Monsoons and Ramblings

Went out to the draw yesterday after two weeks of sport climbing with the intent of working Streetfighter and Receptionist. I instead ended up wandering up to Twister after finding out that some members of Phoenix Rock Gym and Nico were there. We did get rained out, but I got a repeat of Twister while it was dry. That being said, it wasn't too bad- I didn't get much sleep and was lacking in energy. Furthermore, there's a certain pleasure squirreling away under a roof hearing the thunderstorms, watching the rainwater travel down the holds, and avoiding the hail.   

Soaked Saucer Roof and Floorpie Roof

Makeshift Umbrellas. Trail is soaked. 

The Draw in its soaking glory.

The bet with Noah is still ongoing, and there seems to be no signs of relief from the monsoons, so time seems to be running out. Progress on the Receptionist has been pretty stagnant, as I haven't made it back there since a month ago with Kevin. 

I've been back in the gym trying to develop my familiarity with the open hip stance so going out into the headwall doesn't shut me down as much as it used to. I'm mainly focusing on gently overhanging terrain for the fingers and the roofs for the movement, with my warmups using Power Company Climbing's rooting drills. Gym climbing is tough, the harder grades force powerful movement, which is something that doesn't come naturally to me. Two hours is enough per session, as that's when my coordination and tension goes to the trashcan. Additionally, I'm working on including some hangboard repeaters twice a week that uses the four finger drag, 3 finger drag, and spock grip. 

Mentally, my focus toward Receptionist hasn't been much of a "need-to" mentality, but a "want-to" mentality. The bet and send doesn't really mean much to me at the end of the day, but I would be curious to see if my roof climbing skills will hold up. I haven't really felt that I needed to be strong for a climb until this one, so I'm interested in seeing what a strong and focused version of me looks like. Progression wise, by the time I do this, I know it means that I've successfully applied my current roof knowledge that I've spent the past two years acquiring, and that I have a good base to use for the rest of my roof climbing journey. Cheesy, yes, but damn, it's exciting. I can't wait to go back!