Making Progress

My back seems to be making progress but that’s not what this post is about. I’m definitely moving better since the cortisone shot but the fact that sitting still bothers me is worrisome. But I’m doing everything I can so I try not to think about it. I do about an hour of PT daily, walk the dogs, hangboard, and can now climb a little.

I can’t ride, run, ski, or sit comfortably through a meal—meaning I’m pretty boring socially. But climbing is a form of traction. As long as I don’t fall (well, land) wrong or use my leg too much, climbing seems to help.

On my walks I’ve been looking for obscure traversing projects. Traverses are good because they can be long and stay low to the ground. This way I can train for climbing routes, alone, at my own pace. The best of these, by far, is one up in Big Cottonwood we call the G-Spot. It sits high above a crag in a secluded alcove overlooking the canyon with great views of the high country. It has a classic 30 move V4 traverse, and a low V10 traverse, that can be linked together in various ways. The result is a perfect training wall with a jillion dollar view.

My project is to link, eventually, the low traverse into the higher ones. Right now, I can’t do most of the moves on the low traverse, so I’m trying to link short section into the upper traverse for training.

Yesterday, things started poorly. I didn’t feel good and the hard sections I wanted to try felt like they’d put too much strain on my back. I was feeling a bit dejected and almost gave up, but it was a beautiful afternoon, so I sat down, enjoyed the surroundings, and thought about how to turn the day into a positive.

There’s an old climbing adage that says “make progress”, meaning each day you’re out try and find a way to further advance your ultimate goal. The aim is to make it further on a route than you have prior—that or doing a new route. But you can’t always do that, so it can also mean finding a new sequence, a trick, or maybe even ways to save energy on the approach or descent.

There’s a section of the traverse that’s quite unpleasant. It’s pretty easy, so there’s never been a good reason to try and make it nicer. But if I was going to spend some time it sure would be better if this section were more fun to climb. It’s like Patrick Edlinger once said, “To just try and get to the top is a waste of time. The goal is to climb in a way that’s pleasing.”

photo: my obscure object of desire. above and below: the edlinger quote comes from one of these two vids from the 80s. enjoy the vintage show.

My first few attempts were disheartening. I starred at the available holds, determined to find a better solution. Even if it were harder it would be okay if the movement were more aesthetic. I tried a series of highly improbably body positions until one put me into the correct balance to be able to flow through the section. Viola! I practiced it a few times and began to feel better, even stronger. I ended the session by doing a linkage I’d never managed before. As I postholed through the snow en route to my car, watching the sun set into the Wasatch, I felt quite fortunate to be living such a cool life.