Exit 32

Last Saturday, I climbed outside in Washington for the first time. Tom and I went with friends of his sister's out to Little Si so they could show us the ropes. (Hurr hurr.)

We took a lovely hike up to Little Si after eating the world's best ham and cheese croissants at George's in North Bend. The hike was full of beautiful views and lots of spring growth. At one point, I thought that I should be more nervous, but it was just too relaxing to get myself worked up.

When we arrived at the mountain, our friend suggested that we climb the rocks that were sheltered from the rain that unexpectedly arrived early in the day. He lead our first route.

Devil's Advocate (5.9)

This climb is a mostly vertical route that follows a wonderful crack and finishes on a little ledge around an arete. The start was kind of difficult for me, and I could attribute that to many factors. As a new climber, I struggled to find good spots for my hands, but more so my feet. The beginning felt more slippery and smooth, but I got into a good rhythm higher up. My hands were cold to the point that they throbbed and ached, but once they more or less went numb, it was a lot easier. The last couple of moves to the finish were also a bit challenging for me. My solution involved me hugging around the arete to where I couldn't see, and it was a bit of a reach for me. However, I finished the route and felt like a super bad ass.

Reptiles and Amphetamines (5.9)

This climb is just awesome. Before we went up, a fellow climber described it as a "gym route" with really solid liebacks. I definitely have to agree, because the route was full of fantastic moves. I'm not sure I could describe it any better, but I will say that I had a blast on it. It was a lot smoother for me than Devil's Advocate, but I was also getting a better sense of what to look for and what the rock felt like.

After those two routes, we hiked back down and called it a day. It was short, but I learned quite a bit. Tom had quite the experience cleaning anchor for the first time, and I really need to "ovary up" (as Dan Savage would say) and do it myself. I just want to practice in the gym a few more times... and watch some YouTube videos... and uhh, give Tom more opportunity to practice... >.<

Climbing the Big Girl Rocks

Since I last posted, dear reader, my climbing has broken out of the gym into the wilderness.  First, I top roped outside for the first time in Kentucky back in March.  Then, I recently bouldered outside last week.  Both were very different experiences.

Tom and I hired a certified guide to take us out in Kentucky.  While we've lead indoors, we weren't comfortable doing it on our own for the first time, and we weren't too clear on how to clean an anchor.

It was an unusual week in Lexington, as the weather stayed solidly in the 80s.  It was a warm hike with our awesome guide to our first 5.9 in Red River Gorge.  I let Tom climb first, and he sailed up the route with ease.  He took his time, but never looked like he was struggling, and descended from the top with a huge smile.  Then it was my turn.  At first, I was excited.  But as soon as I got on the rock, my confidence fell out from under me.  Where are the holds?  I NEED MY COLORED DUCT TAPE TO TELL ME!  I spent a long time getting up, my hands were sweating, and I was shaking.  It was an awful site.  I pushed myself almost to the top using terrible technique, and was grateful to be high enough to justify being lowered.  As soon as I hit the ground, I broke out in a cold sweat and felt extremely nauseous.  It took me 5-10 minutes to shake the feeling, sitting on a rock, trying not to look like I felt.

The guide taught us how to clean anchor from the ground, and then we decided to walk over to a 5.8 to actually try it out.  I offered to go first and absolutely crushed the route.  The holds all seemed obvious to me, and the moves felt great.  It was a little bit slabby, and it was exactly what I needed.  That climb boosted my confidence 10 fold, and I happily stood at the top, admiring the view from a tiny ledge.  Tom climbed up right after me, cleaned anchor, and repelled down; I soon followed.  At that moment, I feel like I fell in love with outdoor climbing.  The air smelled wonderful, the sun was shining over the forest of trees before me, and I had climbed a real rock.  It felt amazing.

We finished off our climbing with a 5.10b called Little Viper.  Tom climbed first, but got stuck for a good 20 minutes on the crux, which involved "pulling a bouldering move" (as our guidebook described it).  It involved leveraging yourself over a protruding ledge by grabbing up high into a crack.  He eventually pulled off the move and sent the route.  With my new confidence, I climbed the route, only leaning back on the rope once to take a better look at my pathway up.  On my first try, I vaulted past the bouldering move, feeling like a total champ.  I got to go home a victor, with slightly torn up hands and the honor of having climbed the big girl rock.

Bouldering outdoors was a totally different story.  Tom and I were visiting family in Rhode Island and decided to try bouldering in Lincoln Woods.  The boulders are short and there is a large variety in the difficulty of the routes.  It seemed absolutely perfect for a first time bouldering.  We rented a crash pad from the local climbing gym and headed over.

