Czech Climbing

And this is by no means just about me, my kids, and my wonderful wife, but also about the people—who’ve had a rough few years - who’ve been struggling to keep the cottage complex at Sklárna u Žihle running. They were skeptical before the event, but we managed to get them excited too. Work isn’t everything.

What’s more, the sun, the fresh greenery of spring, and the blossoming trees came to the people’s aid. How can you share this with someone who wasn’t there? So I’ll just try to debunk the myths that (perhaps) circulate about “Padání.”

That the name “Padání” (Falling) is derived from the vertical downward movement caused by the gravitational field of our blue planet.

It’s not named after the Po River (Pád in Czech) in northern Italy either, because that’s flat. The truth is, there was once a company called “PAD.” I love the Czech language, and the name “Padání” just seemed like a natural fit. You don’t even have to know that much Czech to get it.

Apparently, there’s some painful granite there.

Well, that’s obviously not true! Chuck Norris has never been to the event. Supposedly because the crystals aren’t sharp enough for him. I did at least name one stone after him, which is the subject of a project with the working title “Never stop at the top.”

Let's go to the race!

It's a far cry from a race in the true sense of the word. 153 people signed up for the official list of competitors, while the same number came along as support or just to enjoy the wonderful atmosphere. In the end, barely half of those registered for the competition submitted their results. Maybe that’s a shame, but on the other hand, I definitely want that choice to exist.

The classification doesn’t fit.

My kids like to say that I fit within a tolerance of +/- four difficulty grades. And that definitely fits!

There are no holds.

Of course, there’s debate over what constitutes a hold. But even if we were to consider a hold to be anything a climber hangs onto, statistically we’d find about 1.785 such holds per boulder this year. Although I admit that sometimes it’s necessary to hang by your stomach.

And finally, the myth of the monstrous organizer.

Hmmm... I’m thinking, pondering, ruminating, contemplating, mulling over, pondering, speculating, racking my brain, analyzing, going back and forth, philosophizing... and nothing. There’s simply no refuting this!
Thank you so much for the spring in my step! In addition to all the participants, it was properly lubricated by Pro Rock Climbing, Shumbafly, and the Czech Mountaineering Association. Formalities like results, tons of photos, and eventually a guide to the new area can be found on social media.