Petzl RocTrip 2014 "On The Road": the final wrap-up!

On October 19, 2014, in Olympos, Turkey, the Petzl RocTrip lowered the final curtain on the incredible 2014 edition. After traversing five Eastern European countries, hosting hundreds of participants, and scaling somewhere in the order of 25,000 routes and boulder problems, the past nomadic six weeks of climbing and festivities can rightfully be considered a world first.

A world first?

"As far as I know, an itinerant outdoor sports event traveling across half a continent and bringing together hundreds of participants over the course of almost two months is definitely a first. And I doubt that it will happen again in the near future!"

On Sunday morning, a tired (we would be, too!) but proud and beaming Erwan Le Lann said goodbye to departing RocTrippers. The inevitable trials and tribulations of such an endeavor always seemed to roll off his back like water over polished rock.

"For each edition, my goal is to offer something new to the climbing community," explains Petzl's International Events & Sponsorship Manager, "And um, I admit that the word new for me rhymes with adventure." In 2011 in China and 2012 in Patagonia, two spectacular sites covered in unclimbed rock were developed specifically for the Petzl RocTrip. "After a hiatus in 2013, I set my sights on Eastern Europe. After visiting a number of countries, I had a hard time picking just one." From this, the crazy idea of spending time in multiple different climbing areas was born, of organizing several Petzl RocTrips all in one!

Erwan heard the word "crazy" quite a bit when, over the course of many months, he presented his project to the various stakeholders in each country. Indeed, this great climber gathering is as festive as it is athletic. RocTrippers expect to combine sleepless nights with days exploring new unbelievable climbing areas. "We knew the pace would be more than intense," he continues, "Since the nomadic tradition in Eastern Europe is thousands of years old, the only real way do this right was by caravan! Petzl acquired an Airstream, the legendary aluminum caravan/travel trailer. Completely customized from top to bottom, it needed to serve as an office, a welcome center, a video editing studio, a concert stage, and much more! On September 8, when we left Petzl's headquarters in Crolles, France, for Romania, we knew that the adventure would not disappoint, not only at each base camp, but also (and especially?) when on the road."

September 11-14: Romania starts it all off and sets the tone.

In the ancient spa town of Baile Herculane, the 2014 Petzl RocTrip set up its first base camp. The hot springs' majestic Venetian architecture, the spectacular routes established for the occasion, and the exuberant welcome by the local authorities set the bar extremely high. "This is what we were expecting," stated Guillaume Pacheco, Petzl's Head of Communications for the sports market, "But it's always a bit weird when you see climbers from all over the world show up. One of them, Daniel Perez, just blew us away. He lives in the Mexico City suburbs, and took three busses, two trains, and five flights to get here!" The number of participants also pleasantly surprised the organizing team. "With three hundred people initially registered, we were right on track," explained Marie Guiguet, Marketing and Promotion at Petzl. "But two hundred additional climbers from the Balkans showed up at the very last minute, having waited to see exactly what the weather would be like. For the opening ceremony, I think there were at least one-thousand people in attendance." On the climbing performance side of things, Slovenian Klemen Bečan made the first onsight ascent of Black Cobra, 8b+ (5.14a). The always incredible Florence Pinet pulled of THE female performance of this stage, flashing Guri Guri, 8b (5.13d). "The climbing style on the routes located right near the waterfall fits me well," Florence explained, "The area has great energy and I had not a small audience but no less than thirty people cheering me on. For me, the bonus about climbing here is soaking in the hot springs to rest and recover. Spas and climbing, what more could you want?"

September 15-19: Vratsa, the birthplace Bulgarian climbing

Whereas a series of violent thunderstorms shook Europe from west to east, the 2014 Petzl RocTrip caravan could not be deterred. Everyone figured out a way to go around closed roads and flooded areas, and to cross the Danube. At the Vratsa base camp, the climbing capital of Bulgaria, everyone gathered to talk about both the good and the bad. "Climbing in this area has a rich history," asserted Petko Totev, Petzl's distributor in Bulgaria. "Climbing and mountaineering were important to the Communist Party. Gatherings and competitions (even on multi-pitch routes!) were organized every year in Vratsa. You will come across the lasting effects when climbing." Several RocTrippers, for the most part boulderers and sport climbers, ended up enjoying their very first multi-pitch adventure. "This is the exact mindset that I wanted to inject into this Petzl RocTrip," Erwan enthusiastically explained. This longtime high-mountain guide has seen his fair share of adventure, and was not too worried when several rope teams descended back to camp by headlamp. "I purposefully varied the style of climbing for each stage, that way everyone would have the chance to step out of their comfort zone and discover something new." Team Petzl gathered at Stegite, a crag known for its hard routes. In spite of the humidity, Mickaël Fuselier, Nina Caprez, and Florence Pinet sent Tsar Lab, the only "climbable" 8b (5.13d) on that particular day.

