Roc Vergés Solé
Date of birth:
20/5/2008
Place of birth
Igualada, Cataluya
Current place of residence: Valls
Catalunya
Height:
151
Arm-Span:
153
Weight:
36 Kg
Sponsors:
Edelrid & Red Chili
With RED CHILI since:
2021
Favorite places to live / climb / visit
To live: Cornudella del Montsant and in Catalunya in general. To climb: My favorites areas are Margalef, Siurana, Ceüse and Leonidio. To visit: Yosemite and Dolomitas
Favorite type of climbing (bouldering, sports climbing, trad, etc.):
Sport Climbing
Climbing
When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport?
I’ve always been around walls since my parents have always climbed. Already at the age of three he was doing the typical swings that the children of climbers like so much and the first top rops on fifth grade tracks. But it wasn't until we took a trip to Australia that I started doing my 6th grade first, that I discovered that I really liked the sport. What fascinates me about this sport is the constant competition with yourself, the desire to constantly outdo yourself and make things better and better. I also like it because it's a sport that takes you to new and different places.
Who was your childhood hero and do you consider yourself a role model now? Does it influence you at all that other people look up to you?
I haven't had a good hero but the fact that I live in Cornudella and meet Dani Andrada has made me very interested in the ways he has done and is doing. But now we can say that my idols are Adam Ondra and Alex Megos. I don't consider myself a role model, and I've never considered whether people admire me or not. I climb because I like myself and not others.
What were the most important milestones in your life so far, both in climbing and in everyday life? Did you immediately recognize them as such or only later on?
The most important milestone I have achieved so far has been “chaining” my first 8a with 10 years and 8b with 12. In everyday life I am very happy with my studies as I get good results in all subjects.
What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?
So far I have not had any injuries And I hope so for many years. I haven't had any failures either, but sometimes I get frustrated when a route doesn't come out when I want to or if I don't like how I climb one day, but I'm lucky that my coach And my parents take great care of the psychological part of sport And they help me manage failure in the best way possible. But I still have a lot to learn.
What is your favorite climbing related story / experience?
The experience I remember the most is the feeling of joy and satisfaction I had when I chained my first 7c +, as until then I had only done 7a + and I didn't think I could get out of such a difficult path in such a short time. That's when I began to truly believe in myself and realize that with perseverance and hard work you can achieve what you set out to do.
Training
Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?
Yes, my coach always tells me what to do but the days I go to rock I can try the routes I want.
What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?
That they are very different things, they have “nothing in common”, you can be very strong in rock and very loose on the inside and vice versa.
Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?
No
How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?
I am not a professional climber as I am only twelve years old, what I do know is that I have discovered this sport, that I have managed to do very unusual things for children my age, that I really like to climb and what I want is to be able enjoy it for many years and if it can be for the rest of my life.
Climbing (Psychology)
Is it possible for anybody to eventually perform a one-armed pull-up or get to the top of the Eiger/Matterhorn, or do you really have to be born for it?
I believe that one person can have more qualities than another but without training and perseverance the goals are very difficult to achieve.
How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?
The important thing is that with this goal you are motivated to keep fighting / training to get there. In climbing for the time being, keep improving, do 8b + and have good results in competitions when there are any more. In life, don't go down with the studies and your grades and help more at home.
How to you deal with extremely hard climbing problems? Do you ever get frustrated and give up on them or do they motivate you even more?
Try to think positively and make each beat as if it were the last. There are blows to everything, most of the time it motivates me even more but sometimes we do get frustrated.
Future of rock climbing
Where do you see the sport going in the next years, what will change and what is your role going to be in it?
The fact that it is an Olympic sport will help to professionalize indoor climbing, and this will help to differentiate it more and more from rock climbing. I think the first a lot of people would consider it a sport and the second one I would like it to become my way of life, a philosophy of life.
