best day ever...

...but was it "best" enough?

below a video-still from the 3rd try of the day on the highlander-project: the last hard move (after its just a physical 6move 7B to the top): my left hand on its way to the rescue-hold and i am basically there - 5cm and i just need to close the grip... so its done.. isn't it?!

scroll down for the answer... (if you followed this blog for a while you may already know...haha)

looks like the rest days of last week really paid off!!! first try i made it with ease through the underling-move of traumland. while i was doing the move i was asking myself what the hell the problem has been last wee??? it just felt EASY today!!! (the move i was not able to do once last week due to fatigue from too much work and not enough sleep). i did not get too cold and climbed solid into the last move - BUT then i managed to hit the righthand-crimp with just three fingers. i was not able to adjust. went for the last move. but with three fingers i have no chance to do it...

went for a second try after some rest just as the clouds rolled in again. i got cold fingers but climbed again with ease through the hard undercling-move of traumland. again i could not believe how solid i felt on the move. what was so different today? its very rare for me to make it through that move after going down on the last move a try before. normally i am just too tired. unfortunately i got very cold finger tips. so i tried to "shake out". it did not really work too good but i kept climbing. did not hit the crimp on the last crux perfect but way better. managed to kill the swing. was setting up for the last move but then my tank was just empty. no way to do the move. but another nice try.

so there i was. climbing twice again into the last move in a day. never managed to do that with the new beta (learnt from fred nicole last spring that they originally did not use any of the "traumland-finish-holds" for hand or feet as "reve de faire" was thought to be a more direct and different line then traumland. that makes sense in a way. otherwise you can also climb into that finish from the very right... which is an existing boulder for its own).

after that much climbing (two times an 8B+) i normally can go home as i am just too tired to do even a 7A afterwards. but then i finally got warm fingertips and i still felt good and i never ever climbed so solid through the first crux. so after just a short 10min rest i just jumped on it again. going for a third try. i was so surprised to make it (solid) again through the first crux - i nearly did let go. but i kept climbing. everything went perfectly. hit the crimp in the second crux perfectly. killed the swing. did set up for the last move. tank was not empty. fingers not too cold. went for that hold out left. hit that crimp...

... but unfortunately i just did hit the crimp on top but not behind where it is good. maybe 1cm too short... as close as you can get but no way to hold the upcoming swing like that... and down i was once more. three times up to the last move in a day. BEST DAY EVER. BUT NOT "BEST" ENOUGH. once more no presents were served - not even a little one. i touched the rescue hold but was going too short to really catch it. i really ask myself what else i have to do to finally stick that move? climbing it 5times back and forth? one-armed? upside down? its getting ridiculous!!! but if i hit that right-hand-crimp on the last move in the right spot...

to spice things up: weather forecast looks not too good at all. we have a very untypical weahter-system in swizzy for this time of the year. in the south its still very warm, in the north way too cold and the fog sits way higher then it normally does. and it looks like its getting COLD and SNOWY next week... what really does not help at all in terms of my every day problem with frozen tips...