to be awarded the first level (free use of the gym etc). I was invited to meet the Catalyst Committee and turned up in jeans and tea shirt to find 9 suited and booted committee members, I did feel just a little underdressed!  It was here I was told I had been awarded the top sports scholarship!  An enormous thank you to the Catalyst committee, and Sport Sheffield for selecting me.  I am looking forward to the official Awards Night later this week.

Photo with Barry Millsom (courtesy of Lisa Weatherall)

Photo with Mark Wayment (courtesy of Lisa Weatherall)

2014 saw me take part in 3 Senior World Cup Events across Europe; and the Senior World Championships in Gijon, I have blogged about these previously they really were a tremendous experience, the atmosphere at these events is incredible, to be on the same wall at the same time as Adam Ondra is mind blowing.  Watching the skill in the finals is inspirational.  To take part in some of the Senior World Events is just unbelievable.  Fingers crossed I can do well in the Senior events in 2015.

Over the Autumn I have taken part in a few local boulder competitions – much to the surprise of boulderers who know me as a lead climber; yep I have discovered it is possible to climb without a harness or rope. Finding myself in the final of The Plywood Masters in December I had to ask the other competitors to explain how the format of the finals worked.

The first BMC Youth Open Cup in November saw a win for me in the Junior age group, proving I can still compete with rope and harness.

Senior World Cup Kranj

I was worried how I would perform as my hectic life has made doing all the training I want difficult.  However at least this was well timed for a few days away as it was reading week, so I would not miss too many lectures.  I gave Luke a lift to Stanstead on the Thursday night, to fly out on the Friday.  Friday night the running orders were announced and I was to be first up, with the difference in time I was to be competing at 8am UK time. 

Senior qualifiers

I had a good read of what would be my first route (2^nd qualifier), the plan was to go from the orange pocket, crossing left onto the crimp, then going right out to a sloper, then turning the left crimp to an undercut and finally crossing right to another sloper in the roof.  I was such an idiot, when I got to the first sloper I tried to left shoulder to the sloper in the roof – this was really stupid, it was too hard to undo my mistake and I fell.  How often do I make silly mistakes!  I was really disappointed; I passed the beta onto the rest of the team. I just had to focus on my other route.  This went much better, I stuck to my route reading and I could give useful beta to a decent height to the rest of the team.  I ended up 33^rd on this route, but 49^th overall.  It’s so frustrating knowing I have the fitness (so better nutrition is working), it’s just getting the brain to work.  Hopefully next year I will put two decent performances together at one of these comps.

For a lead climber I have been busy taking part in the Northern University Boulder Series (NUBS), I have done two of these rounds so far, my second round was an improvement on my first, (better route reading).

This weekend I took part in the Plywood Masters Bouldering Competition, and completely shocked myself by making the finals.  I was really worried about how hard the problems would be in the final, however I surprised myself again and finished 5^th overall.

Two lives in One.

Since my summer blog I have started at Sheffield University.  I was somewhat shocked to find my timetable had 30 hours of contact time, before I even start any own study.  On top of this there is finding time for cooking – or at least eating (and washing) – welcome to the real world!  Somehow I also need to fit in training, why else am I at Sheffield.

3 weeks after entering the real world it’s time for the BLCC, a nice 10 min drive to the wall (sometime things work ok), picking a few  mates up on the way.  Day one was the junior comp.  The day went pretty well, resulting in retaining my BLCC title.  This is now the 4^th time in a row I have won my category in the British Lead Climbing Championship!

Junior final route

Junior podium 

Back to student digs for the night.  Sunday dawned and I felt rubbish, I had just not recovered.  Three weeks of poor nutrition had finally taken its toll.  I was up 4^th and was not ready- great photo from Pete Wuensche you can just see I feel grim.  

Photo: Pete Wuensche

I was feeling much better a couple of hours later for my second route (making 7^th place) but my result of the first qualifier dragged me out of the final.  I was really disappointed not to make the finals, but learnt a huge lesson on nutrition.  It is very hard to be fully committed to two hugely time consuming lives – and trying to cram them in one life – and then remembering to eat properly.  I am pleased to say I am more sorted now.

