Alannah Yip is a rising star in the Canadian climbing scene. She started climbing at the age of six and joined The Edge team at the age of 9, due to the influence of her family friends, Sean and Jason McColl. Sending her first two v10’s in Rocklands this year and making finals in her last four competitions, Alannah has been training with the Climb Base5 Open Team to fulfill her goal of competing for Canada in the World Cup this year. We thought it would be great to check in with her on her preparation for this weekend and here is what she had to say.
Alannah Yip @ Northwest Boulder Fest. Photo by Truc Allen Media ©
Hi Alannah, thanks for taking the time to talk to us. How are things going in preparation for Saturday?
Things are going well! I’ve been training lots and studying lots, the usual.
What has your training looked like in lead up to this competition with just two weeks between this and the previous Tour De Bloc?
Well, as competing in the Boulder World Cups this year is my end goal, I have definitely not been taking these recent competitions too seriously. I did 4 competitions in 4 weeks, the last being the Hive TdB, and I feel like I got into a good rhythm of training hard throughout the week, resting on Friday, and competing on Saturday. That way I was able to compete but am not sacrificing my training schedule to do so.
Alannah at Tour De Bloc: Swarm the Hive. Photo by Shane Murdoch ©
You had the opportunity to compete a number of times in the states before the season here in Canada. What did you learn from these experiences?
I competed in three American competitions in October: the Portland Boulder Rally, the Northwest Boulder Fest, and the Seattle Bouldering Challenge. All of these comps had some pretty big-name setters and competitors, so I was extremely psyched to be able to make finals in all three. I definitely grew more confident over the course of the three competitions. That is, confident that I truly belonged in finals and that my level of strength was comparable to the other girls around me, even if my comp strategy and endurance were lacking.
How was it being on the floor with a number of professional climbers at the Portland Bouldering Rally?
It was pretty cool! I didn’t exactly feel in my element with so many superstars walking around but I tried to play it cool. The only time I really lost that was when I realized that I had accidentally ignored Alex Puccio congratulating me on making finals…I still feel bad about that! It was very motivating for me to make finals – it gave me some confidence that I will be able to climb at the level of these professionals in the future, given some more training and experience.
Photo courtesy of Truc Allen Media ©
I want to get into a little of your climbing history. When did you start climbing and what got you into it?
The first time I went climbing I was probably around 6 years old, but I joined the Edge team and started competing at age nine. I got into it because of the McColls, actually. They are family friends and I always looked up to Jason and Sean. When they both joined the climbing team and started competing I wanted to be just like them, so I joined as well.
You trained on The Edge team before aging out? What did those experiences teach you?
I trained on the Edge team from ages 9 – 18, with coaches such as Andrew Wilson, Luke Zimmerman, Matt Johnson, Gary Foster, and many more. Having many different coaches over the years was interesting because each one brought a slightly different viewpoint or methods of training. This and the love for the sport are definitely the most important things I took away from my time on the Edge junior team.
Alannah Yip representing Canada in 2011 ©
You went away last year to Switzerland for school and trained with the Swiss National Team. What did this experience mean to you and what did you learn?
There were a few big things that I took away from my exchange in Switzerland. First and foremost, I made quite a few amazing friends. I had wonderful teammates and two fantastic coaches. For me, having lived my entire life in Vancouver, it was really important to get out of my bubble and experience some more of the world. Second, I spent so much time on “euro-style” problems that I am now much better at standing on my feet, heel hooking, and in general technical climbing. Finally, once again having a coach who believes in you fully and wants to see you reach your full potential was really good for me. Without the two of them behind me I never would have dared to reach as high as I have.
You ended up unable to compete for Canada on this year’s World Cup Circuit. Can you tell us a bit about this and what happened?
I did not attend Canadian Boulder Nationals this year so I was not eligible to apply for the National Team. It was unfortunate because for the World Cup in Munich, I was living just a few hours away. But it was pretty cool that I got to go and watch and cheer on all of the Swiss and Canadian climbers. It was my first time spectating at a World Cup.
You spent most of the summer in South Africa, how was it?
It was amazing! The trip was not something I had planned on doing when I left Canada, but once in Switzerland I met a group of really amazing people and they invited me to come down to Rocklands with them. It was the longest climbing trip I had ever taken, and also the furthest from home. I had so much fun and am already looking forward to my next trip there!
Caroline 7c+/V10 in Rocklands. Photo by Michael Thalmann ©
Any moments stick out for you?
For sure, one of the biggest things for me was being able to climb my first 7c+/V10 Caroline, during my second session on it, which was a bit of a surprise for me. My project at the time was actually a different 7c+/V10 called No Late Tenders, which I was able to send a few days later. Another thing that really sticks out was watching my good friend Natalie Bärtschi being able to send multiple difficult dynos over the course of the trip. She had a bit of a finger injury but instead of being sidelined she committed herself to having a great time and dynoing as hard as she could (which is really hard!). It was pretty inspirational to see her commit fully to jumping outside.
La Rampe 7a+ in Fontainebleau. Photo by Natalie Bärtschi ©
Being a part of the Climb Base5 Open team must be very motivational! What do you like the best about being a part of the team?
Yeah, it’s really cool to have the opportunity to train with a group of psyched adults. There is definitely a different atmosphere to training with a team of younger athletes. I would say that my favourite part is the transparency that Andrew and Matt have brought to our training. As a junior, I would often do what the coaches told me, without question. Here the coaches are very forthright with explanations and justifications for everything from training phase overviews to specific exercises. Knowing exactly how each exercise benefits me makes me that much more motivated to train.
2015 Seattle Bouldering Challenge. Photo courtesy of Alannah Yip ©
As a team member, you are required to set goals for the future. Do you have both indoor and outdoor goals?
Yes. Outdoors, my goals are to boulder V11 by the end of 2016 and also to visit as many new outdoor areas as possible. Part of what I enjoyed most about Switzerland was visiting so many new areas and I really want to keep that up now that I’m back in North America. There are so many amazing areas that I have yet to see. Indoors, I want to take the summer to compete in the entire Boulder World Cup circuit and see where that takes me.
Photo courtesy of Alannah Yip ©
After this years competition season, do you have any trips planned?
I am planning on going to Bishop over Christmas this year, but further than that I don’t have any concrete plans. After the Vail World Cup there is quite a long break before Munich, so I would love to spend most of that time outside on some real rock.
Seven Spanish Angels. Photo by Aeron Matthew ©
Thanks Alannah, for chatting and good luck this weekend! We wish you the best in all your endevours!
Alannah is sponsored by Organic
Be sure to get out to Climb Base5 this weekend to cheer on all our local athletes. Doors open to spectators at 4pm on Saturday., Nov. 7th, 2015
