Time for some hard projecting!
Picture by Javi Pec of me giving my high point on 'Joe Cita, 9a' in Oliana on last april.
I've set some goals for myself for this year including doing more competitions, travel somewhere new I haven't been or climbed before, do more traditional climbing (omg I'd love to go to Utah SOOOO BAAD) and... try my first 9a! And of course... DO IT! The gap between 8c+ and 9a is huge but I've been training hard for trying to reach that goal. I started working a little with norwegian Stian Christophersen earlier this year and I've been really happy with the results!!!
So there's a good chance to do it this year and I'm feeling confident. I'm sure that my physics are good enough but the hardest part is left which is..... to actually do it! But it all starts from trying and giving all you got!!! Even though I prepared as well as I could for this upcoming trip, it is hard to prepare yourself for the actual process you'll face. Dealing with the conditions, weather, skin, pressure...
I started to try Joe Cita relatively late and I had to decide eather to cruise on the "easier" classics I haven't done, or put all my effort for a one route. I decided to pick up this challenge which took me into a bumpy road dealing with the conditions, high- and low points, trying to stay in shape and syked during a rain, pressure and expectations (set by me), failing and failing, burning out my right hand and trying to be strategic.
My so called strategy has been closer to this going-with-the-flow one, and having a actual strategy was a new learning process for me and it was really fascinating how differently my friends approached their own challenges, how they dealed with them and the conditions. It was hard to witness even the most syked ones getting a little down and frustrated. The rainy spring let almost everyone to leave Spain without a send (except Matty Hong who did the damn "FIGHT OR FLIGHT", 9b!!!! <3<3<3<3) But everyone tried hard and the battle was on!!! The energy was high and that was SICK!!!! :D I could write more about the red pointing process (or the struggle) but I quess I should make a new post for that! I learned a sick tons from this trip and things I'd could have not learned from the gym. Something you can't train.
After getting all the beta dialed, having the one-hang-try, it was time to try to get the no-hang-try 😉. Most of the times we were waiting for that breeze to come but on some days it didn't show up even for that 30min (it was usually breezing right after the shade came, but the holds were still warm). I still tried and managed to reach to the upper crux. The hold were so tiny there that I'd really needed some wind there.
Before the last crux I had a good knee bar rest where I could focus for the last boulder. Calm down, try to move efficiently but controlled. The pressure was high because I knew that if I'd fall again, I'd have to for a couple of more days again till I could try again. Because the rain came on the next day, soaked the holds, and once again it was time to wait, put the ticks again, chalk the holds and give a try. This is how the month went and that was mentally really exhausting! It was also getting warmer and warmer and we were running out of time.
Check out the little Instagram Story of mine about the day when my boy did his proj!!!! It was amazing to witness that how all that hard work paid off, he kept his head cool and damn sticked the final dyno!!! The window was short and if he could've failed, the next change could have been on the next trip!!!! SO FREAKING PROUD!!!!! 😍 I was shaking after all this and couldn't focus at all..... But luckily I got a good burn on mine too!!! It was really gross again and the bugs were on my final holds again haha :D . When I lowered down I didn't only brush the holds from chalk, I had to brush the bugs I had smashed... Ohh dear :D.
Training power and pure strength. I’ve got some consulting from Stian Chistophersen for training.
My absolute fave! One arm hang! (Depends of a day how well it goes....
A part of my Instagram story where Matty sends his project "Fight or Flight, 9b"!!! SO PROUD!!!
Resting on 'Joe Cita'. That section was part of the classic 'Marroncita', 8b route. Picture by Matty Hong (Oliana, 2018)
Sometimes things doesn't go as planned!
A short clip of one of my tries on ‘Joe Cita’, 9a in Oliana where I got super close again. On this one my foot slipped right when I got the “good” crimp. Filmed by Matty Hong.