Summer roundup – new and old things

Senior GB Team in Chamonix, photo John Ellison

After a couple of days rest from the Senior World Cup in Chamonix I travelled down to London for the Youth Open. It was boiling in London, reaching 34oC per the car whilst stuck on the M25. I qualified for the finals in first place and so was last out of isolation.  I almost topped out the final route, great photo from Paul Alexander from Tokyo Magic catching my foot slipping. It was great to be competing in the UK and in my age group again, the win gave my confidence a boast after the Senior World Comps.

Final route at youth open, photo Paul Alexander at Tokyo Magic

  

Next was something totally new and for fun – the Deep Water Solo comp in Exeter.  I had done no training with this in mind, have not even been swimming for ages, and never done any DWS.  It was a great fun to take part in. The event was also very well organised event that ran like clockwork. It looked a bit bouldery for me when I got there – the water did not look to inviting, I did not want to fall in too early.   I was pleased to top the first problem, keeping my shoes and chalk dry.  However, I let myself down with a lack of flexibility at getting my foot up on to a small screw on.  Fresh dry shoes on for the third problem (great to have a spare pair of Primes), all was going fine until I could not switch from a toe to a heal hook.  I was a bit annoyed with my climbing, but this is the first boulder comp I have taken part in for years, so 16^th place was not so bad.  Watching the finals with so many of my friends in the Devon sunshine was very enjoyable.

Next it was off to the Senior World Championships in Gijon, Spain.  This was run in tandem with the Senior Para climbing championships, and the whole event lasted a week in hot sunny Spain.  The event was held in a huge indoor arena and opened with the speed climbing, the next day it was qualifiers for the men.  The wall had been purpose built for the comp, and looked fantastic; the routes however looked rather difficult.  I was hoping to get higher than I did on both qualifiers, however on the first I missed a hold and on the second I forgot to move my feet.  The silly mistakes are by biggest problem at these senior competitions, hopefully with more experience they will become less frequent.  It was really impressive to watch the full time professional climbers competing throughout the week and the final was really exciting.  Watching and meeting the Para climbing team was impressive and inspirational.

Finals at Gijon

Other new things; I was mostly pleased with my A level results, and am off the Sheffield Uni to study Aerospace Engineering in September.  I have also been outside climbing a few times over the summer, it was good to chill out and do some fun climbing with a few mates outside.

Once again, a huge thank you to all my sponsors; without their help this would be very hard to do. SportsAid, Beyond Hope, Johnson Matthey, Ribble Valley Borough Council.

Competing in the rain – Senior World Cup Chamonix

After the technical meeting and publication of the running order we had a bit of a debate over how to share the one senior male GB competition vest we had (kind of Déjà vu moment to Kranj last year).  It looked like we would get away with it, I was up 22 on my first route, giving plenty of time for Ed to get the vest to me. However for my second climb the timing got tight for me to get my vest back, I got it in the nick of time - slightly damp, hope that was rain and not sweat. 

Qualifiers in the rain

Athletes' presentation 

I have mixed feeling over my performance on the two routes.  The first one, I was climbing well and felt comfortable, but just made a mistake and was spat off the wall. I was a bit fed up with being 71 of 76 as I knew I could have done better.  I focused on the second route and did much better – coming 45 of the 76, although oddly I felt I came of this due to a mistake again.  I was fairly happy with 62 of 76, especially considering the quality of climbers I was competing with.

Finals

Crowd watching the final 

Yet again I have learnt loads, and know what to try to focus on in training, and competing outdoor in the rain an experience.  Staying all together in one apartment was brilliant, and defiantly the way to go, especially with the wet weather.

Chamonix in the sun

View from the Tourist office

Looking forwards to the Senior World Cup in Imst, and then Senior World Championship in Gijon, with all the senior GB men.

  

A huge thank you to my sponsors:

SportsAid

Johnson Matthey

RVBC

UCLan

Whalley Physio

It would be impossible to do this without your help.