Rab - For the most extreme conditions in the world | Judith Spancken

Judith Spancken

Jude started climbing when coming to the UK on an exchange year from Germany as a student.  These days she is based in Chamonix and North Wales. Although Jude enjoys all aspects of climbing her true passion still lies in rock climbing.

“Climbing for me is a magical way of combining physical and mental challenges in beautiful surroundings in the company of wonderful people”

(photo - Jude Spanken irrationally happy before the Brenva Face of Mont Blanc. - Ben Winston)

 

 

 

Rab caught up with Jude recently to ask her a few questions Where were you born and where’s home now?
I was born in Germany where I lived until I was 21.  Since 1996 I have mainly lived in Wales but also Canada for a couple of years. More recently, since 2008 I call Chamonix, France my home.

Tell us about your work?
My work…photographer, rope access worker, German Sales rep for DMM… those three are my main jobs depending on time of year and season. This year I will start my BEES escalade in France, the French rock guide qualification.

How long have you been climbing?
I was first introduced to climbing in 1994 whilst at a boarding school near Brighton where I spent a year to learn English. I then started properly in 1996 when I moved to Aberystwyth to study Geography.

Describe your very first climb
I do not remember the name or grade but it would have been at Swanage. I clearly remember the rush of excitement and immediate passion I felt for moving on rock above the sea. It was a very defining moment in my life.

Describe your climbing career
Weekends of hitch hiking to North Wales from Aberystwyth, climbing Welsh classics.  I only trad climbed for many years. After finishing my degree I moved to Canada for 2 years to study photography. There I hung up my harness for a while and spent a lot of time bouldering with winter trips to Joshua tree, Hueco tanks and Bishop. I learned a lot during that time and when coming back to North Wales in 2001 was surprised to see how much my climbing had improved. By then I lived in North Wales and worked my way up through the grades, slowly but steadily. Climbing has always been a very natural progression for me. Grades started improving naturally as I was getting more confident, stronger and experienced without having in mind a certain grade I wanted to achieve. It has always been the look of a climb or its history that made me want to climb it, rather than the grade. In fact, I only seem to climb well when I climb something that draws me in and inspires me.
When it comes to trad climbing I have only really been interested in on sighting routes. This may explain why I have not climbed above E6. Head pointing has not had any pull for me so far. I now live in France so at the moment I seem to be either sport climbing or do granite routes in the mountains. In summer 2009 I developed some really bad tendinitis during a rope access job and took almost a year off.
It was the first time I had to take a long period off climbing and it was a very good experience… taking the break, but also coming back to climbing. It made me realise that taking some time off can do a lot of good. Us climbers can get too sucked into this world of rock and grades. Starting again was a pleasant surprise…I did not feel like I had lost much strength but instead found new motivation and inspiration.

What are your most memorable climbs?
There are usually a few factors that come together when a climbing experience is strong and very memorable….who I am with, the location, the circumstances, the climb itself…
It would be hard to pick and choose..but here are a few..
Serpentine (29) in Australia: a line so beautiful and exposed. I climbed it on a day where nobody else apart from myself and my friend Josh were at the crag. The wall was bathed in orange evening light.
Pink Flower Tower (E5 6a) in Greenland: My first experience of doing a ground up new route on a big wall. I was climbing with Mat, my boyfriend at the time and we had to abandon the line after 7 pitches as the rock turned loose and we would have needed bolts to protect it further. But up to there it was beautiful crack climbing and a whole new experience for both of us.
Lord of the Flies (E6 6a): I love all the routes on Dinas Cromlech and I had looked up at the route for so long, hoping that one day I would be brave enough to climb it, and to climb it well.

The reasons why a climb or a climbing day may be especially memorable for me can vary a lot. Maybe one day it is after climbing well, smooth and with a calm fearless mind when absolutely at my limit or it can be after a sunny day out in a beautiful place where simply the company of friends, the place and moving on rock combined make me come home with a big smile on my face. Other days might be memorable because I was scared or intimidated but I don’t like those days. Fear is not something I search for in climbing so I try to keep it flowy, safe and try to listen to how I feel so not to get myself into scary situations..something I had to learn over time though…

What do you do when you’re not climbing?
For me, off time from climbing is really important. I certainly need a balance and it does my climbing good.
When I don’t climb and don’t work I may do other sports. I love snowboarding, recently got into skiing, I tried surfing and am hoping to do more. I love spending time in the mountains running or walking.
Or, I explore my lazy and more creative site and focus on my photography, go to art/photography exhibitions, play my piano, read, do yoga and socialise with friends.

Who or what at inspires you?
People who are not afraid to try and live their dreams and ideas even if everybody else around them doubts and questions them.

Do you carry any regrets?

Not really. Looking back, I value each period in my life as important and they have added in positive ways to who I am today. And if there is something I didn’t do or regret not having done, well…there is still time to do it.  We often seem to have this idea that because we have reached a certain age we can’t do certain things…like going back to study, starting a new sport…whatever… but that really is silly. Life is an ever evolving changing process and it would be ashame to ever stop learning and exploring ….

What are your future plans/goals?
For climbing? Get my shoulder fully back to my pre injury level. Climb well and always remember why it is that I climb in the first place…the enjoyment of moving on rock, in good company in beautiful places….

What are your favourite pieces of Rab kit?
PS Hoodie: I wear it all the time. It is light, snug, warm, cosy, like a second skin.
Microligt Alpine Jacket: small and light enough to clip on my harness but super warm to keep me cosy on belays.

How else do you train?
Apart from just going climbing?...I do those sports I mentioned above to find a balance and in winter on days when it is too cold and wet to climb on rock I climb indoors.

Mars or Snicker? Snickers

Beer or wine? A cold beer after climbing, wine for dinner
 

Tea or coffee? Tea

Carrot or ginger cake? Carrot
 

Pie or salad? salad
 

Bivi or B&B? bivy
 

Hot or cold? hot
 

Cat, dog or goldfish? cat
 

Car or bike? bike
 

Long haul or short haul? both

Facebook or email? E mail
 

Christmas or New Year? Neither
 

Film or theatre? both