Full Name: Gerardo Ariznabarreta García de Cortázar
Where were you born: Vitoria-Gasteiz, Alava-Araba, Spain
CCC: Where do you call home now:
G: I guess you can call home everywhere you feel you are going to be always welcome to. So definitely Austin is in this list of what I can call my “homes”.
CCC: So, after spending a year in Austin for school and you’ve been back in Spain for a little while now. How does it feel to be home? G: Is G: I just like riding a bicycle…even if you haven’t ridden one for a long time, you take a bike and although a bit clumsy the first few meters, the confidence doesn’t take too long to come back. Exactly the same has been for me to come back home…clumsy with my language, clumsy with my friends, clumsy with the food I was used too…but now confident again.
CCC: How did Austin and the US in general treat you?
G: Austin (let’s be clear, the people that I met there) treated me too well!! Probably way better than I deserved, and that’s the only reason why I can’t help a little smile while answering this question.
CCC: Have any special Texan memories you’d like to share with everyone?
G: Some Texan memories…more beer than what I am used to, climbing in December with no shirt, lake Travis, killing sun and heat, sending glasses, orange colour, UFC…
CCC: You did a lot of climbing in Texas and even got to a few other states before your time was up in America. Where all did you climb, and what was your favorite climbing spot?
G: I was really lucky to be invited to go climbing to a lot of different places: I went Sport climbing to: Red River Gorge, Reimers and the Green belt. And bouldering to: McKinney, Hueco Tanks, and Colorado. Every single place I have mentioned has something that makes it special and great: the long and just amazing walls of the Red, the short and ultra hard moves from crimpers and one finger pockets at McKinney, the unique colour and shapes of Hueco, the snow and motivation atmosphere of Colorado…I deffenetly can not choose…I just can not. But I want to thank to all those I shared a climbing trip with because probably none of these trips would have been half as great as they were without your company.
CCC: How does climbing in America compare to Spain, the rock, the people, the style?
G: I think climbing atmosphere is something universal; we all climbers share the passion for climbing. Also climbers tend to travel a lot; there are always foreign climbers here and there, so in the end here and there means nothing. I think that there exists a country named “the climbing crags”; there is where we all belong to.
About the rock: here in Spain you can hardly find places that are not limestone (that doesn’t mean that you can not find sandstone or granite),while in the States I climbed on a really broad range of rock type.
The stile; I think in the States you are more respectful with mother nature and her design of the walls to be climbed. While I was there I learned how criticized were fake holds( I’m talking about sport climbing).Here on the other hand, people can complain more or less about it, but it is never a big deal, and a good proof of it is the high number of unnatural holds you can find in almost every climb.
CCC: You had quite a ticklist by the time you went back home, what were some of your more memorable sends?
G: My more memorable sends were “baby face” if I talk about bouldering, and “lucky Strikes” if I think about sport climbing. Maybe they were not the hardest things I climbed, but they are the ones that gave me more personal satisfaction.
CCC: What is you favorite climbing spot in Spain?
G: My favourite spot in Spain is The Basque country. Yes, that’s where I am from…we all tend to love our homes…I love it because I am usually too busy to climb outside during the winter, when the weather is horrible, for this season Cataluña is a better place to be climbing at. But during the summer, everyone comes to the Basque country to enjoy the low temperatures and the beauty and variety of our crags.
CCC: Now that you are back in Spain, have you sent any of the projects you left behind?
G: Yes I have! After all, even though I didn’t train in sport climbing, bouldering gave me a little bit of extra strength that helped me with some old projects.
CCC: Colby tells us that you sent 8a+(5.13d), tell us about the climb and how it felt to send.
G: I guess Colby was talking about “Atxarte pedos,8a+/8b” this completely natural climb consists of two sections: the first is an over hanged dynamic section using some painful holds that bite your skin really deep. The second section changes style completely to a more vertical wall and tiny but good textured crimps. It gets also a bit psychological since you have to skip the last quick draw.
I was the first surprised to send this route, I was relaxed, enjoying what I was doing. One of those moments that reminds you why you like climbing.
CCC: Is 8b right around the corner for you?
G: Lately I have been trying a bunch of different 8b´s. Maybe I should focus and send at least one of them…I can do it!!
CCC: Do you have any big projects on your mind?
G: We all have projects in mind, but sometimes is better to keep them is secret…people could think I am too ambitious. I guess my biggest project is to continue climbing, getting stronger and avoiding injuries. That’s a good project isn’t it?
CCC: Do you ever climb indoors in Spain? Tell us about the Co-Op gym you are a part of (if you still are).
