An Interview with Erica Gatland, aka 'Project Gatland', aka 'Mini Gat', aka 'the GOAT'
By Rachel Musgrave
'She is just so psyched to climb hard boulders' (quote: Matt Corbishley)
Introduction
Erica Gatland has been a big player in the Aotearoa New Zealand bouldering scene since she was 12 yrs old and started competing in NIBS, a competition she went on to win seven or eight times in a row (she can’t remember exactly how many). Then in 2018, with an ascent of Moby Dick (V12) at Flock Hill, she cemented her place as perhaps Aotearoa New Zealand’s GOAT female boulderer—both indoors and outdoors.
Beyond her personal bouldering success, Erica is a champ when it comes to promoting climbing, by working as a volunteer on the board of Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust (ACAT) and also for fostering outdoor bouldering as a sport for women, by organising 'Basin Babes' (now a regular Castle Hill event).
Erica has just departed Aotearoa New Zealand with her partner Matt Corbishley on an extended climbing trip to Europe (via the Blue Mountains). So I thought it would be a good time to catch up with her to talk about her climbing goals and also her recent bouldering successes at Castle Hill.
Rach - So firstly, a bit of background about you. What about your role at ACAT, how did that come about?
Erica - I was on the board for four years. I got approached in 2020 when ACAT was created. They wanted a young person and another woman (for diversity) and someone who was well integrated into the climbing community, that could provide a different perspective. I didn't have any background in being on boards, or governance, or access. My only qualification was that I was a rock climber. I felt unequipped for my role, but I'm super passionate about the sport and if there was something I could do to help access, then I was keen to get involved.
Rach - You excel at both indoor and outdoor bouldering. I can't think of many climbers that are good at both. Which is your favourite—indoors or outdoors?
Erica - I prefer outdoors! But indoors is also really fun and a good way to get better and stronger (for outdoors). It's also really social. A lot of my friends are into indoor bouldering and I think I'm quite motivated by the social aspect of the sport as well. Indoors you get to try ridiculous movements that you wouldn't get to try outside. It's always a good time when you are doing it with your mates.
Rach - Would you consider yourself an all round climber?.
Erica - I think I would like to be an all round climber. My goal is to climb 8a (29/V11) in all three disciplines—boulder, sport and trad. I’m currently not there, but I’m working towards it.
Rach - Do you have timeframes for that goal? Would you like to do this on this upcoming trip?
Erica - Yeah ideally— I think it's achievable on this trip. I've already climbed 8A in bouldering and that's what a lot of people find the hardest. I've only climbed 28 sport climbing—the last time I remember was when I was about 18 yrs old, so I haven't sport climbed in a long time. I don't think I’ve really gotten into the sport climbing rhythm yet, or committed lots of time to it, but If I put some effort in, I think I could come up to grade 29. Maybe at Ceüse when I go there. Trad climbing will be the hardest to do, I’ll have to find the right route, maybe on gritstone.
Rach - Which places are you most excited about on your upcoming trip?
Erica - That's a hard question, everyone keeps asking me this. Obviously, I’m excited for the famous places for bouldering: Fontainebleau, the Gritstone, Switzerland. But I'm also excited for places I haven't heard of that we might stumble upon—like we're keen to go to the Czech Republic and try climbing using knots for protection—all the weird stuff!
Rach - Before leaving Aotearoa, you had a month that included some pretty impressive hard sends at Castle Hill. What's it like to climb 8A boulders there?
Erica - I was so stoked to do it—I thought 'this is amazing, I can go to Europe now feeling happy about leaving.' It's the best send off I could have asked for before leaving Castle Hill—it's our stomping ground and I love the place so much.
The last (and first time) I climbed V12 (Moby Dick) was in 2018, then the same week I found out I got into vet school. It was an awesome week, but it meant I moved to Palmerston North for five years.There’s no bouldering, no climbing, not even a climbing gym, plus I was studying really hard to become a vet, so my performance dipped a bit.
I’ve lived back in Christchurch for two years now, and I’ve been going to the Hill a lot. I've also been training a lot in preparation for the Europe trip this year to try and get a bit stronger, and because I’ve had a couple of injuries. I wasn't really expecting to climb anything hard at the hill this year as we were leaving just at the beginning of the season, so any sends were a bonus.
One month before we left, I did Full Monk (V12), a Matt Corbishley first ascent, at Quantum Field. I had worked in Christchurch that day, so I got there just before dark, warmed up and got straight on the rig. It felt really easy on the day, I climbed it perfectly in such good conditions. It's an awesome climb—I surprised myself by doing it quickly—in four sessions over only two weeks…
and then about a week before we left the country, on our last day at Flock Hill, I did another 8A, Demolition Man (V11). It’s also such an amazing boulder. It was our last day at Flock Hill, just me and Matt went out. It was really hot so we lounged around all day. Then just on sunset, Matt did his project and then straight after I did Demolition Man. It was almost dark when I was topping out. I couldn't see my footholds and I thought 'I don’t have another go because if I fall off the top, it's going to be completely dark!' It was such a beautiful sunset—perfect last day for us both.
Rach - In the last two years, since moving back down here, you’ve also had some bouldering achievements that stand out in terms of big endurance days as well?
Erica - In 2023, I did 26 V6s at Quantum Field and Spittle Hill in one day, (for my 26th birthday). Then in 2024, I went & climbed 126 boulder problems of any grade at Quantum Field and Spittle Hill. It was a good mileage day, I was falling off V2s it was great!
Rach - How and why do you dream up these seemingly crazy goals?
Erica - My friends inspire me—we dream up stupid ideas as something to keep us motivated. For the 26 V6s, I got the idea because Matt and Derek Thatcher were aiming for the century (100 V6s in one day). I thought that's got a nice ring to it and thought it would be a fun challenge. They did a practice day of 35 V6s so I joined in.
The 126 problems in a day, yeah that was for an ACAT promotion—we got 126 new regular donors and as a thank you, I went and did it.
I didn't train for those big endurance days; they were just to challenge myself and for fun.
Rach - You’ve had to overcome some setbacks in terms of injuries in that time too?
Erica - Yeah, in August 2023, right in the middle of the bouldering season, I broke my ankle. I was starting to feel really fit and I was looking for a hard project, like a V11, to try. Then the same thing happened the following year, around the same time, I was feeling really fit and then I did my pulley. I was out for three months right before our trip to Tasmania.
Rach - Any strategies for coming back from those types of injuries, do you rehab and train?
Erica - After I broke my ankle, people were like 'you can train, do hangboarding', but I wasn’t that motivated. I definitely got a bit down, I picked up other hobbies like crochet, sewing and baking bread. Sometimes I think it's OK to rest for a while when you are injured. You don't need to be hangboarding every day, doing pull ups with a broken leg. I rested for six weeks and then when I got the cast off, I started training again. With the pulley injury, I could still climb doing open hand things quite soon after, and I started running and swimming—it was not as depressing. Luckily Tasmania has a lot of cracks—I taped it up and it was not too painful.
Rach - Do you have any special tips for people out there who want to try something hard outdoors at the Hill but don’t have a strategy for climbing hard boulders up there?
Erica - My first advice is always try—give something a go—even if you think it's above your ability—but you do need to have some 'game:
I like trying boulders from the top down with a top rope—do the ending, try the start, figure out the whole boulder and then try the crux last. Make sure the problem is clean and you are trying it in good conditions to give yourself a chance. If you try the hardest moves in the blazing sun you're going to think 'this is too hard—it's impossible for me.' You have to set yourself up for success, especially if you are trying things at your limit, and then they will feel more do-able and you might surprise yourself.
Like—I never even considered that I would do Full Monk. I was just out at Quantum Field by myself one day and I was curious about it so I abseiled down and nearly did all the moves on my first go—it was super good conditions and it felt do-able so I got psyched on it. There are so many times I’ve gone up to Castle Hill, tried a V11, not been able to do any of the moves on it, packed up my rope and thought 'Cool, maybe next time!' …and then I went and found another V11 to try. You need to scope out and try at least ten different boulders that are hard for you, to find one that you think you can do. I don't think I’m that good at projecting hard things, I struggle to project boulders multiple times—if I’m not making progress I find it hard to stay motivated.
Rach - These days there is so much emphasis on training, and so it seems like some people try boulders, and if they can’t do the moves they think 'I'm not strong enough, I have to go back indoors and train to get stronger.'
Erica - there is definitely some merit in that. I’ve done that—gone away and trained to come back to a problem two years later. But I do think that at Castle Hill, the style is more technical. You need to learn the movement, rather than go away and train harder. You need to put in the hours of multiple sessions to learn the movement.
Rach - I’ve heard some people say that you are an outlier in terms of female climbing performance so far in Aotearoa?
Erica - I don't think I'm an outlier. There are definitely people catching up, especially in comps—I have to try really hard to stay on top, there are people beating me in comps all the time.
In outdoor sport climbing I’ve been far surpassed—there are several women climbing 8a (or harder), my hardest sport climb is 28. Becca Burbery did a 32 this summer! When it comes to outdoor bouldering there are plenty of ladies who have already (or could easily) climb harder than V10—Lucy Sinclair flashed a V10 recently (Ristretto at Quantum Field). I haven't flashed a V10 or climbed a 32. That's pretty impressive—I'm sure it won't be long until they all start trying harder things.
I think one of the things that sets me apart is my willingness to just keep trying hard boulder projectsnot being afraid of failing or of not being able to do them.
Rach - Do you have any specific goals for your trip, any particular boulders or routes you want to try?
Erica - Not really, I haven't really researched anything yet. I’m excited for Fontainebleau—to be at a place where there is such a concentration of hard boulders—it would be nice just to be able to try some. At Castle Hill there are not a lot of options for me if I wanted to try a V13 or V14, (because I'm so small), whereas overseas there will be a lot of options.
Rach - So you're planning to try some V13s and V14s?
Erica - Yeah might as well try—if you don't try you won't know.
Rach - when are you coming back?
Erica - I can't answer that Rachel! But who is going to organise 'Basin Babes' - Ladies Days when I'm gone? It would be good to keep the group going, feel free to get in touch if you need help with that.
Rach - any climbing idols you want to see when you are on your trip?
Erica - none specifically. I don't follow pro climbers or social media. I wouldn't know who anyone famous is! I'm just looking forward to making some new friends over there and trying some climbs together.
Title photo: John Palmer