Climbing highlights Descartes' Error.

I finally found a climb that suites my style, bits of slab to gentle overhanging with technical climbing with great rests and lost of technique; a rarity in the Red. After falling off of both warm up climbs yesterday I got on Swahili Slang at the Motherlode, a 5.12b/c. Pete onsited it with some difficulty.

Since I've been struggling with my confidence of late and wasn't sure if I could pull all the moves (I've only lead one 12c in my life), I decided to clean the route on top rope. I headed up with some difficulty falling off at ever second bolt.

Picture: Pete L taking a rest before the ramp on Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

Picture: Pete L climbing the ramp on Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

* Warning Skip the next two paragraphs if you aren't a climber...*

The moves were amazing, a boulder start, you hand jam side pull a big pocket, to make a long move to a crimp at the first bolt maybe 3' above. Then you high step left foot, adjust you right to get under you and then did a stretching move to a good pocket, some jug hauling for the next 10 ft leads to another big pull off an undercling to a rail where you get the 3rd bolt. A couple more moves onto slopers and you mantel up onto a slab ramp and a rest. You then climb the ramp for 3 moves and then clip around the arete to clip on the face below the ramp. You then fall out of the ramp back onto the over hanging face for another 4 moves and a wicked rock on to the ramp once more to make a long move to a ledge where you get to rest before having to pull the first of two mantel moves to establish on the left.

You get a shake on some crimps and then move left on side pulls and crimps to get to the next ledge which sets you up for the crux moves; a mantel into an undercling that you catch with you thumb. Though the crux move is done, its not over, you need to shuffle your feet left on the small ledge to set you left foot up at the edge. So you can reach up to a right hand gaston, go again to a pocket another foot to the left. If you are tall you can work you right foot to a sloping hold down and right of the hold, this is a really stretchy move and probably won't work for people under 5'9". You can come into the gaston with you right hand then make a coupe more moves right on a sloping rail then move you left foot to a high step and make another big move to a ledge. If you latch you have just one more long move to make the anchors.

* End of climber beta spray section *

Picture: Pete L back out on the face on Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

Needless to say, I fell all over it while cleaning. I didn't feel like any of the moves were show stoppers, I think I could do all of them in groups. As I walked over to the undertow wall I couldn't get the route out of my mind, the moves really suited me, and I know that the style suited me. I could get rests and get my heart rate down on the rests since it wasn't steep but was really intimidated by the grade and feeling fragile ego. I don't know if I could take committing to trying to do the route and having to deal with failure if I didn't get it. I recognized that I wasn't really committing to any route and because of this I wasn't having any success. My fear of failure was holding me back, it was giving me an excuse when I failed - I didn't really want to do the route, I wasn't committed to it.

Picture: Pete L giving a flex after onsiting Swahili Slang, 12b/c.

I walked back to the route to find two guys working on it so I changed my plan for the day. Instead of doing fitness on the steep 12a of the Undertow wall I would commit to doing Swahili Slang.

My first go showed I could makes the movies since I one hanged it after falling at the 3rd bolt trying to get into the ramp.

My second attempt is when I realized just how distracted I was climbing. I was focused on "getting the tick" and how "good" about myself I would feel if I did. The symbol of success instead of just enjoying the process. This pressure to succeed that i was putting on myself culminated in failure when I climbed to the top and then fell off the last hard move at getting to the last bolt. I wasn't tremendously tired. I hit the jug ledge I was going to with my left hand and could have latched the hold but I was so distracted by what it would mean if I did the climb, I didn't allow myself to latch the hold.

Tired and keenly aware of how the chatter in my head was causing my failure I walked over to belay James on his second attempt on Skin Boat which he did without too much apparent trouble. On the walk back I talked with Pete about how distracted I have been climbing. He mentioned that he could almost see me thinking about ticking my 8a score card while I was climbing. He was right, I knew it but I didn't realize how apparent it was in my climbing.

It seems that this lesson of not being focused on the goal but on the process is a lesson I'm going to have to learn over and over again since I remember the same process last year. Maybe that is a complement to climbing in the Red, it forces you to deal with grade chasing since the grades are all over the map. In the end the joy of climbing here should come from the routes not the glory of getting a route done or the grade associated with it.

