disobey_gravity | friday glee post

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sixbeforelunch posting in

disobey_gravity

Post your climbing glee here. Anything and everything climbing-related that made you proud or happy is welcome.

I have no climbing glee because I did not make it to the gym once this week. I plan to live vicariously through you guys' glee. ;)

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From:

rydra_wong

1. My new shoes have finally broken in that last millimetre, and are now tight but not painful, and they really suit my foot shape.

2. I went into the climbing wall yesterday and was greeted by the unmistakable EEEEEEEE of kids with severe autism having a good time (I'm not only Aspie myself, I've also spent a lot of time working with kids and young people with severe autism, so this is very familiar). Turned out there was a group from a playscheme on a visit, and it was clearly a big hit.

I grinned like an idiot. MY PEOPLE, in one of my favourite places.

3. I fell wildly in lust with an orange V5. I've only done a few V4s so far, so this should be way out of my league -- and it's certainly at the very edge of my ability -- but so far I've managed to do every move except the last at least once (though it's 50-50 whether I'll bring any of them off on a given occasion).

It's very very balance-y, and most of it is actually a low-level traverse. So the moves are viciously hard -- my fingers are going to be made out of steel if I ever get to the point where I can link it -- but barely a step above the ground. There isn't that psychological factor of knowing that you're going to take a big fall if you try but fail.

You only take a significant fall on the last three moves, and because of how that bit's set up (climbing over the lip of an overhanging feature), you tend to fall out and back with no risk of bashing yourself on a hold on the way down (which is something I usually loathe about vertical walls).

I usually really like working with the psychological element in bouldering, but it's interesting to put it aside for a while and see what I can do by way of pure technical difficulty.

I think I'm going to get a lot out of working on this, whether I ever send it or not.

From:

sixbeforelunch

Oh man, that's awesome. All of it. Yay for good shoes and yay for young autistics (people with autism? *is uncertain of what descriptor comes first in that case*) being joyful and yay for V5s and your mad climbing skillz. You rock much. :)

From:

rydra_wong

young autistics (people with autism? *is uncertain of what descriptor comes first in that case*

Some professionals and parents are very strict about only using "person first" language and saying "people with autism".

Then some people on the spectrum actually prefer "autistic people" (on the grounds that the autism is not detachable, it's part of who we are).

So it's one of those complicated politicized self-identification issues.

I seem to alternate depending on who I'm talking to and whether they know I'm on the spectrum or not (because sometimes it's easier than explaining), or use them interchangeably *g*.

From:

sixbeforelunch

Ah. I had a feeling it might be one of those thing where there's no clear cut answer.

Then some people on the spectrum actually prefer "autistic people" (on the grounds that the autism is not detachable, it's part of who we are).

*nods* This is the way I tend because that makes more sense to me, but of course you need to tailor for your audience.

But as I'm not officially diagnosed with anything (just strongly suspect myself of having Asperger's), I can't really get away with pushing one way or the other, I guess.

Thanks for the answer.

From:

abyssinia

I had a day at the bouldering gym where even two feet felt TOO FAR OFF THE GROUND and halfway up every route was "OMG I'm going to fall and die!" but I kept climbing anyway and forced myself not to quit partway up routes I knew I could make and managed to top over a route that was at the very edge of my ability rating-wise and another route I'd been climbing most of and then freaking out and climbing down for two weeks now.

And I'm definitely noticing improvement in how I cling to the wall and what I can hold onto and my thought process in how I move up the wall YAY!

From:

rydra_wong

\o/ Sometimes the psychological progress is the most exciting stuff.

From:

abyssinia

It was ridiculous. Even though they didn't slip once, I didn't trust my feet to stay on ANYTHING and I was terrified partway up routes I've climbed easily several times.

And I'm not sure if I made psychological progress so much as listened to the drill sergeant in my head who was yelling at me for being a whimp and how it would be WAY easier to just go up the 3 remaining holds and top over than climb all the way down and, yeah, AUGH still.
(especially because I bet the route that's been taunting me for weeks will be gone when I next go back and I WANTED TO DEFEAT IT BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED and I did!)

It's like I'm not trusting what I know I can do. I don't know if rope-climing a few weeks ago got me re-used to the idea of a rope catching me (though I've bouldered several times since and been fine) or what.

That said, YAY YAY YAY to your comment! V4 and V5 routes? YOU ARE A ROCK STAR! And the news shoes are awesome!

From:

rydra_wong

I WANTED TO DEFEAT IT BEFORE IT DISAPPEARED and I did!

That's the best feeling!

I find I do get a lot of fluctuation; there are plenty of days when my head's really not in it and I have to re-learn the psychological stuff, if that makes any sense. But that's part of the process, I think. And it gets easier to re-learn every time I do it.

V4 and V5 routes

Only a few V4s so far, and none overhanging. And the V5 is strictly a project. Even if I can do the individual moves, I don't know if I'll ever be able to link it. But the moves are so lovely!

(Plus I can do it all without stressing my twinge-y shoulder, which is a major bonus.)