Progress
Climbing with new people really hits home just how much of a novice I am when it comes to climbing. When climbing with friends who I have climbed with regularly in the past, it doesn’t matter as they are already well aware of my deficiencies and so they don’t have expectations beyond which I am comfortable delivering.
This is not necessarily a good thing. Ever since I went to Kentucky, I feel like my progression as a climber has taken a decidedly downward turn. I can’t help but wonder if that’s not because I’ve allowed myself to stay in that comfort zone and haven’t been around people who force me to stretch my boundaries. Usually I give up too early and I need a bit of an extra nudge to encourage me to continue and finish the climb. Without finishing, or at least putting in a full effort, I only leave feeling dissatisfied and disappointed.
Consequently, the last few months have been a bit of a struggle as I try to search for that motivation I’ve been lacking. Since climbing at the Red River Gorge, I haven’t really given myself the opportunity for the sort of satisfaction I had there, where I was getting on new climbs, left, right and centre, and really breaking new ground as far as my development as a climber is concerned.
This past week, I managed to get in touch with a climber in Owen Sound who has been looking for a climbing partner to climb with several times a week. Chris and I decided to meet and go climbing on Canada Day, but on the spur of the moment, we ended up going on Monday evening instead. I felt like a nervous wreck. It never ceases to astound my friends, but I tend to have deep anxiety about meeting new people, and this was off the Internet no less.
We were climbing within Owen Sound in the northern part of Harrison Park. I believe the first climb was a 5.8 crack protected by gear. This was the first climb I had ever done that was protected by gear, and additional, one of the first times I had ever climbed a crack. Fortunately the climb itself wasn’t too difficult; however, I actually found myself with sewing machine legs, something I hadn’t experienced in a long time, and on top rope too! I lowered off that route, relieved that I hadn’t looked too foolish on the route.
I wasn’t to be so lucky on the next route. This was a sport route, a mid 5.10 or so, which would normally be well within my grasp on top rope. I cruised the start, but as my muscles began to feel pumped, and I entered the crux, I was completed shot down. I ended up bumping through most of the last half of the route, feeling more than a little bit ridiculous. On reaching the anchors, I realized that there were no rappel rings to lower from and that I would have to top out and setup a rappel from there.
I should note that I absolutely hate cleaning a route. It’s a chore that I endure; I consider it some sort of token of gratitude to the rope gun that setup the top rope for me in the first place. Nevertheless, I never feel so exposed as I do cleaning an anchor. It’s not so bad when climbing somewhere like Cape Croker, where all the routes have anchors and rings; however, I’ll occasionally stumble across a route which breaks the mold I’m accustomed too, and so, spins me for a loop
This process seems relatively straightforward in retrospect, but in this situation – my mind clouded by my embarrassment over my rather inelegant ascent – it all seemed terribly confusing to me. I realized I would have to top out and rappel down, a process I have limited experience with, and don’t relish at all. Reaching the top, I pulled the whole rope up, slung it around a tree at the halfway point, tossed down the rope (this all took far longer than it should have and was also far more complicated than it needed to be), and then proceeded to start the rappel, Chris generously providing a fireman’s belay, maybe realizing that I was bumbling around far more than was safe. I had just made it past the edge, when foot slipped. In response, my upper body swung into the wall, and my left hand got jammed behind the rope and scraped across the rock, gouging three holes in the back of two fingers and my hand.
Somehow I held on, paused for a moment, and continued to the bottom, relieved that I had ended up there in one piece. I really should have insisted on being lowered, given my state of mind; however, the pressure of performing made me continue on. Fortunately despite bumbling along like an idiot, I had enough presence of mind to bumble along in a relatively safe manner and didn’t really get into any situation that held any more risk than a scraped hand and a bruised ego; but I do find it unsettling that I allowed myself to continue into that situation at all.
I decided that was the last climb for me for the evening, and we moved on to a difficult route that Chris has been projecting. I was slightly astonished, and slightly relieved, that he actually let me continue belaying him.
