Winter "rest"

Hello everyone!

Haven't published anything for a while, so I think I owe you a story. So, the first story is about La sportive legends only. I know, people expected a lot from me and I know I gave my best, but the result wasn't great. I really had not trained a lot before this comp, cause I was working and really didn't want to do a lot of bouldering in this time. This was also the reason that I fell from the top on the first boulder, which took me all the powers away, so I was quite lucky that I managed to climb at leaf one of them. This small "mistake" costed me a lot, but I know everything could turned different other way. Anyway, it was such a nice experience to compete with those pros and to see, that I'm actually not that far from them with my climbing. Hope I'll compete again next year and thanks everyone for such an amazing event!

Okay, the second story is about my rest from bouldering. I usually spend it on sport climbing routes and this year I chose Slovenian Primorska. I needed few days to get used of pumping and after few visits I climbed my first "hard" route. It was Pikova dama 8b and than few days later, I got even bigger surprise, when sending endurance masterpiece Karizma 8b+ in less than 10 tries. Later on, I had a small crisis when trying to send Človek ne jezi se 8c, but was able to do moves in Xaxid hostel. After few frustrating days, I finally managed to connect the cruxes in first part and than decided to continue to the top. The conditions were a bit better than last time, so that try was successful for me. That was my first 8c+ with confirmed grade, but I can easily say, that the other two 8c+ (botulin an In time) FA's are even harder than this one. More surprising was, that this route is very long and that I consider my self as a boulder climber.

upper crux in Človek ne jezi se

Karizma, photo by: Luka Tambača

Karizma

Here's also my movie from Font, if you haven't seen it yet:

Story from Finland

This story is unfortunately about to end quite soon. But I must say that the last month that I spent here in Helsinki was amazing. Surrounded with such a nice people and crazy looking landscapes, makes you wanna stay or even live here.

So, my main purpose to came here, was route setting in Isatais open and to coach my friend Henna. She gave me a nice warm place to stay and I tried to give her best training sessions, so she can complete her goals. First thanks goes to her, cause without her, my trip to Finland would never happen and second, I have to thanks Niina and Anssi for hosting me and taking me to the rocks in this  cold, winter conditions.

My main goal about climbing here, was to climb this very famous and nice looking line, called Globalist. When I first tried it this time, I thought it's gonna be piece of cake, but than on the same day, I got a split on my finger. It wasn't painful or anything, it was just pain in the ass, cause this crimper where I got a cut, is very delicate. In the hope, the skin is gonna grow, I was keep trying it and split it every time I tried it. There was a day, when I did it in two parts, but the conditions didn't let me do it after that. So I decided I'm gonna try something else, something dry and not so friction dependent. Quite only possible line to try around here, was Hypergravity 8b, where you have to walk for 45 minutes and you can only warm up on this line. On the first day, there was some snow already, but I was still able to do all the moves. Small amounts of training in last month, made me feel weak after first few moves, so I couldn't do it on first day. I rested for a day and on my last climbing day here, I managed to sent it. It was perfect end of day, cause I did it in night session, than we had a proper beer with Anssi and of course sauna for the end.
There was also a day, when we went to a small crag in Sipoo, where I climbed One for Sorrow (7c+/8a) and managed to do the first ascent of this beautiful arete on the left. I named it Level up and with the crux on the top, I think it deserves 7b(e5) grade. I also flashed One love 7c(+) in Globalist block.

Tomorrow, my trip is continuing to my last competition of this season to Stockholm (SWE), for La sportiva legends only. This is going to be my last contact with bouldering this year, cause it's been really physically exhausting doing it all year long. I'll do my best and I hope, I'll have some extra powers left to make this competition perfect.

Hypergravity, photo: Anssi Laatikainen

Hypergravity

One for Sorrow(right), Level up (left)

Level up

Jos of  Finnish winter 

Fontainebleau

Hello!
You haven't heard from me for a while. Hope you won't blame me too much for being late, so I brought you some good news from Font and a local competition in Zagreb.

