Competence-Confidence Plans are executed one step at a time. My next step was to get back up on that canyon wall! I searched my schedule for the opportunity to run back to the Red River Gorge area in Kentucky, a couple of weeks after my last climbing session.
Because being systematic is such an important concept, I started my day off revisiting the now-easier sections #1, #2 and #3 that I had tackled before as a lead in to tackling a whole new challenge, the 4th section of the canyon.
It’s always a good idea to rack up the successes, one after another, to give yourself the confidence boost, knowing that you have really come a long way from where you’ve started. I was shocked at just how incredibly comfortable I was with the heights, how quickly I blew through routes that had been terrifying when I did them on the first attempts.
This warmup allowed me to start my day off on a successful note, to tamp down the butterflies, and give my confidence another bump, before moving onto something new, what was to be the 2nd hardest route of the six.
I was feeling soooo good!!
And, then, best laid plan of mice and (wo)men… sometimes things just go horribly wrong!
I felt comfortable, ready to stretch myself, so I continued on from the end of #3, straight into the 4th bit. I had thoroughly grilled the folks that work at Southeast Mountain Guides as to what I should expect, what my challenges were going to be. I was told that the first 30-40’ were the worst of it, and once I got past that, it wasn’t significantly different than what I had been doing so far. I was fresh, or so I thought, and ready to roll right into that next section.
I cranked my way across a straightaway section – just a 20’ line of horizontal steps and a horizontal strip of hand grips. Shouldn’t have been a problem! Unfortunately, the handgrips were just a touch further out from the wall than the steps. I was leaning out just enough to quickly fatigue my entire upper body. I scooted back to the beginning, trying to outrun complete muscle failure. I regrouped and reassessed the situation, trying to plot out my course.
I took another stab at it. I got back across the flats and flew up the rock face. With another round of muscle fatigue quickly setting in, my mind spinning, in a panic to not fall heaven knows how many feet, I dove into a cubby, barely big enough to wedge myself into, up on a ledge, stuffed behind a nearly vertical rebar handgrip. Now, it wasn’t a matter of choosing whether I wanted to go forward or retreat backwards on the course – I was 100% stuck! I couldn’t figure out how to get myself extracted from my tiny perch.
Panic started to set in. I had the entire place to myself, there was no one close to call out to for assistance. I knew the guy on staff was across the canyon, ready to rescue me if I fell. But, what was I gonna’ do now – scream for him to come get my ass down??? Lol, omg!! I knew every minute I remained in place, was another minute I was going to unravel, physically and mentally.
And, then, along came a blessing, in the form of a 20-something year old kid, Dylan, who popped out of the trees below – he was one of the SE Mtn guides bringing a client up to climb. Heaven sent!! He proceeded to guide me out of my cubby hole, provide calm reassurance, and coached me along the most challenging parts, one at a time, one after another.
Earlier in the day I had I learned how to use, and come to trust, the third, fixed strap on the harness, the one that allows you to clip onto a loop of rebar or one of the cables, and rest up for the next challenge. Sitting back in the harness, and coming to trust my gear, was just the next logical stretch for me. It was terrifying to have to rely on it, but was grateful that I had that tool at my disposal when it became absolutely critical to use it on #4 after I got myself moving again.
Crazy thing, after finally pull off #4, I was pumped to continued on through #5!! I’d snatched victory from near defeat!! At that point, the swinging bridge was just bonus fun!! It’s curious how some things aren’t troubling at all after you’ve tackled some of your greatest fears!!
I came down to the ground, and then went up and did section 1 again, just so that I could prove to myself just how much progress I’d made in 3 days of focused effort – it was a breeze, even though I was completely wiped! So, that means, after all was said and done, I completed sections 1-5 all in one day!! Not too shabby for such inauspcious beginnings to my day!!
To read up on today’s takeaway lessons, go to Via Ferrata, Day 3 continued: Takeaway Lessons
Smarter-Not-Harder U 