It feels like the whole summer has passed since my last entry. I’ve spent the last 3 weeks helping my father get back on his feet after a few bumps in the road. I drove him to his house in Cali after the trade show in SLC. He was in SLC having some orthoscopic surgery. So after the Trade Show we were off. I hadn’t been climbing well so after a full 7 days off I wasn’t too concerned to climbing. I had some work lined up so I was excited to make a lil’ scratch while I was helping Dad. I knew I was going to have to get back in shape soon since I wanted to return to Colorado feeling good. Time to get back in it. I spent a few days on plastic which were very poor, I couldn’t finish V7’s in the gym. I was getting nervous. But on my third climbing day which happened to be 2nd day on. I got my friend Will, who is my main climbing connection in the bay to drive me up to Mortar Rock. The weather was crisp, and luckily for me it was going to stay like that for the next week. After warming up on the stellar eliminates at Indian Rock down the road we walked up to Mortar Rock. I had an unfinished problem from last October, Chinese Connection, V12. Its a great line with side pulls, crimps, and undercuts. The moves are great but the rock is SHARP!!! I felt the moves out again the day before and they felt desperate. Today I pulled on and just about got through the bottom crux. I knew I would finish it if I climbed into the stand start. I pulled on and just barley climbed into the stand. The stand starts with a left side pull pinch and a right hand undercling pinch. From the sit you have to drive up into the undercling pinch with low feet.
just barley still in there I made the next moves and was faced with the final hard move, a hard hand foot match off a small sharp crimp. I fell on this move for days last time around. Getting back to this point so quick after feeling horrible for days, I got a surge of energy. I took one second to gather myself and drove my foot up and nailed it. What a great feeling.
Indian and Mortar Rock are special places for me. I started bouldering here during summers spent with my Dad as a teenager. Whenever I do a new problem here I get a little sentimental. soon had the same feeling, with an ascent of Don’t Worry Be Snappy, V12. Snappy is an extremely cool problem. The meat and potatoes revolves around a difficult right hand lock off to a blind pocket crimp.
New beta has been found by pressing your palms in a roof and to shuffle yourself to the pocket crimp. It seemed weird to me and I wanted to climb it with its original sequence even if it may be harder. These problems are gems.
Another thing I did aside form climbing and hanging out with Pop’s, I read Jerry Moffatts autobiography, Revelations. Jerry has been a hero of mine since the beginning. I love british climbing culture and was excited to read his story. All I can say it that anyone that has dedicated their life to climbing like me should read this book. It is filled with exciting stories and really was a joy to read.
