Illya Bakhmet-Smolensky

When and how did you get into climbing and what kept you interested / fascinated in the sport?

I started climbing at 7. Then my mother brought us to a canyon with some easy routes where it all started. The most interesting thing about climbing is the opportunity to travel to new places and meet new people. This is an additional incentive to leave home and finally do something!

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?

Like many other beginners, I looked up to such celebrities as Alex Megos, Chris Sharma and Adam Ondra. But there always was one, who stood above, and that was my mother. As a hero who not only raised me but also instilled love to the rocks and climbing society. I guess it doesn't really affect me that someone looks up to me, cause the main goal in climbing is to have fun and the inner satisfaction, which I gain from just climbing and trying hard.

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?

Since milestones are some kind of life-changing events, they are starting climbing and realising that I am really into it. I could say that every project that is done is a small-ranged milestone for me.

What were your greatest failures / setbacks / injuries? How did you cope with them and how did you come back from them?

Since most of my climbing time refers to real rocks, there were no huge injuries. Once we came to Margalef and for 1.5 weeks I grew up for about 15 centimetres which caused problems in my back. It was hard to get up from the bed for some time, but at the end of the trip, I was able to climb again. That was the most serious injury so far, and I hope it to stay the same.

What is your favorite climbing related story / experience?

Once we had a misunderstanding with the belayer, so he thought about me being on self-protection, which was wrong. The belayer gave up the rope, but luckily left his hand on it, so when I let go of the rope and started to fall down, she managed to squeeze it and hold me in just a couple of meters from the ground. Moral of the story is: don't be lazy and tell about your actions to the belayer a couple of times!

Do you have a strict training schedule for when and how you train throughout the year?

My training schedule is always different, depending on the goal. Although the effectiveness factor is that amount of fun gained throughout the whole process. The more I get it, the faster I improve.

What advice can you give to somebody looking to improve their training routine?

Every person has a kind of inner standard for himself. How fast should I improve, how hard should I push, and so on. If your routine meets these standards exactly and you are happy with it, then it is your perfect routine. Try to find a balance between work effort and efficiency so that you don't train yourself to death.

What do you think of indoor climbing gyms in relation to climbing on actual rock?

They could work as a preparation tool and a teammate finder, but actual outdoor climbing is in a totally different league!

Are you able to do a one-arm pull-up? How about a single finger?

Don't wanna brag, but I can do both

How much of the success as a pro climber is due to show and how much due to actual climbing skill?

When it comes to comps, it is decided that the mental training is the major part of success. Of course, it works the same way on real rocks, but pressure and needed resistance to bear it is much less. So if talking about the competition career, show might work much more than actual skills.

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?

In my opinion, anything is possible if you really want and believe in achieving your goal. Once you believe in it, you start working hard. And when you start working hard, it's only a matter of time before you reach your goal.

How important is it to set goals in professional sports? What are your goals / targets you are working towards in climbing and in life?

Setting goals is the most important thing on the path to improvement. Working in one specific direction is always more efficient than spraying on everything at once. When the goal is set, your mind will also be preparing for solving this particular problem, so the solution would be found faster.

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?

They definitely are motivating me to overcome my limits and push the line further. As I was smaller, the main problem was to find the beta. Regular ones were just too reachy for me, so I looked for additional crimps and trifle bellies. It often took a couple of weeks to get up with the beta, and one more to knock it into one. Although it is ling, I really do enjoy the process!