I went to Fontainebleau for 5 days with the goal of climbing my hardest boulder problem outdoors ever. With a day to go in the trip I woke up before sunrise to catch the first few hours of the day when it would be coolest. Beautiful morning: so quiet, the boulders glowing in the pale light. Entirely alone in the forest.
I warmed up, worked on a hard boulder for a while and then went across to a project I had been real close to finishing earlier in the week. I was worried about the high crux heel hook with no spotter, and had expected I might back off trying the problem with no one else around. But looking at it carefully, the fall was actually more intimidating than dangerous and I wasn't going to get another chance this trip.
The first attempt I thought I had done it. So close to getting my weight across onto my heel so I could bounce my left hand up. But eventually I gave up the fight, kicked off the heel hook and dropped back to the mat. Nagging doubt, that was a lot of energy to no avail!
On my second attempt, the heel hook went up. The micro crimp got me a bit higher, and I felt a subtle shift in my body weigh as my left leg cleared the bulge slightly. I felt myself starting to move again and then I was done and standing on top of the boulder. It's always so quick when it happens.
I clambered down, sat back against a boulder in the morning sun and celebrated my achievement by eating the last of my 3 day old baguette. The moment had arrived to enjoy the peace and celebration of a new benchmark. Worth the pursuit.
I warmed up, worked on a hard boulder for a while and then went across to a project I had been real close to finishing earlier in the week. I was worried about the high crux heel hook with no spotter, and had expected I might back off trying the problem with no one else around. But looking at it carefully, the fall was actually more intimidating than dangerous and I wasn't going to get another chance this trip.
The first attempt I thought I had done it. So close to getting my weight across onto my heel so I could bounce my left hand up. But eventually I gave up the fight, kicked off the heel hook and dropped back to the mat. Nagging doubt, that was a lot of energy to no avail!
I clambered down, sat back against a boulder in the morning sun and celebrated my achievement by eating the last of my 3 day old baguette. The moment had arrived to enjoy the peace and celebration of a new benchmark. Worth the pursuit.
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