Some time ago, I watched an interview with professional climber Dave Graham. He mentioned in the interview how quickly he was able to start climbing hard. If I remember correctly, I believe it was about 8 months since he started climbing when he began climbing 5.14. I think that is incredible natural talent to be able to climb that hard so quickly. Unfortunately, Ben and I both have to work very hard to climb at the level that we do.
Ben and I both started climbing at the very bottom. Within a year of climbing, I was maybe climbing 5.10. In my first climbing competition at the age of 11, I might have not even been able to climb that and in my first nationals, I was probably maxed out at 5.10+. During the six year period that I climbed and competed, I had done one 5.11b outside but was mostly a gym climber so my outside sends were not impressive.
When I got to college, I stopped climbing for awhile, and it was about 5 years later that I started back into it again (when I met my husband). Taking a break from climbing left me no power or endurance when I began climbing again, but I did still have my technique. I had to start all over again, however, with my first time down to the Red leading and sending 27 years of climbing which is a 5 star 5.8+. I slowly got stronger, onsighting 5.9 again and then 5.10a. Nobody talks about the excitement from onsighting or even redpointing a 5.9 or 10a but I think it is important to bring up that sometimes you do have to start from the bottom and work your way up. Natural talent for some people can only take you so far, and hard work will bring you the rest of the way.
Shortly into our relationship, Ben and I projected a 5 star 5.10c called Loompa at the Chocolate Factory to gain some endurance. It is an overhung and fairly pumpy climb. There were trips we took to the Red where Loompa was the only thing we climbed. Some people might not understand this, but for us it was about getting back into the rhythm of climbing and gaining back what we both knew we had, together.
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| Sara playing around on Loompa |
After sending Loompa, we worked our way to 5.11a. Getting back to where I used to be was exciting for me, as I had always had a goal of sending a 5.12a outside, ever since I was younger. Moving our way up, Ben and I were both able to send our first 12a together in 2012, 2 years after getting back into climbing. This was an exciting time for us, as it had been a goal for both of us for awhile.
Ben and I made a goal for this year to try to send a 5.13a. We trained all winter with Power Company Climbing and were both able to send Jesus Wept (12d) this past spring. It was an incredible experience to work on this climb and send it, as long ago this grade was far out of my reach. At the time I started climbing around age 11, climbing 5.13 was considered something only for the incredibly strong, and 5.14 was for the non human. Sending a 5.13a would be a personal accomplishment for both of us and a previously only imagined goal that would finally be reached.
Ben and I are currently training, and looking forward to seeing what happens this fall! Climb on.
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| Sara sticking the redpoint crux on Jesus Wept |
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| Ben pulling the first crux on Jesus Wept |
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