So I practice a bit of meditation before starting up on the route and this my forth attempt of the day, third on lead I was very aware of my self talk and more importantly how catching myself when I started to focus on thoughts of completing the route or thinking about how my pump would affect me for the moves 4-5 moves ahead instead of the one I was trying to make. Sure enough, this time I made the ascent without difficulty. Seems that as with Burlier's Bane, I need to get in a meditative state in order to climb well. I can't be distracted with other thoughts. Its an example of just how powerful the mind and emotions are in the process of doing anything. I think in climbing its very easy to see the affects of the mind on performance.

It seems that I can take comfort in something I already knew; I can climb 12 when its to my strength by I need to find way to accept that the Red, in general, is not to my strength and I need to let go of getting ascents as my measure of success.

Ups and downs; still trying to get some red endurance.

Just a little over a week in the Red and I though it was a worthy time to talk about how the trip is progressing and the emotional and physical ups and downs.

I've done my first 5.12a at the Undertow wall, Burlier's Bane. I should be happy since this matches my hardest climb ticked last year. I took little joy in it, feeling a bit guilty for having used a hueco rest on the right of the climb. It's a few moves off the primary line and it does setup well for continuing the route on exit but many people are not using it. Ethics are always open to debate but for me personally its more of a struggle with myself. I always find endurance a hard thing in climbing and I'm not performing the way I would like to in this area. I want to be able to climb these amazing routes and enjoy them more and so far, I haven't found a way to enjoy them fully when my forearms are pumping battery acid and my hand are opening.

In many ways this stance is just being negative towards myself. I, for whatever reason, have decided to be self deprecating instead of taking joy in my success. I minimize it, I find myself downplaying my success and making it feel illegitimate - self talk like "I took the rest on the right of Burlier's Bane so it doesn't sych with my idea of what the climbing ethic of the area is". I think this all is an underlying impatience with myself, I just wanted to climb some of these amazing routes here and I want to improve. I but a lot of time and energy into this effort leading into this trip and the expectations I built while doing this have caught up to me. Easy enough to understand, quite a bit harder to change.

Picture: Me on Magnum Opus

The last session out was a single day event where Evan and I went to the Solarium. We warmed up and then got hosed by a line up for Banshee and Abiyoyo. Instead of these we got on Magnum Opus, a fun and well suited 12a for my style of climb. After two burns on it, I moved over to Abiyoyo a good 12b with a boulder problem crux. Evan worked it out first and put up the draws. I made an attempted but got hosed by the crux which I found quite hard. My fingers couldn't quite keep me in on the small holds. I became frustrated and had to lower off without pulling the crux, a bruise to my ego.

Picture: Me on Magnum Opus

After that attempted I decided it was better to take a double rest day. Pete was also doing it and it would be a first double rest day cycle of the trip.

I'm writing this on rest day cycle two. I'm feeling better and despite a sore right knee, optimistic that the next day on will having me feeling a bit better. I'm also wondering how much of my emotional frustrations might be linked to the change. Once of my friends Paul and others have mentioned that I don't deal well with change. I'm wondering if maybe some of my feelings of disconnection aren't related to this. There is a lot of change and adapting that goes on when moving into a house for a climbing trip with 4 of your friends.

To extend this line of thinking, as we age we deal less well with change. Maybe the last couple years where I have been struggling is a result of not relaxing into the changes in my life and struggling to control what's coming at me. Seems a good explanation as any for my somewhat disconnected and/or ambivalence to life and where I'm going. If I think back to the most exciting and happiest moments of my life are when I was taking things as they came and choosing in the moment. Having to some degree a faith in the best outcome, now I seem to be projecting into the future that I can see from the behaviour of people around me and humanities activities at large. Once again, I take on too much, I can't be responsible for humanity only myself. Its easy to say, hard not to project or force it on others.

I look forward to being more in the moment. The fresh air of this second rest day creeping in from the open deck door is already reminding me to be here and now. The rest is yet to come.

The return to the Red.

The return to the red after a year away has so far been eventful. This year I didn't have swine flu and wasn't traveling for the three weeks prior to arriving so I should be in much better shape for being able to do well. With that comes the extra baggage of expectations. As much as I've tried to avoid creating them they have found their way into the side door. I hope i can manage them appropriately, since i know this place is one of the hardest climbing destinations to prepare for.

