if it doesn´t kill you, it will make you stronger

Santi en Fault Line, 8b.

A few times a week, after working (skiing all day from 9am till 3pm), we´ve been driving 1 hour, to give it a go to my little project. Caro, sent her´s a few weeks ago and yesterday climbed it again in a very casual way and almost as a warm up !!! enjoy the pictures by Milka Zambrana. Thanks Milka for this amazing pictures.

La frustración despues de la volada.

Caro entrando en calor en Youth. 6c+.

Calentando motores en un 7b muy bonito.

Caro encadenando el 7b.

visualizando

los primeros pasitos del 8b

el primer paso del 8b.

primer crux duro.

segundo crux duro

y ahora aguantar en regletitas y romitos hasta arriba

fin del día de escalada

Projecting ...

One of the most amazing things about climbing is when you find that new project that fully engage you. I love that entire process of falling in love with a route and going back to it time after time till you dial all the moves and become able to execute every single bit with perfection. It requires not only physical strength and endurance, but also the mental power and concentration to go through the ups and downs of this process. 

That first go on the route, when all moves seem super hard and almost impossible to link together. Then you get on it for a second time and you find some flow between sections and things start to feel better. Then you keep trying and things keep getting even better. One day you come back and all that progress  went to waste. You had that high point, but now you are falling way down low on the route and the frustration installs.  But, your will is more powerful, so few days later you come back and things feel good again, and finally, after many tries, lots of driving hours and endless belayers, you get it.

Well, i stil didnñt get to the point of sending my project this winter, but, certainly, it feels great to have one, it keeps me motivated, it teaches me important lessons and it certainly gets me stronger, plus it gives me a great excuse to go spend good times with friends and my wife at the base of a cliff !!!

Love this sport.

Santi on Fault line

Santi on Fault Line

Santi on Fault line, first mini crux.

the kneebar rest

higher on the route

What really inspires you ?

Caro on the Gift 12d / 7c.
Photo by Chritine Cauble.

I´am a very self-motivated person, most of the time.  I´am always in the search of a project or a challenge that will keep my energy levels high, keep me training and spending most of my time outside my house. Certainly, sometimes, being motivated and having the will to do something is not enough. You need that little extra inspiration that will help you breakthrough the plateau and push your own limits a little further.

In the last couple of weeks I came to meet some people that certainly are a source of great inspiration for me and probably many people.  I also started to look back home, for all that people that is around me most of the time and that had been silently inspiring. All the persons around that face serious challenges, and I don´t mean climbing a 9a or doing a winter ascent of the K2, I mean people that had overcome challenges that would have left you or me hopeless and depressed at home. I seek inspiration in all those that overcome adversity and fully commit to their goals. Yes, for some of us, achieving our goals, takes extra efforts. But when you succeed, everything worth it and if you don´t at least you´ve done your best and you have room for progress. 

The Gallery

It´s been a pretty inspiring month for me. Watching friends from back home doing amazing things, without excuses (and trust me, they have many real excuses). Meeting people along the road that stay as motivated as they were 25 years ago and had overcome the most challenging adversities. 

No matter what you want, go for it with full commitment.  There is nothing you can´t achieve if you really want. Yes, you will need to sacrifice things, comfort, hours os sleep or in front of your pc checking your precious facebook, but do you really want that ??? so then be willing to sacrifice what it takes to get it done. I´am sure, it will eventually open other doors and after some time you´ll forget what you came to sacrifice and life will be way more beautiful.

This post is dedicated to all the inspirational people that touched me this month: 

MY DAD, My MUM, Carolina Fritz Kelly (my wife), Marcelo Campanaro, Rosaura Escudero, Silvia FItzpatrick, Pablo Robledo and some more people !!!!

Silvia Fitzpatrick on the Gift, 7c.

Santi, Silvia and Terri.

Our attempt on Levitation 29. Way too cold that day.