2011 - A Good Year

I just made it back from the long 30 plus hour drive from Mt Arapiles in Victoria ending my latest foray away from Perth and allowing me to contemplate the goals I achieved and did not achieve during another ‘blink and you miss it’ year. It was hot in Arapiles and the glassy slopy sidepulls covering my number one goal of 2011 (and 2010!) were hard to hold! I’ve decided that Punks in the Gym (32) is hard! Add a grade if you can’t reach the holds from the good feet and two grades if its 40oC. The first day wasn’t too hot and I managed to catch the ‘birdbath’ hold twice from the ground but not finish it off. After that I got tired and didn’t rest enough and the conditions progressively got worse. The only solution to this for me is to go climb some even harder routes elsewhere and then come back fresh and show that pointless 25m section of rock who’s boss!! It was a great trip though and as always the friends I got to climb with and drink coffee in the pines with (you know who you are) made the climbing just an afterthought. I did get up some classics in the heat though including Trojan (25) onsight, Masada (29), and Denim (26). A highlight was definitely the second shot battle wrestling my way up Denim when I was super tired on the last day in mid 30 degree temps.

Staring down the crux move on Punks in the Gym. Photo: Alex Glaser

Jarrod entering the crux sequence on Punks in the Gym. Photo: Alex Glaser

As for the rest of 2011 I feel I balanced work and climbing well getting stronger than ever although I don’t feel I portrayed this in my achievements on rock. This may be due to a lack of opportunity as well as a decrease in my power endurance due to the amount of time I spent on site working and not climbing. There is definitely a big difference between your boulder strength and your power endurance! I did manage to climb better locally this year finishing off two projects in Mountain Quarry, Death Star (29) and Take Off (29), both still unrepeated, and managed to send Tim’s Animalistic Rage (29). Best ascent of the year would have to be the five star L’ami de toute le monde (31) in Ceuse. It’s a pity I didn’t get to do what I wanted in the alpine during 2011 and that has reflected itself in my 2012 goals.

Despite having a good job I’ve decided to go full time climbing for a while with a focus this year on some stand out ascents. You’ll never achieve amazing things unless you dream of amazing things. I remember when I started climbing I was intimidated just looking at pictures of Cerro Torre and Mt Fitzroy in Patagonia thinking they were the ultimate ‘bad ass’ peaks. Maybe I know a little better now but I am still stoked to have booked my tickets there with Owen for February and the first half of March. In April Owen and I will be hanging out in the European Alps and I’ll get to continue to work on one of the biggest weaknesses of my all round climbing abilities which is mixed climbing. After that I am keen to keep plans open but I am super motivated to get rid of an inner belief I climb grade 31. I can count the number of routes I’ve tried harder than 31 on one hand and Punks is really the only one I’ve had a good crack at. 3 months in Spain at the end of the year should sort me out :)

2012 is the year to step up, take the plunge, push yourself...