Matej Kožić
Zagreb,  Croatia
25 years old
16
Routes
0
Boulders
16
Routes
0
Boulders
So much goes into maintaining a climbing gym, of which an average climber isn't even aware of. Occasionally (once in a never haha, jk), holds have to be washed. And that is done by hand (or a foot, in this case). Firstly, the holds are assembled (usually into a "forever-borrowed" shopping cart), and transported onto a place where water no longer becomes your problem. After that, they are soaked in some kind of a solution to loosen the grime up, after which they get dominated by a jacked climber with a pressurewasher, usually wearing crocks. And he also has to be shirtless. Holds are left to dry out in the sun (and maybe smoke a cig), after which they once again go into the purloined cart, and back to storage or onto the wall. Seeing climbing volumes, abstract and modern plastic things in bright colors, in a shopping cart is a weird experience no matter how many times one has seen it. On the surface it's the most absurde meaningless thing-- to a regular person thigns inside by themsevles don't make much sense in existing... and coupled with a shopping cart...; but to an industry insider, it's a tuesday. Holds usually get washed before big events such as competitions, when volumes and modern holds take priority, and oldschool holds kind of parasitise off of the watr jet aimed at expensive volumes. So even with climbing holds, pecking order exists.
Collages help tell stories that single photos are built around. Here is Marko Rožman PhD, a senior scientist working in the department of Physical Chemistry of Croatia's top scientific institute, a chemist by day, routesetting for a local climbing gym. It's easy to go to a gym without thinking about what goes on behind the scenes... how each hold on the wall was once in a bucket, and how it has a purpose and an idea behind it, and was put there by a person. A person that is likely as passionate a climber as you yourself, but that also has a life besides climbing... And those people are often remarkalbe, as it the case with the Dr. here. Croatia's top climber for a long time, many routes established, bolted, climbed 8c+... It's interesting to think of that behind-the-scenes and behind-the-route, because the majority of people will never see, let alone carry, a 30 pound bucket of jugs hahah. To your average climber, it represents something new and interesting. And we, the sport-insiders, somethimes need to step back to admire the beauty of jugs in a bucket.
Indoor climbing looks great in black and white because of all the contrast, detail, and texture that chalk (which gets everywhere) creates. This snapshot from a training with my friend Nino almost looks like a reinesance painting, with him striking a "classical" "David-esque" pose of wiping sweat off of his brow, and me being quick with my shutter :). Not a particularly memorable session, but a great photo nontheless
Marko Rožman PhD, a senior scientist working in the department of Physical Chemistry on Ruđer Bošković institute, Croatia's top scientific institution. And also, Croatia's as OG a climber as OG gets, with climbed 8c+ (as far as I know), many routs bolted and established, and Croatia's nationals titles won. It's safe to say that this man has achieved mastery in both science, and sport. On top of his respective fields. In these pictures he is routesetting for a local gym, presumably as a breather between mass spectroscopy publications and whatnot :)
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Once in a century view: Holds waiting in line to get washed! When you think about it, this configuration of volumes in this cart is completly unique and will never be repeated in the future or history of the universe. You are seeing once in forever ansamble of these exact volumes getting washed. And it's also cool how they are in a (presumably "forever-borrowed") shopping cart.
A rutesetter dominating a hold ◕⩊◕ Someone was a naughty hold and needs to be washed UwU (*＞ω＜*)♡
A hold getting dominated (*＞ω＜*)♡ ◕⩊◕
A routesetter and gym owner bringing out climbing volumes to their (what seems like once-in-a-decade haha) cleaning.
A routesetter admiring a pyramid. And lets be honest... we should admire our pyramids more.
Routesetting caught live, testing out the moves and then adjusting them-- which gets iterated into what seems infinity
A climber doing a move on a crimp, with three finger drag grip. You don't have to go outside to get great crimp training-- or great crimp photos! Moreover, it's easy to fine tune crimps you need indoors to better prepare for outdoors
A routesetter testing out the moves of beginnings of his route.
A portrait of a routesetter
A portrait of a climber
A portrait of a routesetter
Portrait of a climber after his campusing session
Routesetter Vedran (Vec) was fixing a hold that came loose. As he was storing away the ladder and his tools of trade, I asked him to turn around for a quick portrait. People who climb and routeset look hardcore, but don't let that fool you. Climber have a great and welcoming community, and while Vec seems serious and "Clint Eastwood" while fixing routes, you can see that behind that screw in his mouth there's a smile.
I met Nikolaj, a young slovenian crusher, while visiting Ljubljana with college. Climbing culture and community transcends borders and nationalities, so it was as if we knew each other for a decade. I snapped this environmental portrait at the end of my visit.
Environmental portraits show people in the context of their natural environment. And here, Fran Dujmović is a jacked as hell melon-forarms hardcore climber in front of his training playground!
Playground Gyms are sandboxes, routesetters are architects, and routes they create are works of art. The amalgamation of movement with creativity and shapes, makes routesetting a job like no other.