Back on Two Feet

Well, it's been a long time since I got to write about climbing. For the last month, I've been climbing one footed in the gym in order to let the building tendonitis in my foot calm down and heal. Don't ask me how I acquired tendonitis in the top of my foot - I don't even run. Nevertheless, with the help of acupuncture by David Scrimgeour, things are feeling much less aggravated. To my surprise, climbing with one foot for a month has really helped my climbing, or at least my dynamic capabilities. I don't often train power, but climbing with one foot forced me to do a lot of swinging and jumping. I might be walking lopsided now, as the left side of my lower half got super strong while the right side atrophied, but I've always said that training power doesn't come easy. I guess that applies here as well.I even got out to Eldo last weekend with my friend Hayden Kennedy, whose endless stream of what qualify under nothing less than "Haydenisms", always make for a laughter filled day. Despite his long list of achievements, even just within the last few months (read: first fair means ascent of the Southeast Ridge of Cerro Torre and the FA of Indian Creek's hardest route, dubbed by Hayden "Carbondale Shortbus"), Hayden is one of the most humble climbers I've ever met. In fact, if he comes across this post, he probably won't be too thrilled about the contents of the preceding parenthesis.We did an ultra fun, 2 pitch 10a, Metamorphosis, before getting on Rainbow Wall, a beautiful 13a from the 80's that I've always heard about and wanted to try. Let me tell you, Rainbow Wall is business. The slightest bit of heat or moisture makes the barely there holds feel like nothing more than impurities in the clean face. I'll remember to bring my finger strength, super high step abilities, and TC Pros next time I go back for a try, because I certainly forgot all those last weekend. At the end of the day we met up with Josh Finkelstein and took a few laps on the Monument, a powerful 12d that is basically the antithesis of Eldo climbing - sporty, steep, jugs.Fingers crossed, I'm headed out to Utah this weekend to put in some long awaited hours at Mill Creek. Stay tuned!