F.U.N.
>> Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Rick doing "The Virgins of Howe", .11d
Tyson pocket pickin' on Ghosts in the Shell, .12a
Tom rapping into the Solstice Wall (the wall is not a slab, btw)
Sunrise from atop the Headwall at the Fins, looking south. Big Southern Butte is on the right skylineThis past Sunday I was able to complete a project route named Al's Diner at the Fins.
Redpointing .13a for me is something that is well within my abilities but often times eludes me. Just like everyone else I've got the same excuses, (family, job, injuries, age, blah, blah, blah) that keep that carrot just out of arms reach. This time, however, the carrot tasted pretty sweet. Plus, it got me thinking more about the whole concept of "projecting" a route.
In the 11 or so years that I've been hugging rocks, I've seen some climbers get so wound up about sending their projects that it's made me wonder if they've forgotten why they started climbing in the first place. I've seen grown men and women on the verge of tears because they fell and didn't send. I've seen seemingly mature adults throw toddler-like tantrums when success was not the outcome on a route.
Which brings me to my point: Isn't this supposed to be fun? I will admit that I too get bummed when things don't work out but the most important lesson I've learned is that even if you are successful on a route, life goes on – you still have to mow the grass, pay the bills, clean the cat box, etc. To me, what makes a better person is someone who can learn from their failures and keep smiling. It's not worth getting bent out of shape when things don't go as planned. Which bring me to another point – Don't "plan" on anything other than walking away from the crag with a smile on your face.
Oh, and Tom also walked away with a smile on his face too – and the redpoint as well on Al's Diner! Good work T-Rock.
Redpointing .13a for me is something that is well within my abilities but often times eludes me. Just like everyone else I've got the same excuses, (family, job, injuries, age, blah, blah, blah) that keep that carrot just out of arms reach. This time, however, the carrot tasted pretty sweet. Plus, it got me thinking more about the whole concept of "projecting" a route.
In the 11 or so years that I've been hugging rocks, I've seen some climbers get so wound up about sending their projects that it's made me wonder if they've forgotten why they started climbing in the first place. I've seen grown men and women on the verge of tears because they fell and didn't send. I've seen seemingly mature adults throw toddler-like tantrums when success was not the outcome on a route.
Which brings me to my point: Isn't this supposed to be fun? I will admit that I too get bummed when things don't work out but the most important lesson I've learned is that even if you are successful on a route, life goes on – you still have to mow the grass, pay the bills, clean the cat box, etc. To me, what makes a better person is someone who can learn from their failures and keep smiling. It's not worth getting bent out of shape when things don't go as planned. Which bring me to another point – Don't "plan" on anything other than walking away from the crag with a smile on your face.
Oh, and Tom also walked away with a smile on his face too – and the redpoint as well on Al's Diner! Good work T-Rock.
1 comments:
sage advice oh most humble rockmaster!
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