Exclusive: Liv Sansoz Climbing Sweetspot
June 19, 2008 @ 8:17 AM - Features: Sports
Liv Sansoz, 31, from Les Arcs, France, is one of the world’s most fearless climbers. We follow her intrepid expedition into Hampi, India, to conquer a challenging Nike ACG SweetSpot.
How long have you been climbing for?
16 years
How did you get into bouldering?
To go from climbing to bouldering was a natural progression for me. Bouldering looked fun and cool and it was just another part of the climbing. I wanted to experiment and have fun with it.
Have you always loved the outdoors?
I was born in the mountains and I’ve been skiing since I was two years old. Running in the mountains, hiking, climbing, skiing are all natural things for me…
When did you decide to commit yourself to the sport full time?
When I won my first world championship in Paris, in 1997.
Can you give us a run down of your average day?
Thankfully, there is not one day like the other! It mainly depends if I’m on a climbing trip or if I’m at my ‘base camp’ in Bourg St Maurice.
On a climbing trip I usually focus on one or two specific routes or boulders I want to succeed on. And of course, beside this I always try to discover new lines or something different. In general, I’ll start climbing in the morning and keep going until it gets dark… But of course you always have to adapt to the conditions. In India we had to wake up at 5am for instance, as it was quite warm there.
When I’m at home it’s more a training day format: running in the forest in the morning, stretching and climbing on plastic (I have a small personal climbing wall) to work power, endurance and stamina… Depending on how I feel I can include some exercises with weights and a campus board. In the winter I train more on plastic and ski as much as possible when there’s good powder.
And if you could have the perfect day, what would it include?
A perfect day’s climbing would be only me and the line in a perfect harmony… Right moves at the right moment, right balance at the right place, right decision at the right time and to fight when it is needed. Good feelings and strong emotions. I’d also like my boyfriend or a few really close friends there to share it with…
Were you excited to take part in Nike ACG’s Sweetspots project?
Sure! Speaking with a few of the other Nike ACG friends from the skiing scene really psyched me up. Also, I’m always very interested in doing something new and different in my life.
What made you choose to go to Hampi?
I’ve always really wanted to go there since I saw the pictures of this unusual place! I was attracted by the amazing potential of climbing here, the history of this place and the unique mystic atmosphere we could feel there.
How did it feel to complete your challenge?
I was quite happy and satisfied as I did it fast. Because there are so many variables (mental, physical), there is always a small amount of uncertainty. It’s always a good feeling when you succeed.
Watch the world exclusive footage of Liv’s ACG SweetSpot here!
Next: Liv chats practice, preparation and personal life...
