You blocked me on Facebook; now you must Die.

I have decided to stop climbing.

Ha Ha. Not really. But, my appearance on the climbing scene has diminished. A quick year in review.

I went to nationals and sucked it up. Let's just say I could've done better.

The day after destroying the sickest plastic project-in reality, I thought it was a new high in my climbing-I injured my finger three finger campussing.

Over a week in Joe's valley, I peaked out with No Substance, a V8, a memorable and rather disheartening send. Being that this was three weeks after sustaining my previously mentioned injury, I was still handicapped. I attended an SCS competition afterwards and the pain resumed completely. At the comp., I completed two routes... maybe just one.

Climbing in Bozeman the next weekend to attain my necessary three for regionals, I still felt pain and stopped after two routes.

Ultimately, I did not attend regionals or any following competition.

I climbed thrice at the beginning of the summer completing routes new to me such as the Pulaski, V6. Pain resumed, and I of course un-resumed climbing.

A couple days into July, I'm guessing the fourth, I began to climb again. Making a strong appearance, I sunk pockets at the Lander International Climbers' Festival-consisting of five days of 5.10 snacking. It seemed much more like chewing on bitter inedible twigs than any sort of snack.

For the next three weeks, I climbed managing to send Tribal Vibrations, V11, and some others again. However routes, such as Pookster, another eleven, beat me yet; it was abuse.

Europe, an awesome-ish trip, came, but climbing only came seldom. Once in Austria, once and half in Switzerland, and thrice in France. I sent Biceps Mou, the highlight-day (out of twenty-one) of my Europe trip.

Back in Wyoming, I did ten 8s in four hours and Green Glass Door, an awesome route.

It is rather depressing to see that was my year in climbing. Like fo' real, I did shit. Sorry to use the word. Not very professional. Looking over all that is a disappointment.

The year previous, the list of accomplishments was much more impressive. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. 8th at nationals.

Now looking at it like that is probably not the best. Climbing is about enjoying yourself; we all make it sound like some enlightening pursuit. We all make it sound as if this transcends us to a higher level. Maybe I am misinterpreting the things I read, or think I read. And if we are to think climbing transcends the human, why wouldn't we take it seriously?

Climbing to me is a game. It is not a lifestyle, although my life revolves around it. It is a game because I go out and climb rocks while taking it as if though I am playing with nuclear weaponry. Dealing with nuclear weaponry strikes me as a pursuit I would enjoy, but this doesn't mean I would treat it lightly. When I take a step back though, I realize all climbing does is give me an unreasonable sort of pleasure.

The weeks without climbing taught me that I do not need climbing to live. Over the weeks, I managed to make a catapult, six feet tall, and develop my social life. Those were the only remarkable developments. It is hard to tell if my mental fortitude declined over this period.

Looking back to where this tangent, nigh on unintelligible, started, climbing is about enjoyment, and even though it is just a game, my happiness depends on it. Without progression, life in stasis, to me, is a life not lived. Not superseding my previous year with greater achievement disappoints me. If someone asks me, the greatest moment of my life. I don't want to look back three years and say a certain day. If my finest moment was any extended amount of time ago, what the @#$% have I been doing in the mean time? If I can avoid injury, and I will consciously try to avoid it, this new year will not be like last year.

Since the end of summer, I have primarily climbed indoors. On my wall...

Last year, my biggest flaw was my inability on large moves. Lacking large facilities, I worked on smaller move, harder hold routes. My last couple months have gone to working on nemesis routes with big moves, and as I have become better, worse holds.

I think, do not know, that I progressed in ability, hopefully at least to the previous years strength.

For the last year, I also had small-time sponsorship from La Sportiva. I didn't attempt to renew because of my poor performance though. If I had done, well I would feel as if though I deserved a sponsorship; I did no such thing though and must once again prove myself, if only to myself, worthy of a sponsorship.

It is hard to find a balance in life when I'm all about extremes. My classes are not too difficult, but sometimes the homework is just ridiculous and overwhelming; at the same time, which pisses me off, it is unnecessary. Of the things in life I do, and am proud of, I think first and foremost to come to mind is academics. Not that I am supremely above others, but I push my limits to the bar society sets for me in small-town Cody. Last semester, I took Calculus II, AP Biology (Bio 1010 through the near-by college), Honors British Lit., Advanced Composition (English 1010 through the college), and AP Economics (outside of school, online, and self-paced). This semester is much more my style with Differential Equations (at the college), College Physics... at the college, calc. based..., Independent study for "Advanced Topics in Mathematics," Chemistry II (college Chemistry 1010), AP Statistics, and AP Government. Normally, a kid takes four classes at a time, so I am pretty psyched with six. What I love is my parents don't push me in any of this. They support me, but they don't push.

The only part that sucks is I often am single minded. I must either be focussed on my intellect or physical being. It's one or the other. My goal this semester is to find a way for the two to work together, to be in balance.

Among other sad things, I believe that USAclimbing wants me dead. Well, this year they changed up the set-up for bouldering and regionals was in December. It is generally in January, well in previous years. Although I registered for the competition, somehow I never saw a date. So there was $85, a ridiculous amount, down the drain. Really though, it was my fault. Dagnabit. This made me more resolute in my decision to not reapply for a sponsorship.

Lately I climb hard in the gym and easy outside. A couple of days ago, I skipped out on school and went up with Jordan Jolley, Josh, and Christian Baumeister. I don't remember Josh's last name despite the fact I know him fairly well, much better than Christian at least. When we went up, I managed a new V5 next to Fader, which I called V7 last year... more like V5.

Today, Reese, a longtime friend of mine, and I went up to look at this boulder he cleaned up when I was in school. Down low, this is all between the first and second switchback on Cedar, he put up a low-ball V2/3 called Circle Jerk. Then he showed me the other boulder. It took a while to work out the easiest sequence, but when we did it went down at about V6 I would say. I don't know if this is correct because my judgement is befuddled from all times we tried it with extremely hard-to-hold start holds. So... Villainy in the Modern Age, V6.

Then Reese was wanting to give a look up the Lower Stonehedge drainage, so of course, we did just that. Making it to the first boulder up the gulley, the Maxx (I think that's how it was spelled), we threw down pads. In the guide there was a five done and room for more. So, we both did the five and began to work on a route that came out of a super-tight corridor. When all the dust settled, practically a literal statement, one chossy, semi-crap route was left standing. The moves once you escape the corridor are nice, but the corridor absolutely blows. I think this one deserves to be called Maxx Blow, V6.

What I really want is the perfect project. Three weeks of work. Beautiful movement. Memorable send. Limit of difficulty.

I'm waiting for it to appear. Thanks for reading. I doubt this blogging will become a more regular thing, but hey, we can hope.