Rifle

Temperatures were definitely warm, sometimes downright hot. Parking can be a pain in the ass. Crowds on the weekend make a line up on the best routes. The rock is often choss, glued, and slippery as hell.     But...

                                          Nights are quiet, dark and cool. The river is crystal clear and perfectly refreshing at the end of a long day. The concentration of fun, hard routes is staggering. The community is warm and motivated. Rifle is a special place. 

I've had an absolute ball climbing there. For the last 4 weeks I've been making the I-70 slog to Rifle Canyon. I took a week off for the heat and a long weekend to Atlanta, but mostly I have been out there climbing. No cell service. Camping with good friends. Killing time by the river. 

It had been six years since I last settled into Rifle - late summer of 2011 was my first long stint in the Canyon. So many good, new hard routes have been added since then, largely thanks to Joe Kinder and Steve Hong. If there were any previous doubts about Rifle having the highest concentration of 5.14 in the country, it is pretty clear to me now.

Mainly I wanted to try Joe Kinder's new rigs in the Wicked Cave. When I was climbing with Matty Hong and Jon Cardwell in Spain this spring they were hyping up the new creations and since then I started planning my return to Rifle. Certainly I was a little apprehensive because I knew June could be hot. It was hot. But it was also fine. Rifle is surprisingly doable in the heat. The only route I would have loved to try more was Jon and Matty's new one 'Stocking Stuffer' but the Bauhaus proved too warm for me. This one is probably the canyon's hardest. Something to come back for. 

I climbed 'Fat Camp' 14c/d, 'Cucaracha' 14b, 'Planet Garbage' 14d, 'Moment Musical' 14a, 'The Club' 14c/d, 'Homunculus' 14a, 'All the Pretty Horses' 14a and 'Nostalgie' 14b - amazingly, these are all new from the last couple years. 

Yesterday was a particularly rad day. I had tried 'Nostalgie' on Tuesday once but even around 11:30am it felt too hot and I wasn't able to quite figure out one movement in the upper crux. I returned yesterday morning early to take a crack at (hopefully) better temps, but it proved super humid and maybe even worse than Tuesday. This was my favorite new route I tried. A straight forward, powerful V9ish boulder starts the route. No rest into some awesome 5.12 climbing on great blue rock. A slightly awkward no-hands rest before an incredible panel of wavy orange, textured rock above. Slopers and amazing sculpted pinches make the red point crux subtle and tricky near the very end of this Wasteland route. It's so good. I sorted out the top crux and let myself rest for an hour or so before a miracle breeze made an ascent possible. This was really the last route I wanted to do, and I was a little worried that the heat and difficulty of this rig wouldn't allow it. Stoked, I went to the Wicked Cave with my buddy Luke Olson. He gave me the beta he remembered from 'Tombraider' 13d and I watched him try 'Magnetar' 13d before I made a flash of both of these awesome routes. I jumped in the creek one last time and hit the road. My last day in Rifle and likely my best. 

Thanks for the good times Rifle and huge thank you to the city for keeping this gem of a canyon beautiful and people like Kinder and Hong busting ass, constantly making sick new hard ones!

Onward to Wyoming!

>>>>> Tim Foote took all the photos above of me and the one of beautiful Shaina. Everything else is from yours truly. 

Portugal

Portugal. I went there in May, and I went climbing. Here is my Portugal story !

Lisbon is a fantastic city. Unique architecture, stunning light and packed with character. Steep little streets and bustling for the most part, the only downside of this place is perhaps it's rampant summer tourism. Food was amazing. People were very cool. The climbing was memorable.





I linked up with my good buddy Andre Neres on day one. I was traveling with my family but my Dad and I were keen to slip away and explore some of the climbing I'd been hearing and reading about. Andre showed us his backyard zone, Meio Mango. This is a fantastic sea-side spot with outstanding rock quality and a sick ocean vibe. Waves slam into the nearby rocky shore all day, sometimes even large enough to splash the cliffs. All of the areas have clean, dry staging areas. I climbed several really great 5.12s there and a bouldery 14a called 'O Senhor das Anilhas' that was awesome. There are tyroleans installed all along the shore to cross from crag to crag. When we were there these were safe and newly replaced. You will want some pretty legit directions to the parking area (a seemingly random dirt circle) and for the decent to the cliffs - expect a 20 min or so approach down a steep ocean-side gully with some easy 5th class down climbing near the end (also possible to rappel the very end). We found the approach itself to be utterly breathtaking. As for the climbing, the conditions are tough to nail. You need the cliff to see sun before or preferably while you're climbing because the walls get humid as hell throughout the night and morning from the crashing water. Thankfully there was a good wind when we were climbing so the sun was fine, albeit hot. Don't expect any fixed draws here, but you can expect state of the art titanium chemical bolts on all of the classics and more. It's about an hour drive south from downtown Lisbon.

