last day - last try - finally i hit that hold

i was THERE - i got that last hard move (hold)

BUT

 could not hold the swing...

i tried everything to make it happen; rested for three full days to be fully rested and beeing able to climb on totally dry holds for once (that really helps!!!), did some light activation the day before (easy climbing), had fueled my carbo-tanks, slept good and enough over days... it was the perfect go... just this millisecond more power... but well then, it would have had been too perfect... not enough drama... the last day before my summer break... after 10years.... sever injury(s)....  i even had figured out some new "no-cold-tips-anymore-beta" ;)

a method to push the blood out of my fingertips (and therefore getting good circulation for the next few minutes) without having to climb an 8A+ boulder for "fingerwarmup"

next day i was off for my summer break 

(to rebook the flight would have had been some 700$... but weather forecast for sustenpass was bad... so off i was...) 

getting some nice (little) waves in balangan (bali)

- nice summer to everybody - 

can't wait to get back to swizzy though... miss my girl!!! and i have to finish up some business up there on sustenpass this fall... more epic to come for sure... ;)

note how "not-cool" that is;
neo (with under 3% bodyfat you FREEZ (must be cool to do so?! or why i see so many dudes shivering in the lineup, spasms...?! may i should get a nice belly for some comfy warmth...;), knee protection (ok broken meniskus), booties (1m water over a sharp reef), big board (as a beginner, do you want to catch waves or just look cool?!).
 but i  am the only one who touched the reef and did NOT get nasty scars (ok, not cool again to have no scars...) and as i am getting 36 and have the loveliest girlfriend you can imagine... i do not need to be sooooo coool for 24/7 anymore... happy surfing... ;)

1move left... 1day left... epic in full swing again!

the warmup felt heinous, it was pretty warm (close to 20C) but super windy... lost twice my toehook in the first part (8A+) cause i could not build up enough tension on the bad sloper (friction)...

... third go i pressed even harder - made my toehook stay - arrived at the undercling-move - did that one statically - felt super solid in the "traumland-part" -  did not get too cold fingers - did not get any swing preparing for the second-crux - still felt good - just two more moves to go - i went for the first one - got the crimp - YES!!!

EVERYTHING went perfect up to the very last hard move. i climbed just perfect, no stupid mistakes for once and felt strong and in control... just to have switched power off from one second to another exactly where i am on the pic above... on the last hard move...

- setting up for the last hard move - from one second to the other it was like somebody had turned off the power switch - lost all my bodytension and my fingers just did open the grip - all that happened so fast that i had not even a chance to try to "fight" against that sudden loss of control and power - so i went down like a wet sack of potatoes... BUMMER, did not experience such a sudden loss of power for quite some time... WHY NOW??? at least this time it has been a question of power and not because of cold fingers/wet holds/locking knees... or whatever...

second go i made it into the last moves of ikarus again but had super cold fingers again...  so i did let go to save the power for the final day before i will leave for a  3week surftrip... epic in full swing again - not that i expected something else... after 10years you get kind of "used to it"... ;)

setbacks... and a send :)

first try of the day; made it trough the undercling-move first try... BUT ICE-cold fingers - did let go here to save power for a second try... no way to climb through the upper crux with such cold fingers...

second try of the day ended here as well; made it again through the underclingmove but i pushed my left knee too much to the outside and down (watch the pic) - so my meniscus started to shift again and kind of locked... had to let it go again...

at least my girlfriend angela made use of the first really dry conditions since weeks in murg(s)tal and sent the very nice moves (on heinous holds) of "painful love" and did her first 7B+/C. i was again pretty impressed how much power she brings on such little shitty holds... WELL DONE!!!

angela stretched out to the max in the curx of "painful love 7B+/C" in murgtal.
movie-still from the send - believe me; you don't really want to hold on too much on that two-finger-right-hand-undercling/sidpull/pinch-pocket ;)

feeling strong BUT...

first try of the day... on the second crux again.. frozen fingers again.. thanx josé for the motivation - was pretty close - again...

despite doing the first crux on the first go and feeling really strong and light i fell off the second crux again. this time again with ICE COLD fingers (at nearly 20C) - again... ???!!!

i was fighting that problem for more then 7weeks already in fall 2011... and also on the "fisch-project" or on "the dagger" i kept falling for weeks with ice-cold fingers at the very end... its really annoying when you fall down again and again not because of bad beta or beeing tired but just because you can't fell anything anymore!

i tried EVERYTHING to get/keep fingers warm. i climb quite a lot for warming up but i have this  problem since years and its coming up whenever i climb more then 15 (hard) moves in a row. the problem is not the temperature its due to the pressure ont the holds that i push all the blood out off my fingertips (therefore the "cold sensation") and i just can not climb through small holds when just feeling "nothing". what works best is resting on a bigger hold and shake out. but when there is no resting hold... what worked best for me was to jog around for 10-15min to get my system/blood working till i started to sweat. that gave me some 3-4more moves before loosing sensation again. but even then i sometimes fell off with ice-cold fingertips and a sweating body and as i am dealing with a torn mensiscus at the moment i am NOT jogging right now...

second try of the day ended on this big move... was a great fight especially as i greased around the whole way up there

remembering back the last session when i was up there in the crux with (for once) NO cold fingers,  i may have a solution (i tried before as well). last session i went down 3times at the first crux, rested just for 10-15mins between each try and went again. on my 4th try that day i made it trough the first crux and had no super cold fingers on the upper crux. so it really does look like i have to climb an 8A+ in order to get cold fingers - rest not as long as i would like to - and go for the full line not fully rested... but may getting into the second crux with some blood left in my tips.

at least my fitness-level seems to increase again... nearly climbed the "ikarus-part" twice and afterwards did "reve de faire" and 5min after its standingstart to get used to climb the endingpart with tired arms... the numbers of the boulderproblems climbed that last day; ...7B,8A,8B+,8B/+,8B,8A... but it seems no matter what... i just don't get this last (two) moves together... i would prefer to do it just once with the two moves then 10times in a day up to this two moves... ;)

on a sidenote: it really does not help if you have to try to dry (but they continue to seep nevertheless...) half of the holds in the cruxes, but it makes you stronger... ;)


ps: such sad news, hopefully something like that will never happen again and the community can learn... rest in peace little tito :(

the perfect go - but there was this tiny DÄB...

well my knee did not like the heelhook-move on the "kein schneehäschen" too much - so that lowdownstart has to wait till fall (when my knee hopefully will be better again)...

good news is though that i finally figured out all the details of my new beta on the "highlander" so that my knee and hamstrings are not getting in troubles. i have to climb it def. HARDER now, but i am glad i can CLIMB at my limit again... ;)

despite beeing able to do the undercling-move even with some moves in front every time - it still gives me trouble when climbing into it on full link. it's not just hard it's also a pretty strange move...

the move giving me still troubles on link... so hard and strange to push into that undercling right hand...

 after falling down 3times at the underclingmove on link i was getting bit tired but went for another try. arriving at the crux-move my feet went off the biggest foothold of the entire boulder. it was just a very slight DÄBat the pad, but it was one. as i already felt pretty tired i just went for the move - doing some "training" and wondering if the move would work this time. and here we go; the "rabbit chasing the carrot-szenario" again. the two tries before i was fresh but could not do the move. then i was tired, i had a little dab AND  i just pulled trough it...  WTF????? but that was not everything: i went further up, then my toe slipped (as many times before), my legs and lower body started to propeller and i was prepared to go down to the pads (as many times before)...

getting some swing... (watch sven's face ;)

but to my big surprise i just pressed the swing away - i was not moving 1mm on the lousy holds - felt unreal... and so i was getting my feet back on the wall aiming for that last two moves - i had no cold fingers, perfect grip AND enough power left for the two moves... that WAS IT - IF NOT...