We found the first boulder we wanted easily enough called Tomato Boulder.  It took about 3 minutes before I started being eaten alive by mosquitos.  I climbed a couple V0's, as did Tom, and they were incredibly easy.  We decided to move to another boulder, but not before I picked *two* ticks off my body.  I had forgotten all about ticks, having grown so accustomed to the Northwest, and was instantly horrified.  For the rest of our time climbing, I could never really refocus and just dreamed of leaving.

But since I couldn't leave without my street cred, we moved to another boulder.  This one was in a much nicer spot, with not as many bushes and trees around.  After Tom, I attempted to climb a V0+.  I'm not sure who is doing the ratings for that area, but considering the first V0 was on par with a VB from my local gym back home, I didn't expect the next V0 to feel like a V3.  I was a large crack to climb up from the base.  I gave up and climbed around the backside of the boulder and sat on top for a bit.

I don't take a lot of joy from admiring the view on top of a 10' tall boulder.  The world doesn't look that much different, and these climbs weren't very satisfying.  Finally, we moved to our last boulder near a dam.  (Not a smart move considering the mosquito issue.)  As we were being devoured, slapping each other intermittently, we came upon a boulder complete covered in graffiti.  Someone had come and spray painted arrows to all the holds to make it look just like a gym, marked with tape.  What a jackass.

I did like the Dam Boulder better than the others, as it had more technical climbs, but all the jugs were stuffed with leaves, sticks, spiders, and earthworms.  Not exactly something I was accustomed to dealing with indoors.

Overall, I was really turned off by outdoor bouldering.  I think I need to try climbing in Utah or the Southwest.  There can't be any bugs in the desert, right?

Turning It Up to 11

Two weeks ago at my ladies' climbing group, we started working on project routes for top roping. Before I even had a chance to pick out a route to project, Breanne was eyeing an overhanging 11a for me. However, she ended up changing her mind and putting me on a vertical 11c. My first reaction was that there was no way that I could climb something like that, since the hardest I had climbed was 10c, but I was up for trying it. I asked to warm up on something first, because I hadn't climbed in the last 45 minutes, and she told me to get on an 11a. An 11a?! Are you kidding me?

So I sheepishly asked to warm up on a nearby 10c instead, and she agreed. I flashed the 10c with a bit of effort, and I started to realize why I needed to kick it up a notch. She put me on the 11c, and I fell off over and over again. The holds were definitely small and each move was strong, like a bouldering route. After 20 minutes or so, I finally made it up the route in pieces, and it was a crazy feeling. I didn't know I was capable of an 11c, even piecewise.

Since then, I've been pushing myself to climb 11s. I've flashed a few 11a's, so I think I need to really project 11b's and 11c's. It's amazing to me that in 7 months, I'm able to climb in the 11 range at all.

But as many climbers will say, the number doesn't matter. You just climb hard and challenge yourself and it is what it is. Gyms typically rate routes to be a lot harder than they would be outdoors. An 11c at Vertical World probably translates to a 10c or 10d outside, and that's more important to me. My goal is to definitely make it out to the big girl rocks this summer, so I feel like climbing an 11 in a gym is nothing compared to climbing an 11 outside.

(Note: This is a crappy post. I'm stressed and tired and just wanted to get some of these thoughts down before I get too far away from them in time and experience. I'll be more intelligent and less douchey sounding later.)

New Heights

It's been a busy December, filled with finals and family, but now it's 2012 and I'm back on the bandwagon. I finished my lead climbing class in December, but I still have to take my test to get lead certified. For now, the boyfriend and I are getting back into climbing and we've climbed 3 of the past 5 days.

I'm happy to say that I haven't lost a lot of my ability, and can still comfortably call 10a's. My muscles don't feel quite as strong, but I'm sure that'll change soon.

More excitingly, Vertical World opened up a new gym in Seattle this past month with 60 foot high walls. We went there for the first time today, and it's quite a sight. The bouldering is fairly nice, but limited. The big showcase is the huge lead climbing wall and lots of awesome top roping routes. My first route, there definitely was an intimidation factor, but I just kept pushing and made it to the top without incident. After that, it was much less terrifying, although I'm sure it'll still take a little while before I'm completely comfortable with it. Also, belaying Tom on these routes is certainly interesting when he takes a fall. Several times, we've ended up at the same height, dangling in the air.