The next zone we checked out was Fenda. This is not too far from Mango, but a remarkably different scene. Fenda is just a few hundred yards above a gorgeous beach, but the climbing itself is nestled in a fault like system. Here you park at a random dirt pull off spot along the road and then find a well traveled trail descending into the trees (this is important... well traveled! it will be obvious but we made the mistake of following a number of less traveled trails into nowhere). Information is hard to find but you should get a topo and the parking spot online. The main zone here is pretty damn awesome. Good rock quality and drippy limestone features. Great routes here from 5.11 up to 13d. I climbed 'UHU Stick' 13d in a complete battle to the death in the worst conditions I've experienced outside of Thailand. Probably the hardest I tried all year, no joke. And 'Paparazzi' 13a both of which were great. If we had more time and the weather was better I would have loved to climb here more. It was hard to stay stoked in the oppressive heat though. It definitely would have been a better beach day.

Last zone we checked out was Sagres. This impressive sea-side cliff is located just outside of a town by the same name on the very South-Western most tip of Portugal, about 3 hours south of Lisbon. You'll drive out towards the lighthouse and park somewhere on the left side of the road (again, search the internet for more exact beta). From here you'll have a short walk through fine red sand to the edge of the cliff. The best method for approaching Sagres is to rappel. There are beefy rap anchors with a great little spot to stand and thread the rope. The staging areas here are a little more heads-up. There are fixed lines to clip into but nowhere to really completely chill. The reward however, is stunning rock with the deep blue Atlantic crashing just a few dozen feet under your belay. We climbed a couple awesome 12a routes and I did a super memorable 12c that climbed through a rad tufa. Unfortunately the conditions were really bad and the rock was literally wet (we got there too late - on a cloudy day - again you NEED sun for these sea-side zones). To get out, it is best to follow the fixed lines down near the water (lower than the belays) to the climbers left and around the corner to an easy spot for hiking out. I was confused when Andre encouraged us to rap in and then traverse out, but you'll understand why this is best when you get there. Overall I feel like Sagres could be the best climbing in Portugal but I think considering the vibes and entire area my Dad and I both enjoyed Mango the most.

In summary... Portugal climbing is better than I expected. The rock quality is really great, and the variety is there. Conditions are definitely the hardest part and it can vary so much day-to-day that making a trip for the sole purpose of sending the gnar could be frustrating. If you're in the mood to do some touristing or beach activities in between climbing days this would be awesome for you. These zones are not the most easy to navigate, which is largely what motivated me to write a few things I would have liked to know here on my blog (apparently there is a guide in the works (?) but I don't have details). Hook up with a local if you can, but otherwise search around and screen shot some random beta and you'll make it. Enjoy!

Rodellar

Very much on the move since I last wrote. Weather has dished out its ups and downs in a typical end of spring way. Heat, rain, and also perfection... all mingling together to make decision making harder and sending the gnar just a touch more tricky. Last I wrote I had departed my beloved home in Organya and linked up with Cam - freshly back in Spain after a two week trip to Sweden. We drove three hours into Aragon and moved into our rad little place at Aparthotel Valle de Rodellar. This was my first trip to Rodellar - a zone that I had heard about for years. Well before I ever climbed in Spain I had heard and read the names 'Welcome to Tijuana', 'El Delfin' and 'Ali Baba'. Before Chris Sharma made Catalunya so recognizable, Rodellar was no doubt the epicenter of Spanish Limestone - at least to the American community it was.




Rodellar is quite remote as far as Spanish crags are concerned. It's nestled at the end of the road (literally) in Sierra and Canones de Guara National Park. Rodellar (like basically all Spanish crags) barrows its name from the closest village - which has a well adapted infrastructure for tourism and climbing. It's the kind of place you can easily bunker into. We parked the car for 9 days without moving it... You can walk to the cliff from anywhere, small but complete grocery stores are there, bars and restaurants. Along with a crowd of climbers (it is the most crowded area I've visited here, especially weekends) there are a grip of hikers, cavers and birders. It's without question a unique and jaw-droppingly beautiful place.