...i did had this tiny DÄB... - i must admit that i was tempted for a moment to climb on. i mean it was just a little tiny dab, nothing that helped at all...  

but i just jumped down... you really do not want to climb your 10-year-project with a dab, do you?!

what will go wrong next time?! i thought i already am trough all the possible failures... but this piece of rock still has its surprises for me...

see you again on the weekend highlander - *grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr*

getting in shape - "ikarus, 8B+" reclimbed...

... quo vadis? well i am not a 100% sure yet, but when i pay attention and when i avoid certain "leg-moves" i have no problems with my meniscus at all... so i figured out some new beta and went for a little climb... ;) despite i have to climb a lot of moves different and way harder (thanks to my recently torn meniscus & my hamstrings not fully back yet) i just managed to reclimb the "ikarus, 8B+"-part of my highlander-project again... but it's a bit a strange thing when pulling at your limit and always checking for how your knee responds... but it looks like my beta is solid now and i don't have to worry (too much).

"ikarus, 8B+" (ends at the "traumland-finishing-hold" one move to the right). in the pic i am already looking into the "highlander-crux"...
pic by angelawagner.ch

fred (yes THE fred) and a friend of him have been up there at sustenpass as well and they really pushed me trough the first crux (thanks for that bit of extra-engery ;) - and i just had a little too much swing going into the second crux - so just two more hard moves to go... :) on the one hand it's nice to climb so far into the project again, but on the other hand; i must have climbed that 8B+ part over 50times over the last years... but never was able to do that last two hard moves... and it did not matter if i was totally tired or feeling quite good - something went wrong ever time...  but you never know when this little window opens... and i'd better be there and ready if it does... ;)

and to not get too exited i did not manage to get past "trauland-crux" just once on the weekend. i can climb it from two hard moves in like 3times a day... with my new beta, it really looks i need to get even stronger... power can really help to solve such problems... ;)

later local powerhouse ronny (fresh from a very nice and haaaard FA in murgtal) joined in at the traumland-boulder as well and we figured out a very nice and powerful "low-start" (like a "depart bas" in font) to the "kein schneehäschen, 8B/+". just three more moves - but VERY powerful. now you feel already pretty tired getting into the original start - GREAT ;) can't wait to get back (and check if my knee does cooperate with the other moves) ....

getting into the crux-sequence of "kein schneehasi, 8B/+" - will be WAY harder from the new start - i like... ;)

Quo vadis?

i just had my first real outdoor-bouldering-day at the exact same place, on the same boulderproblem  i had my last boulder-session some 8months ago and on consequently on the same boulderproblem where i injured myself so badly. back to "work" on the "highlander" i was!

what a nice day up there in the mountains...

finally the weather got better and it was a brilliant evening up there in the mountains; 12degrees, wind, snow.... and some sun - just perfect... ;) i warmed up carefully, checked the footmoves if my hamstrings were ok with them. and they were ok ;) so i went on to test my actual fitnesslevel and started two hard moves into the hard part of the line, making roughly an 8B/+ boulder itself... to my big surprise i was literally chalcking up in the middle of the crux and instead of wildly swinging out i was going static through the next move as well... that was just crazy, i never ever experienced something similar - where did all that power came from?! and so i took a 15min rest - and did the same again... to finish up the day i climbed through the hard part of "reve de faire, 8B".... that was quite a first day... ;)

second and third session up there showed that due to my hamstrings not ready yet for hard heelhooking i was not able to climb my beta for the first part anymore. trying my other beta for that part i had to learn that my left knee (watch details below) was not ok with that. so i had to figure out another way for that first few moves. it took quite some time and effort but finally i found another way to climb that part... BUT with my old beta i was able to climb about 10times a day into the second part, NOW i did not manage to link it into the second part yet, just the single moves. that new beta bumped the grade for the first part from 8A to around 8B for me... despite my better over-all-power does that not really help to make the second crux-part much easier....