There have been a few hiccups so far. We got a crazy taxi driver from Jordan who pulled a classic move of "making a wrong turn then playing stupid to make sure our fare about another 10% more. It was a bit annoying and I hate to profile but I have seen these tricks before in my travels.

So we picked up the car then went over to the airport on Sunday to pick up Pete's bag which arrived at 11 AM. We then change and repacks some bags for climbing at the airport and met Luke, MF and James at Miguel's. I saw the horse race track in the trip and thought of you.

Picture: Leo and I keeping each other warm at the Undertow wall.

We met up then headed to the Drive-By crag with a cool cat named Matt from Portland whom I had met last year at Chek while working on Face the Music. Once at the crag, I found that I had forgotten my harness .... in my other pack and so it wasn't at the crag. So Evan, James and I spent the day trading off harnesses so that i could climb. I warmed up repeating a 10d, then an 11a and an 11c from last year. I finished up the day attempting a 12a called Prima Noctum. I'm feeling much stronger than last year but still realized that the steep climbs intimidate me. I was also pretty tired from the traveling so didn't push too hard. Evan managed to do the same routes I did but attempted the first 12a that I did then tried another one called Check Your Grip which I want to do.

Picture: Luke Zimmerman on Kaleidoscope

James made an attempt on Beer Belly, 13a and made good progress so it looks like we'll be going back there again soon.

Picture: James on Beer Belly, 13a.

Picture: Pete, Luke and James at Drive-By Crag.

I slept light, waking up to the sound of the showers several time and my weekday wake up call. The jet lag was a bit of pain as we are 3 hours ahead. I woke up feeling fairly good at 9 AM.

We all at and headed out to the Motherlode in two separate cars; James, Evan and I in one, MF and Pete in the other. On the drive I noticed that the air pressure low light was on so I checked the car when we arrived. The front left tire was a bit low. So I made a mental note to fill it up when we left. After warming up on a couple 11a and 11b's we went over to the Madness to cave to show Evan but decided that the holds were too humid and moist to climb there so we headed out the go to where MF and Pete had decided to go after coming to the same conclusion.

When we hiked back out we jump into the car and I drove over. After arriving at the parking lot for the new crag I rechecked the tire and found we could hear the air leaking from it and it was super low. I sent Evan and James on their way and drove out to deal with the tire. I filled it at a nearby gas station then drove back to the dirt road that goes into the the climbing area's. Finding a puddle i rolled the tire through the puddle and checked for bubble to find the leak. It seems we had driven over a screw. The leak didn't seem too fast so I drove back into and joined the guys at the new crag.

Evan and James had only managed one 12b in my absences so I was able to join back in with the circuit. I started with the STEEPEST 10d I have ever been on; the name, Girls Gone Wild, Wooo! I nearly pumped out a couple times but managed to pull through from shear stubbornness and some good technique to recover after I made a hard move or two. It was nice to get through an onsite this year which I'm sure I would have fallen off of last year.

I followed up with the steepest 11c I have ever been on. It was a lot of fun but I elected not to attempt to red point it and instead try another 11c in the area. After top roping the second 11c, I was done for the day. Evan was getting beaten up on pretty bad, having to hang dog his way up the 11c that I top roped. He finish the day by doing the 10d I put up initially. He was pretty bagged and so had to go bolt to bolt at the top.

At this crag we met a guy you and I saw in Red Rocks at xmas two years ago; Don Walsh. He is a fairly prominent climbing in his time. He put a famous 13c called Sissy Traverse at the Gallery in Red Rocks. It was fun to chat with him, he was a very humble fellow and offered some great advice.

We packed up and headed home. The car tire only a little bit less full than when I had returned. So we are leaving it over night and will fill it with air tomorrow an get it fixed.

Zimmerman is here bringing the Psych!

Our double rest day was mostly uneventful, trips into Stanton for food a little jogging. It did at times feel like we were waiting around for Luke to Show up. Friday night we drove into Lexington in the early evening to catch the Canucks game at one of the local sport bars. I would feel like I didn't really get to see Kentucky without a bit of mingling with the locals.

