climbing
First blog
Today is the beginning of periodized training. The first six weeks will consist of endurance training M/W/Th with potential for some climbing over the weekends time permitting.
My pinky finger is still recovering, so it is nice to have time to climb easier terrain as it heals. I am having
some strange pains in my finger, but I think it may be due to stiffness/scarring.
There is a new spray wall set at TCB and it is perfect for training. Hopefully, I can finally work on the spray wall app.
Week Two of Endurance Phase
Training has been going pretty well. I have been trying to keep sessions short, but intense. Over the weekend I climbed with Matt and felt moderately fit. Finger is feeling better and better. Still stiff, pain when pressed opposite direction (sharp) ~90% range of motion. Easing back into open hand gripping, light/controlled crimping.
On Sunday climbed several 10+ and one 11- lead. 11- took one take, strange dihedral climb to 3rd bolt and straighforward face climb after. I think I will try to rope climb every weekend, time permitting, and track some progress. Climbs were as follows: 9, 10-, 9, 10+ (1), 11- (1), 10+. (#of takes) Maybe if I start tracking some of this data, I'll do something with it.
Week three and four Endurance
The third week of training was a bust. Only got to the gym on Monday. Was finishing up Project 1 and preparing for the midterm. Just ended up feeling like I didn't have time. Probably did, but it was also Valentines day on Friday, so I spent time with Sarah and gave up some gym time.
Week four I am back to my normal schedule. Monday went pretty well, but I definitely felt the loss of fitness after a week off. Today (Wednesday) I really felt it. As compared to the session two weeks prior, I struggled to get through my normal routine on the treadwall (15 easy 15 hard for 4). I think part of it was that my focus was lacking. My thoughts were wandering and I completely neglected my breathing. Oh well, just need to keep on it.
Brendan is a "go" for the Red, as is Benji (though he will be there the week after :( ). I haven't heard from Brent for a while about whether he is going or not. All in all, I will still be going. I am excited to have about 8 days to climb at the Red. Hopefully I can get out of class early and leave on Friday. This would allow me a solid 8 days of climbing. I am feeling in much better shape than the last time I was there, but it is always hard to gauge how fit I really am. Hopefully I can get on ropes next weekend and get a good benchmark of where I am at.
A late retrospection
Well the trip to the RRG was 5 weeks ago and I haven't really climbed since. The coronavirus has closed all gyms and made it almost impossible to climb. The weather conditions have been mediocre and I haven't really been making the time to climb outside. But, here's the recap from the RRG:
We left on Friday morning and got in that night. In the morning, we headed to PMRP? We climbed Spirit Fingers 11c (actually, I didn't really climb it. The first 2/3 was breezy and I got stuck in a mental block at a bolt and took too many tries trying to go direct. The correct sequence was a traverse to the right, but by the time I tried it I was too gassed.) We also climbed Breakfast Burrito 10d and Fire and Brimstone 10d. Breakfast Burrito was really fun, physical top with a lot of exposure. Fire and Brimstone was my last climb and I was absolutley dead. I pretty much went bolt to bolt. It was pretty sad. I had absolutely no energy, we didn't really eat much that day, which is what I attribute that to.
Our next day, we climbed climbed in Miller Fork. We climbed Juju Fruit 10c to warm up. It was probably one of my favorite routes. There was an amazing undercling to a mono on near vert climbing. Really fun. Lots of varied holds. Then, we climbed a 10b? which had an 11b extension. The lower half was pretty fun. Then, we climbed Witness the Citrus 11c. It was around 110feet long and was pretty awesome. It had a low crux getting out from underneath a small block/roof, which was a bit reachy for me. Then, it was bascically good to great jugs to the top. It was probably about a 20-30 degree overhang the rest of the way. Very sustained.
Our third day we went to Muir Valley. I was getting pretty tired and definitely felt it in the morning. We got on Air-Ride Equipped 11a which was an absolute overhang jug fest on the beggest jugs I've ever climbed on. Super fun. Then, we got on Bathtub Mary 11a which was a bit of a slab/face climb to a heuco rest and 2 overhung bolts to finish. Fun and techy, a nice change of pace. Then, we went back to the original wall and got on Banshee 11c. This route was a lot of fun, but a bit frusterating. I gave it a redpoint attempt and just couldn't get into the second heuco rest. The beginning and end weren't bad, but it was the traverse over and into the hueco that I just couldn't stick. It ended up being a huge throw into the upper hueco which was both committing and physical. Maybe next time.
We took a break on the fourth day and I did some homework and Brendan and I played some ping pong.
The fifth day it was a bit wet and we ventured into the north gorge. We looked at Twinkie 12a, but it looked maybe wet (I didn't think it was wet, but Brendan didn't want to risk it). We then went to the military wall and we got on Reliquary 12b. That thing was my pure antistyle, but Brendan was cruising most of it. The start wasn't too bad (that is, the frist 3 moves) to a match crimp and then a big throw right. From then on out, it was awful (for me). It was all sloper pinches and sloper juggy things. It also had a few reall big moves, and it was pretty physical at the upper crux, which required really high feet on an undercling kind of feature to a deadpoint to a sloper/crimp. Cool finish. We then got on Fuzzy Undercling 11b, which had a super hard start. Weird and not enjoyable. The rest of the climb was awesome. Huge plate underclings and features the whole way up. Lots of fun and enjoyable. To finish the day, I got on the slab around the corner 10d? Thin and tricky the whole way up. Definitely a no hands-ish move from a crimp to a blind sidepull. Very cool.
Sixth day on we went to the Bob Marley wall. I got on Dogleg 12a and it was hard as hell. Talk about a morpho climb. The opening 4 bolts are 3 dynos. The first is big, but doable. The second, I don't think is in the books for me. It is an all out jump for me. the distance from the lower ledge to the slot/pocket I am throwing to is the entire span of my arms. Shit feet too, basically a smear. The next move is actually not that bad. There is a small pebble and I just need to hop a bit. The foot is high and inside, which makes it hard to use. But, just trust it and go. Didn't climb the upper section due to a wet section. Then we got on some 11b and I was literally 1 move away from the flash and fell. Brendan got the onsight. Then, we moved on to climb Betavul Pipeline 12a. I was really not feeling it, but once I got on it, man was it fun! The first 5? bolts were probably a 30 degree overhand on slot jugs. Pure fun. Then, you get to a stiff boulder which you hit a small crimp and need to crank up high. The key was to use some intermediate holds out left.
Last day (for me) we went to Purgatory. It was the longest hike in and was secluded little area. I only got on 1 11b and struggled up it nearly bolt to bolt. I didn't eat enough breakfast, and I could feel it - no energy. Brendan climbed the 12a next to it and said it was really fun. There was a guy there we had met the day prior who was from Chattanooga and was climbing some 13d. He was so close to finishing it, last bolt, but didn't get it while we were there. We saw them at Miguels and he dropped it on the last move.
I packed up and headed home that night. Stopped and slept at a reststop and then made it back home. Classes were moved online and Spring Break extended by 2 days.