Things were mostly dry for our initial 10 days there, and we even had a couple climbing days in jackets. A luxury I would soon miss. The climbing there is steep and physical. For the most part, finger strength is unnecessary, bicep strength is paramount. Cam and I both got kinda slammed there the first few days. Bodies were tired and beat up from the giant caves. Tufas are everywhere, features are everywhere. I found it generally friendly to all climbers as there are so many options for beta and footholds, etc. I climbed the amazing 'Geminis' 8b+, narrowly missing my onsight near the anchor. 'Welcome to Tijuana' 8c was next for me - hard boulder problems right away from the very first bolt to literally the anchor. I did 'Ixeia' 8b+ and 'Botanics' 8b+ both onsight and we essentially settled into the Ventanas sector for a while after that. Cam climbed the awesome 'Las Ventanas del Mascun' 7b+ and I started working my way through 'Los Inconformistas' 9a. A bizarre foot first, cross through and unwind crux guards the anchor. I would fall here for days before finally sticking it. It was a huge relief to put it to rest with so many other beautiful routes all around me to try.




Unfortunately the rain came in a huge way and forced us out, we migrated to Siurana for some warm but super fun climbing days. Rodellar can be wet for weeks after a big rain, where Siurana can dry in a matter of hours. I climbed 'Migranya Profunda' 8b+ and '2X30' 8c before taking some much needed downtime in Barcelona with Shaina and eventually heading back to Rodellar. I barely pulled off 'Pata Negra' 8c before the rain returned and again, completely soaked the cliff. I'd imagine it could be 2 weeks before Rodellar is totally dry again.

 

So now... a little chill time... Street League Barcelona tomorrow... some beaches... some emails... and I'm off to Portugal shortly to hopefully get a couple days on rock and a couple days on a surf board!

Lastly here is a little video piece that Joe Segretti put together of Honnold and I climbing around the Clear Light Cave in Las Vegas this past winter. Included is my epic anchor clipping whipper on 'Atlantis'. Enjoy!


Siegrist and Honnold Climb the Clear Light Cave from Joe Segreti on Vimeo.


And of course one last thing! Don't forget to sign up for this summer's Arcteryx Climbing Academy in Squamish. This is an absolute not-to-be missed event in one of the country's best venues for rock. I am teaching clinics so check them out and sign up! See you guys there.

New Zones

It's such an amazing feeling to finish projects. Both because the uncertainty is gone and because the thirst for success is temporarily quenched, but also because it gives you this outstanding moment of opportunity. Some kind of clarity. Confidence ensues. Pressure's lifted. What could be next? These moments are ripe for inspiration.

I tried to use my momentum the best I could these pasts weeks. After finishing 'Pachamama' and 'Jo Mama', I was left buzzing for more and with some time yet to spare. 'Chaxi' 9a+ felt as though it could be a serious battle when I first tried it. An explosive ~V8 boulder problem to a good rest starts the route. From here another ~V10 boulder problem plants you at a worse rest - worthy of only a few shakes, next,  ~V11 for the crux of the route, a full span compression section on slopey crimps. The rock here is absolutely perfect. Some slightly better holds but no rest into a V7 exit, then a big rest and 8a finish. The temperatures were warm - too warm for such a crimpy and bouldery route. I worked the route into a one hang in a few days but I was afraid that with such a difficult boulder high on the route - and a move sequence that tested every inch of my height - I could fall here for weeks. I was beginning to have some inflammation in my left ring finger from such intense crimping. I was definitely uncertain about a send. 

Several perfect condition days emerged. On the first day I broke through the initial reachy move and fell on the last move of the crux. I cut my day short and rested as best I could for another good try second day on. Light breeze around the cliff, I felt great warmed up, hanging on a wood edge a little in-between my normal warm up circuit. I did the route that day. Shortly after I belayed Felipe on his awesome and well deserved send of Papichulo. Needless to say we drank beer that night.



I spent one more nice day at Oliana with my buddy Dan. I climbed the outstanding 'Paper Mullat' 8b+ and it's neighbor 'Identificacion y Placa' 8b+/c. I watched the evening light move over the green fields below for one last time. As much as I truly love Oliana it was definitely time to move on. I was ready to see new areas, new warm ups, new possibilities.