i still can't believe that this move (the hardest one) actually felt "EASY"!!! but the moves from the right got way harder due to my new beta i was forced to use - so as a result the move in the pic feels heinous again on link...

obviously the hard training paid all off and i am strong as never before (i even did my first one-armer's EVER...). all i would need are two or three more weeks of "resistance" training and a day with nice conditions and i am 100%sure i would (kind of) WALK that "highlander" home... even with the new harder first part! BUT it looks like (climbing) life has other plans with me.... three weeks ago i was training and boudering in the gym (due to once again a lot of rain). i was sitting on a very high and near left foot and may i had a bit of tension/turning moment to the outside (as a hold turned), a little scratch inside my knee and a fall into the pads... bit pain at the very moment, but not too much pain at all...

my left knee: there should be no white fragment (tear)  going into the black (meniscus).... damage clearly visible :(

pain set in the next day while getting up and down stairs... so i avoided stairs for some days and the pain was nearly gone. but some days later as i was playing with our cats on the floor of our flat and my knee suddenly locked at 90degrees, some days later again... otherwise no pain but a strange feeling in the knee... so i knew something was wrong and the results of the recent mri-pics unfortunately do not look good at all. (it's not that on the mri-pics it's clearly visible that as i child i must have damaged my acl, torn my outside and ripped off my inside ligament as well).

the actual problem is a torn mensicus that glides into my knee and blocks it when i bend over 100 degrees or twist my leg. due to the place and the kind of the injury there is no "easy" surgery to fix this mess (and even then just a 50/50chance the fixing would last and a good chance for collateral damage....). so it would be best to try if the body can heel himself (but with 36 thats not the same as with 13...). to give that process the best foundation my doc suggested 6-8weeks on crutches.... no guarantees that it will heel at all... but at least a chance. if this is not sucessfull; surgey (the 50/50 chance)...  if not sucessfull learn to live with it and avoid moves provoking a locking knee... if that does not work i have to get nearly all of my meniscus out.... that would mean that i would have to get a "knew knee" in some 3-5years and hope for i don't need to replace that one too soon.... not the best outlook into the (boulder) future...

so will try to take it easy, don't provoke any "locking" moment and give my body time to heal... but i am not sure about the crutches yet, as i have just no pain in daily life (but avoiding any high impact, no stairs and so on...). and even easy (and hard) climbing does not give me any problems as long as i don't bend or twist too hard...

up and doooownnnnnn....

i am getting close to 8months since surgery and finally i start feeling (somewhat) STRONG again with my hamstrings, even when its steep climbing and you have to push pretty hard. its not over yet, some disconfort here and there and not as strong as the other side yet, BUT i did my first heelhooks with quite some load and it feels SOLID ;)

getting STRONG - you know how to do it.... ;)

to not have an overdose of "good-news" i have some pretty BAD news a well. i somehow managed to crush my meniscus of the left knee (it was just a twisted knee after a little bump into the pads and its the "other", no-surgery-yet-knee). it's not too bad, no pain, just bit water in the knee. but it's not a good sign at all that my knee was completely locked already twice... 

after 8months of being super careful and 3-4times pt/week (100sessions...) and finally feeling somehow ready to go outdoors again i am def NOT READY for another 6MONTH REHABPLAN.... i will get an MRI on friday and hopefully will know more by then.... !!!

winter is coming

can't remember such a wet and cold spring...... never more then 1-2dry days in a row... and now it just starts to rain and snow non-stop again....

