If you've been watching Game of Thrones, you'd be aware that winter can be hard. Well it seems like that's the implication of the morose catch phrase. And while I wouldn't say its been a hard as nails winter in the Wimmera, it hasn't been the rainbows and lolly pops everyone had been hoping for. That said I feel that I have had some experiences that I will learn from and that is pretty sweet.
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| Gerd on Flying Duck 32. Photo J.Kinder |
Last post, I'd just sent Lord of the Rings 31 at Mount Arapiles. Such a sweet route. That was the last route of note that I have sent. Long time between drinks I would say. What happened? Well I was feeling pretty strong coming of a good cycle of hangboarding and campusing and my goal has been to have another nudge at Flower Power 33 at Muline. I'd come some close last year and felt that I was stronger, at least in the fingers. Instead of getting straight on it, I'd planned to do a couple of other routes first. Up first Flying Duck, 32. After working out a silly sequence I was falling off with my hand slapping the last hold you'd accept falling off. A few times of this, I moved on to Snap Dragon, 31. This sweet climb crosses some totally inspiring terrain and finishes with a hard heel or pounce move. I feel its like a 28 into a V5 or something like that. I'm not good with breaking things down like that, but after a quick session to work the moves, I then fell off the last move more times than I want to imagine. Off the rope I could do the move in about 3 different ways, from the ground, even when not pumped I could only watch as the lip fell away for another time. The Vertical Life boys took some footage while we were all there and used it in their promo video. The move looks easy. But, the hold that you use with your left hand is so pox, that I guess a slight drop in body tension makes the difference from the ground. Frustration to the max, only compounded by the fact that it was finger numbing cold, or wet for the last 6 weeks. Out at Mt Arapiles, I'd also tried Leaps and Bounds, 31. A Dave Jones testpiece on the back of the Bluffs. I found that I was too short and too tall for the two obvious sequences, and have come up with a slightly imaginative way to get through. Again, my high point was probably the last 'non-suicidal if failed' move.
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| My Flapper from hitting the last move of Snap Dragon |
So what else has been going on......
1) I quit my full time job - kinda stressful
2) Sold my Navara - stressful
3) Turned 30 - stressful although the party was bloody awesome
4) Converted a VW van - yep stressful at times
5) Found out that last few months of planning to be in South Africa was a waste - stressful
6) Moved house for the 20th time. - not as bad as some of the other shite
In a nutshell its been a hectic few months. I will admit that I can be a stress head at times, and all those things happening in such a short time sucked. Particularly number 5) as going to South Africa had, I can admit now been the driving force behind every thing else - all part of the plan so to speak. Except turning 30, I guess that was always gonna happen. Among all that I have hung out with a great bunch people, locals and travelers alike and have learned a heap from them. Gerd Dieter and Nicholas 'Grug' Perndt who I spent most of my time climbing with this winter, both know how to try really, really hard. That's something that I often forget to do. Watching them climb making all sorts of noises has been an inspiring wake up call. I also hung out with Joe Kinder (who I'd seen in videos for as long as I've been climbing) and Lindsey Tjian from the states. They were a ton of fun and so psyched, and similarly inspiring, with both ticking their respective projects on their last day of climbing in Australia, Joe in the pouring rain. So sick. It will be great to hang out with them again soon. Recently Lee Cossey and Andrea Hah came to Natimuk for a week or so and it was great hanging out with them again. I used to climb a lot with Andrea and it is great so see how strong she's gotten with my own eyes. So rad. Lee, well Lee is always bloody good. It was also super sweet to be able to bounce some training/climbing ideas off these guys. It reiterated that for me to continue to become a better/smarter climber I need to be surrounding myself with more like minded people - I'm not always as self motivated as I hope to be.
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| Lee and Andrea - just cause they hate #hashtags |
Shit, reading that back makes it sound so sad and gloomy.....on the contrary. I've had some great fun and meet some great people. New friends, and getting to know old ones better is something that I really cherish in climbing.
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| Simon Mentz re-enacting the squeeze drama |
So, the next little while looks good. I'm up in Nowra at the moment, trying to get a bit of volume in for a week before heading back to the Wimmera for a few weeks of casual work. Then it gets exciting, remember how I mentioned I'd quit my full time job as a Paramedic, well for good reason. I'm going to finally do something I should have done years ago and give climbing a real good go. Not just moving to Natimuk, but traveling more and consciously making changes in order in improve. Natimuk was just what I needed at the time, access to climbing on rock, more than 4 days every few months that I was getting when working in Melbourne. And its been a great ride there, awesome people when they are around haha, and the best rock in Australia within 1 hours drive. Time to move on for a bit, and first stop is Germany. In the spirit of attacking my weaknesses, I'll be heading to the Frankenjura to get my arse handed to me by the powerful pocket pulling. After that, over to the States to learn how to climb on granite and cracks of course.
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| Always inspired by the suburban feel - Nowra |
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| Home for next while. - Blue Lucy |
That's as far as I've planned but shits getting real now. My "normal" life is packed away in storage and I'm living in my van for next 5 weeks until I leave. Waking up at the moment with only climbing on the agenda and I'm loving it.
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| Gerd on my Porta-Gym setup - complete with rings and weights |
I plan to write more often now that I've gotten over my winter blues. Till next time
- Grosey
