Where has the time gone? It's been a whole thirty-five days since I started chronicling my life online, but it doesn't feel like it's been nearly that long. To be honest, it really feels like a month ago I wasn't writing anything, but to know that I'm on day 35 just freaks me out.
I decided to take on a part-time job now that writing has become a daily routine and my course schedule has lightened up. In addition to that, I need a more efficient way to finance my climbing habit. Shoes, harnesses, chalk bags, and memberships can be expensive - particularly when they're well used.
I tried to convince a bunch of other people to join my climbing today, but they all stood me up. All the better for me, because I had full run of the gym by myself for a whole hour! I climbed everything from the VBs and V0s that I learned on, and then completed three different V1 routes. Quite an accomplishment for me. Finally, I tried a V2 route on for size.
It's called "Split Stems," but I have no idea what that means. What I do know, though, is that it's really freaking hard. It's in the corner by te crack, and you have one handhold and one foothold each on each wall. So you're stradling the crack in the corner; doesn't sound glamorous, and it's even worse to try to hold on to.
You shift your weight side to side and gradually move up to the point where you're 6-7 feet off the floor. Then you have to shift your weight to the left and grab hold of a big jug above your head. I got all the way to the last handhold, just a few inches from completing the climb, before I stopped.
When you hands get sweaty and start to slip, you can grab some chalk from the bag on your butt and reinforce your grip. When your feet get sweaty and start to slide in your shoes, you're SOL. I started to slide around on the last foothold and decided it would be safer to come back down than to try to lunge for the last hold.
Oh well. If I start on that route tomorrow I think I'll be fine.
Day 35 of 100 - Summary: Sweaty shoes suck.