Under pressure

Eight weeks back, while everyone was out, a $30 hose burst under a sink in our house.  The water damage resulted in having to rip out 60% of the flooring in the house.  So began an unplanned complete house re-flooring and painting project, which required us to pack up the entire house and live in an empty shell.  With Christmas looming tradies were incredibly hard to come by, being mostly fully booked up due to the many COVID 19 stimulus packages on offer.  As a result it is fair to say that Lisa, Elseya and I have felt very much under pressure, but the end is in sight and we should have a home back in time for Christmas.  Despite all this going on we know that mental health is important so we still take out the time to do the fun stuff, which of course for me is climbing:

Someone else who really likes climbing but is also feeling under pressure is Howsie.  This is however a self-inflicted challenge that I have frequently mentioned.  As the end of 2020 looms menacingly close there are still quite a few grade 20s that he has not yet managed to lead clean and the pressure is really on to bag each climb on each trip, not having the time to dilly dally about.  A while back I had offered a lending hand with a bit of a difference, and today that was taken up as we headed out dark and early.  The temperature as I left home was an appropriate 20 degrees.  It has been a strange week and the days have hit the high thirties, despite forecasts not indicating it would happen, so it was anybody’s guess how hot it would get today:

In addition to a possible scorcher of a day, another reason for such an early start was that today would be a bit of a road trip to the furthest two crags, from where we live, in the South West.  Plus the first one included a brisk 30min walk in, so despite only having three climbs to tackle it was that we started our walk into Bobs Hollow at 4:45am.  It was a strange morning, clouds hung over the ocean like a mist obscuring the horizon from view.  It was almost eerie, but the lack of sun and cool slightly damp breeze made it a very pleasant hike in.  Ash had hinted that he and his mate Glen would be heading here too and were aiming for an early start, but on arrival we were greeted to an empty crag:

While we only had three routes on our hit list today, it would not have been wise to jump straight onto a grade 20 cold, so we began with the relatively mild Lovers Nuts.  While we both managed a clean ascent of this line, not only did moisture hang heavy in the air but the rock was sweating and that was an ominous sign.  Not put off, next up was Grade 20 no.1 Shaved Cat, but access to the rock was blocked by a Garden Orb Weaver spider and not wanting to damage it’s web Howsie took an alternative to start the route.  This was not as easy and I could see Howsie struggling to read and commit to the moves:

From the start I could his body language did not bode well, he was climbing awkwardly, hanging on every hold tightly and his body looked to be in tension the whole time.  The last time we came here he failed to get past the lower flake, and while he got past this today he then faltered for way too long at the crux traverse.  Furthermore he seemed to forget how to climb with arms and legs stuck out at strange angles, almost climbing with his body horizontally across the rock.  It was almost like he was on a medieval stretching rack being pulled to the maximum extent his body would allow and then a bit more.  Needless to say he fell, and as he sat in his harness he hung his head in what looked like deflated defeat:

Rather than allowing him to give up I used a trick that Mark had taught me on our trip to Kalbarri, where we would often start the day on a 23 or 24 that was at the time my upper limit.  Not that I have ever used it since.  But today seemed the right time and I got Howsie to focus, sort out the sequence for the next few moves, clip the bolt and then hang.  I continued to give directions and bolt by bolt he got past the crux and next steep section.  After this the route and angle of the rick eases, so it was not till then I lowered him down.  I was staring to become more dogmatic in belaying him knowing what he wanted to achieve, but also needing to have a bit of empathy for how he was feeling:

So we had a bit of a chat about things and he admitted to having felt on edge starting the route, and discussion started about the sense of his 2020 challenge.  A key aspect being how it changed his mind set when climbing, due to the pressure of having to bag the route and only having one year to complete the challenge.  While this was fine early on, but as the year progressed this meant he was less and less relaxed as he approached each grade 20 climb.  This was clearly evident, so we talked about forgetting the challenge and enjoying the route for what it was.  With continual directions and encouragement I’m very happy to say that Howsie did climb it much more smoothly and got a clean lead:

As I followed up this very fine route, there were a few things I noticed, firstly the blood trail that he had left.  He had been so focused on the upper sharp section that he hadn’t noticed he had scuffed his knee and was leaving the trail.  Secondly once on top I saw a car parked at the end of the hideous 4WD track, so we wondered if Ash had arrived.  Thirdly and the best find being a baby Carpet Python.  This was out on the rock as Howsie attempted his first lead, and he later claimed this had partly been partially responsible for distracting him and making him fail on his first attempt (yeah sure).  When I went up it the python had receded to a small hollow, in what looked to be a precarious purchase on mostly smooth overhanging limestone.  It’s incredible to think how it even got there:

When we moved onto the northern section of the crag, but we did not meet Ash.  A couple from Perth who had walked in on the beach, were instead there getting ready to climb.  The mystery of who had driven in was as yet unsolved, but Howsie’s mind was more focused on Grade 20 no.2 Thyeses Feast.  On The Crag this route gets a grade of 19, heaping even more weight on Howsie’s mind as he rallied his thought and set off.   The start is cruisy and this climb could be described as a boulder problem, with only the last say 5m being tricky plus very steep.  He got all the way to the hold from where you can clip the final anchors and was looking smooth and confident the whole way; but then started to whimper, didn’t use his feet and his hands pealed out of the hold:

I belayed while watching the bull or inch ants.  Not because I’m worried about being bitten by them, as I don’t seem to get the same reaction that many people do, but purely because they are fascinating and fearless insects.  Above me Howsie was in that familiar position, hanging in the rope with his head drooped down feeling the pressure of his challenge.  Once more instead of feeling the joy of being on rock, his mind was pushing him down into deep dark places that are not conducive to climbing.  He tried several times but failed on each less and less looking graceful attempt, so eventually he came down and offered me the rope.  He watched me with interests as I worked the top moves.  The rock was wet but the holds are big so it wasn’t too bad, um 19 or 20 I’m not sure:

Back down Howsie was hinting at having a go on top rope, but I pulled the rope expecting him to now lead it clean as he looked at me a hint of despair.  It was about then that Ash finally arrived, for one reason or another the early start had got progressively later.  He watched for a while and remarked at my mercenary and unforgiven attitude to Howsie as he repeated his previous performance, again unable to get the final anchors.  As I led the route a second time Ash wandered off and you might just about be able to make him out in the image below as he is leading the very fine Escalade De Rasoir.  Meanwhile, Howsie was not even up for seconding this damn route so I cleaned it.  As more and more and more climbers rolled in we walked out:

We walked fast as the sun came and went, and back at the car all hot and sweaty the air conditioner was very welcome.  It was however only 24 degrees but the humidity felt like it was up, so as we drove out we discussed whether it was even worth driving down to Cosy Corner to attempt Grade 20 no.3 Petropunster.  With the cool climate in the car making us feel refreshed we decided to at least go and have a look.  We chatted about the challenge and how it was changing these trips, there was an expectation of success and with that I was becoming less and less sympathetic, as witness and noticed by Ash, and Howsie was focusing less and less on enjoyment but more on needing to perform.  So was it all worth it, we never answered that question and as we walked in there was a cool breeze and the sun was again hiding behind the clouds, so decision made we were going down:

The only other time I have climbed this route was with Dan five years back, and I am not aware of anyone else who has attempted it.  Dan was fresh back from a climbing trip in Turkey and feeling strong.  But the route shut him down and he sent me up instead.  My only memory being that it was hard and felt very, very goey.  Put up in 1992 it was originally graded 19 but I put in the current guide as 20.  I’m not sure but it may be harder, and having checked with Dan he is also undecided but clearly remembers the route.  As Howsie approached the crux sequence he tried and tried but it was just too much.  I had thoughts of being stuck on the belay ledge for an hour or two but then he started to pull on the gear to get past the parts causing him the most grief.  I followed up having to work hard to get the gear he had fallen on out, the crack was also seeping and I was knackered.  As such I too hung on the rope, pleased to finally get to the top and expecting Howsie to be in a downtrodden mood:

Instead he was smiling away and happy as.  He explained how he had reflected on our discussion and had put the pressures of the challenge aside, and instead climbed for fun.  As such he really enjoyed the experience and wasn’t stressed about not having led it clean.  We walked out jumped and in the car, and as drove inland the clouds cleared the temperature hit the thirties we had timed it well. We again pondered the 2020, and soon to start 2021 challenge, and concluded it was not worth it.  Expecting to lead routes nearing the top of your grade every time head out especially when you have limited time to get out, as Howsie does, was just too much to ask.  Instead we agreed that a better way to tackle it, as Howsie still likes the idea of pushing himself, was to set a challenge of attempting every grade 20 in 2020.  This now only leaves one to hit, Ain’t No Slouch, which we can hopefully squeeze in between Christmas and New Year’s, and also takes the pressure off for 2021: