gym                              outdoor 

new pairs

3D Chess : Curtain Call

 Checkmate ✅

The "curtain closed" 11.04.23 on my longest boulder project to date: Curtain Call 7C . It's taken me nearly one month to process and put to words this accomplishment and its significance personally. Facts: it's not the most impressive line, nor grade (Elon says it’s V7 lol) but this ascent is a milestone for me that's transformational for reasons I'll elaborate.

Living legend Tommy Caldwell took a decade on the Dawn Wall, well… , I’ve put atleast nine (9) years of attempts in on Curtain Call (not exclusive to many other projects of course); While this 5move bloc isn’t what I’d consider my Dawn Wall, it’s definitely been a process. 

Being a weekend warrior performance-oriented rock climber, busy family guy, and full time nightshift ICU RN, it can be difficult to maintain fitness/psyche/healthy perspective on projects. Simply joy and stress relief are important “metrics” as to why I climb. I am still improving (Alhumdullilah) thanks to nemesis boulder problems such as this one that keep giving lessons til learned. 

“Nic You [still] haven't sent Curtain!?” a friend inquired, “no.” Doubts lingered for years on this rig. 

Curtain Call is an outdoor board style climb on faint start holds, strenuous body positions, increasingly small micropinches with faint thumb catches culminating with a 2move sequence to and from a very small (6-8mm ish) R hand crimp to a victory top out. 

Myriad mental and physical personal battles made this boulder feel like a grade V big wall. From fitting my 6’o frame into the “box” of the climb, to fitness regressions, injuries, other life constraints and legitimately being stumped how any beta or method would work for me, I didn’t know if it would ever go for Me til the day I woke up and did it.   

injury before session due to moving log wedged at base of boulder sans work gloves 🤦🏽‍♂️ 

higher percentage “tall person” start beta 

training 

focused

It will be a miracle when I send this.  Innumerable attempts, tantrums, beta edits for being 6’ tall (no “easier” heel hook shelf ), lining up the performative fitness/availability/weather and “landscaping fiascos” (plural) prepping base of climb made this just feel epic to the point of ridiculousness. In the end, I’m thankful it all came together... at 40 yrs young.

The day I sent the conditions were good;  I felt light, energetic, focused, and care free (rare considering sleep deprivation parenting our two year old and working night shift). My family taking nap, I decided to squeeze a session in on projects at NWBRANCH. I went straight to Curtain Call boulder because group were swapping attempts at Long Wall where I usually warm up . 

Pull on holds, mobility work , shoulder engagement, breathe, rehearsal of easier moves, sit, hydrate. Breathe, picture the send with every somatic sensory feedback memory rehearsed. I knew I was sending that day; I entered a surreal flow state many minutes and tries before the ascent. Time became nonexistent sounds of the forest and light memorably exquisite, ambient, glowing, humming with energy. I’ll always fondly recall the setting just then after so many years at that spot. 

With body prepared and mind surrendered, the moment ripens

I pulled on, the wave of each nerve synapse in unison with my breath, laser focus, I executed each move... I screamed latching hold at deadpoint crux, in near disbelief I had linked from the start, and began tearing up as I topped out Curtain Call. I sent it. 

Sending feels good. Sending projects great. Sending long term projects can feel redemptive. The training block over the summer (see earlier blog post) worked ! I don’t feel the need to waste emotional energy comparing myself to other climbers, but I do invest considerable energy comparing renditions of mysel re: training , performance, body attributes, what works when, what doesn’t... why not? Sending Curtain Call feels like redeeming my hard won tickets for a huge prize! 🔥

So, What’s next? 

To keep at the list (note: see post "Getting What's Paid For")... focal the few “pillars” left at NWB:

Prelude to Crimps

Chaos Roof

If You made it this far, thank you for reading 🙏🏽 

With head heart hand,

   .

NM

°

Putting Bloks Together

More to come…

✅ 

#nwbclassic                                                           11.04.2023

Just What was Needed

 

Thankful, in wake of other life stressors to do some exploring of new zone for this pebble wrestler… Morgan Run NEA  

blessings

  .

NM

Happy Autumnal Equinox 9.23.23 0250 EST

 

“Silencing my doubts and flipping the switch” Katie Lamb

 

Curtain Call … 

this crucial sequence is what remains now that I’ve unlocked higher percentage tall person start beta (shout out Matt & Steve)

Two (2) helpful methods for grading boulders:

 

1. “spot on”

does it still make sense even if adding or subtracting a single grade ? 

2. “Max’s formula”

(x+y)     + 2

2

(e.g. even though I haven’t yet climbed DErT I’ll grade it V9… V8 into a long V6)

click to enLARGE

May a successful 2023 Qtr 3 Outdoor season begin!

b l e s s i n G

NM

Getting What’s Paid For

 

 Don’t Discount Your Climbing

NWB = 0.5hr

DErT ✅ 3.19.24

DERa ✅ 3.22.24

Curtain Call ✅ 11.4.23

Chaos Roof

Prelude to Crimps

“Doomed Nightmare”

“HaOrder” Proj

“SURFR” Proj

Morgan Run/Patapsco 0.6hr

Crystal Crusade ✅ 

Porteños Go Home

Sykesville Monster

Aloha

Slender Man

14Crimp Proj

Parkton Boulders 0.6hr

Adventure Time

Swordless Samurai

Springfield/Hooes Rd  =0.7hr

Purple People Eaters

Midnight Sun

Catoctin =1hr

The General

Honey Crisp

Never Let Me Go

Teen Wolf

Pineapple Express

Boss Hog

Anthem

Rocks State Park =1.25hrs

Moby Dick

Truck Driver

Blue Crab

Mt Gretna/Governor Dick = 2hrs

Coopers Rock/BubbleWrap = 3.2hrs

New River Gorge = 5.5hrs

Gunks = 5.5hrs

Grayson = 6hrs

.

NM

Summer '23 💥 Power Phase 2 Week 2

Monday 8/14: still struggling with 1-4-7 off L, sent purple comp climb 7C on mega roll!, half crimp feeling stronger ~can hang 6mm without thumb now, 2 x80lbs pull up nearing chest level now

"Progress can manifest in grades, but grades aren't best indicator of progress"

"With complex boulder problems it can be hard to nail down why I failed"

"distill first weakest links; find the pieces of puzzle missing"

"in order of complexity:
hangboards and blocks, then campus board, the next most complicated thing is Tension board, then indoor gym sets, ...keep layering complexity until you finally climb the rock."

from Testpiece Podcast feat. Will Anglin

.

NM

Summer ‘23 Power phase 2 begins

I 

 You need consistency to really evolve

stagnation kills motivation

injury kills progress

Deload Week

 Feeling good with gains achieved after power phase. Last session repeated some benchmarks and have good data for pushing PRs next week when Summer ‘23 training block 2 begins  

campus template to try (+McColl’s hand switches and Paul’s Crosses)

Last session

“I'm glad that the range of moves I can perform has definitely increased compared to before. “ Ryuichi M

'23 Summer Periodization Schedule

 

Heading into the hotter humid months locally and recovering from some scar tissue buildup in L ankle, this is the perfect time to get back to the basics: gym training, goal setting for Fall outdoors, micro/meso periodization optimization, reframing of pressure/passion ... as Son says to 'live it perfectly'

💪STRENGTH (3) three weeks

💥POWER (2) two weeks

⏾ deload week

💪STRENGTH (3) three weeks

💥POWER (2) two weeks

👊POWER ENDURANCE (2) weeks

Goals this Fall are to send  5.14 sport, a particular 13- trad line, & several double digit boulders

Sincerely,

now 40 Year Old Me : )