June 26, 2007

June: Said Belhaj, Professional Climber

Can I touch it?
Can I touch the essence of this? he appears to ask himself as he reaches for the next grip.
Well, if somebody can it's probably him.
Meet Sweden’s most renowned climber, Said Belhaj, a severely multitalented man constantly ascending his greatest passion.

He’s a former Swedish and Nordic champion with dozens of merits from international competitions, but for Said Belhaj it’s not the race for medals or the quest for higher climbing grades that drives him. It’s the love for the sport. For Said Belhaj climbing is a never ending search for balance and clarity, for the perfect state of mind when all energy points in one direction and nothing can divert his attention. That’s what inspires him to keep on pushing himself. That’s “the essence of climbing” as he puts it in his own words.

There’s no doubt that he’s a passionate man. When he’s not climbing 8c+ routes somewhere in the world, he’s giving speeches on inspiration or playing Moroccan Gnawa music with his world music band, Giddabush. He plays the violin, the didgeridoo, and many other instruments that you most probably haven’t heard of yet, like the guimbri, the qarqabou, the djembe, the darbouka, the ganga and the bendir.

Confused? Well don’t be, those are traditional West African instruments and they're not half as scary as the “dragspel” for instance. Said’s interest for west African music and culture is not so farfetched either since his father is from Morocco.

But most of his time he spends on the rocks. The Gothenburg native Said Belhaj is one of the few people in Sweden making a living from climbing. And there’s no doubt that he enjoys his work.

What’s so great about climbing rocks?

- It’s the feeling you get from climbing outdoors in spectacular environments. To climb real rocks with all their formations and irregularities is tremendously inspiring. A mountain is just so much more multifaceted then an artificial climbing wall.

What's your best climbing experience ever?

- I can’t mention any particular experience that stands out from the rest, but some of my more adventurous climbs in Morocco, Mali and Australia were great experiences. Besides that it’s probably when I’ve been climbing really hard in the north east of Spain and in southern France.

Which is your most difficult climb so far?

- It’s a route called la Nuevena Puerta in Catalunia, Spain. It’s graded 8c+.

How do you prepare mentally for such a challenge?

- The most important thing for me is to find the right state of mind. Good climbing buddies and good music helps a lot.

Are you a strong person?

- Mentally or physically? Well, I guess I pass on both ...

- Have you learnt something from climbing that you can benefit from in your everyday life?

- I’ve learnt how to deal with setbacks and how to make quick decisions in difficult situations. Those are important lessons.

Have you been really scared some time?

- Not recently, but when I started climbing I never got the opportunity to take a real climbing course. So back then my climbing wasn’t always very safe. A fall could have been hazardous.

What’s a climber’s worst nightmare?

- To be responsible for an accident to a climbing partner.

Do you have a busy schedule as a professional climber?

- I train and climb about eleven months per year, five to sex days a week. And I travel about six months every year, so I guess I’m pretty busy.

How much do you think about what you eat? I’ve heard some climbers are extremely rigorous when it comes to counting calories …

- Yes, some are very strict with their diet. Personally, I just try to eat enough. I’m a vegetarian and I do not drink or smoke. But that’s not essentially because I’m an athlete - it’s more because I feel I can do without certain things in life.

Music is a big part of your life. Can you draw any parallels between climbing and music?

- Both music and climbing is a lot about flow and rhythm, that’s a similarity. But there’s a big difference as well. Music is always a game, always fun - climbing can be very serious sometimes.

You do lectures and speeches as well. Tell us a little bit more about that. How do I book you?

- Just give me a call or send me an e-mail, preferably in good time so I can plan in advance. The speeches are more like ‘seminars of inspiration’ where I talk both about climbing, my personal relation to the sport and some mental aspects that can easily be applied to the challenges of everyday life. I also show a slide show called ’5 continents’ with music and pictures from all over the world.

Contact info Said Belhaj
E-mail: said@belhaj.com
Mobile: +46 (0)702-440394
Said Belhaj.com

Recipe for men’s man of the month in June

Name: Said Belhaj.

Age: 26.

Family: Mother from Finland, father from Morocco, 2 brothers.

Occupation: Pro climber and musician.

Sponsors: Peak Performance, Petzl, LaSpotiva, Beal, Hilleberg, Maxim, Verve, Nokia.

Merits (climbing): 8c+ RP, 8b OS, 8a boulder, ex Swedish and Nordic champion.
(The digits and letters are from the french grading system for climbing. Let's just say that 8c+ is 'damn difficult'.)

Vanity level: 7a.
(The grading once again. A 7a would compare to a 'semi aware++' on the Berliner vanity scale.)

Enjoys on his spare time: Family, friends, yoga, good food, music, photography, running, biking, dancing.

Most beautiful place on earth: Morocco

Looks up to: Older people with a young spirit.

The world’s most beautiful man: The Moroccan gnawamusic master Abdellatif Sidi Amara.