Goodbye to Toby.

The last four days have been pretty slow. I took it easy on my rest days visiting the market in Buis-Les-B. where I picked up a big salmon fillet for dinner. I was curious to see if salmon really does taste better at home. Its fun being at the market because the place becomes so lively. The medieval arcades in the town are filled with fish shops, produce, and people selling honey and oil. There are food vendors off all kinds. People are everywhere, neighbours and acquaintance meet and catch up; you can tell this is where the sense of community grows from.

Yesterday after having two rest days I hoped to get back into the flow of things. Toby, Adrian and I set out for Saint Leger. We got a late start arriving at 11:30AM; the sun high over head baking the rock in its yellow glow. I would guess it was around 19c a touch on the humid side. For our warm up climb I chose a 6a+ that was out of the sun called "T'as Le Look Coco", a short 6b. I got off route near the crux and fell after pumping out trying to reverse the moves to get back into a rest.

I left the draws in a for a second go while Toby climb the route next to it. He onsighted that one mentioning it was pretty burly and likely a little harder than the 6b+ that the guide gives for it.

I went up for attempt number two which I'm assured it always the hardest when you are red pointing something because you have failed you onsight but because you are onsighting you don't remember the moves because you focus is climbing. This proved to be exactly the situation I experienced. I want to correct path to the crux and half way through missed a key side pull pinch. Once off sequence there was no recovering. I too my second fall. This time I spent the time to note the hand hold I should have used as its not very apparent.

Toby red pointed at 7b around the corner and then I jumped back on for the red point. The sequence now known made the climb a song and I cleaned the route and we moved on down the crag.

For my next flail-fest I got on "Melancolique et Desabuse" a two star 6b+. Right off the ground I had trouble reading this route. It involves moving up off of big holds on a rock over with no real hand holds to speak of. Its a committing move off the ground and the route was dirty making me distrust my feet. After this the blindness because. I clipped the second bolt but couldn't see the next moves. There were two good holds where I was but they were up at head level and the next holds were out of reach and there was only one foot hold at chest level.

Adrian suggested that the high right foot was the only option and I should just go for it. I rocked up and over but couldn't find any good holds. After pumping out trying to get secure enough to make the next clip I took the fall with the bolt right at my chest. Hanging from he rope I looked up to see right at head level a pair of hugs sinker jugs. Clearly my pump glasses were on and this day was poised to be a struggle to route find and see holds.

For the next 30 minutes I took my time struggling with the pump I got from the first section and trying to make sense out of the rock which seems to camouflage ever hold with a varying patterns of grays and blacks. Exhausted and feeling a bit defeated I lowered off and cleaned the route.

I spent the next hour or so reflecting on why was having trouble. I know I can climb so much better than this, I have the skill and the technique so why can't I seem to apply it? I concluded that I'm climbing routes that are too hard to warm up on for the time being and I'm not having fun with it. I'm struggling right off the bat instead of enjoying the experience. So I resolved to stop chasing grades and just have fun and get back to climbing with good technique. I also realize my greatest problems come from insecure holds on overhangs. I don't have the endurance or the technique down well enough to hang around on smaller holds. Since i'm having trouble finding the holds to begin with this makes it double hard because I can't find the holds and I don't have the time to hang around looking for them because I'm on overhanging rock.

So for my next climb I did a 6a+ called "A Deux Pas D'ici". This climbing was so much more fun, the holds were not amazing but offered some fun movement on a slight over hang but most importantly the route was obvious. No guess work, no camouflaged holds, it was all right there. As an added bonus I found my first piece of booty: a quick draw was left in the climb at about mid-height. A nice Petzel spirit quick draw which is in good condition. So not only did I enjoy a fun, easy onsight I got one more quick draw. Useful since 12 draws will only get you to the top about 80% of the time on the longer routes.

Feeling good about the previous climb I decided to try to red point "Melancolique et Desabuse" since I had such a hard time with it before. This time I flowed from clip to clip, the motion fluid and clean. I found a few new sequences in the lower overhanging section that allowed me to pull through with any problems. I made it all the way to the crux section two moves from the top. I need to get one hand on the next hold but having stemmed my right leg out to far to the right I was unable to lock off and deadpoint to the hold. Instead I had to do it dynamically which caused my body to slip mere centimeters from the wall. This was enough to make my right hand slip from the hold which would have been the finish to the route as it was the last hard move. I fell loosing the red point attempt but being happy none the less as I was able to climb well.

I decided to call it a day after this because it was my sixth climb and I intend on coming out with Thierry today. I have many days ahead and given my sore tendons from before a little more rest won't hurt. I hope the new plans for warming up on fun and easy routes proves to be the recipe for getting my technique and my psych back up for the coming days.