So, my finger was starting to feel better, and the majority of the swelling had gone down. I did some moderate pitches in the creek day before yesterday and all felt well. And of course, being down there made me antsy to get on my project again. So off I set, back to Learning to Fly. And that route HATES me, I decided. It's so frustrating. I felt like I was pretty close to sending within a couple of tries of the thing, but it's basically a boulder problem for me -- which means low percentage -- and I mess something up every time.
You see, normally I'm a very in control climber and when I feel like I'm ready to send, that's it. I'm probably going to send because I've got everything perfectly figured out and super dialed-in. Such is not AT ALL the case with this incredibly frustrating little pitch.
Campusing on ring locks with little to no feet means that if my foot pops or I get a ring-lock not quite right, then I'm out of there. And the hardest part is putting in gear. As I'm placing gear I'm sliding out, so it's a ticking time bomb. Yesterday I fell while clipping twice, and once nearly hit the deck! Luckily Cedar pulled in slack and I came up about six inches short of the ground. A bit disconcerting to say the least.
Anyway, never has a route beat me up like this before. I've never falling while clipping. It's crazy. And of course, today my finger is back to being sore and swollen. Part of me feels like I should just give up before I seriously hurt myself, but the stubborn part of me is SUPER annoyed that I feel so close and keep just missing something. I don't want to let this climb get the best of me, but I also don't want to permanently mess up my fingers and/or joints. I like having little digits.