I promised my friends from Zagreb, that I'll be there for their local comp and must say, it wasn't that easy as it sounds. Well my mind was off for the comps, so it was hard to show all of my skills. Also competition was very strong, even though there were "only" few Slovenians and Borna from Zagreb. Okay, after all I did my best and won.

After few days we left to Font, to free my mind on some rocks. It was very nice, not rainy, but still wanted a bit lower temps.My goal was to sand an 8b, but unfortunately fell from the top of L'apparemment bas. I'm still proud that I was managed to flash two 8a's (L'apparemment and Rainbow rocket) and that I did every dyno that I tried. My hardest was Coup atomique 8a(+) than Red rocket 8a(+), Rainbow rocket 8a (flash), Soucis d'air 8a (#2 go) and Phobos moon 7c (flash).
I also sent few very nice and quite hard boulders such as Total eclipse 8a+, Big dragon 8a(+), The block 8a, Fata morgana 8a, Megalithe 7c+ (#2 go) and Sale gosse 7c and few 7c flashes as Welcome to Tijuana and La unit.

Here is a short movie with some of my ascents from a friend Juha:

Font movie

Oh and by the way. Before all that, I went to Paklenica where I climbed one of my hardest multi pitch  routes named Cupido 8a (#2go). Here is a short report from my climber buddy Pinti:

http://pinticlimbs.blogspot.com/2014/10/paklenica-revisited.html

You can also follow me on Instagram.

Total eclipse

Big dragon

From Swiss Alps to Slovenian Alps

After a hard competition season I took some time to enjoy my passions in outdoor climbing. Before adidas rockstars I climbed Working calss heros, 8b+ and after adidas, we went to Switzerland with our team. We were hosted by Swiss coach Urs and have to say we really had a great times together. I sent an 8a boulder in Lindental, named Myrdin and I also climbed an 8a+ route in Lehn, named Zentrifuge.
In Primorska, I was trying route Vražji Robert 8b, which is more or less protected with wedges. I was close, but didn't make it, so we spent some time in Črnotiče cave. There I sent two 8a boulders, named bionic.si and Red queen. In Ljubelj I did the second ascent in Pure philosophy 8a+.
Last week we went to Maltatal, where my goal was to climb Air 8a+, but it was a bit too hot for me, so I have to climb it next time. But I'm happy to make a first ascent of very unusual boulder. It's located just next to very famous Power of good-bye and it's very tricky to read. Cause of the very unusual movement, I called it Ringelspiel and graded it 8a+.
I also tried some alpine climbing for the first time in my life. I went to Križevnik with my friend Marko and he took me to very nice route, with very solid rock named Aktinidija. It's 250 meters long and it only has 2 wedges in whole route. It's not so hard to climb, but it's a bit different, when you have to trust gear, you put in.
On Sunday I also on sighted Silent alarm 8a in Bitnje and two days before I went to Graz for opening of the biggest bouldering gym in Austria, named Boulderclub.

trying an 8a+ in Lindental

 Pure philosophy

opening boulderclub

last pitch in Aktinidija

under Križevnik

some trad. climbing

tour to Raduha (2062m)

me and Vezi trying a 9a project in Sopota

Vezi in Zentrifuge

Adidas Rockstars 2014

After Munich, I decided not to train hard anymore. But there was still the best competition of the year on the list. I knew I wasn't prepared as I should be, but I knew I can focus for just one last comp. I hardly put my self together and tried my best in qualifications. My climbing wasn't close to what I expected and I was sad cause I didm't know I'll stay in this comp any longer. This time the luck was on my side and I ended on 20th position after qualifiers. There was nothing but to climb as I should in semis and I can make it to the finals again. The true Kruder woke up and surprised everyone in semis with 3 tops. It was more than enough for the finals. Final boulders were a bit too hard, so even though I felt strong, couldn't make it to the super finals. Only thing I was sad about, is that I couldn't try the last boulder, but I'm very happy that I made it to the podium. The pressure was higher than anytime before, cause I won it last time and people expected the same again. There's nothing wrong with that and I hope I can give you more of good results in the future!

