Chronic Delivery

Time to re-visit the garden.

So proud of my friend Zi for sending his project Chronic (5.13b) this last weekend!  And his first of the grade.  That brings the toll of people I have seen climb their first .13b on this route to 6, myself included in that number.  Zi has been following a pretty logical path of progression at Little si since last season, taking his time to tick off the big four(Propaganda, Californicator, Technorigine, and Psychosomatic) and now he is starting off the season in good form sending Californication and now Chronic.  Funny how things seem to just fall in place after putting in your time here.  I was psyched to have arrived at the wall just in time to watch him lace up his boots and get to work.  He glided effortlessly up the first half resting well at the typewriter before launching into the red point crux, sticking the sidepull and watching his fingers dance across the juggy surface of the gaston horn jug.  I glanced over to see him resting casually at the sloper jug, 'one more boulder!' I thought out loud, and I'm sure the same thought was going through Zi's head as well.  The tension built at this point, the last few times Zi has worked this route his heel has blown off unexpectedly on a somewhat precarious and technical move (the heel hook shown above).  He launched off the last jug and flew up the final boulder problem guarding the chains.  It was quick and dramatic and an amazing moment to have witnessed coming to a close.  It was over in seconds and I think we were all expecting more of a struggle but I'm quite sure Zi was relieved that there wasn't one.  Well done my friend!

Abo top rope: destroying photos of chronic since 1997.

 

The day was just ending for some and just getting started for others.  I had purposefully gotten to the wall late in the day (typical summer start at 2:00pm) hoping to avoid crowds, fat day hikers, and the dreaded parking fiasco that has gone from kind of ridiculous (last season) to absolutely desperate (sort of like the Republican campaign as of late) this season.  I found a spot in the upper lot, which is a win, but the trail was more crowded than I have ever seen.  I don't need to go into it.  The wall was actually pretty busy as well.  Two pitches in two hours?  C'mon!

World Wall 1, an amazing summer crag and a wonderful place to shoot poorly lit photos. Eleanor on Chronic (5.13b)

 

The magic happened on my second burn of Pornstar.  My first burn was a disaster when I decided to throw all of my previous foot beta out of the window, make a stretched out clip, and then skate off the holds with a sinking feeling of ‘long-term’ in the back of my mind.  I revisited some of the changes I had made previously engraving them in my mind and then took a long rest.  My second burn was truly one of the best I’ve had.  I got into that ‘floating’ mind state, moved quickly and efficiently, took good rests, and found myself shaking out at the brick and crimp rest just before the last boulder.  I launched into the sequence and got one move farther than I ever had falling trying to perch on the brick.  I pulled back up and cruised it to the finish.  Break through!  I wasn’t sure I could repeat this kind of performance but ended the day doing the exact same thing but feeling just a little more tired.  This is so huge for me.  All of sudden this project is now in the closing stages and I didn’t really spend a lot of time on the struggle bus yet.  But I don’t want to jinx myself.  I just want to focus on this progress and use it to get a little further.  I’m positive that once I can perch on the brick I should have it done, but I’m not naïve to climbing’s little tricks, I know that once you think you’re golden another move you never thought would be a problem starts to make itself known. 

 

 

I’m headed back to Leavenworth this weekend for another little hiatus.  Rain is supposed to set in this weekend so I’m going to spend it in the sunny and crisp environs of the east.  And believe me, I would much rather be at Little si obsessing over my project, especially in the light of this new development, BUT I’m going to try and do some things differently this year and that includes not getting overly invested in something I want so dearly.  My emotions are turned up right now so I think it’s a perfect time to step back and do something different before returning to the project.  Bouldering is a great way to foster small successes while staying strong and refreshing the psyche.  The temps look great for this weekend in Leavenworth, and then next week the siege will continue.  Hopefully it’s a short siege, but if not, I’m ready whatever the wall has to throw at me.  I will say this, I’m pretty sure I won’t be doing anything else until Pornstar is done.