Notable accomplishments today are flashing a 10a on a 50 foot wall and getting halfway up a 12b slab route. It is nothing but bright orange chips, sprinkled over the wall. Even the finish hold is just a tiny ledge for finger pads and not very kind.

My left elbow has twinged since I started up climbing regularly again, but I'm hoping this will go away. It isn't affecting my climbing and it isn't super painful, but something to keep an eye on.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I ended up climbing once in Rhode Island when I went home to visit family. I have to say that it wasn't the best experience. The routes were really reachy, and I found myself in a bit of a discussion with the guy who was belay testing me. The gym supports only ATC belaying, and as a result, they have a rule that every belayer must anchor in to a daisy chain that's fixed to the ground. I told the guy I wasn't comfortable anchoring in, and he told me that it was policy and that the manager might come over and talk to me if I didn't. I explained that I disagreed with adding hard shocks to the system when Tom takes a fall when I could easily just pop up a couple feet and soften the catch. I'm glad that I stood my ground (pun not intended, but amusing) and decided not to use the anchor. No one ever came over and talked to me, but I was definitely willing to debate the issue if necessary. It's cool to know that I'm learning more and more about the safety of my equipment and can make good decisions.

Also, I wonder if climbers in Rhode Island don't tend to have the same fear of climbing as climbers in Seattle do. There seems to be a different mood over here, where people are training for epic mountains. In RI, it seemed a bit more relaxed and recreational, but maybe I'm just reading too much into it. Just an interesting thought I had while I was there.

Lulls and Lead Climbing

As much as I made it work to climb 3-4 times a week when the climbing bug bit, reality pushed back and happily reminded me of midterms and academic responsibilities. I've been slammed with homework, and climbing has had to take a back seat. I went a few weeks, barely climbing at all, and it's definitely taken a toll on my progress.

Now that school has calmed down a bit, I'm now trying desperately to get back where I was. I can still climb some 10c's, so my upper bound for top roping hasn't diminished, but my technique feels sloppier and my arms feel a bit weaker. *sigh*

Luckily, to kick my poor ass into gear, I've been taking lead climbing classes. Tonight was class 3 of 4, and it's been quite an experience. I got used to top roping at some point and learned that I was never really in any danger with Tom as my belay. Even with a not so great belayer, I had faith in the Grigri and never really felt alarmed. Starting lead climbing has lead me to discover fear all over again. It is terrifying to know that if I don't climb up to the 3rd clip of a route, I could easily deck and hurt myself pretty badly. Also, my belayer is way more important now, and an ATC is no absolute guarantee of safety.

The first class, we just practiced clipping and doing mock lead climbing while secured to a top rope. The mental aspect of the whole thing had me shaking on routes I could easily flash, with the added stress of clipping every 5 feet and managing to clip the anchors. The next class, we worked on the belaying portion, and learning when to give and take slack to give hard and soft catches. Still, I was a bit nervous, but felt more comfortable be the belayer rather than the climber.

Today, we actually lead climbed. And I actually lead belayed Tom. What a crazy concept. I climbed first today on a 5.6, and I was panicking as I reached the top. I clipped the anchors incorrectly, and my descent down was a rather slow one. Honestly, I'm not afraid of falling. I actually think falling is a lot of fun, especially if I know that I'm safe. However, the possibility of getting hurt in a fall, either by smacking into the wall or decking, is a very real one that I'm having to come to grips with. It doesn't paralyze me on the wall, but it makes me more uncertain and wobbly.

Clipping anchors is probably the scariest thing for me. Honestly, I should be more afraid going from the 2nd to the third clip. Not getting to the first clip means I'll hit the ground, but not from very high up. Missing the third clip is high enough to be hurt, and not high enough to be saved by the belay system at the same time. I got more afraid of that by the end of the day, but not too much.

We also did falling practice. First, just pushing off hard from the wall and practicing how to get our feet and hands out in front. Then, we climbed up a few moves and dropped. Finally, we went to the very top of the wall and dropped with the highest clip at about knee level. I did that a few times, and it was exhilarating. I actually had fun with it. Hopefully, I'll get comfortable with lead climbing pretty soon and will at least be able to get past the mental blocks.

---------------

I'm nursing my first quasi-injury from climbing. I climbed three sessions in two days after a bit of a break from climbing. As a result, my left elbow started hurting me this morning whenever I brought it to a lock off position. It's like a twinging kind of pain toward the inside of the joint. It still hurts, but I did go climbing on it today for lead class. I didn't feel the pain much, but I do feel it now. It doesn't hurt to clench my fists or rotate my wrists around in arm direction. Making a screwdriver-like motion makes a popping sound, but little to no pain. I'm going to take a few days off of climbing and see how it feels. I have no desire to push myself with an injury.

