You may have heard of him as the slab master, but Hannes is a climber on Team Belgium who just recently got silver in boulder at Arco Rockmasters and also won a bronze in Innsbruck this past 2025 season! In this episode, we’ll go over his 2025 season, get his tips on slab climbing, and learn about how he tries to stay in the right mindset during stressful competitions.
Guest links:
Reference links:
Amazing Arco Rockmaster Slab Top
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Timestamps of discussion topics
0:00 - Intro
1:12 - Mad Rock Shoutout!!
1:56 - Elbow surgery!
4:20 - Rockmasters reflection
10:55 - Getting into climbing and competing
15:27 - Transitioning out of youth comps
17:24 - 2025 season reflection
22:41 - Comps are going back to old-school climbs
26:08 - Instagram influencing world cups
28:44 - Staying in shape throughout a long competition season
32:10 - Lead vs boulder preference
35:43 - Training schedule + lifting vs gaining weight
43:12 - Pressure being the slab master
47:31 - Top slab tips
49:45 - The fickle mental game of comps
52:58 - Power of visualization for mindset
56:55 - The backflip of anger!!
1:00:16 - Taking his driving test
1:05:03 - 2026 goals
1:06:44 - AUDIENCE Q: What is the language situation in team Belgium?
1:09:37 - AUDIENCE Q: Do you think calisthenics/gymnastics is necessary now in comp climbing?
1:11:35 - AUDIENCE Q: How to stay calm during competitions?
1:16:43 - Words of wisdom + where to find Hannes
