The Best Outcome of the Worst Day

Today was suppose to be the day. I had it all planed out. I had easily flash a few 5.12a's since moving out west, and my shoulder was feeling the strongest it had since I injured it almost exactly a year ago. I would head out to Little Si, flash Psychosomatic, 5.12d, and put this long, hard year of recover behind me and continue my steady rise to the level of dominating 5.14's.

I got to the base of the cliff just when it was starting to get to the good part of the day around 1pm. I let myself cool down from the approach (making that easier is a proj for another day). I warmed up on Aborigine, 5.11b, a climb I had done each of the few times I had come to this cliff. It felt the easiest it ever had, helping get me pumped up for Psycho. Then I got on it.

The bottom half, Psycho-Wussy, 5.11b, went ok. I was hoping to get beta through it, to help give me some extra energy for the top, but had to settle for an onsight since none of the half dozen people at the base who knew the climb felt like spraying me down. Whatever, I did it anyway, nothing was going to stop me. Then I started into the Psychosomatic extension. the first clip went no problem. The holds all looked good, get the next clip would be no problem. Five moves latter, one from the next clip, I found myself yelling take.

Ok, deep breath, not going to stress this. I was going for flash attempt and ended up on an onsight attempt. I didn't stand a chance. It wasn't my fault. Time to head on to plan B and let one of the guys looking for the redpoint get on this one. The day can still be salvaged. I'd get on Hang Out To Dry, 5.12b, and flash that. It's only got one hard move.

So, after a rest, I tied in and started up it. The bottom wasn't very hard but quite technical, so it took more out of me then I had anticipated. There was a big rest at about 2/3 the way up so I got the pump out, my right calf was starting to burn a bit, but that wasn't likely to be a problem. I launched into the last section. Things go smoothly up the the crux. I get my hand settled in the holds and hike my right foot up high for the move. Then my leg starts shaking like it's getting warmed up to stitch up an entire wardrobe of cloths. So I back down several moves to stretch it out. I do this as long as I can without getting my forearms pumped. I head back up to the crux. This time I can't even make my leg get up onto the foot hold.

Once again I found myself hanging from a draw instead of anchors. A fact that became more frustrating when I walked through the last moves of the route after a short rest. I hit the dirt feeling like the day was wasted. My grand "comeback" was spoiled, but I stuck around for awhile to watch other people work on their projects. Finally, I headed down the trail back to my car. As I made my way do the trail, all the little details that I had overlooked began to settle in.

Yes, I didn't send the 12d, but I did get all the beta necessary to smooth out the bottom and to make a solid attempt at the upper section the next time around. Yes, I didn't flash the 12b, but I didn't fall until right at the crux and that was only do to my leg being worked, so next time I know to make sure it gets de-pumped as well as my forearms. These routes are going down. Not some time this fall, but sometime in the next week or two.

Everyone wants that one awesome day, when all those hard routes fall to your climbing skills as if you lapped them all the time. I've decided that I'm done with that mentality. I'm not going to measure my accomplishments by what I can do in a day, but by what I can do in a season. The best would be to not think about any of it until I'm in my 80's, but you've got to feed your ego a little bit to progress in this sport.

See you on the rocks!

-Josh