We decided to continue with our plans for climbing on Tuesday at the southern end of Harrison Park. Chris had never actually climbed there and was uncertain of the approach with a car. We parked at the Inglis Falls Conservation Area and hiked our way in until we determined that we should bushwhack to the base of the cliffs. As it turned out, we ended up bushwhacking something like a kilometre, through thick brush and over talus to the base of the first climb. The rough approach was offset somewhat by what I believe was a vultures nest in one of the deep crevasses that dot this section of the escarpment.
Chris first got on a beautiful crack, but quickly discovered that he didn’t have the gear for the climb. He downclimbed, recovering the gear on the way.
We then made our way to two bolted routes, with the beta that one was very hard and crappy, and one was hard and amazing. We examined the routes, both of which seemed quite thin from the bottom, before choosing the one on the right (5.11b/c). It turned out to be a fantastic route. Chris came quite close to redpointing it on his first go, and then I struggled up the route, performing somewhat better than I expected after my performance the night before, but coming up short of the anchors. Chris then redpointed the route, and setup a top belay as we had determined that it would be easier to return via the top of the cliffs.
Since it was now impossible for him to help me bump through difficult sections, we setup a somewhat improvised hauling system with a prussik and the remainder of the rope. By the time I reached the top, I was pumped out both from the difficult climbing, and also hauling myself through the tough bits. Reaching the anchors, I had to work myself around him, as well as our bags which he had hauled to that spot, and then top out the route, a prospect I didn’t relish, realizing the potential for a high factor fall and also with the uncertainty of the beta for this segment. Chris coached me through the beta, I worked my way through the segment, and quickly setup another anchor for him from which I could belay him to the top. We sat around chatting and appreciating the view before heading back to the car. We climbed what amounted to roughly one and a half routes, but ended up staying out for 7-8 hours due to the bushwhacking.
I was beat up from Tuesdays climbing and decided I would leave anymore climbing to the weekend. We ultimately decided to climb today at another crag in Owen Sound, West Rocks. West Rocks is predominately trad and is located in an old quarry that misfortune has located next to a highschool; the place is littered with broken beer bottles and the walls painted over with graffiti. We decided to start on an easy 5.7, which was split by horizontal cracks over its entire length. Chris led the route, and then I top roped it, placing gear as I went in order to get familiar with placements. It was a thrilling experience. My head was clear as I was on top rope, but I had to take my time and stretch out rest positions as I searched for good placements.
We then switched to a (poorly) bolted line, perhaps a 5.8 or 5.9. Chris decided to lead it on trad, since it really was a trad line anyway, I then followed on top rope, and he decided to then lead it again, place some gear and clip the bolts so I could have
a go at leading the route. I gamely did just that, before stalling toward the end, falling on the last bolt, and deciding to lower before the anchors… again. I was slightly disappointed in myself, but it wasn’t something I really wanted to do.
We then switched over to another trad line, a bit harder than the last, which I motored through on toprope, which was a big surprising for myself. Using the same anchor, we climbed a route beside it, the grade which I don’t know, since I got frustrated on that route and decided to finish on the original.
We ultimately decided to setup a top rope on a route just a bit further to the left which was supposedly quite difficult, though I am once again uncertain of the grade. It really offered nothing for protection except a rusty piton, and so we walked to the top to setup the rope. Chris climbed the route well, as he always does, and then convinced me that I should at least give it a go. I had already determined that I was done for the day at that point, but figured I would go ahead with it anyway. It proved to be my favourite route of the day. I stepped onto the route with zero expectations, half expecting to be blocked by the first few moves and yet managing to continue unstopped until a mini crux which I almost managed to cruise through as well except for my foot which slipped just as I was grabbing the hold. I managed to work through that sequence and finally decided to call it quits when I reached the large blank section at the top which had involved a gigantic dyno on Chris’ ascent and which I was not prepared to repeat.
It’s strange that despite bailing out twice today, I headed home feeling satisfied beyond belief. The week had started out a disaster but steadily improved. I am now feeling quite comfortable climbing on gear-protected routes and my first attempt to place gear myself had gone remarkably well and had been exhilarating despite being on top rope. Finally, today I far surpassed both my expectations, and Chris’s, climbing a route beyond my ability with ease that surprised me. I left feeling excited and rewarded; I had finally found what I was looking for these past few months. That’s what I call progress.
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Tags: Climbing, Harrison North, Harrison South, Motivation, Owen Sound, Sport, Trad, West Rocks
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