Friday glee is like a feather

[rydra_wong]

The Friday post of glee is where you get to tell us about your climbing-related happiness this week.

N.B. Please feel free to post your glee on any day of the week; the Friday glee is just to get the ball rolling.

To enhance this week's glee: stolen shamelessly from UKClimbing.com, the video of James MacHaffie's redpoint of his first 9a, Big Bang, complete with a move-by-move commentary from Caff, which is completely fascinating for those of us who like geeking out about such things.

In other news, Charlotte Durif has reportedly also got her first 9a -- a matter of minutes before turning 21. This makes her possibly the second woman ever to climb this grade.

Comments

[aella_irene]

I climbed! And I am not even too sore. (Okay, last night picking up my electric kettle hurt. But it doesn't hurt anymore!)

[rydra_wong]

W00t!

[wpadmirer]

YAY!

[rydra_wong]

I finally worked out how to do the crux move on one of my projects! And I'm having huge fun on the new circuits, which are tasty and scary.

[wpadmirer]

YAY!

[wpadmirer]

My glee this week is the continued pleasure of my new climbing partner. Michelle was a caver, so she'd done rappelling and climbing in caves, but had never bouldered or top-roped for rock climbing. She was immediately able to climb 5.5 and 5.6 routes with a couple of cheats. Last night she completed her first route with no cheats, AND did her first 5.6 with an overhang.

She's an amazing partner and I am counting my blessings every day to have found someone who loves the challenge as much as I do!

[rydra_wong]

\o/ It must be interesting for her, going from caving to climbing.

[wpadmirer]

It's definitely different for her. First of all, it's in the light! (grin)

[fadeaccompli]

On Tuesday, I sent two routes which I'd only been able to finish once before. So, nothing new, but they were both challenging ones that I wasn't sure I could do, and it was deeply satisfying to actually finish them again.

[rydra_wong]

\o/ It can be a worthwhile thing to do -- going from feeling "I can get lucky and do this once" to "this is a level of performance I can consistently manage".

[astridv]

I climbed on red sandstone in Utah. It was a very different experience from the stuff I usually do. The grip you have on this rock is just amazing, I could hang on to handholds that were slopey, and get my feet on the tiniest of ledges. The altitude and the heat kept me from climbing a lot though, unfortunately. Still, it was great.

[rydra_wong]

\o/ Friction is a beautiful thing.

[ridicully]

I did all the problems in the beginners circuit - except for one that I can't yet figure out - and started on the easy circuit.
Then I realized that I can now do 5s comfortably on the top rope and 5+ is only regularly challenging and not scary as hell any more.
And I broke in my own shoes!

(Since I did all this today, I won't be able to move at all on Sunday, but it was worth it :)

[rydra_wong]

\o/ W00t!

Hot bath with Epsom salts? *g*

[emperor]

I got some climbing in Wales yesterday (a "traditional" VDiff, in that the last pitch was run out and on rather ... exciting rock); if it ever stops raining, I might manage some more this weekend!

[rydra_wong]

\o/ Sounds like the hardcore trad experience. *g*