I made my first trip down to check out the massive cave in Santa Linya with my friend Pol. Not usually my favorite style of climbing but I could feel the incredible potential to improve in this place. I climbed 'Rollito Sharma Extension' 8c and a few others. I felt quite beat up after a day in this physical cave.




Next I was really keen to finally climb at Figols - a zone that I'd been staring at with a cup of tea in hand for literally months. It's just across from my home in Organya. I climbed the amazing 'Espid' hard 8c+ and flashed it's also amazing neighbor 'Aspid' 8b. Espid was particularly memorable. Such awesome, subtle yet complex climbing on crimps and slopey tufa features. Incredible vision on the part of local legend David Gambus for this beauty. Speaking of Gambus, the next mission was to finally check out 'Radar Ez' rumored to be one of the best in the area. Without a doubt, it is. Amazing rock quality, explosive boulder problems on good holds, spread apart by good rests. Nothing too terribly hard but lots of little tough sections with a chance to recompose in-between. It's on the low end of 8c+ for sure but at least for my height I can't quite take 8c for it. The 8a+ straight up version is absolutely stunner as well. Expect a little bit of bushwhacking and climbing up fixed lines to access this obscure zone - but it's worth it a thousand times over.

And now I've teamed back up with Cameron Maier and moved on to Rodellar. This zone is something legend and by all means deserves its own blog post. For the meantime I'll just say it's staggeringly beautiful and playful, and we are stoked to be here!

Pacha Video

New one from EpicTV, a little taste of my process on Pachamama through the lens of Tara Kerzhner this last winter. The footage is entirely from my first round of attempts on the route but there's a clip from the actual day I sent as well. Along with frighteningly cute farm animals and my ill advised attempt at a mustache. Enjoy!

Portal

Well here I am again. El Portal. My preferred neighborhood cafe as the staff is friendly and the wi-fi is okay. The coffee is acceptable but nothing outstanding. We came here almost daily during the winter. We would wear our down jackets inside and fight for the seat next to the dull heater. Last time I sat at this restaurant I was freezing and mostly heart broken. I feel quite differently now.

Today, a spring breeze whips through the narrow streets and gives life to the colorful drying laundry of this charming little village. The warmth in the air is so calming and pleasant. It's Easter - a huge holiday in Spain - and the town is bustling. Traffic clogs the main street as vacationers sprint to Andorra and search for picnics necessities at the Sunday market. The sun's rays are intense and white and come from high in the sky.

I feel grateful, I feel accomplished, my heart is full, the sun is shining. Life ebbs and flows doesn't it?



My process with Pachamama has ended. I did the route within a week of my return to Spain. It felt surreal to sit at the anchors, to realize something that for weeks and weeks I was obsessed and overwhelmed with desire to have. The moment I sent was calm. I yelled mostly to tell my belayer, 50 meters below, that I had clipped the anchor but I didn't so much feel the need to yell from relief or excitement. It was a strangely tranquil experience. Almost like, ' huh, well, here I am. This is the moment.' Not to say that I was not or am not excited. It was biggest, most powerful battle of my climbing life - without question. But I guess the finish, while hugely important to me, was also just a small piece of the experience. I imagine I will look back on this for my whole life. Silly... rock climbing.. huh.




Momentum has been a powerful ally to me for years. It's rare that I let a send, no matter how big, completely derail my stoke. I know that I've usually only got five weeks or so to perform at my very best and I don't want to waste it. I immediately moved to the right onto 'Jo Mama' 15a, a power endurance masterpiece with few resting positions and resistant cruxes throughout. Just some days later I had already sent. I never would dream that I could climb this grade so quickly, ever. The conditions suited me perfectly - warmer with wind - and my power endurance is likely at an all time high after the month at Potosi and some hard days on Pachamama. Still it seems unreal. For me there is at least 1 grade of difference between these two routes. Perhaps it just worked out?



As with before I've moved right along. This time to a much different style. 'Chaxi' 15a is bouldery and savage. Some great resting positions but also some very serious boulder problems high on the wall. I have a feeling this one will not let itself go as easily... time to get snappy. Onward!

This week expect a full account of my process on 'Pachamama' that I wrote for the Arcteryx Blog and also look out for the release of my Pachamama film that I made with the awesome Tara Kerzhner to be released on EpicTV.

