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August 18, 2003
Climb: Hoodwink
Yesterday. Bruce and I went to Tuolumne to climb Hoodwink (5 pitches, 10a) on the Harlequin dome. Long story short, it was crazy, fricken hard and scary. I got the scariest pitch, one in which you have to escape an 8' roof by getting good hand holds and then letting your feet cut lose, so you're just dangling over the abyss. I attempted it 4 times on lead (fell each time). Then twice more while following (after Bruce got it), before being 'helped' up. It was quite scary and insane. I've never done anything quite like that while trad climbing.Before the climb, as I sorta knew what I was getting into, and during the climb, I was thinking a lot of fear and climbing. Fear is such a crazy emotion that we often have so little control over. It is REALLY hard to control ones fear. There are many techniques and it seems each technique works sometimes and not others. Much like the techniques for dealing with pain. Fear can be paralyzing, but you can't let it, especially not on a big climb. Gotta keep moving. Keep fear at bay. I also got to thinking about how the rock seems to talk to me. Tells me where to go. If I listen, I climb more effectively and efficiently. Then I remembered I wrote a blog entry a long time ago on that very topic. Still haven't posted it, but I will... promise.
Posted by wonko at August 18, 2003 02:17 PM
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