Had a rest day now back to Saint Leger

Yesterday was a rest day so I decided to skip posting that day. Didn't seem like there was a lot talk about. The only thing of note was I wrote my first route descriptions for the guide book. I'll be doing more today as I'm climbing more of the easier routes as expected and Adrian is hitting the harder routes. It was a lot of fun though.

I've been pondering a few things which maybe I'll get into now briefly. I've just been considering how much fear plays a role in the activities that I do or do not do. Sometimes I avoid doing some things because I'm afraid. I often find some rational explanation about why I shouldn't or should do something but the bottom line is my mind has filled with images about whats going to go wrong or why its dangerous or why I'll fail. My mind, I've realized, tends to be a predominantly negative force, at least for an array of new things. I find it tends to be more negative with regards to things that I don't commonly associate with who I am. For example, I think of myself as an engineering, I have all kinds of self talk about being and engineer but is that what I am or is that what I do. Is it possible I could be equally good at some other profession? I love what I do but I'm generally resistive to thinking of myself in any other context so in essence I'm limiting the possibilities for my life. I have many more examples but the most easy one to find is when I'm climbing and I'm starting to get tired and listening to my self talk and decision making process. It starts to go, "Don't go for that hold, what happens if its the wrong one. You'll fall you are too tired to get the wrong one." Then I hesitate and the longer I wait the less energy I have to get to the next good hold or to find the hold I need. I'll leave this discussion for the moment but I'm really trying to delve into this relationship with fear because it has a lot to do with my success as a climber but more so with success in life.

As the post would lead you to believe I was back at Saint Leger, more properly called Saint Leger du Ventoux because its located at the base of the Ventoux ski mountain. After a rest day I was feeling really quite stiff and rough around the edges. I'm clearly not in as good a shape as I need to be and pulling on plastic in the gym hasn't prepared me for the 30+ meter routes that are here. So off we went hiking the length of the valley to the farthest crag which has the easier routes.

Since it was Sunday there were actually several groups at the location today. I was happy about this because it was my chance to to interact with some new people which in part was one of the things I was looking for in this trip. I got on a 6b call "Le Maitre et son Disciple", it was fun but clearly my body is not out of rest mode as it was extremely pumpy and I nearly fell at the top. Luckily there was a nice rest off to the right where I could step onto for a rest. I complete the route after finding a hidden hold.

For my second route of the day I was going to do a 6b+ called "Les Deux Beauf en Vacances". I had my shoes on, rope all tied up and was at the base of the climb when something fell from above and hit me in the shoulder. I wasn't a rock because it was slightly soft. As it turns out a tiny lizard had fallen from the top of the crag. I seem to have some type of animalism going when I climb because this isn't the first time something like this has happened. When I was climbing Birds of Prey with Paul Campbell this past summer I had a butterfly buzzing around me and landing on my harness for the button half of the climb.

Unfortunately the lizard was really giving me a demo of what I would be doing on the climb. I feel twice after losing my way on the route. I have to say I find this limestone hard to read. Can't find the holds often. It really feels like Kalymnos all over again. The process of relearning where you can expect to find holds and trying all possible holds to find the best ones.
On the up note the climb was really fun with a great drop knee huge reach on overhanging rock with good holds.

As a final route I finished up with a 6b+ called "Maitre Vautour". This route played more to my strengths, I pulled through the lower overhanging bits by moving fast then popped up on to the a slab or calle as the call it here. Worked my way to the top while fighting the pump for the onsight.

Meanwhile Adrian didn't climb at all and spent most of his time hiking around getting pictures for the book. i've started keeping a list of comments in my Tick-list and Travel Journal; thank you Marcia! I hope the journal will be helpful in the route descriptions I write.

Well that's all from France. I hope everyone who is reading is doing well. Let me know how you are thinking or better yet post a comment. So far Amy is the only one to have discovered the comments feature.

Hugs and love.