Moving into the 5.12 realm

Just a quick update, as I’m really tired after tonight’s session.

I had decided in advance that tonight I was going to push myself pretty hard. I would warm up on a 5.9, and then climb nothing less than a 5.10. Ended up climbing several 5.10s and 5.11s extremely successfully, and not feeling too worn out.

My brother has found a 5.11 that he is quickly turning into his strongest route. After climbing it once (and making it look easy), he decided he wanted to see how quickly he could climb the route. I took the “under 2 minutes” guess. He knew the technique and moves for the route, and flew up the wall. One minute, ten seconds later he was at the top. Not bad for a 5.11 on a 40 ft. wall!

I wanted to finish up my evening on a 5.12 I had climbed a few times prior. I knew the route pretty well, and knew the most difficult move was three from the top – a really nasty pinch that most people struggled to hold onto (especially after all the small crimps that lead to that move). I was able to take a good rest on a couple holds down, and mentally prepare myself for that small pinch. Surprisingly, I made the move with little difficulty (was even able to bump with the other hand while holding that pinch), and sent the 5.12 flawlessly for the first time. I did give out a little yell at the top, between the adrenaline rush and the onset of fatigue, but I was so stoked to finally send that 5.12 (which I hadn’t seen anybody else do that evening).

There are a few other 5.12s I would like to hit in the gym, but perhaps it’s time I start playing around on some of the 5.13s??