I think that's all for now. I have to study for a math midterm tomorrow and get some sleep, so hopefully that will turn out well. Yay climbing!

Physics on the Rocks

As much as I would like to believe that my only responsibility in life is to send a 5.15, I occasionally have to remind myself that I have homework. This quarter, I am reliving the "joys" of physics and I find my notebook littered with force diagrams and Newton's favorite letters of the greek alphabet. But last night, I had an epiphany.

I prefer my physics on the rocks.

I realized that while I am bored to death by the countless examples of frictionless carts being pulled by massless strings, I could happily apply so many concepts to climbing. When I fall off the wall, what force do I exert on my rope and harness? How far will I pop off the ground if I'm belaying a 170lbs boyfriend who is falling a distance of 15 feet? How much chalk should I use to maximize friction on slopers? What is the coefficient of friction of Five Ten rubber vs La Sportiva?

I might try and do some calculations after I get past this first midterm, and maybe I'll be able to provide the answers to some of these questions. But my desire to learn physics just shot up by about a billion.

(Side note: I have decided that I will post about generic things, and then just include my current climbing progress at the bottom. This is just a little note for me to know where I'm at.)

Personal progress: Last week, I pointed to an 5.11a and joked that there was no way I'd be able to do it. I've only been climbing 2 months, and it seems like an impossible feat. But this guy standing nearby said ,"You could do it." I asked him if he really thought I could, and he said that I should at least make it a red point project. So, with curious confidence, I gave the route a shot and got to the final hold. My hand was inching up, fingers grasping to get over the lip of the hold, and I flew off the wall. I almost flashed an 11a!! Holy crap! So that was my new lesson of the week: confidence. I can climb just about any 10b, so it's time to start pushing 10c's and 10d's. I have no excuse not to.

Also, before I started climbing, I could not do a single pull up. I did not possess any upper body strength. Yesterday, I did 3 pull-ups. It is really awesome to see all these quantitative measures of my increasing strength thanks to climbing. I hope that in a few months, I'll be able to do at least 10 pull-ups. Here's to training!

Progress Abounds!

I haven't updated in awhile, but today is a good day!

I have been advancing in my climbing and I am super psyched about it. Most recently, I beta flashed my first 10c! It was so exciting to do the route and it was actually one that Tom completed earlier that day after falling off a few times. I was able to use my small hands and fingers to my advantage as I was able to get a good grip on some rather tiny holds. It was a really good feeling. =)

Otherwise, I'm climbing 10a consistently, so I would say that I could lead 10a. I've climbed a few 10b's, but most of them still give me a bit of trouble.

Today, I went to the IMA at UW for the first time to climb there. They have a big room with lots of bouldering and a few top roping routes that range from 5.6 - 5.12+. I was a bit disappointed with the rating system, though. The culture at UW seems largely skewed towards bouldering and all the routes were much harder than advertised. There were a few V0's that I had a rough time with and several V1's that I couldn't even finish. Everyone there agreed that the routes were "stiff" but that they liked it because when they go to other gyms, they feel like a champ. I can't say that I agree.

I did a 5.7, 5.8, and 5.9 just to see how the difficulty ratings stacked up. I don't think they were rated terribly well, but they were alright. (I should also note that the IMA Crags do not rate 10s. 11s, and 12s using letters! It's definitely a "fun" mystery to find out whether you're climbing a 10a or a 10d.) The biggest change for me was that the walls are a towering 40 feet tall!! I honestly thought the walls I normally climbed on at VW were about that height, but now I would say that they are about 30 feet tall. It definitely psyched me out on my first couple climbs, especially because I was on ATC with a new belay partner. But I quickly got used to it, and I think it's good for me to adjust to higher heights.

It was an interesting experience overall, and I will continue to climb there and get a feel for the community. I even got to feel like a badass today when I explained how hangboards work to a non-climber who asked me. (Because climbing makes you absurdly badass.)

(Side note: Up until today, I thought I had heard that you should be able to climb 5.11's before learning to lead climb. But I'm beginning to get the idea that you can do it much sooner than that, and I am definitely anxious to get outside. In fact, at the IMA, I was told that you should be able to climb a 5.8 to lead climb, but I'm not totally convinced. Time for research and I'll let you know!)