Here is also a short clip from an event:

Arco rock master champion

After good performance in Munich, I thought my season is pretty much over. I became boring, old Kruder went on vacation and I was there to relax my self on hard boulders from Jacky and Simon. On the practice I felt pretty strong but I knew that the others are in shape too. So it became a day D. I was so angry cause I felt nervous and I really didn't want to have this feeling on a such a relaxed comp. Anyway I flashed the first problem and all the bad feelings flew away. Old crazy Kruder was back in the game. After every boulder I felt better and better. It was the moment of truth in last final boulder. Route setters made some changes and boulder looked impossible. I failed the top hold and next try I failed even lower. I knew, I have nothing to loose so I knew, there is one think I can do. I turned around and this time, I cheered up the crowd. So when they gave me back what I needed, I became loaded with enormous amounts of power. I was fighting as a bulldozer and I made it to the top. I must say it really helped and I think I'm gonna need the crowd like this on the next comps as well.

So thank you all!

Have to say all congrats to my little sis as well! She showed that she was stronger then the others, but unfortunately the rules were not on her side. So for me, she was the Winner!

Payback time!

In 2010 I performed very well in Vail and I made it to the finals. I did my best, but I ended on ungrateful 4th place. It happened the same on European Championship and World cup in Vienna. Last year I won adidas rockstar event which made me believe, I can beat the strongest climbers in the World. So I started to train hard, we got a new gym, we changed way of trainings a bit so I came very confident and strong to the first World cup in China. I was first after the qualification round, but than something unexpected happened. I hurt my left shoulder on the very first try in first semi final boulder. And this was the time, when bad luck started. On the next competition I felt the pain so badly, but still made it to the semis. Shoulder got a bit better on the next comp in Grindenwald and I climbed really hard to make it to the finals. I was ready, I was strong, I knew the podium is mine, but bad luck strikes again. I missed the finals and dreams about podium disappeared. In Innsbruck I climbed very well again, but I already felt a bit weaker, cause I didn't train so much cause of the shoulder. But anyway, I made a mistake and for one try in bonuses missed the finals again. The same in Toronto, where I fell from he top in first semi final boulder, which blew away my finals. I got tired from all of the comps, which were week after week, so I couldn't do my best in Vail. I improved my good shape in sport climbing when I sent my hardest route so far, but some money complications with the money in the team couldn't send me to the next world cup in China. The competition there wasn't that hard and the good result was probably much easer to get. But anyway, I had my last chance to improve my strengths in Laval. Unfortunately I didn't climb very well so I finished in the semis again. After world cup, I took few weeks of, to enjoy some seaside air and climb some easer routes, cause very hard trainings were upon me.

 So 3 weeks I had to train very hard, cause I knew that this is my only chance to improve myself for the last time this year. I knew there are still two master comps, but I really wanted a good result on the World Championship in Munich. Sometime I really hated trainings and I was really suffering, but my goals were always above suffering. A weekend before we left to Munich, I took my time to do some sport climbing and I sent an 8b+ and some easer thing, which really helped me and I was relaexed for the comp. So in Munich I climbed very good in qualifications and maybe not that good in semis, but luckily good enough to make it to the finals where everything is possible. I couldn't hold the top hold in first problem, but I had to stay focused for next 3 boulders. I did my best and I really showed what I can do and climbed last 3 boulders. I made it to the 1st position, but there were still 3 climbers who could put back on the 4th place. I had no chance to change my climbing any more, but my performance was good enough to improve the World, that I belong where I ended the comp. So I became vice World Champion for 2014.

It means a lot to me, cause I know I worked hard for it and that the competition was really tough as well.

Thanks again to everyone who supported me and specially all thanks to my parents for all the mental and financial support and of course to my coach Roman Krajnik, who really believed that I can make it!

Qualification

Semifinals, 2nd boulder

Finals, last boulder

Semifinals, 2nd boulder

Qualifications

Finals, 2nd boulder

Semifinals, 2nd boulder

Finals, last boulder

Family hug

Finals, 3rd boulder

Holokaust 8b+, Barratro