September 20-21. Chris Sharma, a lightning-fast visit between two storms.

The second base camp in Bulgaria provided for an indescribable place to climb. A vast cave-tunnel with two Cyclopean sky lights welcomed the caravan. Climbers were happy to be able to climb in spite of the rain. Most set aside any ambition of climbing at the highest level, even when a "special guest" showed up by surprise. Chris Sharma knows Bulgaria and its crags well. In spite of water dripping down the tufas and heavy rains outside the cave, he regaled his fans with a demonstration of what high-end climbing really means, in addition to putting on a stirring talk. "This is why I am a total fan of the Petzl RocTrip," Elena from Germany glowingly explains, "Since I'm not a high-level climber, this is a nice opportunity to meet my 'idols'." During the stages in Bulgaria, Petzl's film team took on an audacious first: filming the first climbing video in vertical format!

September 22-23: in Rila the caravan took on water but did not sink!

Like a stubborn line of ants, the caravan had the base camp routine down like a well-oiled machine. From one stage to another, the tribe of RocTrippers happily collected new faces and regretfully lost others. In Rila, in the mountains, a strong group of Iranian, Australian, and Brazilian mercenaries, along with two Japanese samurai joined the Bulgarian underground. A Batavian legion left with tears-filled eyes, "My vacation is over and I have to go back to work," smiles Eline Van Straalen, "But I promise, I'll try to join back up with the group in Olympos!" Honed from their World Cup victories, the Japanese duo Sachi Amma and Akiyo Nogochi zigzagged between rain drops and sent The Mask, 8A (V11). Although Slovenian Klemen Bečan arrived late due to car troubles, finding the base camp completely deserted, he used the sunny skies to his advantage and turned lemons into lemonade, "Conditions were perfect, and the rock super grippy. Travel troubles almost always turn into a unique opportunity."

September 24-28: Prilep, Macedonia (FYR), caution awesome rock ahead!

Bouldering can seem strange to some. For others, it's everything, and worth crossing the entire planet to sample one "boulder paradise" after another, such as Rockland in South Africa, Hampi in India, Fontainebleau in France, Bishop and Hueco Tanks in the USA. From now on, RocTrippers will add Prilep to this list, with its orange-granite boulder-covered hills as far as the eye can see. Recently discovered by a group of happy-go-lucky Slovenians, Prilep won everyone over through a subtle mix of authenticity and comfort. Set up at a campground just outside a small spirited city, the base camp allowed participants to gather like one big happy family. The cool dry weather allowed for all sorts of acrobatics. Several 8A (V11) and 8A+ (V12) boulder problems were sent and even downgraded. "It's perfectly normal," explained young German David Firnenburg, "When you put up a new line, you do the prep work for everyone else, and the relative difficulty is much harder. But what counts in the end is a line's beauty, and around here there's no shortage of that!"

September 29 to October 3: in Meteora, Greece, RocTrippers start to levitate.

"Spectacular moves on such amazingly esthetic towers raise our sport to a whole new level," Mélissa Le Nevé astutely summarized what makes the energy in Meteora so special. The French champion walked the walk (or rather climbed the climb) in addition to talking the talk by making two first free ascents highly awaited by Greek climbers: Action Directe, 8b+ (5.14a), and Suspended in the Sky, also 8b+ (5.14a). Between the bouldering in Prilep and Bafa Lake, Erwan's ambition to play with contrasts took full effect. Multi-pitch adventure climbing specialists like Frenchman Arnaud Petit, Irishman Sean Villanueva, Basque brothers Eneko and Iker Pou, and Swiss female phenom Nina Caprez climbed all out. A few RocTrippers thought that they had seen "the Virgin Mary" between two old bolts just a bit too far apart. And we could tell that the ouzo at happy hour offered its own unique flavor. "I've never felt so alive!" shouted Gerry, a young Bulgarian who, once committed, stayed with the caravan until the very end, "but if it's all the same, I plan to go cragging tomorrow." It was here that Cédirc Lachat made one of the most spectacular sends of the trip, onsighting Amores Peros, 8c (5.14b), on the limestone cliffs of Mousaki.

October 4-5: Athens, the last stop before the Orient.

