Laura Rogora and her mental game on her record OS day

Laura Rogora had an amazing day in Lourmarin last week, onsighting two 8c’s, one 8b and one 8a.

Can you tell us more about this special day?
It was a really unusual day. I wasn't planning to climb hard at all - I just wanted to spend a relaxed day with friends and have some fun on easy routes.

But when I got to the crag and saw the lines, I couldn't resist. I warmed up on Playboy (8a). When I tried Pâques Express (8c), I felt completely relaxed and had no expectations, which somehow made everything click. I just enjoyed climbing in the moment, and somehow I managed to onsight two 8c routes in one day. The first one went down quite easily while the second, Free fight intégral (8c), was harder and it was a big fight especially on the first pitch. At the end of the day I onsighted Vous êtes des animaux (8b).

It was such a special day - starting casually with friends, then unexpectedly reaching something I didn't even plan for. Honestly, it still feels a bit surreal!

What about fear of long falls and failure during onsight? What goes through your mind?
I'm not afraid of falling - even when onsighting, I sometimes skip quickdraws if can't clip them. But I do feel anxious about making a mistake, especially if I've already done a hard section and don't want to ruin everything.

For onsighting, I think it's about finding the right balance: being decisive, but also taking a moment to think about the best way to move, instead of just following instinct all the time.

How was the mental game on Free fight intégral (8c)?
On the first 8b+ pitch, there was a move I had hard time figuring out, so I spent some time feeling the holds and finding out the best solution. Then I went back to rest and approached it with full commitment. After that, I knew I could give it my all, but I had already spent a lot of energy on that section and was a bit tired, so I knew I couldn't hesitate on the next part. That section was really close to my limit.

When I reached the chain of the 8b+, a bit of anxiety started creeping in. On the last part, the holds were very humid, which added both difficulty and a bit of fear of making a mistake.

What is your next, more outdoors?
No. I came back to Italy and on Monday I started training for the next season. Maybe I'll do a week at Christmas but I still don't know if and where.