G: The weather here makes it indispensable indoor climbing if you want to be a bit strong. Since I have been abroad this last year and this coming year I am not going to be at my home town, I won’t belong to that coop until at least two years. The name of that gym is “el templo” and in my opinion is the best climbing gym I have ever seen. All the members are friends, they were the ones that built it, they have a key to go whenever they want to, they are super strong, and they decide as a group the future and changes of the gym…I just simply great.
CCC: Do you have any training tips for us?
G: Training tips??me??I am not the right person to ask that to…but what apparently works for me is: “quality is better than quantity”. That means that if you are too tired to enjoy climbing, tired to do powerful moves, then you ´d better rest instead of punishing your body and mind with interminable training sessions or no rest periods.
CCC: Lastly, when can we expect to climb and hang out with you again?
G: My student condition is not going to aloud me to spend too much money and is not going to leave me too much spare time. Those two things that I lack are part of the definition of travelling so I guess I will have to wait to return to the states again…well, like that I will make sure to return way stronger!!
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Full Name: Shaun Ian Robertson
What month and year were you born: August 1989
CCC: Yo dude, hows it going?
Shaun: It is going very well. Summer is upon us and the rock is feeling good.
CCC: What is your favorite color?
S: Purple all the way
CCC: So, we know you’re not from America…where exactly do you hail from?
S: Norwich, England. Look at a map.
CCC: Thats pretty neat, whats your favorite English phrase?
S: “How do you take your tea?” Literally every time I walk in a house I get asked this. I love it.
CCC: You go to St. Edwards right now whats your major?
S: I am studying Advertising/ Public Relations. If everything goes right I will be graduating in May of 2011. Then real life begins…
CCC: So what do you want to be when you grow up?
S: I would love to have a piece of land within range of some beautiful climbing spots, a nice little family, and to be healthy.
CCC: Your hair is really red…do you think that gives you any kind of super powers?
S: In certain circumstances, but I can’t disclose.
CCC: How long have you been climbing rocks?
S: Since March ’09. It feels a lot longer than it has been.
CCC: Do you have a favorite local crag?
S: I really like McKinney, but Gus Fruh is growing on me.
CCC: Whats been your most significant send?
S: Topping out Lobster Claw on my inaugural trip to Hueco.
CCC: Other than school and climbing what are you into?
S: Well I like chillin with my close friends, BBQ, and eating various fried foods with my girlfriend Maianh.
CCC: What music are you into these days?
S: I’ve been digging on The Unicorns, The Knife, Caspa, and some A Day To Remember. Dabbling in a bit of everything.
CCC: Anything you’d like to add?
S: I heard this the other day and I like it. “People should seek to understand, rather than seek to be understood.”
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Full Name: Travis Ian Johnson
What month and year were you born: March 1984
CCC: What’s happenin Travis, how’s the ATX treating you?
Travis: Very well, great temps and beautiful colors abound.
CCC: What is your favorite color?
T: Green
CCC: Your pup is quite a sensation, what is his name and age?
T: Dojah or dodo for short, and he’s 8 although he acts half his age.
CCC: Since you were born in the ATX, what do you think makes Austin so appealing?
T: The people, the landscape, there really isn’t much not to like aside from being surrounded by Republicans when you leave the city limits…but you can’t really blame that on Austin.
CCC: Do you go to school or are you a workin man?
T: Actually, I’m neither right now…I just recently got laid off my cushy tech job that I’d had for almost seven years. Only time will tell, but I think losing my job was a blessing in disguise.
CCC: So you just lost your job, what are doing to keep yourself occupied?
T: I occasionally help my dad build things with wood and my girlfriends mom with planting things in the ground. Other than that I’ve been doing a lot of climbing, riding my bicycle, and spending time with the people that make me happy.
CCC: Your fro is getting large, do you think it will ever hinder your climbing?
T: Hinder(?)….umm no I don’t think my hair will be anything other than a motivating factor in my life. I can’t really explain why I like having a lot of hair aside from a lot of people telling me its awesome, and I just like being different I suppose.
CCC: How long have you been climbing and how did you start?
T: I think about 3 years now…I’m really bad with remembering dates like that so I could be a bit off. I started climbing in the gym with a couple friends and it was really just a feats of strength kind of thing, and the hook was set.
CCC: Do you have a preferred local climbing spot?
T: I’m really motivated on a lot of things at McKinney, but Erock (which some don’t consider local) will always be a really special place to me.
CCC: What send stands out the most to you so far?
T: Babyface at Hueco this last March. It felt really good to hit the hold before the lip and know I wasn’t going to let go.
CCC: Any music striking your fancy lately?
T: Yeasayer, Langhorne Slim, Them Crooked Vultures…and I’ve been back on a Biggie and Tupac kick recently.
CCC: Got anything to say to the world?
T: Love life, be positive, stay motivated and happiness should follow. I might have read that somewhere, or maybe I just made up a great quote. Either way its been working pretty well for me.
More to come…
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