For the trip to Turkey, the 2014 Petzl RocTrip head out to sea from the mythical port of Piraeus. The Greek capital revealed its charms to the one hundred and fifty voracious climbers embarking pell-mell onto the Patmos ferry. Restaurants, sailing, sight-seeing, shopping, and city-side climbing were scheduled for this "rest" stage. On silky-smooth seas, the crossing to Chios went without a hitch, and the night proved sleepless for those who participated in the improvised jam session on the bridge.

 
October 6-9: Bafa Lake, the first base camp in Turkey, knows how to impress

In rural and genuine Southwest Turkey, the bouldering in Bafa Lake threw the Petzl RocTrip straight into the Orient's unique atmosphere. From the ancient ruins to the lake's peaceful shores, only the olive tree plantations provided much sought out shade. To escape this unusual autumn's suffocating heat, climbers began their day at sunrise. At night, they continued to enjoy magical bouldering sessions by the full moon's light. The enthusiastic community of Turkish climbers guided RocTrippers to the high flanks of Mount Atmos. Sakarkaya, a recently developed area located at a higher, much cooler elevation. Most of the spectacular sends occurred here. Several 7C+ (V10) and 8A (V11) problems went down. Sakarkaya, Yuri Gagarin, Skeleton Spine, and Amercian Dream were all sent - sometimes flashed - by the day's most energized individuals: Mélissa Le Névé, Florence Pinet, Paul Robinson, Dave Graham, Christophe Bichet, Daniel Du Lac, Gérôme Pouvreau, Mickaël Fuselier, Said Belhaj, and several others!

October 10-14: Antalya, a pantheon of limestone formations

Among the globetrotting climber community, the rumor started just a short time ago. "It's simply indescribable," the rare visitor to the area would say with a smile. In Geyikbayiri and Cidtibi, RocTrippers could not believe their eyes. "We went all gaga," exclaimed the four American Musketeers present. Yet Paul Robinson, Daniel Woods, Jon Cardwell, and Dave Graham had already seen their fair share of cliffs. "It's hard for photos to do the formations in Geyikbayiri justice; it's just something you have to experience in three dimensions. The cliff in Cidtibi has the greatest number and the longest tufas that we know of." Discovered twelve years ago by German Tobias Haug, the cliff received a facelift during the spring 2014 Petzl Bolting Trip. This cliff is a rare pearl, even if the entire region is overflowing with undeveloped potential. "We are in a natural protected area," explained Östürk Kayikci, one of the most active route developers in Turkey. "That means being extra cautious since our sport is relatively new here. For bolting, we always use glue-ins, and for the approaches we need to do it correctly and provide the right information." Doing it right was the key word for the Petzl RocTrip during this stage with easy approaches, and where several climbers met up with the caravan. Welcoming participants, safety, festivities, access to the climbing areas, the press… This stage in Turkey will remain one of the high points of the trip.

October 15-19: Olympos. What the? It's already over?

"We can arrange that, no problem!" Mumin Karabas was everywhere. The charismatic vanguard for the climbing community in Turkey already does enough for ten and yet always energy to spare. The boats took one hundred and fifty people to either the Deep Water Solo spot, the accommodations, the restaurant, or for the journalists in tow, to take photos. He wanted "his" stage to make its mark, and it worked! "How nice to spend time in the Mediterranean," declared Swedish globetrotter Said Belhaj, "Everywhere you turn there are warm smiles and people just getting along, from kids playing in the streets to old women picking pomegranates in the orchards. I think I'll stay a few extra days."

"To travel means to constantly settle down and then uproot," wrote Nicolas Bouvier in "The Way of the World," his bible for traveling through Asia Minor. But how do you end a trip that turned into such a great collective adventure? "Via the caravan, we progressively entered into another space-time continuum," concludes Laurent Lafouche from Petzl, "In Olympos, a city full of history if there ever was one, everything stops and everything begins. Very endearing people lent us a helping hand for this final adventure. Ueli Steck right after his Himalayan expedition, Alyzée Dufraisse before her annual fall migration to Spain, a team of Indonesians, another team from Georgia, and Paul Petzl himself joined to create a wonderful ending to such an amazing trip."

Birthplace of the flame for antiquity's first Olympic Games, the chimera's fire has burned non-stop for thousands of years. On the beach in Olympos, the adventurous spirit that brought the Petzl RocTrip to life will also continue to burn bright for a very long time.

All news, photos and videos on Petzl RocTrip website !

Textes Guillaume Vallot
Photos Sam Bié, Lafouche et Guillaume Vallot