For a while now, I’ve been working on this theory of mine, of how increasing one’s competence, in comfortably uncomfortable increments, increases one’s confidence in such a way that allows for the next round of competence building. I’m playing my own guinea pig as I test out the theory.
I ran around the via ferrata routes 1, 2, and 3 again on my 4th day at this particular endeavor. Despite forgetting my gloves (again!!), I smoked through the entire first half of the canyon comfortably, easily, ecstatically!! It’s hard to imagine how far I’d come from where I’d started, after just 3 partial days of deliberate practice. In terms of hours spent, I probably had, at most, 9 hours investing in order to get this far! And, other than the one really stressful day, it was all done with a minimum of anxiety and stress.
I grabbed a little lunch with the hubby, David. He had just turned up from Ohio to watch what I was up to… from ground level. And, then, I prepped to tackle my nemesis, route #4, a second stab at conquering the route, all by myself!!
I climbed up to the beginning of the route from the valley floor. I clipped in, took a slow, steady breath, and started. I was so grateful that I had gotten comfortable (out of absolute necessity the day before!!) with the rest hook, because it was just the thing I needed to have in my tool chest.
I quickly worked my way across the first flat section. I scooted up the little verticle face, took a bit of a rest with my rest clip. That saved me – I didn’t end up wedged in the hole that had almost foiled me on my first attemp.
When it was time to navigate a long vertical ascent, that then cants outward halfway up, I started hauling along and was just about to grab the bar at the tippy top, my fingers just inches shy of my target, when I hit the end of my ropes, literally!! I hadn’t transitioned my clips past the previous cable anchor point. I scrambled back down, willing myself to not simply lose my grasp and drop off the face. More use of the rest clip!
It took forever, but I just kept solving first one problem and then the next, plotting out my approach, testing out each of my moves before committing, regrouping, mounting a fresh assault…. UNTIL… I’d completed the entire route!!
Shredded! I was tired, but happy and triumphant!! And feeling surprisingly confident for my next destination, the reason for all this prep work… I put in 4 days of work in Kentucky and felt prepped to tackle Nelson Rock, WV, even at a staggering 280’ off the ground!!!
So what have I discovered??
I know now, that this approach WORKS!! One can tackle the most daunting tasks, if done in this methodical, incremental, comfortably uncomfortable way!!
Off to Nelson Rocks, WV!! Whoot Whoot!! Read about it at Via Ferrata, Day 5: The Utlimate Test!!
Smarter-Not-Harder U 