Time to Climb

I was told by my throngs of fans (1 bored friend) that it was time to blog again. So here I am, glass of wine in hand, hell I wouldn't want to be writing completely sober now would I?

Rock season is here in the Bow Valley.... sort of.... When we don't wake up to SNOW that is. Our long weekend was miserable, lucky for me I took Thursday off and had a beautiful day to climb. I headed up to Yam with a new partner Kris. Kris is a keen and highly motivated climber and a nice guy to boot. He plans to take the assistant rock guide exams next spring so in the mean time he needs to get as much mileage in climbing as he can. He told me he logged 56 day climbing ice last season. His hard work has paid off and in only 2 years he was leading grade 6 ice. I appreciate that manic devotion. Now with the rock climbing season Kris is eager to get out there so it worked out great for both of us.

My devotion currently is to my summer climbing objective (that won't be named) but hell at the rate I shoot my mouth off I may as well just send out a goddamn press release. The plan of attack is to work out twice a week with trainer Nathan doing weights and cardio, work my butt off running hills and stairs twice a week, try and get in a third run and to climb on the weekend, oh and to boulder in my own gym a couple times a week if possible. I'm trying to do this while finishing up my year long Leadership Calgary course which is ramping up BIG TIME as our group presents a 5hr learning day in 2 weeks. Shoot, I'm getting tired just typing about it. Needless to say something had to give so I've given up climbing for this weekend to do some much needed research on the our Learning Day material.

However Kris and I did get out for a day on Yam. I am amazed at how it continues to be a hellish-route-finding-loose-rock place to climb. Kris was the rope gun and he did damn fine considering we got off route and he had to pull a roof which had very loose rock and was sketchy to say the least.

We climbed 2, 3pitch routes which was a decent workout I suppose. I was tired the next day and bruised to shit which indicates I worked hard.

I have to admit to having some heart palipitations when I think of the objective I'm planning to climb with 3 hotshot men. I know that my one partner is training harder than I am and jesus, I have to keep up with him so the nerves are biting at me. But I'm happy that I'm travelling to the Yosemeti area to meet up with my climbing pal Michele. Michele eats, lives and breaths crack climbing (which I suck at). She has promised to whip me into shape and will punish me for a couple days. Normally I would welcome a certain amount of punishment because who are we kidding.. I'm a freaky kind a girl. However once you've jammed your foot into a crack, gave it a quarter counter clock wise turn to get it seated and then put all you weight on it... it tends to redefine pain, especially since you are most likely going to recreate that situation a hundred times over the course of the climbing day. What the fuck Sherlock?? Who ever thought crack climbing was a good idea? Not to mention what happens to your hands.... About the only saving grace as I can see it, is with beautiful splitter cracks, rising to the heavens there doesn't seem to be alot of loose rock that can be dislodged so that's a bonus I guess....

Hmmm I am on a roll here, I am going to seguay into another climbing story talking about loose rock. Aaahhh.. don't you just love when the wine kicks in? :-) I got off my ass a couple weekends ago and finally led on some sport climbs. Leading on rock has never been that big of a priority for me but I don't know, perhaps the workouts on my climbing wall or the strong ice climbing season has given me confidence, but I wanted to test my abilities.

So my first lead on sport was a 5.9 which I don't mind saying I was happy about. OK not a true-blue lead as my buddy Pat left the draws in so I could clip them. It felt great. We moved on to a 5.10a climb. A climb built for me, juggy holds and roofs to be pulled. I climbed it on Top Rop once and decided it felt good to lead. And it did! A heady feeling climbing in control and still being on the sharp end of the stick. I was just ready to top out at the anchor (meaning I was far enough my last clipped bolt) when... a piece of the hold broke off in my hand. Before you could say "oops!!" I was careening through the air downward. I felt myself hit against the rock at one point and realized there was a good chance I was going to flip upside down during my fall. Eventually I stop and am hanging there and was happy I didn't end upside down.

Now the interesting thing in my opinion, is that I wasn't freaked as much as surprised. I hung there abit letting the adrenaline leave the body. I remember that advice from my friend Craig. He said when most people fall they try and climb again too quickly because of the endorphins that are still pumping through the body. Defintitely best to take a breather and get back into a controlled head space. Interestingly enough the grade of the climb was fine to me, I wasn't feeling pushed too much. So once I collected myself I reclimbed the distance I had fell (about 15ft) and made it to the top.

An interesting day, my first sport lead climb and my first lead fall on rock. Nothing like getting it out of the way early. I have to admit that I am very intrigued by sport climbing and the relative safety it offers yet the ability to push myself. Sure a non climber could wonder what I mean by relative safety while in the same breath describing a lead fall. But the fact of the matter is, its better to fall on a harder, steeper climb than an easier grade climbe. A climb is easier for a reason, probably because there are ledges to rest on and lower angled rock. From a falling perspective that means, ledges to FALL on and lower angled rock to BOUNCE off of. Fuck, you can get more hurt on a 5.7 climb than a 5.10 climb. Crazy but true. Now I assess a climb by what I call the "fall consequence" I love using lingo like that... makes me feel like a smarty-pants. But the lingo is valid, I won't lead anything without evaluating what could happen if I fall. I still get a kick out of the whole adrenaline-junkie thing. I am probably the most risk adverse climber I know.

My sport climbing buddy Pat and I are eager to get back to the sport crag and work on some challenges we've set for ourselves. Pat is a solid climbing partner and I'm always excited to make new friends and to explore new challenges.

Well perhaps I should wrap up this blog.. Michele I hope you appreciate the effort, I am slightly drunk now but the blog is done.