Daila Ojeda

Do you still feel motivated by the coloured holds?
Absolutely not. I trained for a very short period when I lived in the island. It made sense at the time cos I did’nt have that much rock near home and, apart from that, I was motivated to participate in some national comps. The experience motivated me as it was something new... now, I’d rather not. I'm mad about rock climbing; I love to see the progress in my own projects... My theory is the following: if I have the time, I rather have 10 goes (or the number I need) at my project than have 10 goes at a coloured traverse in a climbing gym, even if I don't send the routes on the second go… hahaha… well, I do it in some of them, ok? hehehe… I enjoy climbing outdoors together with people who live it the same way I do.

Would you consider taking it seriously if comps got better?
Take it seriously? I leave the seriousness for serious issues... Climbing is something which makes me feel free and different... I could never see climbing as something serious... not the climbing I practice, anarchic and without any structures... But the truth is yes, I agree with you that competitions in Spain need an urgent change. A change of organizers would be ideal.

How many days do you climb a week and how do you manage to always crank?
The truth is that it varies a lot. More or less what the body can stand and what the skin can take. I'm not much of a strategist in that aspect. I almost always go "a muerte" (to death)... Sometimes, I'm five days in a row pulling hard and on the sixth day I ask myself "why am I so tired today? I think I need a rest... hahaha… that's it, today is the rest day..."
 
Do you use a magic potion to look after that body or is it the “mojo picón” (typical Canary Island sauce), your mother gave you when you were a little girl, which gave you that much power?
Hahaha... don’t you just love that mojo picón which you also ate when you were a little girl, eh!? Imagine it were that... hahaha… and the Canary bananas! Hahaha… ooops! This can be misunderstood! Nooo… hahaha.
Well, the truth is that I eat well and I don't particularly like meat or junk food... I'm not picky in this aspect, but I like to eat healthy.

Do you think you'd be stronger if you had a training plan?
I don't know, maybe so. In my case, motivation has a great influence and planning training would be an obligation, and when I’m compelled to do something, it never turns out right. I think anything you do motivated is okay… I'm not against training at all, quite the opposite, I think anything that you do because it's what you really want to, is admirable. I think we give too much importance to the physical aspect in climbing...

How is Chris getting on with the fact he’s the boyfriend of a climbing-star and how do you feel when a foreigner approaches you and asks: "are you Daila Ojeda? Wow!! Ohhh!!", and then they ask you for your autograph?

Normally, this doesn't happen to me! Just that time I was with you in Rodellar. Do you remember? What a laugh! How embarrassing!
 
Where would you like to travel to now, with whom and for how long?
Well, I’d love to travel to Africa... maybe, Mali, South Africa, Senegal... and get to know that incredible continent which I have really close to home (the Canaries). I’d also like to travel to Cuba, since it’s where my grandma is from, and meet the family that remained there. And well, shortly we're going to Asia; a trip I had in mind and without giving it much thought it’s turned out to be this year’s trip... Besides, you were the one who cast the first stone inciting me by telling me you already had the plane tickets and you were going with Carlos... Biatch!! Let's see who eats best with those chopsticks! hahaha.

Apart from the chopsticks, infinite tufas await us. What type of climbing do you like the most?

I like the routes which force me to maintain the pace… a slightly overhanging wall plenty of positive crimps… hehehe... I also enjoy routes with tufas. More and more I try physical routes where you have to fight to get to the anchor... always motivated ;-)

Your favourite crag would be that where there were...
Nice and fanatic people... Nice and fanatic routes... Here in Lleida I have quite a lot of those favourite crags!! And of those favourite people... hehehe.

What is it you don't like when you get to a crag sector? 

It normally depends on my mood that day. If I'm motivated, the truth is that I hardly ever get upset about anything... I guess the overcrowding issue is normal, everybody's got the right to enjoy climbing; haven't they? It's a super cool activity hence why there are more and more people practicing it. Like everything else, it's got its positive side and its not so positive one... But, if I’m having a bad day... whew! Beware! hahaha.

What's your reaction when you fall in your project on your last move, when you were fresh and it seemed you were definitely going to send it?

That just happened to me not that long ago. I just had two more movements and it was strange, I felt totally empty. I was so frustrated because, as usual, I hadn’t paid attention to the feet movements in that section on the earlier goes, so, I didn't bother getting angry... But I also have to say, that at times I do get angry and minutes later I'm asking the belayer whether I shouted a lot... How embarrasing!

What type of music do you play when you drive to the crag?
I like almost everything... even the rubbish you play when I go with you… hahaha… but, when I go with the buddies, I do their heads in with Ari Puello, La Mala Rodríguez (**click on the names if you want to have a taste of them), Nelly Furtado... you know, girly music for motivation!

There's nothing like "girly power". What’s the difference  between climbing with girls or with boys?

The fact of "going" to climb with girls is funnier. We talk about many things and I laugh a lot... But, I don't know, I guess I'm used to climbing with men. In the end, I think the most important thing is to climb with people who really believe and respect what you do... male or female... I don't like to climb with loggerheads or people who are always comparing themselves with me... This is an individual sport!

Interview: Andrea Cartas.

Translation: Ignacio Sandoval Burón with the unconditional help of Karisse Fa, AKA "La Llanita".

***Perhaps you'd like to have a look to an old interview with Andrea Cartas (in Spanish).