Jakob Schubert - The winner

8C boulders, 9b routes and plenty of World Cup victories. As far as difficult climbing is concerned, Jakob Schubert is the measure of small and overhanging things in Austria, regardless of whether they are artificially bolted or naturally grown.

Text: Flo Scheimpflug

Jakob'scross-discipline versatility is as legendary as the speed with which he pulverizes routes in the ninth French grade. We talked to the Innsbruck powerhouse about the Olympics, 9b+ and climbing as a new national sport.

At competitions you are a regular on the podium, on the rock you climb the hardestof the hard. To paraphrase Goethe , "two souls live in your chest". But what does your heart beat for?

I'm simply good at both. But competition climbing has an expiration date, whereas you can climb forever on rock. If everything works out physically, I'd still like to be out there when I'm 80.

You are one of the few people to have climbed two 9b routes. Why is the name Jakob Schubert mainly associated with competition climbing?

Quite simply, there's often no time for rock climbing for months on end during the preparation period for competitions, so you tend to fall off the radar.

Where are your roots, on rock or on plastic?

I did rock courses at the very beginning, but I really started in the gym when I was about twelve. That's where I got into rock climbing.

Is it actually a prejudice that you find it difficult on rock when you come from plastic? Even if you're already brutally strong indoors?

Not at all, because there are big differences between the two areas. In the hall, it's quite easy to check what to do, the holds are color-coded. On the rock you have to look for everything yourself, and there are several variations, not just the realization of the route builder's idea. Outdoors, you have to find the best solution for you. In my team, too, I have often observed that many people find it difficult at first on the rock. Just because you climb 8b in the gym doesn't mean you'll be able to do the same on the rock. We all know how difficult a 6c slab can be!

The competition calendar is extremely busy, how do you still find time for the crags?

Sometimes it's the case that training is more important to me than going out. Especially when a competition is coming up. In the build-up phase, I'm in the gym five times a week and train for between 25 and 30 hours, which doesn't leave much time. But I've realized that climbing on rock is sometimes the best training.

Rock is good for plastic?

Yes, especially for bouldering. There are no holds and footholds as bad as those on rock in the gym. And if we build a boulder in training that we can't do, we move on to the next one. But on the rock, I know that someone has already done these moves. Then, of course, I keep trying because I want to do it. You often try a move ten to twenty times - there's hardly any better IK training (intramuscular coordination training).

 

"Just because you climb 8b in the gym doesn't mean you'll be able to do the same on the rock."

 

In the World Cup, you compete in bouldering and lead. Is there one discipline that doesn't keep you busy?

Like almost all competition climbers, I have my roots in lead climbing. But to be successful there, you also have to boulder a lot and that has always suited me.

You've achieved something that hardly anyone else does: Winning World Cups in both disciplines.

I trained a lot with Kilian (Fischhuber) and at some point I realized: Hey, I'm not that much worse. That gave me a lot of self-confidence and I knew that winning in bouldering was also possible.

The Olympics are the big topic in competition climbing. You'll be there in 2020. Are you also dreaming the Olympic dream?

In any case, I'm very positive about the whole thing, although, like many others, I'm not mega-happy with the combination ranking (lead-bouldering-speed). You don't get that in any other competition. It would be best to have three disciplines, like in the World Cup. But that's not possible because the IOC has only made one medal available. I hope that we perform so well in 2020 that we get three medals at the next Games.

Growth figures that other sports can only dream of, international success en masse - will climbing become the new national sport?

The media and, above all, television would have to play their part first. I can't imagine that skiing will ever disappear as a national self-image, even if there is virtually no more snow. Whether climbing becomes a national sport or not, I don't really care.

With "Bügeleisen sit" (8C) in the Maltatal (AUT) or "Fight or Flight" (9b) in Oliana (ESP), you climbed the hardest of the hard. What's next?

As it comes, it comes! Repeating routes, getting close to the limit or pushing it - that's what I like best. 8C boulders, 9b routes - I want to keep working on both.

Anyone who climbs 9b will also try 9b+ at some point ...

Yes and no. There are now a few 9b's, the choice of potential 9b+ routes is limited. There are only three ("Vasil Vasil" in the Czech Republic, "La Dura Dura" in Oliana, "Change" in Norway) and all of them are extremely unique. I don't know anyone who's trying one of them right now.

What are your "places to be" in Tirol?

I spent most of my time in Ötztal and Zillertal. I also made a few first ascents there: "Grantiger Bauer" (8c+/9a) on the Saustein in the Zillertal or "Kein Licht, kein Schatten" (9a) on the Elefantenwandl in the Ötztal. I really want to have a look at Achleiten.

And what about the 9b potential in Tyrol?

I've heard of impossibly difficult projects, but I've never been there.