Turning Point

I'm a climber again! For those of you who didn't speak to me on Monday, last weekend frustrated me significantly. I had no luck finding partners for trad climbing, and I took two rather awkward falls off a bouldering problem I had done several years ago. I was beginning to wonder if I could really do this; if I would be able to find partners and really improve my climbing, or if I would be stuck spending most days solo, trying easy boulder problems and hiking. While I enjoy hiking and easy boulder problems, it wasn't what I had planned for this trip.

Upon returning to camp Monday night, I found a group next to my campsite setting making dinner by the light of headlamps. After setting up my tent, I wandered over and offered the use of my propane lantern, a much more significant light source. And so I met Stuart, Alistair, Valerie, and Luke. Stuart was off to try Leave it to Beaver, a rather difficult climb at Josh, the next day and Alistair would be filming it. Stuart offered to give me a belay after he finished his project the next day, since Alistair and Valerie would be working on some easy stuff as well.

Stuart sent Beaver the next morning, certainly impressing me. Afterwards, Alistair and Valerie started Fote Hog, a 2-pitch 5.6, and Stuart and I headed over to Locomotion Rock, the site of a number of moderate cracks. Leaping Lena, the best regarded route on the rock wasn't free, but Hhecht, another 5.6, was. It drizzled a few drops, but I started up, and the bottom of the climb went well; good hand jams and relatively featured surroundings made for easy climbing. As I progressed up the climb, however, it became extremely flaring; nearly an offwidth at the front but perfect hands at the back. I couldn't find decent feet on the face, and couldn't find good foot jams in the offwidth. I could stand still with both right hand and right foot reaching back to the good hands at the back of the crack, but couldn't move from that stance. I plugged some good gear and struggled up, making sounds that I'm sure were something like "hhecht" as I groveled through the crack. I took a small fall, but kept pushing myself, groveling through to the perfect hands at the top of the climb. About this point the sky opened, with hail falling softly through the desert air.

The afternoon involved no more climbing, as the hail increased and soaked the rocks. But I was ecstatic. I had gotten on the sharp end, pushed myself through something that felt awkward and scared me, and, though I couldn't claim it as a clean climb, gotten myself to the top of the rock without any serious injury. Rising to meet the challenge had made me feel competent and in control again.

Hail on my car's windshield

Boulders soaked by the hail

That night was a quiet one with an early bedtime. The next day I went out to Indian Cove with Etan, a guy I had met online, and his partner for the day Bob. We toproped a number of pitches and had a good day. The following day Etan and I climbed and each led a couple of pitches. Nothing real hard, but I was really climbing. Maybe this road trip thing will work out after all.

Etan at the top of Rainy Day Women

I used President's Day as an excuse for a rest weekend in LA, staying with my friend Marisa from high school. I got together with my former climbing partner Chris on Friday, and we wandered around an old climbing haunt and he showed me his now house. Sunday, my friend Rick, his wife Noelle, and his 2-and-a- half-year-old Corbin and I went climbing at Stoney Point, just like old times (except for the addition of Corbin--pictures coming soon). And I caught up a bit on email and my television viewing, a nice little treat. I'll head off tomorrow morning to meet a new partner for another good day of climbing.

I'm very interested by the emotional progression that I went through over the last week. On Sunday I was safe, doing a hike that I knew I could do easily without significant risk. But it was facing difficulty, even if it was something that shouldn't have been all that difficult, that I felt good. For reasons surpassing my understanding, I would rather struggle up an awkward crack while it starts to hail than do almost anything else. I was hoping to explore this a bit in this blog entry, but it's time for bed. I'll try to write more about it in the future.