A few weeks ago I took part in the Blockmasters festival edition. Whereas in previous years the focus was mainly on large and classic climbing competitions, this year’s format was refreshing. The organisers opted for a great number of boulders, no less than 91 awaited us.
Atmosphere and activities
In addition to the enormous number of boulders, there were also various side activities and workshops on the day itself. From dry tooling to yoga and even building boulders. There was plenty to experience. My focus, however, was entirely on the boulders, which meant I did not take any photos or videos myself. Fortunately, there is an aftermovie that perfectly captures the atmosphere: Blockmasters 2025 aftermovie.
My strategy
In order to climb as many boulders as possible, I had set out a clear strategy beforehand:
- A maximum of three attempts per boulder
- A short rest break every hour
- Alternating between easy and difficult boulders
This approach helped me enormously. By limiting the number of attempts I saved my skin and remained efficient. I had taped my fingertips beforehand, which kept my skin in good condition even during the warm-up. With sufficient rest breaks I was able to keep bouldering for more than five hours without collapsing. Alternating between difficult and easy boulders created a pleasant flow and constant motivation.
The boulders
The first boulders went smoothly. I even managed to complete a few comp style boulders within three attempts. Block013 consists of three sections. I started in the last hall, almost finished it completely, and then moved on to the middle hall. The first hall contained two long and heavy boulders, which I deliberately skipped. The energy required for those was not worth the score.
In the end a few tough boulders remained. My skin still felt good and I was able to direct all my energy towards them. On a black boulder with a big jump I received valuable tips from others, which eventually led me to top it. A no-tex start with a paddle jump, however, did not succeed despite many attempts and it shredded my fingertips.
Another tough overhang boulder cost a lot of energy. I was able to make all the moves, but the far finishing hold stayed out of reach. At that moment my fingertips started to bleed. For me that was the sign that I had truly given everything. After filling in my score I enjoyed a burrito from the food truck outside, fully satisfied.
Final score and result
The scoring was simple: one point per boulder. No extra points for a flash and no zones. That kept the competition clear and straightforward. In the end I topped 86 out of 91 boulders, which resulted in a shared first place. For the final victory a thrilling crimp battle followed, which I managed to win. This earned me my very first crash pad, a prize I proudly took home.
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