Goodbye 2008

Well its been a while since I updated this blog, but really nothing climbing related has happened since the last post. I was sick for a while and the weather has been pretty off so I haven't gotten out to boulder much this winter. Luke and I made a trip out to the corridor at Moore's Wall and we found a few projects there to keep us busy...and we've been setting in the gym like its going out of style. I recently went back to Rumbling bald and had a great day of ALMOST sending cool shit. I did one v3/4 (who knows) in 2 tries which was nice, and I got really close to sending a v6 called the Uplifter. I went back to Lewis' Lunge at the end of the day and felt surprisingly strong on it, but still not quite ready to commit to the final big move. Luke and I went up to the metroid boulder and cleaned and worked his projects: Morph Ball - a v6 sloper/mantle problem, Space Pirate - a v5 using some nasty slopers and a start we didnt figure out and a v7 called mother brain that links the two of them. The next time we go back in a month or 2 I think we'll do all three. So thats generally the theme that I've come to expect from outside bouldering, a list of projects that expands each time I go out and almost nothing ticked off the list each time...

So I failed to meet my 2008 goal of v6, although I did meet my goal of climbing 5.12a in a year (easily). I'm pretty psyched for 2009, and I've set even steeper goals for this year in keeping with my MEGA GOAL of sending Dreamcatcher at some point in my life. In 2009 I'd like to get my sport climbing up into the 5.13 range, ideally around 5.13b/c. I'd also like to get my bouldering grade up to v9. I realize that v9 is going to be hard to achieve...really hard in NC for sure given stiff grading here. That generally means that I need to go up 4 sport climbing letter grades in a year and 4-5 V grades in the upcoming climbing year...ouch. As a smaller goal I'd like to either set for the next tumblebees comp OR win the intermediate category, and do not horribly at Hound Ears this coming fall. As a smaller goal, I'd like to have climbed 1 or more v7 problems by May.

How am I going to achieve all of this? 5.13 shouldnt be too challenging, considering that my bouldering grade is already high enough to climb at the 5.12+ level, so much of what I need to focus on in order to raise this level is endurance and increasing my exposure to climbing outside and different rock types.

To increase my bouldering level from v4+ to v9 I am going to really focus on effectively isolating and working all of the key grips with weighted deadhangs (fingerboard repeaters) and really work my one arm lockoff ability. Lockoffs are one of the areas that I really need to focus since they are really hard and they are a requisite for advancing into hard bouldering. Once my next strength building cycle comes up I am going to start doing campus board double dynos...or at least try them, they do make me nervous due to the risk of injury.

If this year goes well and I meet my goals of v9 / 5.13c, I should be able to start work on dreamcatcher sometime in 2011.