Janja Garnbret & Brooke Raboutou – progress through fun

When climbing champions first met

It was at the afterparty of World Championships in Bern 2023 were the idea for a joint training started to shape among the climbing stars. For Janja it had been an amazing event which saw her performances awarded with two golden and one silver medal. The most precious thing for her however weren’t the medals that were hung around her neck, but the fact that her win in the Combined format had secured her ticket to the Olympics in Paris. Brooke Raboutou, one of Janja’s closest friends on the World Cup circuit, had also performed well in the Combined format but ended up in unrewarding 4th place, narrowly missing Olympic qualification, as only those on the podium were rewarded a spot on the roster for Paris. The bronze medal in Bouldering which Brooke had won just a few days earlier couldn’t quite make up for the disappointment of the moment, it goes without saying that the Olympic ticket had also been her main objective.

“I don’t quite remember how it all came about at this after party, but at some point, both Brooke and I were crying.” Janja recalls. It wasn’t tears of sadness but more just emotions that seemed to get the better of the two young champions, with the pressure releasing at the end of a big event. In the heat of the moment, Janja just bursted out with an idea that had existed for years but never became a reality: “You should finally come to Slovenia and train with me next year!”

The beginning of a friendship

The fact that Janja and Brooke became friends certainly didn’t have anything to do with their way into climbing. Janja’s parents didn’t even know the sport of climbing existed, when their girl asked to be signed up for local event near their home in Slovenj Gradec, Koroška.

Photo: Tamara Vidmar

This was totally different for Brooke, who was basically born into climbing. Her American mother Robyn Erbesfield was the most dominant competitive climber in the nineties and her father Didier Raboutou from France has competitive success plus notable first ascents on rock attached to his name. Brooke and her elder brother Shawn pretty much grew up with climbing shoes on their feet, swinging in harnesses and scrambling around some of the most famous crags around the world throughout their childhood-days before becoming professionals in their teenage years.

Even before Janja and Brooke would meet for the first time at the World Youth Championship in Arco 2015, word had spread about their respective abilities in the closely connected climbing scene worldwide. The young girl with American French heritage including the perfect climbing DNA to her name on the one hand, and the girl from rural Slovenia with the talent and will-power to redefine the sport on the other. Already back then, neither of the girls cared much about hearsay, but more so felt a “natural connection” from the start that would soon become friendship.

The plan is shaping

From 2019 onwards they connected on a regular basis through the World Cup circuit. Despite both being competitors at heart, the mutual drive to deliver and perform to the best of their abilities on the wall never got in the way of their friendship. “It is both of our profession, so if you enter a World Cup or a Championship you want to be competitive and try to win, but with Janja it has always been that good kind of competition.” Brooke outlines. “In climbing, it is the route you fight against and not the other climbers. With Brooke, our mutual wish to perform well never got in the way of us getting along.”

Photo: Tamara Vidmar

As shared climbing sessions aside of the competitions they participated in remained sparse, Janja’s coach Roman Krajnik had already discussed a joint training session with Brooke’s mother Robyn some years ago. This meant things started shaping up quickly after the girls gave the idea fresh momentum end of 2023.

Combining training with enjoyment in Slovenia

“The track record of Slovenian success in climbing was very remarkable even before Janja stepped onto the stage.” Brooke puts things into perspective, adding “Working hard just seems to be part of the Slovenian mentality.” When Brooke arrived to Slovenia for a two week stay in March 2024, she knew that she was in for long days in the gym. “Brooke brought her coach, so it ended up becoming a hybrid of both of our routines. Plus the fun that you can only have if you are training together.”

Photo: Tamara Vidmar

When attending the training sessions of these two women who inspire thousands of young climbers across the globe, you quickly notice that the eagerness to improve and bring your best to the wall doesn’t compromise the ability of having fun. While eyes remain sharp and focused on the climbs their coaches have in mind for them, mouth and cheeks show more than an occasional smile or smirk which despite being hard on themselves in their work let’s their passion shine through. “I was never forced into anything, I do it because I love it.” Brooke describes. “One could never put in as many hours as we do if it wasn’t true passion. I just know that once I would lose the fun than I could no longer be successful.” Janja adds.

Brooke had been to Slovenia before, but she had never visited Ljubljana. So it was clear how their rest days would be spent. Janja and Brooke strolled by Ljubljanica river several times, hopping on and off the Kavaliers, the small electric busses that basically make it easy for anyone to get through town. “As Brooke is a coffee lover too I had to take her to some of my favorite places to get a taste for local roasts and some typical sweets.” Janja describes the typical rest day agenda. “Working hard and enjoyment seems to go together very well here.” Brooks reminisces with a smile, “I loved the historical city center. You don’t even have to visit a museum to feel the cultural vibe.“

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