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LUKA KRANIC TELLS US ABOUT HIS CLIMBING EXPERIENCE IN CROATIA
Somewhere on the coast of a Mediterranean country called Croatia, the Paklenica Canyon has cut a deep furrow from the Velebit massif to the Adriatic Sea. With its vertical cliffs and its original location, Paklenica is a good training ground for climbers, from beginners to experienced climbers. Many climbers experience their first big route here. And thanks to the mild climate, this destination is ideal at the beginning of every season. I started climbing in this Paklenica canyon about 20 years ago. Since then, I've come back every year. Even today, when I walk through this canyon, I remember the moment I first laid my hand on those angular limestone holds, my excited state, my clumsy gestures too.
Two years ago, I was under the steepest portion of the Anića Kuk face with Hayden Kennedy; we were loaded with heavy bags full of climbing gear. We had a free spirit and were ready for the new experience that the wall above was inviting us to. A week of laughter, chatting, teasing... so many good moments spent on and off the cliff that had gone too fast. As we searched for a method for our free ascent and played dumb, we agreed on the size of the route and the challenge it represented. Unfortunately, Hayden passed away and for me he is now discovering his perfect lines elsewhere, I'm sure he has the same smile and relaxed attitude that we shared that week.
We often travel the world, visiting different continents in search of new vertical challenges. Busy with this, we don't always manage to realize that our "queen line" is certainly waiting for us closer than we imagine. Perhaps this is because our goal is set too far away and things in the vicinity seem blurred. When I was younger, climbing was everything to me and was the purpose of existence. Over the years, things have changed a bit and now I see climbing more as a way to help me find balance and as a catalyst for inner development.
Inspired by the quality and complexity of the challenge, I started to think about this path obsessively. But the conditions evaporated in the summer heat, as did my energy. Even though climbing these overhangs in one day was totally unimaginable, I was determined not to give up. After a winter of intensive preparation, I came back to see if it had become slightly easier. But it hadn't. Yet as with any challenge in life, I never thought it would be easy. Trying the hard way always reminds me how much you have to appreciate the little things. Discovering a micro grip, executing steps with more precision or simply breathing deeper to find the right rhythm is what makes the experience so unique.
Another month of alternating work and days off had passed. I could slowly see the pieces of the puzzle coming together. I was gaining in confidence but also in nervousness as I approached the goal to which I had devoted so much energy and determination. In those moments, I asked myself several times: What exactly is success? At the beginning of my climbing career, I believed that success in climbing only meant "clipping the relay" or reaching the top of the wall in the desired style. But with experience I understood something that is related to many aspects of life. Success is relative! Would it really be a failure if I didn't do this route? Wouldn't it be a real failure if I didn't have fun and do my best no matter what the outcome?
It is a real source of joy and inspiration for me to experience the whole process of adapting to difficulties. That feeling of being a kid dropped in the middle of a candy store is the one I pursue and I feel really alive when I find a challenge that provokes that feeling. In those moments, we need nothing else on earth, except "toys" that make our experience possible. The good thing is that these emotions can be linked to anything else in life that we are really passionate about.
"Climbing, nothing but climbing," I used to say to myself. That ordinary spring day didn't particularly bode well for a victory, but maybe that's what I really needed, to let go of the inner pressure, while my mind managed to convince my tired muscles not to give up.
As I reached the top of the cliff, in the glow of our foreheads, my brain was not really aware of what had just happened. I felt with a full and empty mind at the same time. Satisfaction filled the space usually occupied by concentration and never before had I felt such a sense of fullness after completing a climbing project - a project that turned out to be much more than that. Years of coveting it, two seasons of relentless training and 27 days of testing were necessary to make this journey possible, from the starting point to the epilogue. This project would not have been possible without all the people who believed in me, joined me on the path and listened to me complain about the difficulties. Without everyone's support and enthusiasm, I would not have written any of these lines and the experience would not have taken place. My warmest thanks to all these people!
The line was first opened in 1984 using artifice techniques by the legendary Slovenian trio of Silvo Karo, Janez Jeglič and Franček Knez. I made the first free ascent by releasing all the pitches, in the lead, in one day. It's a 350 metre long route, with four pitches between 8a+ and 8c and the others up to 7b+. The ushers named the route Spomin, which means "memory" and after reflection, their choice was perfect.
Attached is a picture of Hayden and I sitting quietly at the relay, taking a musical break and chatting. There is an incredible two-seater turn in the middle of the biggest overhang, on the length between 8c and 8b+.
I miss this buddy, and not a day goes by when I don't think about him and the good times we shared. But that's the way life seems to go... That's why we shouldn't hesitate to enjoy it as much as we can with the people who matter in our lives.
-Luka Krajnc
To equip oneself like him in Black Diamond:
Vector Helmet // HoodWire Quickdraw // Mojo Zip Chalk Bag
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