Iris Matamoros (43) keeps up his fine form

Iris Matamoros Quero has made the FA of Antifragil (8c+) in Mula, Murcia. The 43-year-old has climbed three out of his five 9a’s in just the last 18 months. ”Antifragil is a route that I started bolting more than 15 years ago when I did my first 8c. At that time there were no hard routes in Murcia and that cave seemed like a good place to continue making progress. The problem is that the rock is not good, you have to work a lot and I always abandoned it. Last year I was going a lot to try El Osteopata, so I decided to finish, bolting and trying Antifragil, it was the key to staying motivated in the cave. The route has a very athletic beginning, 8 bolts of about 8b/ after a bad rest comes the key sequence, 13 hard moves about 7c or 7c+ boulder in which you can't take chalk, luckily I found a very bad kneebar to clip, without that it would have been much harder. After that sequence comes a good rest and an endurance section that does not increase the grade but makes you nervous, in which I fell once and almost fell on the redpoint day.

How do you manage to stay in great shape at age 43? How do you train?
I usually train for two days and try to climb two or three more, but with two children it is not easy. Before I climbed more but now my focus is more on quality sessions.
Session 1. Fingerboard and Bouldering
Session 2. Endurance, conditioning

With the kids, climbing a lot and climbing onsight is more difficult. Instead, it is easier to choose a good place and to try a hard project once a day. After climbing and training for many years I know myself very well. Now I'm more focused on quality sessions, good nutrition and more rest (when it is possible... with little kids you never know how it is going be)

I have to say that this would not be possible without the support of my wife, we share the passion for climbing and this is a key aspect. We understand and support each other. I also have to say that we are in a good moment now, we have been training and climbing regularly, but sometimes there are difficult moments when the children are sick and we cannot sleep, when they have their activities or when they are not happy and comfortable at the crag... They require a lot of energy and hard climbs always depends on this [energy]. We need a lot of desire and a lot of coffee! My tactics [with age] are much better too.

What is next?
We will be in Santa Linya in 9 days, I tried JoeDan (9a), and I really wanted to climb it, but now a hold broke and it is much harder...😓 Maybe La Novena Puerta (8c+)… maybe some 8c+ 's that I have not done.

Any new hard projects you have bolted recently?
I have bolted the link between El osteopata (9a) and Antifragil. It means climbing the hardest part of each route and the link could be the hardest part. That is why I think it could be 9a+... but maybe it is too much for me. The season is over in the cave, but maybe I could try it the next season.