Jackson Falls
I have been meaning to write about the trip I had taken to Jackson Falls in November. Mainly because I re-learned something I had encountered in the past and am really glad the lesson resurfaced.
Allan and I went on a sweet 5 day trip to Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois to boulder and sport climb in November. Jackson Falls is full of amazing sandstone consisting of boulders and short, stout sport routes. We had beautiful weather before it took a quick turn for the worst. Literally 60 degree weather for 4 days, then the last night we were supposed to stay the temps dropped to 28 degrees and they were expecting a huge snow storm.
The fact that I wasn't necessarily in sport mode was a good thing because all the sport routes were literally like 5 bolts long and bouldery, thank god. We spent the first day of the trip bouldering.
First lesson learned: Do not boulder before you sport climb. This is something I have noticed to be a trend. Let's face it: it is really difficult to try hard bouldering one day then try to sport climb the next day. For some reason for me, it never works. Now vice versa, I'm totally fine. I can sport climb for 2 days and boulder the day after no problem. Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough with my sport climbs? Hah. Anywayyyyssss...
The boulders seemed pretty difficult and we really didn't send anything but we tried hard and felt it the next day. We walked around the next day and tried to find things to get psyched on. Allan showed me a bunch of routes he thought I was going to like... vertical and crimpy or short in length with powerful moves. The two he thought I would love were Energizer 12a (5 bolt steep arete with powerful moves) and Viking Blood 12c (5 bolt vertical face with slab moves, to a crimp face). Sounds like two that would be totally my style, right?
Energizer was a really cool route. I didn't think it was really hard until the top, which for some reason felt like a wet basement. Sandy, wet, muddy. I tried to clean it off but it never felt like I wanted it to. Because it was so powerful and the top felt like crap, I decided not to give it another go and save my energy for Viking Blood. Def one to come back for though.
Viking Blood was also really sweet and very different from what we have in the South. I gave it a go and figured out all the moves pretty quickly. The part in the middle (going to 3rd bolt) was super low percentage for me and I only hit the move like twice out of all my tries. It was a super crimpy crux (for me to say super, these crimps were SMALL), with low feet that I couldn't use, with a kind of dyno to a not so good hold. It felt like a route I was going to need a couple days to work on. Allan gave it a go to get the draws up and remember beta then WALKED it. He was super happy as this route had been something he had wanted to come back and do for quite some time.
So I had now walked away from two routes and I definitely had a bad attitude about it. But at that time, I didn't feel like these routes were any that I had REALLY wanted to do. I needed to find my psyche in something I actually wanted to do.
The lesson I learned was that I need to work more on finding my own psyche and get on what I think I will like and what I find fun. I recently have been going out wherever everybody else wants to go and getting on routes/boulders that everyone else wants to do. I really do feel this attitude has come from working night shift this past year. I have trouble making decisions because I'm always exhausted so I just go with whatever. I am also constantly changing partners/traveling and it's hard to get back to the same things. This attitude has been holding me back! Anyways this is something I don't want to forget again, hence the entry.
Since November, I have been making an attempt to find things I want to do and it is really helping in keeping my psyche high. I have since sent a route I have had my eye on for a while and am finally sending some hard boulders I've been wanting to do. I know it's not about the send blah blah blah, but it's definitely nice to have your mind set on something, psyche high, and put it down.. I've kinda been slacking this past year and just kinda climbing on whatever. I feel much better having a focus and something to work towards.
Till next time...
Allan and I went on a sweet 5 day trip to Jackson Falls in Southern Illinois to boulder and sport climb in November. Jackson Falls is full of amazing sandstone consisting of boulders and short, stout sport routes. We had beautiful weather before it took a quick turn for the worst. Literally 60 degree weather for 4 days, then the last night we were supposed to stay the temps dropped to 28 degrees and they were expecting a huge snow storm.
The fact that I wasn't necessarily in sport mode was a good thing because all the sport routes were literally like 5 bolts long and bouldery, thank god. We spent the first day of the trip bouldering.
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| Beautiful autumn colors |
First lesson learned: Do not boulder before you sport climb. This is something I have noticed to be a trend. Let's face it: it is really difficult to try hard bouldering one day then try to sport climb the next day. For some reason for me, it never works. Now vice versa, I'm totally fine. I can sport climb for 2 days and boulder the day after no problem. Maybe I'm just not trying hard enough with my sport climbs? Hah. Anywayyyyssss...
The boulders seemed pretty difficult and we really didn't send anything but we tried hard and felt it the next day. We walked around the next day and tried to find things to get psyched on. Allan showed me a bunch of routes he thought I was going to like... vertical and crimpy or short in length with powerful moves. The two he thought I would love were Energizer 12a (5 bolt steep arete with powerful moves) and Viking Blood 12c (5 bolt vertical face with slab moves, to a crimp face). Sounds like two that would be totally my style, right?
Energizer was a really cool route. I didn't think it was really hard until the top, which for some reason felt like a wet basement. Sandy, wet, muddy. I tried to clean it off but it never felt like I wanted it to. Because it was so powerful and the top felt like crap, I decided not to give it another go and save my energy for Viking Blood. Def one to come back for though.
Viking Blood was also really sweet and very different from what we have in the South. I gave it a go and figured out all the moves pretty quickly. The part in the middle (going to 3rd bolt) was super low percentage for me and I only hit the move like twice out of all my tries. It was a super crimpy crux (for me to say super, these crimps were SMALL), with low feet that I couldn't use, with a kind of dyno to a not so good hold. It felt like a route I was going to need a couple days to work on. Allan gave it a go to get the draws up and remember beta then WALKED it. He was super happy as this route had been something he had wanted to come back and do for quite some time.
So I had now walked away from two routes and I definitely had a bad attitude about it. But at that time, I didn't feel like these routes were any that I had REALLY wanted to do. I needed to find my psyche in something I actually wanted to do.
The next day was an "active rest day," meaning let's get on a bunch of easy routes just to move and not really try hard. Well of course this was when I found the route I wanted to spend all my time on. Here Come the Snakes 12c was next to a nice warm up we did when I spotted it. It is a near horizontal roof that climbed BIG moves on BIG jugs. After seeing Dan Brayack attempting it, I immediately wanted to try it. Draws were up, no commitment to get to the top. There went my rest day. The route, for me, required a slabby start, a speed match feet cut dyno, a heinous crimp cross move, an insecure heel hook, powerful long moves, and, to top it off, a southern/Horse Pens-esque top out to reach the chains. This was the last route anyone would think that I would want to try. At first, I really just wanted to try the dyno, then after I did it pretty easily I figured I may as well try to send the dang thing. I couldn't piece it together that day and was spent the next day but ended up getting the one hang before we had to leave. Needless to say, I will be going back to do this route! So fun!
The lesson I learned was that I need to work more on finding my own psyche and get on what I think I will like and what I find fun. I recently have been going out wherever everybody else wants to go and getting on routes/boulders that everyone else wants to do. I really do feel this attitude has come from working night shift this past year. I have trouble making decisions because I'm always exhausted so I just go with whatever. I am also constantly changing partners/traveling and it's hard to get back to the same things. This attitude has been holding me back! Anyways this is something I don't want to forget again, hence the entry.
Since November, I have been making an attempt to find things I want to do and it is really helping in keeping my psyche high. I have since sent a route I have had my eye on for a while and am finally sending some hard boulders I've been wanting to do. I know it's not about the send blah blah blah, but it's definitely nice to have your mind set on something, psyche high, and put it down.. I've kinda been slacking this past year and just kinda climbing on whatever. I feel much better having a focus and something to work towards.
Till next time...
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