Interesting Times

T'was a very interesting day's climbing today. Hit up the quarry with Bren. Didn't feel to psyched for Crime for some reason....probably something to do with being pushed for time and not having a chance to warm up. Bren got up it yesterday, abut not before taking a sizeable lob onto the upper pegs apparently. So at least they're solid! :-) Something thats starting to hold me back is the fear of falling. I've not done much trad recently, and never really taken any big falls. So it might be a bit over-ambitious to be aiming at moderately hard routes like this. Despite the fact that I know I'm physically capable of doing them! The solution is undoubtedly to get more time out on routes and start working my way back into the whole trad head-game thing (which I remember quite enjoying). Made a start today by doing Gargoyles Groove Direct. Theres a few routes in the quarry I've been wanting to do but haven't for one reason or another and this was one of them. The starts not great, awkward moves on polished holds, but the finish more than makes up for it. Nice slab moves on big holds. Probably the easiest part really. Its funny noting the differences between myself and Bren. He does a lot more routes than me and less bouldering and training and stuff. As a result he's right at home on the awkward thrutchy stuff that throws me every time. But I, with a weak body and strong fingers, find the more fingery stuff on smaller holds more straightforward. Not a particularly surprising observation, but interesting to see it in action on the same route.

Spent the afternoon at a training session with Steve McClure at the Arch (good wall). Its funny, pretty much everyone else at it was like "I'd like to get better and more solid at routes please". It felt like a dirty little secret revealing that I like steep powerful bouldering! :-P I'd like to do some routes too I suppose.... But if I was in Glendo, I'd rather try Leftism than Sarcophagus yaknowwhatimsayin? Anyways, good session, good tips from the Mac man, good idea of what I have to do to get better for what I want to do. Came closer than ever to doing a one armer as well which was nice.

Finally, an epiphany: I'm not motivated by grades. Honestly this came as a surprise to me. I climb stuff for the climbing and for the line. The Egg Traverse for instance. When I do it it'll probably be the hardest thing I'll have done. What grade is it? Not a clue. Do I care? Surprisingly, no. It'll be harder than the previous things I've done, which is good enough for me. At the start of the winter I had this thing in my head "must climb 7a". I realise now that this is a futile and ultimately self-defeating line of thought. If I do, I do, if I don't, no biggie. Better I try and I enjoy the process rather than stress over a time frame for the outcome. The boulders will always be there and I can only become a better climber. The only thing controlling how fast this happens is my own drive and determination to get better, and going by the example of Ste Mac, internal drive is a powerful thing! Wonder how strong my drive is....

Exemplary

Pee south mofos