Year 2 on a wall

My first year climbing was more or less experimental. I was discovering this new sport with Simon for the first time, hanging out with friends, and getting some gym time in to improve overall health. But I as started getting comfortable on the wall, we found ourselves flashing V3’s, then V4’s. By year two, I went into each of my sessions with more intentionality and specific goals, and identified weaknesses to work through. In my second year of climbing, I…

Improved my grip, and actually held onto seemingly impossible holds

Learned to use my flexibility to my advantage

Strengthened my fingers and got good at tiny crimps

Worked on my footwork and improved at slab

Started using techniques more seamlessly, like drop knees

Practiced my pull ups because sometimes brute strength is the technique

Used yoga and balance to complement my climbing

Learned to do a layback

Improved my power/explosiveness and, as a result, reach

Got better at just committing to the scary thing

Learned to flow in my movement

Fell… a lot

I also…

• worked on smearing, slopers, toe hooks, and whatever other moves I don’t know a name for

• discovered how much I love using balance over strength with techniques like stemming, mantling, and climbing inside corners (dihedrals) facing outwards

• was able to catch myself in more dynamic moves and actually hold on

• improved my stamina, and conquered long stretches of the overhung wall

• broke in my first NEW pair of shoes

• tore way less skin off my hand (no more nasty flappers)

• flailed around less to reduce knee and elbow bruises, and injuries overall (I think?)

• logged my sends in Kaya to track my progress and hold myself accountable to make consistent progress

• watched competitive climbing for the first time, staying up through the night to stream the Olympics finals with our friends. I learned the importance of reading a route quickly (for bouldering) and the importance of being steady, conserving energy, finding rest spots (for lead climbing).

• found climber girls to look up to, like Brooke Raboutou, Janja Garnbret, and Miho Nonaka

• watched people climb real rock outdoors

• traveled places to climb (like Colorado!) and tried out gyms around the world (in London, Taiwan, Japan, New York). It’s fun to compare how grading difficulty varies, try out vastly different setting styles, and touch all types of wall textures and holds.

“A climber is not crazy. He’s not out to get himself killed. He knows what life is worth. He is in love with living.”

— Walter Bonatti

I love climbing because it’s also a mental challenge. It may not look it, but it’s a meditative activity that improves, and eventually helps you master your mind-body connection.

It’s always possible to find a problem that’s just hard enough so you don’t get bored, but doable if you try hard enough. There are endless creative solutions to every problem as well, like Adam Ondra can attest to. Soon enough, everything in the world around us we start to see as a climbing problem. The world becomes a fun puzzle, for hiking, scrambling, climbing — whatever it takes.

Climbing builds patience and persistence, and a sense of accomplishment after doing something physically and mentally challenging. And that thrill you get, the moment of euphoria after the send, keeps us going. To me, it’s the essence of flow.

Always love visiting new gyms and trying out new types of setting styles

Stupidly using my flexibility to compensate for bad route reading

Omg where did this hulk arm come from

My last climb… for now

“I climb […] to experience, even if only fleetingly, that precious victory run to the chains. It is then that your body is flooded with endorphins, from the physical effort, and with calming neurotransmitters released by your parasympathetic nervous system, which has kicked in now that the sending pressure is off. It is then that all of life’s fear and anxiety and existential dread drop away, and you simply exist in flow. It is then that you climb your absolute freest, in unfettered communion with the rock. That feeling is one of the most powerful drugs in the world.”

— Matt Samet

Just as I was starting to pick up momentum last summer at the strongest I’d ever been, I diverged from my usual training routine for two months traveling, and then entered my second trimester of pregnancy as we started the new year. So all this to say, my second year of climbing is on pause at the moment. And I cannot wait to return to the wall and get my strength back. And perhaps bring a tiny new member into the gym. :)

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