Travel, climbing, passion: trip reports from three athletes. EP3: Mümin Karabas

The Petzl RocTrip 2014 took to the road in September and October looking to explore the cliffs and crags throughout Eastern Europe, to enjoy a wide variety climbing types and styles. Through trip reports from Klemen Bečan, Philippe Ribière, and Mümin Karabaş, discover how these athletes from Team Petzl turn their passion in to a genuine voyage.

Mumin Karabas, writing his own personal story through climbing

Traveling around the world is one thing, but for Mümin Karabas, climbing is a voyage in itself whatever the route, since it reveals something unique about his own personal story. In this interview, Mümin talks about how he travels simply by climbing.

Where was your last climbing trip?

I have traveled a lot through climbing, but I have also focused on different spots in Turkey to develop the sport. My last destination was Antalya, in southern Turkey. This is an incredible spot where the sun even shines in winter and where it is easy to mix climbing and swimming.

How do you choose your climbing destinations?

I often choose a destination based on the weather :) Of course, certain spots inspire me more than others due to their huge climbing potential. I like to discover new places, which is always more fun. For that, word of mouth is the best way to hear about unique and incredible locations. It is not always easy to judge the climbing potential for a given spot. Sometimes, you spend several hours searching without coming across anything of interest, and sometimes you stumble upon a paradise for climbing. You never know ahead of time what you will find. 

What style of climbing do you prefer?

I prefer for sport climbing because it's the most accessible form of climbing near where I live. There is also some multi-pitch route potential, and I am starting to explore this side of the sport. I have also boulder on occasion, but mostly to enjoy a good time with a group of friends. Bouldering is great for this.

How do you prepare for a trip?

Argh!  I love to travel and to put up new routes when I'm on a trip, but that means spending an unbelievable amount of time preparing my bags. One bag for all of my "hair products" (just kidding!), but really, a huge bag with clothes, another with climbing clothes, and another with bolts and other route development equipment, and finally my climbing gear. I also bring a backup kit. While this is way too much to prepare, it marks the beginning of an adventure. I also like thinking of each little thing, taking over my living room to check and double check everything. It's the same thing when I return home, emptying my bags onto the living room floor to sort gear. Cleaning and sorting gear brings back memories of my time spent climbing. It’s a great feeling that swells up inside of you. Of course, you always end up forgetting something, sometimes drill bits and sometimes even the drill itself!

What do you do when you forget something important?

I always bring a backup kit with me. I try to be well-organized so as not to forget anything, especially the equipment needed to bolt new routes. However, you sometimes forget the little things that are so crucial, such as drill bits and wrenches. From experience, I always put together a backup kit for my tools since you don't have many options if you forget something at home. If this happens, you just tell yourself, "Okay, no route work today, I'll just have to come back tomorrow!"
For climbing gear, you can always figure out a way to find a few quickdraws, a harness, or even shoes, but it’s always much harder for tools. Of course, the best way to avoid any issues is to remember to bring everything with you. I also tend to daydream when preparing my gear. I visualize the route, I dream of the spectacular rock. However, if you forget something important, your dream quickly evaporates.

Do you always put up new routes when you travel?

Yes, most of the time. This is usually my goal. I travel to a lot of new places specifically to climb. I try to work with locals to develop their area to promote climbing by establishing new routes and then by writing guidebooks and articles. Upon returning to an area, I’m always happy to see when locals have put up several dozen additional routes. It’s nice to be climbing together again, a motivating experience for everyone. This is the best way to develop climbing locally, and to make great connections. After developing an area, locals sometimes organize climbing-related events. The sport is quickly growing here.

What do you like most about putting up a new route?

Bolting new routes takes a lot of work. First you need to clean the route, then you drill holes for bolting, and then once the bolts are in place, you try the moves. The tools and bolt kit are heavy.

When I climb a route that has not yet been bolted, the project completely consumes me, and I end up spending more time developing the route than actually climbing it. This is what I truly enjoy, preparing the route, cleaning it, imagining the moves.
The worst is when you spend days developing a route and then break a critical hold on the first attempt. You have to find a new solution for the route. In any case, the process pushes you to improve, to go beyond your limits, to imagine things differently. This is what is so exciting about establishing a new route. From the ground, everything seems so obvious, the cruxes, the sequences, the overall sense of the route. As soon as you step off the ground everything changes, and the moves are not quite so obvious. You have to try different moves, and really wrack your brain to figure out the sequences. This is also what creates the route’s unique story, and the personal adventure that you need to experience. This comes from within. When you climb a route in this manner it just feels right, and it’s a little bit like the first time humans walked on the moon. You are the first person to set both foot and hands on this particular piece of rock. I really enjoy routes that require you to think, to work hard. Sending routes on the first try is not what I prefer; it’s like eating at a fast-food restaurant, no time to savor the meal, which is not really my style. I prefer to discover new routes that nourish the soul and help to cultivate my own personal story. This is my artistic and creative side coming through, an introspective voyage for me. Some routes are aggressive, while others are more relaxed, without necessarily a change in difficulty. This is a great way to express yourself, giving it your all.

How do you go about naming your routes?

I always give them a name in relation to my own personal experience with the route. Most of my routes have beautiful names that reflect the wonderful adventure I experienced.

"Dream is over," was a big project not far from where I live. I dreamed of putting up this extremely hard route. When finished, I said to myself that the dream had come true.

I have also established several routes that reflect a specific time period in my life. Routes such as "Russian Bright"symbolized the relationship with my ex-girlfriend. She was Russian. I named my next route "Russian mafia" when she left me. It doesn’t stop there. After that, I put up "Russian Roulette," and finished with "Russian Salad." Each one of these routes has its own unique character, and each route is more difficult than its predecessor, with the exception of "Russian Salad," which is a relatively easy route, but clearly reflects what I was going through at the time. When you climb "Russian Bright," one of the easier routes in the series, you then dream of sending, "Russian Mafia," which is a battle from the start. Next, when you attempt "Russian Roulette," the most difficult of the four routes, it’s just like playing Russian roulette where you can peel off unexpectedly at any moment, a predicament that discourages you from trying the route a second time. "Russian Salad," concludes this series, a return back to a state of calm and composure. I like this form of expression, leaving everything you have on the rock.