Potosi

My first time climbing at Mt Potosi was in 2011. I drove down to Las Vegas in January with my good friend Chris Weidner - my first time to Sin City - and we gratefully crashed on the couch of Heather Robinson. As it seems almost every crag (save the Red) has its moments of popularity and subsequently its moments of obscurity - during this time Potosi was definitely en vogue. Professor Bill Ramsey was battling wet holds, Heather was prime to make her first 13d redpoint, and a grip of other Vegas locals happily enjoyed 'The Beach' (with the winter sun low in the sky, the cave remained in the shadow while the belays were cooking in the sun). I climbed 'Mon Pote Assis', 'Hold Your Fire' and 'Power Windows' among a few others. I enjoyed the scene and the community. While this specific cave did not speak to me in particular, the long days with the crew at this zone helped convince me to radically extend my trip to Vegas that year and eventually call this place a second home.





When I returned to the wall the next winter, I had a different experience. I tried a few different harder routes over a couple days and was utterly shut down. So damn steep, so many drilled pockets. It was not encouraging or motivating. In general, two of my least favorite forms of climbing are roofs, and heavily manufactured routes. While it would be unfair to claim the Clear Light Cave at Mt Potosi is nothing but said forms of climbing, at the very least it exhibits a lot of this. With a bruised ego and trembling biceps I swore off Potosi in search of greener grasses.

Engulfed with a myriad of other surrounding radical limestone areas, I would stay busy and overly stoked for the next five winters. Why I was eventually called back to Mt Potosi, I am not entirely sure, but reflecting on the last month there I am so freakin grateful.

So, why? Why go back to a zone that in many ways I detested? I shit talked Potosi over beers too many times to count. It felt so gratifying to hate this drilled up place that had kicked my ass. It's undeniable that Potosi is heavily manufactured, a detail that made the area famous at the turn of the century and was a central point of argument surrounding the topic. So why did I venture back and furthermore what about this place did I enjoy?




For the last several years, I've either been training my ass off or trying climbs at my limit. While that did produce, unquestionably, the best performances of my life, it also eventually lead to a string of failure - which is inevitable. A difficult year turned into a cold and foggy winter in Spain. I happily returned to my home of Vegas in February, a crew was stoked on Potosi.. sure, why not? Bathed in Nevada sun, I got my ass kicked - trying a style that is classically so hard and foreign to me. After some beat down sessions I gradually came around with a couple harder routes and was encourage to forge on. Then some weeks later I did the first repeat of Francois LeGrand's 'Bachelor Party' 14d and third ascent of 'Annihilator' 14c and 'Atlantis' 14b among many others. These routes may be egregiously drilled but are also an interesting piece of American climbing history and sandbagged like most everything from the 90's. Hard or easy, I climbed a new route almost every day - and it was so refreshing. It felt so damn good to just play, to learn a new style, to enjoy the company of good people, joke around, and to get my ass kicked but also have some success. So much fun. Something like an outdoor gym, but nestled in the quiet of the desert, without a highway or subdivision in sight. I never imagined that Potosi would help me remember why I love climbing so much but I guess it's impossible to predict from where the lessons will come.

Yesterday was my last day at Potosi for this year (dare I say, ever?), as I turn my attention towards my return to Catalunya in just under ten days. It would be a far stretch to call Potosi one of my favorite areas but I'm not gonna lie I will definitely miss my time up there. Best of luck to Vian and Alex and Andy to finish up their projects this season! Just say no to knee-bars!

Lastly - Joe Segretti is putting together a little edit of some of these classics and epic punting from the chains and Zeke dog, so keep your eyes peeled for a vid !

 

LV

Living in Las Vegas is something I look forward to every single winter. It's a moment during the year that would be really hard for me to skip over, even despite my shortening list of projects in the area. I've built a community here, I know this place, I know the crags and the opportunities quite well. It makes me happy. It feels like home. 

Coming off of a difficult loss in Catalunya I was by all means ready for some kind of happy place. As the days and weeks passed by I found a meaningful perspective regarding my time in Oliana and I felt suddenly refreshed. Spending some nights with my family in Colorado and eventually hitting the road westbound was such an awesome change of space. It was immensely hard to let go in Spain but my life has been driving forward in a beautiful way since I've been back stateside. 

The squad and the vibes here in Vegas are all time. The crew has been so fun, climbing days long and tiring. Desert sky wide open and piercingly blue. Stone is calling as always. Egos both crushed and filled. Quiet thoughtful approaches with Zeke dog rambling in the hills above. Just the way I love it. 

