Since we’ve been training hard for climbing all last fall and winter we decided to try and make the most of spring, summer & fall and go on a RAMPAGE in Colorado. At the same time, our tick list of places in/around Colorado have expanded to a hefty one…as far as we could tell there was only one solution to this. Mini-Road-Trip-Mania!

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8 months in…whew..we no longer know what a life without training is like. Unfortunately for me (Jake), I injured my ring finger a few weeks ago so I am no longer on the climbing roster for the entire month of February. It’s a little (more like A LOT) depressing! Climbing is a huge physical release for me, and while I am doing other things to train hard, climbing took huge amount of effort and I am finding it hard to feel like I’ve worked hard enough.

So how did I get hurt, you ask? From climbing harder than my body could handle at the time. This is not a new problem or issue for me. Pretty much all climbers suffer small, mild injuries to one body part or another; it could even be argued that every climber out there is climbing with injuries of some kind.

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So we are 4 months into training for our various climbing goals and one HUGE thing I have learned is how hard 5.13a really is. When climbing this hard, you do not simply move from one hand/foot-hold to the next, because the holds for your hands and feet are simply much too small and/or located in odd positions…too far away or too close. Climbing this hard can be described as painful; the holds are so small (or non-existent), very sharp, and you need to hold/press/grab with your hands and your feet in awkward, dynamic contortionist-type positions, trying to keep your balance and upward momentum at the same time. One thing I (Jake) have been very good at over the years is adjusting my training for what my body needs. Sounds simple enough but there is a lot of trial and error and when something “feels right”, you just have to listen to your body and follow what it tells you.

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