7months pas surgery: rain, snow... more TRAINING to get STRONG again... ;)

a friend sent me that pic from a local newspaper - they are clearing to road to sustenpass... soon (when we may will get more then just two dry days in arow) i will be back at the "highlander"... can't wait... even if i am still far from the power needed for that one... but motivation is everything... ;)

but that weather is just killing it (NOT) this spring, not once more then 2dry days in a row... and now we even get some serious snow... ; (

so i am happy to be newly part of the "PRO-TEAM" at the KLETTERZENTRUM.COM and get some more quality training and getting stronger then ever ;)

first time on rock again ;)

it was a nice half-day out in the murgstal: everybody ripping; angela coming closer and closer to "painful love, 7C"... (i can't even imagine to hold such little shitty holds...) and ronny is battling down his traverse project... looks super hard and super cool... (and he just went down on the last move two days ago..) ...and aldo was taking nice pics of everybody - thanks aldo!

angela getting super close on the heinous crux-move (you don't really want to pull on that right-hand hold at all!!!)  of "painful love, 7C" .... pic by aldo tonazzi

ronny battling hard for the FA of his RAD 8X-ish project...  pic by aldo tonazzi

and i was first time on rock since 6.5 months .. ;) it was strange to climb on rock again after 2months of just indoor. i felt like a beginner again who was searching for that next red foothold... - and i am still pretty restricted in the moves by my leg... (and the holds were sharp, i had no skin and everywhere this little scrambling black bastardos called: ticks's...) - but it was great fun nevertheless... ;)

month 3 after surgery...


see the difference ;)

month 7 after surgery...

getting some air on my first 7A+ - i can really push on my right leg again (if its not too steep) ... ;) pic by aldo tonazzi

half time: 6 months post surgery... slow but steady progress

just had my 6months post surgery appointment with my doc. after checking the newly made mri-picture its clear that everything is on its place, but its also visible that the tendons are still in the healing-process!   so everything is going on like it should be and i am very thankful for that!

my hamstrings 6months ago...

...and the newly attached hamstrings back there where they belong

overall i am doing really good, but i can feel how weak and tight my hamstrings still are. lots of "daily stuff" is just not possible yet, some disconfort here and there.... but nothing against how i was doing before surgery!

i still have quite a journey in front of me. but i am happy that i am now cleared to really step up with training and to go for 100% in the next few weeks. i really lack coordination and speed as well, so we started to work on that in pt....

doing "baby-kicks" at pt to get some speed back in my legs
- it just did not got higher yet with my leg - had to laugh about myself and my "baby-kicks" ... ;)

climbing wise i am doing better and better and i can feel how some power is coming back on the holds (feels great actually!). it looks like the campus and hangboard-training at the climbing-gym really pays off. also angela makes great progress but we both are still far away from a one-arm pull up though... ;) but while climbing i can feel that you quite often need two ok legs, especially when it gets steep. i just can't pull down full weight with my right leg yet... but i am working on that!

slowly getting back in "shape"... ;)

first time ever i did some "real training" like campusing for more then two times in row... it actually even can make fun... - sort of.. ;)

once the weather gets better (horrible spring so far...) i may will make my firsts (easy) steps back on real rock soon. but i have to be careful no not slip on pads and going into splits... so we will see. gym provides much more safety as the ground is flat and not moving when you come down. 3more months and i will be cleared to fully heelhook again... still bit scared when i think for that moment to come... but we are working with exercises in pt on that as well. till then training (2-3times pt and 2-3times climbing) to get ready for the "highlander" in fall...  the "kraft-stoff"-diet will help as well ... ;)

"kraft-stoff" keeps you STRONG - thanx again ingo ;)

one year after

one year ago i climbed my dream-boulder - today i am "just" wandering around in ticino. but its nice to be in ticino again, walking around with no pain, touching rock... - my leg is getting better and better, my power is coming back... just some more weeks of patience... can't wait to start crushing again... so motivated... so much to do... :)

the PERFECT LINE, what a PROUD BOULDER - nice one nalle!!! ("ninja-skills, 8B+")

5months after surgery - bouldering again!!!

having fun close to the ground at "gaswerk" in zürich. still restricted in the moves, no fancy stuff, indoor's only - but GREAT FUN :)