I’ve been meaning to write. Really. There are a handful of draft posts sitting in WordPress, all seemingly useless to finish at this point. I’ve been busy filling my journal, and perhaps this will serve a catch-all for those random thoughts.
Over the years, I’ve been generally fortunate to avoid climbing injuries. Yes, I injured my finger at Hueco Tanks, but aside from another minor pulley injury many moons ago, I’ve been generally free of any major issues. I wasn’t able to maintain that, however, after injuring my neck and shoulder in mid-August. I’m fairly certain it happened while working out on our DIY gymnastic rings in the basement, doing core exercises. I was left with what seemed to just be a strained neck, so I took it easy for a few weeks and figured it would work itself out.
A few weeks later, and it wasn’t working itself out. The pain migrated to my shoulder, my right arm was weaker, and, as a bonus, sometimes my arm would go numb. Bad news, it would seem. Off I went to see a specialist. The news was good–I likely strained a muscle in my neck and pinched a nerve. The physical therapist also suspected that I strained the joint between my clavicle and shoulder. I was given a handful of exercises, told to keep at the climbing, and check back in six weeks.
Four weeks later, and I’m doing better. I’m training again, a bit, but my arm is still fairly weak (the therapist measured the arm to be roughly 25% weaker than my left arm). Last weekend, we did two days of hard climbing at Summersville (four trips up B/C and a couple up the POD). Some moves still feel impossible, but I was able to thrutch my way to top of just about anything. (The undercling move on the POD is frustratingly impossible at this point. What’s really bothersome is that prior to the injury, I was routinely doing this move easily–something that never happened–and now, I don’t even bother trying.) I’m not setting any goals for myself, knowing that the combination of a weak arm and a general lack of route fitness means I can’t really push my limits. Such is life, so I’ve been focusing on just having fun (there’s a thought) and not getting caught up in sending hard climbs. If age has given me anything, it’s the ability to take the long view on certain things–these climbs aren’t going anywhere, and I don’t seem to be getting weaker with age, so letting a season pass isn’t the end of the world.
My thoughts now turn to the spring (I do need a goal somewhere on the horizon) and where we’ll point the van (assuming it lasts that long or I don’t sell it in a pique of frustration at the high cost of stupid little plastic parts). Hueco Tanks is always in the discussion, but we don’t want to commit to much than three or four weeks. Of course, the three day drive is getting a bit old, too. I do like the desert, but at the same time, the obstacles of the rules at the site always make for stressful preparations.
Rifle Mountain Park is another option. It’s an easier two day drive, and I like the narrow canyon, too, with its cryptic limestone climbing (oh, and I don’t mind the 30 second flat approaches, either). Of course, that means being in route shape, which means actually training endurance. And there’s the little obstacle of the cryptic climbing–choose the wrong project and your trip goes pear-shaped pretty quickly (I’ve experienced both the highs and lows that Rifle has to offer).
Truthfully, it’s easier to be in shape for a bouldering trip–a couple nights on the fingerboard and another day at the gym each week and you’re set. Route climbing requires a bit more work and, truthfully, more time on real rock. That latter will be the challenge. And, of course, there’s the matter of climbing with friends–always an option at Hueco, but perhaps less so at Rifle.
But, for the moment, we need to take what Fall gives us.
Posted on 16 October 2011