Joe Skopec

Top Ontario Sport Climber

Joe Skopec is one of Canada’s top sport climbers and a leading hard-route developer in Ontario. He’s climbed nearly every route along the Niagara Escarpment, including the classic testpiece, Titan 5.14a. He’s established a number of difficult lines, such as Bromance 5.14b, Déjà vu 5.14b and his most recent addition, A Home Away from Home 5.14+. We touched base with Skopec shortly after his move to Ottawa.

1. Why did you call your new route A Home Away from Home?

Because that crag was basically my home for the last 15 years (two weeks after the send, I moved to Ottawa with my wife). When I wasn’t projecting there, I was there on my rest days belaying friends and enjoying the outdoors.

2. Did anyone else try the route?

I’ve had a few strong friends try the route and everyone agreed on 5.14c or harder. It’s so hard to grade because all we know is the route is much harder than all the 5.14bs around here, so maybe 5.14c or a soft 5.14d. Or maybe 5.12 when Adam Ondra finds 10 knee bars and climbs it upside down.

3.Did you ever feel like giving up?

That’s the weird thing with me, I always think I can do every route I try. If I can’t do a move on the project then I just go back to training until I’m strong enough. I’m always thinking positive. It’s probably the only superhero power I have.

4.The What’s the crux?

physical crux is having only one rest at the first bolt. Then climbing another seven bolts with the last three bolts having V10 boulder problem into another V10/11. The move that I would continually fall off was going for a onefinger crimp (on the steepest part of the route) and then hiking my right foot up (with all my weight on that one finger crimp) and then bumping my left hand to this OK hold. The mental crux was skipping the last two bolts and not thinking about the 15-metre fall into the wall, which I took about 30 or 40 times.

5. How stoked were you when you sent?

I’m always stoked, but my stoke was so high after sending I started crying while clipping the anchors.

6. What’s the scene like in Ottawa?

I’ve only been in Ottawa for two weeks now, but I’m slowly meeting all the great local climbers and finding new cliffs daily.

7. Where are you focusing your bolting?

Zach Treanor and I have found a whole new crag about an hour away from Ottawa.

8.We What are the routes like?

We have bolted 25 routes from 5.6 to 5.14+ ranging from 15 to 20 metres. By the spring, we hope to have about 40 routes ready to go.

9. Will there be some high-end grades pushed at the new crag?

Maybe, if I get some of these super strong competition climbers to check out this crag the grade barriers will be pushed.

10. What projecting advice do you have for others?

Just believe you can do every move on the climb. If you can only do a quarter of the moves on a climb, then learn what you are weak at and just come back with more stoke and more power.—gripped