I'd been working on this problem for a few days now.
The first time I saw it, it looked interesting, different.
It was risky, higher off the ground then my usual safe
bouldering
height, and from what I could see of the
crux it wasn't going to be
easy.
The first attempt ended in ignominious failure. I was barely a few feet
up when the foot I had all my weight on slipped.
Simple
physics slammed by knee into unyielding boulder. It hurt like hell
and I felt a little sick.
It took a week but the knee recovered
so I headed back to the rock.
This time I was inspired, moving easily on the gritstone, solving
the problems without any difficulty. I reached the crux and I could see
the move I needed. A little awkward, but I knew I could do it.
I got my hand on a sloper and now I just had to adjust my feet,
to make the next move.
Then I lost contact with the rock. I was totally unprepared and I
fell hard jarringly on to the ground.
I bounced and rolled down a little
grassy slope. I ended up upside down, gasping. Fucking fuck!
A few days later, I was driving to the supermarket. Suddenly I knew I
had to climb that boulder. I changed direction and headed out to the
crag. As I walked up the path it started raining.
Damn! Climbing in the wet
is difficult but there was a slight overhang
on the boulder and I thought it would be dry enough.
This time I zoomed up. No problem. Standing on top of the boulder
with the adrenalin still pumping, my hands shaking, I felt totally
exhilarated. I remember shouting and screaming "YES YEEESSS!" like
a maniac.
I sat on the top wih my feet dangling over the side. It was early and
there was no-one around. The drizzly rain had subsided but there was still
a magical early morning mist surrounding the other rocks.
I could hear the birds singing and at that moment I felt totally at peace
with the universe.