ratings schmatings

im in florida this week for a thanksgiving break. after stuffing my face for what felt like 48 straight hours, i decided to check out orlando's climbing gym, aiguille rock climbing center the experience of climbing in florida was definitely worthwhile - even if just indoors.

i managed to hit the gym twice and both times was pretty intrigued by the fact that everything i tried seemed much harder here than in my gym in denver. 5.8s felt like 5.10s. the difficulty variance (denver to orlando) was so great that i thought that either: a) one gym's route setter(s) didn't know what they hell he/she/they were doing or b) ratings are so incredibly subjective that, well, what i was experiencing should be expected. (an aside: i've also noticed this trend outdoors. one climbing area's ratings vary quite a bit from another - in terms of overall area difficulty.)

it all makes sense if you think about it. some types of routes will naturally be easier for you if, say, you're short or tall, have stronger legs or a stronger back, have fatter fingers or more overall flexibility, etc. in addition, considering that no two routes are alike, how can you possibly expect ratings to inform of much within such a relatively narrow window? -5.5<>5.14+ add to that the subjectivity of our human experiences, motivations, etc. and it all starts falling apart rather quickly.

so, my newbie advice: don't be beholden to the weight of ratings. just go out there and climb. while you are, don't be surprised if you rip up a 5.10+ in colorado and then get stuck on a 5.9- in orlando.

nope. didn't pass the lead test today.

my gym has one route that is used for lead testing. an overhung 5.9. pretty tough stuff. i tried onsighting it (onsighting a climb means climbing it the first time without falling and without help in any form from someone else.) ha. i got 3/4 of the way up and then fell. i barely had time to yell "take" before falling 5 feet or so. darn. felt good to try however.

overall, great day at the gym. overhung routes are so tough for me. grrr.

it's so zen

i've been thinking a bit lately about why i climb, why other people climb, why i'm blogging about it all, and whether it all matters.

while i don't have any profound answers at this point, ive decided to blog a bit less about my activities and "results" and a bit more about the why.

i asked my friend alex today: "why do you climb?" she responded, "because it's zen." she went on to explain that as a young rower there was nothing that induced a state of meditation for her like rowing. climbing, similarly, invokes for her a sense of centering and focus that she hasnt found in other activities. "when im up there, nothing else matters."

i'm finding that too. climbing is oddly spiritual and, as alex suggested, feels "zen." it's also highly addictive. drug-like if you will. but is that an end? does climbing's intensity, its call for commitment, its tribe/religious like attributes, etc. trivialize things that might be or should be more important?

i dont have an answer, but im definitely curious to explore the question. until then, i'll keep climbing.

becoming a leader

finally. im leading. (lead climbing involves using protection (i.e. metal bolts, cams, quick draws, etc.) to protect yourself throughout a climb. protection is normally placed every five to ten feet. The climber can fall approximately two times their distance above the last piece of protection (if the climber is 3 feet above the last piece they can fall 6 feet).)

the last three weeks have mostly been spent gym climbing, but i did get to go outside last week. my friends erik and todd called to let me know they were heading down to clear creek canyon near golden. i decided to meet them. after one 5.10a climb we decided it was getting a bit cold and that it might be good to head back to town. because it's a canyon, a hidden sun in november usually means lots of shivering. after i packed my bag todd suggested we do one more route. i was reluctant, but eventually agreed. long story short, i ended up leading a 5.7. it was my first lead since my august 5.2 lead in the san luis valley. not sure why it took so long, but im often reluctant when im worried i don't know technique well enough. thankfully todd and erik encouraged me that day. yesterday i lead two 5.9s at the gym. im liking it. i just need more practice. also, i finally completed a V2 bouldering problem at the gym. climbing takes patience, but the rewards are awesome.

which brings me to an oservation about climbing as sport. unlike team sports or even most individual sports, climbing has fixed problems. problems/routes that don't really change (they'll change at the gym, but they are usually around just long enough.) i can't really think of many athletic activites that allow you to revist static problems/challenges over and over again until you figure them out. once you've succesfully "problem solved," wow, what a friggin' rush!