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Interview with Andrew Funk on Euro Rock Trip

Andrew Funk is one of Canada’s strongest youth climbers and has spent the fall in Europe sampling classic routes.

Andrew Funk is an Alberta-based competitor who has been applying his skills to steep sport climbing lately. In spring, we touched based with Funk, read the interview here.

Funk travelled to Europe for the Arco Youth World Championships in Italy and has been pulling down at well-known crags for the past two and a half months. Gripped touched base with Funk this week.

Andrew Funk in Rodellar during his current rock trip through Europe.
Andrew Funk in Rodellar during his current rock trip through Europe.

Where have you been spending your time?

After getting a couple days of climbing in Arco, I spent a month in Kalymnos before arriving in Rodellar, where I am now.

What are some of the better easier routes you have done?

There are so many amazing easy-moderate routes that I’ve gotten on so far. Probably my three favorites are Carpe Diem, 6b/5.10d in Kalymnos, Uncle Ernie, another Kalymnian 6b/5.10d, and Lola, a 7a/5.11d here in Rodellar.

Have you focused on projecting any hard routes?

I haven’t focused too much on any one particular route yet. Personally, I don’t have much experience road tripping or projecting at my maximum level, so I’m slowly trying to learn more about my own climbing and head space when it comes to trying hard routes.

That being said, I have been trying to do some “mini-projects” so to speak: routes that are definitely quite hard for me and take a fair number of sessions to send, but nothing seriously next level. Every route I have sent so far I did all the moves on my first time up the route.

What hard routes have you sent?

So the two hardest routes I have sent so far are both 8b/13d, Labyrinth in Kalymnos and Les Chacals in Rodellar. They took around the same amount of time (five or six sessions over the period of a couple weeks), but Les Chacals felt much harder to do than Labyrinth. Aside from those, I also sent Punto Caramelo, a 8a+/5.13c in Greece.

Andrw Funk on Les Chacals 5.13d a few burns before his send.  Photo Becca Frangos (@becca_frangos)
Andrw Funk on Les Chacals 5.13d a few burns before his send. Photo Becca Frangos (@becca_frangos)

What’s the hardest route you have sent to date?

Les Chacals, 8b/5.13d is the hardest route I have done. It definitely felt in the upper end of the grade for me, but that may just because it didn’t suit me as well as other routes of the same grade I have tried.

Are you projecting any 5.14’s?

No, I haven’t committed to putting much time into any yet. While I’ve tried three different 14as in Rodellar, I’ve been mainly trying to get more efficient at redpointing hard routes, getting a few more high 5.13s under my belt. Ixeia is a 5.14a that suits my style the most and I definitely think it is possible for me to do.

Unfortunately, it’s starting to rain more and more and that is a route that seeps a lot and quickly becomes unclimbable. I would love to put a lot of time into it, but with only two more weeks here until we head to Siurana, who knows how many more good days I would have on it. When I get to Siurana, however, it will definitely be game on to find a 5.14 to project.

We have been in Rodellar for a week now and have been enjoying every minute of it! The views from the crags are tough to beat!! Pictured here is the Pince Sans Rire crag where I managed to send my second 7c+ and third 8a of my trip today!
“We have been in Rodellar for a week now and have been enjoying every minute of it. The views from the crags are tough to beat. Pictured here is the Pince Sans Rire crag where I managed to send my second 7c+/5.13a and third 8a/5.13b of my trip today.” – Andrew Funk

What is the climbing vibe like where you are?

The vibe is awesome! Rodellar is a tiny town in the Spanish countryside, and everything revolves around climbing here. Compared to Kalymnos, where there were a lot of more beginner climbers, there is definitely a higher concentration of serious climbers really pushing themselves to their absolute extreme.

An hour rarely passes in the canyon where you don’t hear at least one person screaming their lungs out, giving everything they have for one more move. While it can be a little intimidating, it’s undeniably inspiring and motivating, especially when you talk to a few people and are reminded of just how laid back, kind and supportive everyone is.

Part of what’s so cool about the climbing is a lot of the hard lines are iconic and visible from very far away. You can be hiking in or out, or just chilling at a crag, and see someone on the sharp end going for broke on what you know is a beast of a route. You certainly see a lot of crushing going on.

Is it comparable to anywhere in Canada?

The rock here is limestone, which is the same as a lot of what I’m used to back home. The major difference is the tufa/stalactite formations here- there isn’t much like that in Canada, aside from at Horne Lake.

Certain walls here really remind me of Planet X in Cougar Canyon in the Bow Valley with massive, steep, sweeping lines begging to be climbed but proving to be incredibly challenging. Some of the low-angle walls are incredibly reminiscent of The Pavement up at Acephale in the Bow Valley.

What does the travelling schedule look like from there?

We have just under two weeks left in Rodellar before moving onto Siurana for a month and then El Chorro after that and after then not sure.

No long term plans to speak of right now, but I won’t be leaving Europe for a few months.

Andrew Funk on Grande Grotta 5.12a in Kalymnos.  Photo Becca Frangos
Andrew Funk on Grande Grotta 5.12a in Kalymnos. Photo Becca Frangos (@becca_frangos)

What are your climbing goals for the winter?

As I hinted at earlier, I really want to find a 5.14 to commit to and eventually (and hopefully) send. It’s always tricky to have a goal that involves a grade and I’m sure there’s a couple people reading this shaking their heads at me right now.

More than anything, I want to find a route that challenges me to a whole new level, mentally, emotionally, and physically and based on my experiences so far that route will have to be a 5.14. Additionally, I am always more impressed at the climber who is able to send a lot of hard routes across lots of styles, as opposed to the climber who can send one really hard route but only in one style.

I find myself striving to have a diverse résumé when it comes to routes I’ve climbed. Another goal of mine is to look back on all the routes I have done at the end of the winter and to see a wide range of styles and types of routes that reflect a well-rounded climber.

– Be sure to follow Andrew Funk on Instagram @andrew__funk.

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