estimated time of arrival

The days leading up to my visit to West Texas have been hectic to say the least. With the winter weather on it's way out, I only had a few days left to tie up loose ends in Southern Illinois. Recently I've been finding that time itself is a commodity, but with a little bit of planning, hard work, and enough motivation things can still get done.

Case in point- last Friday I drove down to Illinois and was successfully able to send Titlest (V8/9). I was on a mission for sure- I had only budgeted enough time to drive there, warm up, try the problem a hand full of times, and drive back in order to make it back to work on time.

It was nice to put Titlest down before leaving for Hueco. Not only was it a great litmus test for the past few months of training, it was also a definite morale booster. I feel fairly confident that I've made remarkable improvements both in terms of strength and power (the difference of course being that power is the amount of strength one is able to output over time). It was also nice to put down a route that was considered to be one of the first hard lines in the area. I've looked at it for years and was drawn to it's savage simplicity.  It's the perfect problem- one that demands power and unforgiving accuracy for someone with my proportions (read: height). Not only is the line difficult, it's stunning as well. Very proud to have done it this year. Watch out for the video when I get back!

The following Sunday I made it down to The Beach with a few friends where I was able to flash Sex on the Beach (V5) and grab quick sends of King of Smears (V4+) and an unknown problem on the back side of the main Beach boulder (V5/6). In addition to a tour of the classics, I made great head way on another problem on the same boulder that clocked in around V8/9. While I was unable to seal the deal, I'm fairly confident that when I return I'll be able to summit quickly.

Ian Anderson, King of Smears (V4)

But that's yesterday's news and right now I'm on my way to El Paso for two weeks. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'm eager to test my sensibilities and push myself physically. The line between having goals and having expectations is thin. It's difficult to say what I want, but at a very basic level I want to climb well- calculated, composed, and intuitively. I'm not sure what to expect, but I'll keep interested readers abreast of the situation once the opportunity arises.