Patxi Usobiaga is back into climbing

PATXI USOBIAGA is back into climbing

By Ignacio Sandoval Burón

It´s only a couple of years ago that Patxilín announced his retirement from the competition scene due to some discomfort at a cervical level product of an hernia produced by a car accident -just a year before he had already mentioned all the problems he was bearing which didn't let him climb a muerte-.

The day after those news, we at the Spanish 8a.nu site published another interview with him where he showed his hope of a future comeback which, after what he says in the following interview and with a little bit of luck, is super imminent by the hand of his new professional projects...

- How are you doing with your injury? I've heard that you're thinking of having an operation.

The truth is that it´s getting better, after three years the disc has dehydrated and the compression on the bone marrow is lower, all of which doesn't mean that I'm totally okay but with constant discomfort. That's why it´s been a week since I meet up with the traumatologist, Eduardo Álvarez, to speak about the surgery and we have decided to give it a three months ultimatum and see how it reacts. I will take a risk by saying that it's almost sure that I'll have to undergo a surgery but, whether it's like that or the opposite, I'll end up all right for cranking hard again.

- If you undergo the surgery it´s with what intention? To go back to the highest level?

I'm eager to climb and why not, send a hardcore route again. In competition terms, I'd like to take up the competitions route setting thing again. This is something which also motivates me a lot.

- What have you been doing during all this time off the climbing scene? Have you climbed at all?

I've been two years without climbing at all. If I ever went to the crag it was to show someone what climbing is and to get him/her to try it. During all this time I have devoted myself to surfing until last May when Adam Ondra stayed over for a couple of days and I got psyched.

In July, while teaching surf in Yako Surf Eskola in Deva, during the little time I had off, I started going to Getaria where there's a sandstone traverse. Thanks to Ioritz González (one of the climbers I'm training), I started to get motivated. After a month I was climbing 8b again. Then, in October I travelled to Indonesia to surf during 40 days.

When I came back from that trip, two weeks ago, the first thing I did was go to the climbing gym in order to regain the fitness I had before leaving to Indonesia, and that's when I brought out to light this project I've been working on for a while.

- What have these other sports you've been practicing provided you with?

Seeing that there's more things other than climbing, that life is not only this but this is the best thing!

- Did you feel equally fulfilled with these other activities in the same way as you felt with climbing?

The truth is that I highly enjoyed these two years of surfing. I felt alive as I did with climbing and in September my heart started to split, half climbing, half surfing. Now I want to get in the water but what climbing makes me feel is different. They are both different and incredible sports but I've always been a climber and I'll keep being a climber.

- What´s the thing you've missed the most from climbing and what´s what you haven't missed at all?

Human beings have the capacity to leave those things behind and sincerely I haven't missed anything at all. I've been living a different life till now that it´s gone straight into my bloodstream again!

- What is that new project you've just started? Tell us a bit about what it´s all about.

The truth is that I've started a super interesting thing. I continue with ‘patxitraining’, which is that of distance training, which is providing me with much satisfaction knowing how the climbers I train are doing.

And, on the other hand, I've just started with ‘Patxiusobiaga Climbtrips’, a super interesting project. This is a way of joining my training teachings, some psychology and everything that climbing involves, as well as the practice part, climbing with the people, analyzing their climbing, their technique and even trying the same projects they´re in. All of the travelling and sleeping, etc. in my motorhome. You can find all the information in http://www.patxiusobiaga.com/. I hope you like it.

- In one of the first tests you had with ‘Ildomani Climbtrips’ we saw you with Adam Ondra, was that a friendly visit or maybe he hired you in order to ask you for some advice about training, etc.?

Like any other company, in the begining it needs some testing, and this was the first one. Besides being a good friend, we shared some super fanatical days climbing.

- I'm sure you fulfilled most of every climber's dreams during all your career as a professional climber. Is there any that you have left?

Yes! Sending a 9b. I will fulfill all the other projects now that I've come back.