German Championship 2013

In the youth A final route – Pic by David Firnenburg

The lead finals of the German Championships this year, including an overall ranking (lead, boulder and speed) for youth A, took place in Würzburg (Bavaria) on October, 5^th-6^th. David and I both started at the seniors’ competition on Saturday. On the following Sunday I competed again in Youth A. Not just the seniors’ competition was a spectacular fight. The youth competition was also this year’s last chance for me to become German Champion.

On Saturday David and I had to climb both qualifications in the morning. The first route started with technical climbing, powerful moves in the middle and a pumpy runout. We both managed to climb into the last section and fell just 2 moves before top! The second qualification route demanded a faster dynamic style with jumps. We both topped it and got safely into the finals the same day. The finals started in the evening having a powerful route going through a pumpy traverse in an overhang at the middle. Unfortunately I made a mistake falling in the overhang although I wasn’t pumped. For David the route fit his style, he almost topped it out and fell just 4 moves before top. Finally David became 4th that day. I finished up on 7th. In the overall ranking of the German seniors’ championship David became 4th and me 5th.

Ruben came close to the top in the youth final – Pic by David Firnenburg

The next day youth A, including other climbers from my training base in Hanover, had to climb as well. The qualifications implied a lot of endurance. I topped both and placed 1^st. The finals started in the afternoon. I knew, for becoming German Champion, I had to win the competition. The route started on crimps going through the overhang followed by some slopers and a pumpy runout. As the last competitor I could manage my nervousness quiet well and was able to calm down a bit before the last part of the final route. I rested a bit after the overhang and pushed myself up until I fell 2 moves before top being pumped. My good friend Lars Hoffman from Hanover had fallen at the same move. Luckily my qualification round was the better one and therefore I won the competition as well as the overall ranking and became German Youth Champion of 2013.

After David will be returned from the last European Youth Boulder Competition in Laval (France) by the beginning of next week, we will be going back to the Frankenjura for some hard rock climbing. I will finish this year’s international competition season at the seniors’ World Cup in Kranj (Slovenia) on November, 16^th-17^th.

Hope you guys are fine!

Greez Ruben