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Wednesday 23 January 2008

It’s Possible… But Only Just

I often feel that half the difficulty of bouldering is finding problems that fall into the category of ‘it’s possible… but only just’. Those are my favourite type of problem, until I get discouraged by failing them time and time again. Rather frustratingly I haven’t been able to say that about a problem for ages now. Illness and the weather have conspired against me. I still have a few ideas on the back burner, but problems like Simple Simon have to wait until my shoulder is better and I can get back into campusing regularly.

The main thing like about bouldering is the struggle to operate at your very limit, pushing yourself that extra bit further to achieve better and better things. Even if you fail, it is all the more sweet to come back later and realise that your limit is not your limit any more.


Room to Swing a Katz, V6Now if only it would stop raining…

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

"I often feel that half the difficulty of bouldering is finding problems that fall into the category of ‘it’s possible… but only just’" - and I thought it was just me! Was going to post a UKB thread on a similar topic - in bouldering comps I normally get things on first go, or not at all, I hardly get any of the problems on the second or third go.

Jenn said...

I think I have a short attention span :-) Seriously though, I know what you mean. If I try a problem and I don’t make any progress after a few attempts I tend to get discouraged and move on to something else. It is really difficult for me to find problems that despite being to work, I can still maintain interest and a deep down belief that they might go.

It’s good to have projects though. Sadly enough, I had two at the Castle that took me a month to do, but when I eventually got them, I felt like a much improved climber. I got stronger and learned something about technique from both of them. It is so hard to find stuff like this though, especially indoors.

I think that two factors need to be there a. you have to be motivated to push yourself on the problem and / or think the problem is worthwhile and b. you have to think you have a decent chance.