Delaney Miller on Psicocomp 2014
Petzl athlete Delaney Miller, of Texas, joined the team at the beginning of 2014. Only 19 years old, she's been turning out some awesome performances lately, including a seventh-place finish in the Lead World Cup event in Imst, Austria. She finished second behind Petzl teammate Sasha DiGiulian at last year's Psicocomp and repeated the performance again this year. Following are her thoughts on this unique event. Petzl is a proud supporter of the Psicocomp Master's Series.
August 18 2014
Indoor and Outdoor Climbing
Delaney Miller pulls the roof at the 2014 Psicocomp in Park City, Utah. Photo: Justin Roth / Petzl
I placed second again at the Cliff Bar Psicobloc Masters in Park City, Utah. This comp once again proved to be the best I’ve competed in. I’ve never experienced a competition, local or world cup level, which came close. The wall itself, the format, the crowd, and of course the falls all amounted to an incredible, adrenaline-packed weekend. Not to say the competition doesn’t have flaws, but it’s pretty much a conclusively genius event.
What is Psicocomp?
If you are unfamiliar, Psicobloc is a “deep” water soloing competition held on a 55-foot (17-meter) wall over a training pool used for Olympic ski jumpers. The structure, built by Walltopia, is steep and has a nasty overhang followed by a vertical section to the top. Climbers are expected to complete the route and then take the pee-your-pants leap into the water.
The competition has the format of an international speed event: two identical routes are set side by side and two climbers race to the top (or high point). The fastest climber moves on to the next round until only one remains. As a competitor, it's one of the most epic things you could ever experience—more importantly, it’s spectator friendly. Psicocomp maintains the purest aspects of rock climbing while presenting the sport with a universally understood format; a race! It's simple, yet brilliant!
Having attending both Psicocomps, I can personally say that this year’s management was better than last year’s. The 2014 event garnered more sponsors and more funds. Organizers provided us with food, a hot tub to keep warm between climbs, and more swag than I’ve ever seen given to finalists. The rules and general format were much more clear and enforced more strictly than last year, which allowed the comp to run smoothly. My only real complaint is that they didn’t have any forerunners. Hopefully they will remember to include them next year!
Ups and Downs (Literally and Figuratively)
My personal experience was one of ups and downs. I had just come back from competing in a Lead World Cup in Austria, where I placed seventh. It can be hard to do big competitions like that back to back, and I think I let my excitement get the better of me. I made a huge mistake when I forgot to treat the route with the respect it deserved. Competing successfully involves walking a fine line between confidence and humility. It’s crucial to have both feelings; because otherwise your either too timid or, as I did on my first run, you act too quickly on a move that demands precision. I fell early on my first attempt and was reminded that I was at a new competition and I needed to get my head straight. After I fell, things really sunk in for me and I approached the wall for my second run with a healthy amount of reserve. I was able to complete the route my second run with a decent time, which landed me in the third seat for the finals round. That meant I would race against the person who was seated 14th and the winner of our round would advance to the top eight.
Miller getting in the zone [left], and cranking in the zone. Photos: Justin Roth / Petzl
Come finals, I was super nervous. Last year I placed second, and people who know me also know that I was thirsty for redemption. I wanted to have another good year. However, in a competition like Psicobloc, consistency is a nasty objective. For one thing, the “route” was actually more like a long boulder problem composed of large, dynamic movements. There is a reason why in competitions you get multiple tries on boulder problems; the movements are low percentage. The speed factor of the route is another thing that makes consistency hard. When you are rushing, it’s easier for you or your competitor to make a mistake. I knew going into finals that anyone had a shot of walking away with the first-place trophy and $5,000.
Despite all the pressure and uncertainty, I tried to approach the wall with a smile. “It’s just rock climbing,” I told myself. That always seems to calm me down because it reminds that I’m just there to do what I love. I pulled on the wall for my first round and tensed up to go as I listened to the announcer. “Climbers,” he said, “On your mark… GO!” and we were off. I moved quickly until the point I fell in the seeding round. I was neck and neck with my competitor, but I decided to take a moment to shake out before engaging in the dynamic move. Once I had pulled past it, I relaxed and made my way toward the top with a faster pace. As I approached the vertical section, the climber I was racing fell. Once I was positive I had reached a higher point, I dropped and advanced to the next round. My confidence increased as the rounds continued.
Aside from dealing with the normal mental challenges of competition, I was confronted with a few struggles as the rounds progressed. For one, I was getting very cold. I just tried to keep moving and shaking my fingers out to keep my hands warm. I reserved the hot tub for those times when the rounds were closer together and I wouldn’t have time to dry off anyways.
A second challenge was the falls. Seeing some of the other competitors’ gnarly bruises made me a little uneasy. I did my best to ignore the possibility of getting hurt, and when the time came to jump off the wall, I psyched the crowd up for a count down. That made it easier to jump, because whenever there’s a countdown, action becomes instinctual. When the crowd reached “one,” I leapt, kept my gaze forward, and watched the horizon on my way down.
Friends Claire Buhrfeind and Delaney Miller atop the Psicocomp wall [left]. Miller taking the plunge. Photos: Justin Roth / Petzl
Friends and Competitors
My final “duel” was with my Team Texas teammate Claire Buhrfeind. I’ve known her since I started climbing and have been lucky enough to call her my friend for almost as long. She’s a badass climber, but more importantly she’s super sweet, outgoing, and fun to be around. I was relieved to be climbing such an intimidating wall alongside such a friendly face. When it was time for us to begin, we gave each other a smile and then got in starting position. I knew it was time for me to kick it into high gear.
Claire has always been a speed demon, while I’ve been described as “sloth-like.” The announcer sent us off, and I focused on moving quickly while staying precise. We were about neck and neck until right before the top. Then Claire began to pull ahead. Despite my best efforts, I could not catch up. She topped and then I topped right behind her. The result was clear, and while I will admit that I had not exactly been gunning for second place again, I was proud of myself and extremely excited for Claire. She deserved the win! We hugged and then took our final leap together.
Hope for the Future
Rock climbing is my absolute passion and I consider myself incredibly lucky to have discovered it at such a young age. I am excited to return for Psicocomp next year and I hope to see more competitions like it emerge, as they’re tons of fun and great for the sport. I hope events like these will help the sport gain recognition and momentum worldwide, so others can likewise realize how amazing climbing can be.
— Delaney Miller
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