Patxi Usobiaga

PATXI USOBIAGA

By Ignacio Sandoval Burón

- You've just sent your third 8c after the injury and almost three years out of the game. Is this the basis for some subsequent harder stuff?

The evolution has been serene. I've had to combine training indoors together with climbing on real rock, since my body has to readapt to a climber's body. It could seem that three years is not much time, but my body and its musculature adapted to that of a surfer, from the tendons to the muscles. This makes me not climbing as smoothly, neither as flexible nor as with the same power or endurance as before. However, I'm enjoying this process a lot, combining both the Patxitraining with short-term objectives on rock.

- After Adam Ondra's visit to the Basque Country we learnt that you're in charge of his training. What does your work with him exactly consist of? How is the relationship and monitoring of a pupil at such a long distance?

Adam is an incredible climber, strong and with super clear ideas. The truth is that he's even surprised with how far he can reach in the training just based on his raw motivation.

I'm in charge of his planning and training design with the aim set on the World Cup. Even if the trip to the Basque Country was just a test to gain confidence and see that Patxitraining works, it is always necessary to do this some time before in order to boost the climber's confidence, especially when the objective is ambitious and important. You cannot wait until the end to see what happens. The mind is everything, thus the first thing to feed is the mind and then the physical fitness state.

- There's a video interview with Adam saying he sometimes disagrees at some point with the training he receives from you so he likes to specify/adjust it. What has he changed? Do you find his personal touches interesting?

Patxitraining is based on what Jon Iriberri taught me during the years he trained me. Since then, everything has evolved by means of listening, sharing, reading, watching videos, etc. so, in the end, making a more complete mix. In fact, Patxitraining, keeps evolving, if not it will end up outdating. This is where the conversations between Adam and myself become very productive.

- I think you work with more climbers.  Can you tell us who they are? How do you specifically work with those who you can regularly see and with those who you can't?

I train twenty-one climbers all around the world, either boulderers or sport climbers. I can't mention all of them, but I'll do it briefly, Christian Medina from Ecuador, Rodri Plaza (Barcelona), Adam Ondra (Czech Republic), Mikel Linacisoro (together with Josean Mulas, we are both in charge of the planning and the face-to-face coaching), Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia... and even Portugal with the recent incorporation of André Neres.

Also, I work with a group of 24 climbers in the Treparriscos climbing gym in Santander. This is for me a new way to do it. It's a trial to see whether this is worth it or not, since there's not such individualization as there is with the Patxitraining program.

Thanks a lot to all the climbers who trust in Patxitraining, it's super nice to work with all of you!

- This summer, you're offering a climbing camp in the Basque Country. Can you explain to us what it's all about? What difference is there between this camp and the motorhome climbingtrips you were offering before? What other training modalities are you offering and what do they consist of?

This coming Summer, amongst many other personal projects that I have in rock, I've created a 'Climbing Trip' from July, 4 to July, 11. It's designed for 4 climbers whose climbing level is below 7b+. It will take place in the Basque Country with the base camps set in Villanueva de Valdegovía and Araotz.

I've put on hold my motorhome climbing trips, since I think staying in a bungalow and travelling by car will be more comfortable for everybody. I try to give preference to the climbers' comfort.

The idea is to climb 4 days in Valdegovía, Apellaniz, Atauri and San Fausto, lodging in Valdegovía. Later on we'd travel to the coast, to Itziar, probably one of the best places in the Basque Country with the sea in the background and from there we'd go and climb in Araotz and Atxarte.

During that week there would be seminars on training, technique, injury prevention,  dieting, on-sight climbing, psychology and, above all that, nice climbing in 'petit comité' psyched to death.

Registration ends 15 days before so that I have time to arrange everything. Climbers will have to arrive either to the airports of Bilbao or Santander.

- I've heard nowadays there's a super fanatic atmosphere in the Basque Country with Rubén Díaz, Iker Arroitajauregi, Primo (José Luis Palao), Mulero and you trying hard climbs. What do you personally expect from this synergy? And, what about the others?

It's such fun to climb with super psyched, mocking and strong climbers.

It's a good way to make climbing evolve. Although, I'm trying to convince them to compete... but they're cowards, hahahaha.