Such Great Heights: Week 8 Summary
After more than 13000 kilometers, and what felt like 99 but was actually 8 states and 2 provinces driven through, we have completed The Great Escape from Vegas and are now home, safe and symptom-free. Quarantine is in full swing: day 4, baby!
Initially I was going to wrap this sabbatical up; I even told my Quest crew that I’ve been let go from my Chief Rock Climbing Officer position - but I’ve since decided against it. I’ve still got time, and no idea what I’m doing next, which tells me that the show must go on, albeit with a modified programme.
Besides, cataclysms of varying proportions might be part of my sabbatical process - last time, I fell off the bouldering wall in the gym and tore my ACL; this time, a virus of pandemic proportions is tearing through the world. Though judging by that progression I should probably never take another sabbatical.
Onto the update, then!
CLIMB >> TRAIN FOR CLIMBING: This is the only goal that really required modification, since outdoor climbing is out of the question for some time: social distancing and “spring” weather in Quebec both play their parts. I originally set out to get “a V3 in Hueco Tanks and a 5.10d in Red Rocks Canyon”. I ended up finishing 4 V3s on the trip, including a flash, and one of them was indeed in Hueco Tanks; so I’m going to go ahead and call that objective crushed. On the sport climbing front, I didn’t reach my intended level: but I ended up flashing a 5.10b on lead, the hardest I’ve ever done (and it honestly didn’t feel that hard). I’m also quite proud of redpointing half of a 5.11a after a few failed top-rope attempts. So the rope-related objective remains! Here’s hoping that we can get a few days of outdoor climbing in before bébites season 2020 arrives in Val David in June. Now, for the transition! We have started doing indoor training, courtesy of my fabulous trainer Gui-Gui (hi!). It focuses mainly (if grudgingly) on core and cardio (the cardio part is still hypothetical, or should I say, aspirational). Two days in, my abs hurt so it must be working. If you’re similarly motivated while being locked inside, Gripped is doing a fabulous 14-day workout set for stay-at-home training. Amusez-vous! 9/10.
READ: Continuing to read Too Much and picking The Clean Money Revolution back up. I’ve got tons more time now, so it’s easier to squeeze reading in on a nightly basis. 8/10.
QUEST: Last session we focused on Odyssey Plans. I’d been meaning to do this for a while! It is a ridiculously hard exercise in the most stable of times, but extremely valuable even now. Going through it shot to hell the plan for my return that I had set out before we left when I realized I was not even a little bit inspired by it (it was also completely cyclical, and I know how this movie ends already). 9/10.
FRENCH: While taking turns driving through Middle America with Jean, I alternated between reading and listening to the latest COVID-19 updates in French via Radio Canada or La Presse. Upon arrival home it has been more difficult to integrate. This is where picking up something like Série Noire might help! 8/10.
The only touristy thing we ended up doing on our drive home was stop into Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado which was right on our way. Can’t imagine how cool it would be to see a concert there!
Another type of Red Rocks
Turns out, people practicing social distancing also use this as a gym
Wanna Help?
Let’s hang out on the line, I’ve missed y’all while I’ve been away! Who’s up for it? Hit me up!
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