The sports bar we researched as the place to watch the game didn't have it but they made some phone calls for us to track down a bar that did. Soon we found ourselves at a sports bar that definitely looked like the local college hang out. Brightly lite, lots of LCD and TV screens, bar and lots of younger looking people milling around, horrendously greasy menu with items replete with meat. I usually make it a rule to avoid seafood in land-locked states and provinces but I made the exception as the alternative didn't look too good at this pub.

By the time the game was done we headed over to the Airport picked up Luke and headed back to our cabin at Lil' Abner's in Slade.

We used the same introduction technique as we had been given to the Red for look. First day was Drive-By crag. Pete and Luke warmed up together while James and I once again teamed up.

James and I warmed up repeating Make A Wish and Breakfast Burrito. Follows closely by on-sighting Yadda Yadda Yadda, a three and a half star 11b. This climb was awesome, fun moves up an arete to a fun barn door tension move to a great pocket then continued good holds on steep terrain on the arete to a finish. My only complaint about the route was that it was so much fun it was over too quick.

I decided to red point Spirit Fingers, 5.11c, which I had started working on the second day we climb at Drive-By. The previous attempts had me stumped on how to clip the second to last draw. I moved up through the on the nice plates and side-pull jugs. I felt much more comfortable on the steep terrain, almost like a climbing. This time I made it to my intended clipping positions but while I had ample strength available I was only able to get the clip into the bolt. I climbed up to the next set of holds hoping to get a better position to clip from but it was to no avail, I pumped out grabbed the draw and dumped the rope in.

While sitting on the rope I worked out that my stance I had for the first time attempt on the route was the correct place to clip. With this new beta I climbed to the crux clip, made it and moved quickly up through the rest of the crimpy crux to the romp up jugs at the top. An amazing route and my first 11c at the red. I was happy with the ascent as the style is definitely not my strong point.

I rounded the the day retrieving the draws from Hakuna Matata, 12a which James had ticked earlier that day.

Draws down we packed up and headed back to the cabin.

For Luke's second day out a the Red we introduced him to the Motherlode. We got up and out the door at our regular time getting us to the Warm Up wall at the Lode at around 9:30 AM.

Injured Reserve, the 5.11a warm up, had a group on it so Pete graciously offered to climb the adjacent 5.11c with the camera to take pictures of us climb from the top on this sunny morning. I still hadn't red pointed Injured Reserve, so I headed up first to hang the draws. I climbed up the crux feeling really heavy. I force myself not to think of the lactic acid building up in my forearms causing my hands to get weaker with each move. I kicked my right foot up high, weighted it, release my right hand and move to side pull pinch. Latching it but my strength failing I rocked my hips up and over my right foot and rolled my shoulder up underneath to the get my left hand on the jugs above. After several shakes and more jugs I clipped the anchor with only a minor flash pump.

A day at Left Flank and the Gallery

Our next outing on the rock was for a bit of new material. We headed over to Left Flank for a day of fun climbing with some different rock. It was MF's last day at the Red and she really only had a half day as she was flying out of Lexington in the afternoon.

We arrive at the base of the cliff around 9:45 AM. James and I split off and warmed up on a reachy 10a called To Defy the Laws of Tradition. While MF and Pete did Maypop, a three star 5.11a with a bouldery start to some vertical crimping and these really amazing tubes of what appears to be iron ore mixed in with the sandstone. James and I both did Maypop as our second warm up then headed over the the end of the crag where Pete was trying Table of Colors, 13a.

I was still feeling like I wanted to do some more on-sight climbing so I move to a nearby 11b four star slab climbed called Hen-ry. I managed the on-sight after a few attempts at different sequences at the crux. James followed making quick work of it.

I stopped for lunch and watched Pete and MF climb a little while longer working out the moves on Table of Colors. I was eyeing up Mercy, the Huff, but still didn't feel up to a Red 12b. I instead decided to do the four star 12a on the far right called Wild, Yet Tasty. I was glad as this proved to be the most fun 12a I had been on so far at the Red.

