So lately I haven't been getting out as much as I usually do, and no where close to as much as I want to. We spent the summer putting a new bamboo floor in the kitchen (felt nice putting down a sustainable resource), and TOTALLY redoing the bathroom. This has been scaring me a bit since we're working on having kids and I'm nervous about how much climbing my future holds. When I reflect on the season though, I realize that although the quantity has been lower, the quality has been way up there. Onsighting 10's at the Gunks and on my first trip to Smith Rocks made me feel like I'm still able to climb at a level I'm happy with. And then Monday happened...
I went to College Rock (the focus of an earlier blog entry) after school got out on Monday. I had homework to grade, was knackered from staying up watching the Pats and Red Sox, but it was a gorgeous fall day and I needed to get out. I honestly can't describe how the day went. You know how there are days when things just flow? The breeze is just right, there's silence that isn't deafening, and the mind-body connection is at one. Those days can be so infrequent for me nowadays with work and "grown up" concerns. I remember feeling it while surfing the hurricane Bob swell in college. I've had it during intimate moments with my wife. And Monday it finally happened while bouldering a chunk of rock that no one would ever go to if you were more than 20 minutes away. The hips were turning into back-steps while hands were already reaching to the next hold. The breathing was deep and smooth. My footwork was precise and accurate. In my earlier blog I was unsuccessful making 3 full traverses of the wall. This time I made it across 4 and felt like 5 had a distinct possibility. Calling it kinesthetic awareness sounds awfully scientific. Saying the force was strong would only detract from the personal significance. It was sublime though, and the closest I've come in a while to the Tao.
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