Where Your Head At?

Every step off the ground and onto a rock face requires a degree of mental strength and awareness. A climber, especially while leading, must identify, mitigate, and justify the risks he or she will face. It was that preparation that I lacked this past weekend during my first trip to the famous Tennessee Wall. As a result, I felt like a scared girl scout greeted at the door by a grumpy, overweight, hairy man who has no desire to buy her cookies. It was a tough day . . .

Being the first nice day in months, every trad climber in the tristate area headed to TWall on Saturday. The Vandy Outdoor Rec also benefited from the glorious weather, which was one of the few highlights of the day for me. Given the busy nature of the area, my group decided to head climbers left to the underutilized areas of TWall. As one might expect, the trail was rougher and the climbs dirtier.

The first climb I got on was Ribbon Cracks, 5.7. The discontinuous crack systems scaled a vertical wall of sandstone of about 50ft. Sparing you the details, It was the longest lead I have ever had. The moves were not hard, exposed, or hairy. My mind was a frail as J-e-l-l-o, however. One day later, my muscles are sore from all the hanging and over gripping. Every move seemed intimidating as my mind wandered to falling, wishing, and general unpleasantness. After several hangs on gear and one final move on the upper slab, I eventually made it to the rings. I do not EVER recall being so happy to clip the chains!

Hindsight is still less than 20/20. My best analysis is that I simply did not prepare myself mentally before the climb. Why? I don't know! It should be apparent to me by now that I NEED several minutes to visually scout out the route holds and placements, relax and center my mind and body - even if it is just 5.7. I also know that progressing in difficulty is key to my success on any given day. I should start SUPER easy and then move on with confidence. That first route can make or break a day for me right now, unfortunately.

Where to From Here?

Well, I must continue working on my lead head. I must take the time to focus completely before a climb and continue to work through the climb with confidence and commitment.

To be efficient and calm on trad climbs, I must become more comfortable with my gear. I spend far too much time and energy choosing and placing gear rather than climbing. With every second that passes while I place a piece, my muscles tire and my mind wanders. My remedy is to practice placing pieces with speed and precision ON THE GROUND. I want to be able to efficiently place gear on the first try, which requires intimate familiarity with my gear, including which sizes correspond to my fingers and hands.

I must learn from the day and move on rather than getting down about it. Outward Bound founder Kurt Hahn said that there is no learning without reflection. Too much reflection can put a mind in a bad place, though, so I'm going to move on. See you soon, T-Wall!