The crux was so fun, the opening sequence goes up a corner crack to a stem rest (though you don't need it too much) then you move out right on good holds to where the wall kicks back to a 20 degree overhand and you start up on good pockets to a side pull pinch in a Hueco. I set my feet up high then go high right to a crimp above the hueco, match my left then move out to a good pocket for the right hand, clip off a heal hook in the hueco. The crux sequence moves your left hand into a iron ore tube that eats your whole hand. Step on to a bulge, move to a reasonable crimp for your right. Reset the feet on the crimps rock up onto my left foot, look off my right hand and then make a HUGE reach to a good ledge. A few more big moves and the rest of the climb was hauling on jugs.

I tried this route three time that day but just didn't have the energy and on an earlier attempt manage to tear up my finger throwing to a pocked and falling short. James seemed to be having a harder time than me, he was climbing The Dinosaur a 12c with a really small crimp down low for the crux. He seem to have a frustrating time as he was able to pull through the crux sequence on his first go but couldn't repeat the move after.

The story for the day was Pete who pulled it together for a his fourth go of the day he made an ascent of Table of Colors, 13a. A truly inspiring experience.

Our next day we headed to a new climbing area called The Gallery, near the Sore Heal parking area. We started the day off with a route that was not in the guide book. After we all climbed it we figured a grade of 5.10a. It was a fun route with a few long moves and some fun pulls (see pictures below)

Picture: Chris Singer on first section of Unknown, 5.10a.
























Picture: Chris Singer on first section of Unknown, 5.10a.

We followed up with a five star 11b called Random Precision. The route was worth ever star. It started with a technical problem with a few balancey moves to the first bolt. A few moves up to a ledge then a bigger move to a hueco. Edges and pockets get you to a great position on the arete to finish up with a great position. So much fun.

Picture: Belayer, Pete Lindgren; Climber, Chris Singer; on Random Precision, 5.11b

James then proceeded onsight Goldrush, a four star overhanging jug haul at 5.11d. James showed outstanding endurance ( though he denies it) working out the crux to finish up clipping the chain.

I followed up with an attempt on this amazing route but after the opening moves I was going to pump out fast, clearly I was still not on the Red endurance program. I managed to dog my way to the top. What an amazing route, pull out through a roof on great holds then out onto a steep face where you make move after move on huge holds. The crux comes at the top where the route kicks back at a major break in the rock then a couple crimps, high-step, rock up and lock off to the next ledge. I think the start is the only reason this doesn't get five stars. Great route that I'm definitely going to enjoy working on.
























Picture: James Fillman on first section of Goldrush, 5.11d.

After the beating I took on Goldrush, I realized that I was running on empty. I caught myself spacing out on a rock a few times while James and Pete worked on Calm Like a Bomb, 13b and Break In The Scene, 12b. I decided to take a nap which didn't take too long to make happen despite the slightly lower temperatures for the day. I woke up a bit more refreshed but thankful that we were going into a rest day.

James got his ascent of Break In The Scene, on this third attempt. Pete provided comedy relief on his ascent of Calm Like a Bomb, writing in chalk "WEAK" at the no hands rest just before the final sequence. It was nice to see both of them get good ascents on the day. Tomorrow is our first double rest day which we are taking so that our climbing days align with the arrival of our last trip member: Luke Zimmerman.

First days in the Red

It been over a year since I've logged anything to the travel blog but hey, times have been busy and I haven't been on any climbing trips that have been long enough or had internet access to blog. That has changed with my arrival in Kentucky for my first trip to the Red River Gorge or as most climbers call it, the Red.

The time leading up to this trip was pretty intense and put me in a position for being the weakest in my climbing ever. The month of October leading up to the trip saw me go to California for work spending a little over a week down there and working (including travel time) over 75 hours. It was a successful work trip but not a lot of climbing.

I return to Vancouver hoping to squeak in some last minute training in the gym but that was all for naught as I came down with Swine Flu on the Monday was a bed ridden for the entire week with a fever, lack of appetite, shallow breathing etc... I haven't been that sick in 15 years. It was a challenge to get well enough to make the trip to Kentucky on the Saturday morning. Thanks to the support and care of my girlfriend Angela and my roommates Hazel and Mike I was able to bounce back in time to make the trip.

