National Championship - The Roxx, Christchurch

On Friday 5 August, Mum and I flew down to Christchurch to compete in the National Champs. On Tuesday 9 August I will be leaving NZ from Christchurch and flying to Europe to compete in the IFSC Climbing World Youth Championship in Imst, Austria. You can follow the team's progress on our video blog.

Sat 6 Aug: Comp Day 1

My Youth A first qualifier wasn't too hard and I topped out along with two others.

I found it hard to find a good sequence on the speed routes. Daniel Krippner and I have been consistently in the top two for Open Speed all year but this time I was coming third, Daniel fourth, and Masters competitor Rich Morgan was coming first. In Youth A I did better and was coming first.

In the Open qualification, I was close to topping the first climb, topped the second one and was second going into the final.

In isolation I could guess by the cheering that the guy before me had topped out. When I got to the end of the roof, I slipped off a big hold after making a difficult clip. The climber after me topped out and I came third.

Sun 7 Aug: Comp Day 2

On my Youth A second qualifier, I fell off on a big move and was third going into the final. On the final, I came second.

The Speed finals were on different routes to the qualifiers but the Open Male results stayed the same. In the Youth A I was Speed Champ.


Written by Josiah; posted by Lisia.

IFSC Oceania Series - Round 2, Bayside Rock, Melbourne

On Friday 29 July Dad and I flew across the Tasman to compete in round 2 of the Oceania Series. Once we were in Melbourne, we had a long journey, consisting of two buses and a train, to our accommodation in Carrum Downs. The NZ climbers who had gone over compete were:

Jorgia Oliver (YDF)
Alex Jones (YBF, OF)
Aiyana Grigsby (YBF, OF)
Matthew Sutherland (YBM)
Charlotte McConnochie (YAF, OF)
Josiah "JJ" Jacobsen-Grocott (me, YAM, OM)
Christoph Riedel (YAM, OM)
Geoff Jacobsen (Dad, Masters Male)

Sat 30 Jul: Comp day 1

Youth A First Qualifier

My first climb was easy and all but one of the ten climbers in my grade topped out.

Youth A Second Qualifier

This route was harder than the first. I topped out along with Christoph and one Aussie.

Open First Qualifier

The open climbs were much harder than the youth ones and this climb had a big dyno to a jug in it. I managed to get both hands on the jug but couldn't hold the swing. After that climb I was coming sixth equal with a lot of other people.

Open Second Qualifier

The climb started by climbing up a rope dangling from the bottom of a massive stalactite! The route crossed over from the stalactite and traversed left for a bit without footholds. It then went up onto a roof and after that onto a 45.

The climb highlighted my lack of bicep power, but I made it onto the 45. At the end of the qualification round I came tenth, two places and about two holds from making the final.

Speed Qualifiers

I got second in both Youth A and Open.

Sun 31 Jul: Comp day two

Youth A Final

My final went up a slightly overhanging wall, across a roof, and down the huge stalactite from the open climb. The climb finished by clipping the clip at the bottom of the stalactite.

By the second clip the climb felt hard. I persevered and made it onto roof.

When I came down I was told that I was coming first and taken to room where potential first equal competitors stayed in case of a super-final. Two climbers later I was told that I had won and allowed to leave.

Speed Finals

I came first in Youth A and second in Open.

The Kiwi results for the comp were:

Youth D Female

1st Jorgia Oliver

Youth B Female

1st Alex Jones
2nd Aiyana Grigsby

Youth B Male

5th= Matthew Sutherland

Youth A Female

4th Charlotte McConnochie

Youth A Male

1st Josiah Jacobsen-Grocott
6th Christoph Riedel

Open Female

7th Alex Jones
11th Aiyana Grigsby
16th Charlotte McConnochie

Open Male

10th Josiah Jacobsen-Grocott
12th Christoph Riedel

Masters Male

2nd Geoff Jacobsen