I've been clipping some chains which is an incredible pleasure. Some highlights include 'Reverse Polarity' 14b, 'Try Your Best' 13+, 'Hell Comes to Frogtown' 13d from the incredible Fred Nicole, 'Mixed Emotions' 14a, and recently 'Bachelor Party' 14d for its second ascent since 2002. I'm particularly proud of that one. I'm a history geek as you all must know by now, and this route has been in need of a repeat since it first came on the scene, just a couple years after Tommy Caldwell brought the 9th grade to American soil with Kryptonite. Francois LeGrand visited the states a bunch during this time and made this FA as his crowning contribution. Nothing like a savage double mono roof encounter at the bitter end... I thought for sure I hated Potosi after my few sessions there in 2011 but apparently, for now, it is just what I needed in some ways. Here's some iPhone send footage below thanks to Vian! The video starts as I leave the anchor rest on 'Ray of Light' 13a. 

And one more little thing for killing time if you're in need... I sat down and spoke with Power Company Climbing last summer, Kris Hampton is such a rad guy and he is doing very cool things with his training platform and inspiring many with the podcast. I've always enjoyed his calming presence and inquisitive attitude. Thanks for hosting me Kris! Have a listen to the podcast below: 

Process.

Pachamama. I've completely lost count, but I bet I've tried this route 35 days. My progress for the first month was very slow but tangible on almost every climbing day. In retrospect I did not at all arrive prepared - I built the necessary resistance and power on the route. Day after day. It would be late December when I finally one hung the route from a low point. Days after that I was regularly climbing into the red point crux from the ground. Albeit desperate, I felt confident that with my remaining two weeks I could send. Just a day or two into the new year I tore open my finger on an all out one hang effort - again from low on the route. I took nearly a week off from climbing for skin and something different. While my skin healed my body weakened. I returned to the route with a significant loss of progress and stoke. After beating my head against the wall again and again over the next week or so I finally began to crack. Last Monday in freezing cold, windy conditions I finally accepted failure, and in a desperate need to enjoy climbing again I (for the first time since Nov 28) climbed on something different. I did T1 Full Equip 8b+/c, which was outstanding, and so fun. Last Tuesday morning I decided that it would be my final day of attempts on Pachamama.

So much of my life pivots around climbing. I am full-heartedly passionate about it. I am so driven by goals that at times I genuinely feel as though I can't move forward in my life until I succeed. Usually this is a strength that pushes me to my very best, but in times like this it can be downright maddening. This is the longest period in my climbing - ever - that I have gone without accomplishing a goal (since September) and it's certainly not for lack of trying.



I am not (one of) the best, I am not (one of) the strongest, I am not (one of) the most talented. My strength is mostly in the fight. This route has pulled me to the bitter edge. How long am I willing to hold on? When do I throw in the towel? At what point is it just.. simply too much? I have never tried a route so many times before in my life. This is not at all about the grade any more, it's not about the victory or about the high fives or about the accolades. In some ways it doesn't even feel like a climb, it just feels like a challenge. This is purely about my passion and to what extent can I endure all of the doubt, all of the tension, all of the emotion.

Remember when I wrote last Tuesday would be my final day? On my first try I fell on the last move of the 'first half' - an enormous move that's incredibly hard for me. I've likely fallen here 40 or 50 times. On my second try, I climbed through this move and well into the red point crux, falling a couple moves from a likely send. Dru (my good buddy and climbing partner) laughed as he lowered me, 'Well, fuck' I said, 'suppose I'm not giving up quite yet'. This was the first time I had reached this part of the route since I tore my skin open. Each of the next two climbing days I fell in the lower section again, but proceeded to do the huge move, rest on route, and climb to the summit. Saturday I climbed twice into the final moves of the red point crux, with my first try being my best, essentially 1.5 moves away from the route's best rest and a very likely send. Today I somehow bested that effort, but fell just a breath away.

I love this. As maddening as it is, as stressful and expensive and altogether pointless in most respects -- climbing somehow uniquely elicits such powerful emotion and introspection. I feel thoroughly tested, delirious from desire and uncertainty. When I climb Pachamama it will be unquestionably my hardest (mentally if not physically) route and furthermore one of the greatest achievements of my life thus far. I move into my final few days here, after extending my ticket twice. I never quite knew if I had the strength to hold on for this long, through so much doubt and through so many utterly exhausting ups and downs. Now I know. I do.