I took the advice of my Boss who suggested I take it easy for the first couple days and so I enjoyed watching Pete and James climbing for the first day out at the motherload. I am amazed at how the rock has formed in this place. It is so steep the Undertow wall is 35 degrees overhanging and it only gets steeper as you move to climbers left to probably closer to a sustained 50 degree overhang. Rodellar was steep but in a far different way than this sandstone. The holds and the feet are much different causing you to hang on more on your arms. In Rodellar Spain for some reason (at least the routes I climbed) you could get your feet underneath you in such a way that you could take the weight off you arms by twisting to get your hips up to the wall. Here the feet force you to climb more head on as the feet are not nearly as wide in stance and as a result you hang on you hands and arms a lot more.

I had been warned that the Red would be a whole new experience and I should control my expectations on what I could climb. After watching James struggle with climbs as easy as 11- I knew I was in for it. I also had to manage my expectations as I was still weak and even experiencing dizzy spells.

For my first day on the rock Pete, James and I went to Drive-by crag. This was just past the Motherload down a gas and logging service road. The weather had turned a bit cold and we showed up slightly later to let me catch a bit of sleep in time.

The crag was busy with lots of people climbing on the easier "warm-up" climbs all day. I did my first climb at the Red onsight. It was an amazingly fun 10a called Make A Wish. The climb moved up through the rough overhanging sandstone to a mid-height ledge where I caught a rest before finishing off the pumpy upper half of the climb.

For my second climb I did what I will now call my favorite 10c climb: Breakfast Burrito. This amazing climb is slightly overhanging moving through long reaches between good holds to a no hands rest. I recovered fully then moved up and left out of a huge alcove onto an overhanging arete to finish off. The position on this climb is amazing as you pull out onto the overhanging arete you have nothing but air beneath you and the clips are well spaced to give you a sense adventure. I haven't seen a position like this on any other climb at this grade. Amazing! I'll admit, the blood rushed through my forearms on this climb and I worked hard to hang on to the finish.

My next climb of the day was a 10d called Fire and Brimstone. This climb earned its name as I struggled up the steep arete. Even catching a no-hands rest by wrapping my leg around a flake and putting in a heal-toe cam. The route spit me off at a difficult clip in the crux which I was almost too pumped out to clip. This was just before a sit down rest which lead to technical climbing up a crack to finish.

I rounded out the day with an epic battle on Slick and the 9mm at 10b. The route moved up through some fun crack to a roof crux in which I got trapped hunting for a clipping hold. Feeling the lactic acid building in my forearms I knew I couldn't hold on long. Hunting around wildly as my hands began opening I found a good in-cut crimp for my left hand. I was able to clip and move up and establish myself on the vertical section above the roof.

After this I tapped out feeling tired from my first day of pumping climbing at the Red.

The next day was a rest day so we all packed up and headed in to Lexington for stocking the house for food and alcohol.

Tuesday we were back at it again, back to Drive-By crag to resolve some unfinished projects. I warmed up on Make A Wish and then followed up by doing Fire and Brimstone with relative ease. For the third climb of the day I on-sited possibly one of the best 11a's I've ever climbed: Whip Stocking. This climb moves up through a series of steep jugs and flakes. I was clearly not in shape for the climb but managed to pull through by finding 4 knee bars and one no hands rest just before the final roof before the anchors.

Pete offered to hang the draws on the four star 11c, Spirit Fingers. I was feeling good and eager to get on some harder routes. Harder it was, the crux moves up through a steep overhanging section to a hard clip and then two more hard moves off smaller crimps while you are tired to get back onto huge holds and a run-out to the anchor. I made two attempts on this route grabbing the draws in a few occasions (my head was not prepared for the big run-out at the tops of most of the steep routes in the Red).

James continued to work on a 12a called Primus Noctum, which he did. The tick of the day went to Pete who did Dirty Smelly Hippie, a proud 13b that climbs out of a massive 40 degree roof for a full 28 meters. Since we were all a little roughed up from the physical aspects of the climbs and Pete had split his finger we decided to take the following day off to recover.

Our next days on would be at the Motherlode, and we would need ever ounce of skin and strength for the 35-50 degree overhangs that go for 20-35 meters.