Matěj Svojtka
sandstone climber, excellent sport climber and experienced bigwall climber
ABOUT MATĚJ
I was born in Prague thirty years ago and started climbing when I was around fifteen, so I've been climbing for more than half my life. We now live in Tisá, which means a big part of my climbing takes place in the Elbe sandstones.
Apart from work, climbing, and taking care of our baby, I don't have much free time left. One of my biggest achievements is simply that I haven't burned out over the years and have managed to keep my motivation for climbing alive.
SHOOT A QUESTION
- Warm up or warming up by climbing? I prefer warming up by doing some easy climbing. If I have enough time, I'll do a bit of stretching after warming up.
- Coffee or matcha? Coffee. It has a shorter but stronger effect.
- Climb in silence or with music? Indoors, definitely with music—ideally electronic music. It gets me going even more than coffee. Outdoors, I prefer silence because music doesn't really fit with being in nature.
- Pull ups or hanging? Pull-ups. My fingers have always been relatively strong, so arm strength is what I need to work on.
- Favourite snack in the crags? A banana.
- Lead or boulder? These days it's about 50/50. During winter I mostly boulder, while summer is almost entirely dedicated to rope climbing.
- Alone or with group? I like having a group around when I'm projecting because it helps keep me motivated. When I'm figuring out sequences and refining beta, though, I prefer the peace and quiet of climbing alone.
- Static or dyno? Dynamic climbing. As a relatively weak climber, I couldn't do without dynamic moves.
5 OTÁZEK PRO MATĚJE
1. What's your biggest f**k up in your climbing life?
A long time ago, I was rappelling off Kapelník (Czech Paradise) and set up the rappel using what I thought was the rope's middle mark—a black stripe. I started rappelling, enjoying the view, and happened to glance down. One end of the rope, without a stopper knot, was dangling just about a meter below my belay device. If I hadn't looked down at that exact moment, I would have fallen 20 meters. What I thought was the middle mark turned out to be nothing more than a smear of mud.
2. If you could pick anyone from the climbing history or the present climbers, who would you love to go climb with and why?
I'd love to climb with Kokša Hauschke or another sandstone legend from that generation. I'd really like to see firsthand how they climbed barefoot with what we'd probably consider questionable ropes today. I've repeated many of their routes, and I still can't wrap my head around what they achieved.
3. What is your dream line?
My dream route would actually be a first ascent on one of the big towers in Adršpach. I love lines that seem impossible at first, but then you slowly unlock the sequence, discover a hidden hold, and suddenly the route becomes climbable.
4. What's your favourite part of being in the Rafiki team?
I like supporting a great Czech brand, and it always makes me happy when other climbers come up to ask what Rafiki clothing I'm wearing.
5. What's your advice for the climbers of all levels?
My advice is to follow the old saying: the best climber is the one who's having the most fun. So don't get stuck in just one discipline—try different styles of climbing and keep the joy of climbing alive.
