Climbing is one of my greatest passions…
Trying to send Zanzibar, a V3 bouldering problem in Enchanted Rock State Park. October 2008
Currently I’m out of the climbing circuit until my finger fully heals (hopefully only another few weeks until I give it the good ‘ol college try). However, I did climb approximately 2x a week for about 6 months before my injury and had climbed a bit more infrequently in the past.
For reference, I generally top-rope climb indoors and get outdoors to predominately boulder about once a month (when I’m healthy and when Texas isn’t a sweltering sweat box). My gym top-roping skills are currently at about a 5.9+/5.10a level (US) and my bouldering ability outdoors has generally ranged about at a V0/V1/V2ish, but I like to play around with more difficult routes for fun.
I find climbing a very interesting sport that exercises your whole body and keeps up your muscular strength in a much more exciting manner than lifting does. Also, as a geologist who doesn’t get to see many rocks on a daily basis (office job), I love getting out and getting back to the meat and bones of my profession (well at least seeing rocks…).
As of March 16th, I’m back to climbing! It feels great to be back and I’m pretty sore today from non-use of most of my upper body muscles during the past 2 months…
Goals for the year:
Get back up to 5.10a level in the gym…
Send a V2-V3 problem (Zanzibar maybe?) outdoors
Gym Log:
March 16th:
Warmed up on a 5.7, climbed two 5.8’s and finished up on an unrated crimpy route that was unrated (when I returned on the 18th it said 5.10a?, but I believe it is more reasonably a 5.9). My finger was doing alright, as was my arch. My calf did cramp up on my last climb, so I didn’t climb it entirely clean.
March 18th:
Warmed up with two 5.8’s and attempted a 5.9 that I easily climbed 2-3 months ago. I pushed myself too hard too fast and became too fatigued on the 5.9. The next day, my fingers were quite sore…taking a few days off…
April 11, 2009:
Haven’t updated my log in a few weeks, but I have still been climbing. I went straight for two 5.9-’s to open up, which I did with fair ease. Afterwards, I climbed a 5.9 that I had been working on for some time and nearly have completed the problem, in a unique manner…still needing to get a bit stronger, but it’s coming back, slowly but surely! At least my finger hasn’t been bothering me too much lately…baby steps…
Also today I ran the Mother’s for Clean Air 5k, so I was a bit tired to start out with…so I guess I’m starting to get some of my stamina back!
