It's December 1st and I'm writing the second blog post of 2014. An injury last winter that didn't heal up completely until this fall, a dearth of outdoor climbing, and my interest in other things all got in the way of climbing in 2014. I went on trips but never felt very strong, and never felt the desire to write about climbing on this blog.
However, enjoying a great Thanksgiving Bishop trip with Cal Climbing and sending my first double digit boulder problem since my gap year while we were there (yes, it's been over 18 months) has rejuvenated my psych. It's a little early for New Year's resolutions but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I'll keep this blog up over winter and spring through the rest of 2015. In 2014 this blog died, but 2015 will mark its resurrection!
Now, less about blogging and more about climbing. I had tried Beefcake V10 on two previous trips, but despite doing all the moves in a few attempts the send eluded me until the day before Thanksgiving. You start matched on underclings at the bottom of a large boulder suspended a few feet off the ground in the Ice Caves area. A lack of sunlight keeps the rock cool but also means you need headlamps or flashlights to see the problem. You climb out through varied holds, going from a two finger pocket to a crimp-undercling combo, then finally to a sloper and two crux bump moves to a jug. I fell past the crux on the final section twice, but on my fifth attempt of the day I sent the problem! It was day one of Thanksgiving in Bishop and I had already sent my project, leaving me ecstatic and ready to do whatever for the rest of the trip.
But, since we were hanging out in the Ice Caves a little longer I started working Beefy Gecko, a V11 that climbs most of Beefcake before turning right after the jug and climbing a second difficult and physical crux. I tried the moves but was far too tired to stick the crux that day. Two days later my friend Ana, who is an absolute crusher, wanted to go back and try Beefcake some more. She had made huge progress on the day I sent, and was coming tantalizingly close to finishing the problem. I was meant to be taking a rest day but we all know how hard that is, and after being somewhat unsure of how strong I was feeling I hopped on the final sequence of Beefy Gecko and did it smoothly first try.
I was psyched, to say the least. Then I got to watch Ana send Beefcake, her first V10 (congrats!), and I was even more motivated. On all three of my attempts from the start I climbed to the final crux, and on my second attempt felt so close to sending before slipping off. Ultimately I left empty handed, but Beefy Gecko would have been the icing on the cake anyway and I was happy to have shown myself I can climb V11 again by coming so close 3rd day on.
That evening a ridiculous number of us piled into one of Bishop's hot springs, which are literally as hot as bathwater (the difference being that the water is opaque even before a lot of dirty climbers clamber in). As with every other evening alcohol was involved, and the session slowly degenerated into a shoulder massage circle as people left. Yes, climbers are weird, and yes, they really like shoulder massages. That day sums up my trip though. Going out, trying hard with friends, then relaxing in the desert as only a group of people who have sweat, climbed, and mostly failed together can!
However, enjoying a great Thanksgiving Bishop trip with Cal Climbing and sending my first double digit boulder problem since my gap year while we were there (yes, it's been over 18 months) has rejuvenated my psych. It's a little early for New Year's resolutions but I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I'll keep this blog up over winter and spring through the rest of 2015. In 2014 this blog died, but 2015 will mark its resurrection!
Now, less about blogging and more about climbing. I had tried Beefcake V10 on two previous trips, but despite doing all the moves in a few attempts the send eluded me until the day before Thanksgiving. You start matched on underclings at the bottom of a large boulder suspended a few feet off the ground in the Ice Caves area. A lack of sunlight keeps the rock cool but also means you need headlamps or flashlights to see the problem. You climb out through varied holds, going from a two finger pocket to a crimp-undercling combo, then finally to a sloper and two crux bump moves to a jug. I fell past the crux on the final section twice, but on my fifth attempt of the day I sent the problem! It was day one of Thanksgiving in Bishop and I had already sent my project, leaving me ecstatic and ready to do whatever for the rest of the trip.
But, since we were hanging out in the Ice Caves a little longer I started working Beefy Gecko, a V11 that climbs most of Beefcake before turning right after the jug and climbing a second difficult and physical crux. I tried the moves but was far too tired to stick the crux that day. Two days later my friend Ana, who is an absolute crusher, wanted to go back and try Beefcake some more. She had made huge progress on the day I sent, and was coming tantalizingly close to finishing the problem. I was meant to be taking a rest day but we all know how hard that is, and after being somewhat unsure of how strong I was feeling I hopped on the final sequence of Beefy Gecko and did it smoothly first try.
Ana sticking the sloper move
I was psyched, to say the least. Then I got to watch Ana send Beefcake, her first V10 (congrats!), and I was even more motivated. On all three of my attempts from the start I climbed to the final crux, and on my second attempt felt so close to sending before slipping off. Ultimately I left empty handed, but Beefy Gecko would have been the icing on the cake anyway and I was happy to have shown myself I can climb V11 again by coming so close 3rd day on.
That evening a ridiculous number of us piled into one of Bishop's hot springs, which are literally as hot as bathwater (the difference being that the water is opaque even before a lot of dirty climbers clamber in). As with every other evening alcohol was involved, and the session slowly degenerated into a shoulder massage circle as people left. Yes, climbers are weird, and yes, they really like shoulder massages. That day sums up my trip though. Going out, trying hard with friends, then relaxing in the desert as only a group of people who have sweat, climbed, and mostly failed together can!
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