The Hard NOX of Life
Jodi battles with the crux moves in the dihedral of 'Groove Tube'(5.13a)
This past weekend was a bit different from the previous ten
weekends. I actually DIDN’T go climbing
on Saturday for the first time in a long time.
Instead I rested, I went to the beach and had breakfast with my family
and enjoyed finally getting a solid bed put together and in my room.. Things fell into place quite nicely, and
Sunday morning I was driving out to Equinox with two really good friends and
climbing partners Forest and Kevin. The
weather has been unusually warm and unusually consistently warm.
Kevin taking his time on a warm up burn of 'The Warm Up'(5.12b)
We typically don’t hit high 80’s and even low 90’s until the end of August and when we do it only lasts for a few days. The warm weather seemed to have just spontaneously shown up and decided to stay. It’s really quite annoying because I feel in great shape to take down some hard routes lately but the warm weather has kept me off.
Kevin on 'The Warm Up'(5.12b)
The latest trip was to Equinox to ramp up the psyche on a climb called fight club, but first I needed to finish up some old/new business and close up a route called Groovin’ in tha’ woods. After a couple of rest days I was still feeling a little warn out, probably as a result of the warm weather. I warmed up well, but felt shaky and somewhat un-settled and heavy. My first burn on Groovin’ I felt as shaky and scared as I ever have but managed to power through the bottom crux and ended up at the rest for what seemed like 5-7 minutes due to someone else trying the top part where the route ends. When I was finally given the green light I felt pretty damn good actually and ended up surprising myself when I came face to face with chains but had to make one more desperate bump move to the victory jugs above the chains and came flying off sideways. I was pretty pissed because I had done all of that sketchy ass climbing only to be spit off literally above the chains. Fuck. I just wanted something under my belt but in the end I knew I could climb it better and wanted to send it in good style.
Kevin executing the heel hook crux sequence on 'The Warm Up'(5.12b)
Kevin working the moves on one of the Nox's best 'Fight Club'(5.13c)
Me relaxing on the first rest of 'Artifact'(5.12d)
The next go was uneventful. I climbed the lower crux much better but I just could not get anything back at the rest and fell in the upper crux revolving around a barn door-ish type move. I finally got centered, took a dump, drank a beer, ate some food, and got back on. I felt as if I climbed well but still felt tired in the upper crux and it was a bit desperate to stay on as I nearly fell again going to the finishing jugs but held on this time and clipped the chains. SWEET! I was happy to be done with this climb and feel like I’m able to legitimately move on.
Me on the top of 'Artifact'(5.12d), a short but bouldery and sustained route, one of the best at the Nox for the grade.
Executing the sequence on Groove Tube on my way to sending 'Groovin' in tha' Woods'(5.13b); a link up between Artifact and Groove Tube.
Holding the sketchy barn-door move before climbing out of the dihedral.
Being lowered in to the hands of the Nox god.
Forest is psyched for the double Kirkland Signature Light celebration shotgun! Who could blame him??
Forest at the first rest on 'White Magic'(5.12d), a high start to Black Magic which starts lower in a small cave.
I was beat and my first go on Fight club was an absolute shit show. Fight club is going to be very very hard to link. It’s not exactly the longest route but it’s so stacked that after doing the bottom 5.12b portion which ends at anchors around the 40foot mark you feel as pumped as if you had just climbed 75feet. It’s nasty. But it’s also quite brilliant and the moves are the kind of moves I love, big lock offs to good incuts, and the feet are plentiful throughout the whole route. To sum it up you climb 65 feet of sustained 5.12+ climbing into a heartbreaker finish, a dyno from two small crimps.
Forest negotiating through the redpoint crux on Black/White Magic.
I’m super motivated to make some progress on this thing when we come back next weekend (4th of July), but I can’t pretend that I’m not secretly thinking about my bigger objectives at little si. I also am not 100% healthy. I have the beginnings of a pulley tear and I also have not been feeling like I’m in top shape lately. Maybe it’s due to the fact that I’ve been climbing outside so much and I’ve really dropped the ball on my training regiment, or it could be the heat, or it could be the fact that I’ve also let my diet float a bit, I’ve gained a few pounds and I just feel slightly out of it. I have to admit that falling on the last move of flatliner last week was a bit of a kick in the balls. I felt so ready to send but it just didn’t happen. I’ve been in this position before and I know things will change, and really if it is due to the warm weather that’s an easy fix, because all I have to do is just wait and train.
Forest sticking a dynamic move to the victory jug.
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