Galina Parfenov

Name: Galina Parfenov

DOB: 1994

Interview: Moon Climbing / February 2013

Moon Climbing – When and where did you start climbing? 

Galina - I’ve been taking art classes at a small studio since I was six (and painting ever since I could walk). About five years ago, my art teacher Natasha invited me to come outside with her. Even though I wore horribly tight-fitting jeans and a hoodie in 80 degree weather, I fell in love when I topped out my first climb. Within days, I joined the local youth team at a small gym in New Haven, Connecticut.

Moon Climbing – Do you have a favourite style of climbing (traditional, sport, bouldering etc)? 

Galina - Definitely bouldering. I never rope-climbed much, even when I was just starting out. I would come to the gym on a Saturday morning and try to climb every boulder problem I saw. I guess it stuck, because I’m still a boulderer through and through.

Moon Climbing – You are stuck on a desert island with just one route and one boulder. Which ones would you choose and why? 

Galina - Having the Es Pontas arch just off the coast of the island would be incredible. I’d spend all my days projecting it, one move at a time, until my fingers were shredded. I don’t care if I could only get 10 or 15 feet up, because it’s by far one of the most aesthetic lines I’ve ever seen.

Moon Climbing – Who is your climbing hero or inspiration and why? 

Galina – I’m a huge fan of Akiyo Noguchi. If you ever watch her climb, she has flawless technique, and makes any boulder problem seem easy, even when she falls. Which doesn’t happen that often anyways. But honestly I’m inspired by anyone who works hard to accomplish their goals.

Moon Climbing - How often do you climb?

Galina - I try to climb and train four or five days a week, although school gets in the way sometimes (: In the summer, if I’m not climbing outside, I’ll go to the gym pretty much everyday.

Moon Climbing – Where and how often do you train and for how many hours per week? 

Galina – All day, everyday. But in all seriousness, about 50% of my climbing is training.

Moon Climbing – What kind of training do you do? 

Galina - I use the Moon Fingerboard for grip and lock-off training. I also love doing campus rung sequences, because progression is very obvious. On a good day, I’ll do 2+ hours.

Moon Climbing - Your top training tip or tips?

Galina - Focus on your weaknesses. I’m terrible at pinching, so most of my lock-off training involves these nasty concrete pinches that we found at the climbing gym. I also try to make myself pinchy problems on the 45 and the systems wall.

Moon Climbing – The climbing achievement you are most proud of and why? 

Galina – Climbing my first V11 (having skipped V10 altogether) and making Semifinals at this year’s ABS Open Nationals.

Moon Climbing - What is your opinion on competitions? Good, bad or indifferent?

Galina – At the end of bouldering season last year, I thought I hated comps and that I was done with them forever. But I just couldn’t stay away and ended up doing six competitions in less than two months, including my first Open Nationals!

Moon Climbing – Your goals for 2013? 

Galina – Haha, I guess I have yet to do a V10! I’d like to return to Joe’s Valley before going home for the summer and send a couple double-digit problems, including Fingerhut and Resident Evil. I am also fascinated by this V11/V12 extension of a V7 I did a while ago at Bradley in Connecticut. On a broader note, I’m working on improving my technique and flexibility. Time to step up the training!