I think I may finally be improving again, rather than just trying desperately not to get any worse!!! Woot!
Context: all through last summer I climbed lots and lots and lots, and by last fall I was in great shape, doing mostly 5.11's, constantly improving, etc. It was good times! Then between December and, well, now, I've been lucky to make it once a week, and more often have gone two or more weeks between climbs. The result has not been pretty. I've spent most of these few-and-far-between climbs doing 5.9s with effort, having to sit on the 5.10as, not even trying anything harder than that, and getting increasingly frustrated with myself and my schedule. But I've been a little more consistent the past couple of weeks, and today I made pretty easy work of three different 5.10as, did a 5.10c with fairly minimal fits and starts, and even made it halfway up a 5.11b (albeit rather ingloriously, and ultimately I was thwarted; but I'm counting it a victory--first 5.11 in six months).
I just really hope I can keep this up!!!
Also gleeful about this evening's climb: there was a new 5.11d with a move from hell--overhanging climb, and a crazy giant sloper, and an almost-dyno (depending somewhat on height) move from the sloper to the next hold, which is an itty-bitty crimp, footholds in all the wrong places--and everyone in the gym who climbs at that level was giving it a whirl. And in over two hours, no one got it (the consensus seems to be that even if the rest of the route is a 5.11d, that move is at least a 5.12a), but it was one of those great community moments when everyone was sitting around watching and encouraging and taking turns and such, and that kind of thing is something I always love about climbing!
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Context: all through last summer I climbed lots and lots and lots, and by last fall I was in great shape, doing mostly 5.11's, constantly improving, etc. It was good times! Then between December and, well, now, I've been lucky to make it once a week, and more often have gone two or more weeks between climbs. The result has not been pretty. I've spent most of these few-and-far-between climbs doing 5.9s with effort, having to sit on the 5.10as, not even trying anything harder than that, and getting increasingly frustrated with myself and my schedule. But I've been a little more consistent the past couple of weeks, and today I made pretty easy work of three different 5.10as, did a 5.10c with fairly minimal fits and starts, and even made it halfway up a 5.11b (albeit rather ingloriously, and ultimately I was thwarted; but I'm counting it a victory--first 5.11 in six months).
I just really hope I can keep this up!!!
Also gleeful about this evening's climb: there was a new 5.11d with a move from hell--overhanging climb, and a crazy giant sloper, and an almost-dyno (depending somewhat on height) move from the sloper to the next hold, which is an itty-bitty crimp, footholds in all the wrong places--and everyone in the gym who climbs at that level was giving it a whirl. And in over two hours, no one got it (the consensus seems to be that even if the rest of the route is a 5.11d, that move is at least a 5.12a), but it was one of those great community moments when everyone was sitting around watching and encouraging and taking turns and such, and that kind of thing is something I always love about climbing!