November off

Had my faulty foot operated on on the 3rd. A day in hospital to have the offending bone cut away from my big toe joint. Foot up and no work for a month. Hours of rehab so the foot doesn't seize up.

October Climb

Finally got away in October to the pinnacles and scored the best day ever. It was the last day of the ski season and i feared the worst but no, very few skiers. The hut was under booked with only four others whom we woke at 1am as we had walked up during the night. Plans of an early start were thwarted due to the sleep monster so we got away at about 8am.
A quick walk across the mountain and we set off on to the route that we think was 'The grand pinnacle" the snow was perfect and frozen as it is shaded until lat afternoon we made the top and the difference in snow conditions was amazing on the summit rocks it was melted mush, so we down climbed the same way we ascended.

Inspiration

How do you get it, what makes you tick, how do I get more out of myself when Im spent or feeling blocked.

Inspiration works for me.I get heaps from reading normally on the subject I'm feeling blocked on, For me it has to be direct.
I find myself inspired from watching others achieve in the same field, this gives me a tremendous boost.
Talking to someone who's achieved is also a god way to inspire yourself but again for me it has to be direct.

Inspiration will it work for you who knows but I'm willing to try anything to push myself onward. It doesn't have to be a advancement in achievement it often is a betterment in myself or my thinking at that point in time.
Inspiration hard to find harder to hold onto.

Back Home

Just returned from 6 days in Australia. My son Joel lives in Sydney so spent a few cool days with him catching up. Got to work in the kitchen of the restaurant he works at , if you get a chance check out BLANCO (photo), what a amazing experience the food was a real education. What I found is by listening and taking with the chefs you feel their passion for food. At BLANCO it is so evident in every dish they create.
Joels partner Kate, also a chef, took me , to dinner at her place of work,Billy Kwongs an other very special place and again well worth the time. Billy Kwongs is a total experience as the atmosphere was really me.

Back on to the project today and felt good very windy day with huge seas beating in. Managed to confirm progression just need more hand strenght or the confidence to move on!!!!

Time.

Keep meaning to post but Ive been so busy these past few months. Have posted photo of my last climb.
The best day ever. A few days later a fellow climber slipped 3 hundred metres. Broke his leg and had to be helicopter off.
Diffrent story for us one fantastic day.
Still getting days on the project but need some movement to get past my latest sticking point.

Growth

Having left my project for two weeks to concentrate on boulder problems has had a cool effect. One I'm happy that I'm developing the mental strenght to link the final moves.Two I can now relax when climbing and not beat myself up over lack of progress/failure. Three I can feel growth in my endurance.

The mental strenght is an interesting subject , Ive been reading on of my good friends blogs (john Will) hes a BJJ master(Brazilian jui jitsu) actually that's selling him very short. He is a martial artist of very high quality. His views and writing are well worth a look he has a great way of putting very technical subjects into an understandable form.

John talks of emerging events in our lives this has a direct correlation to anything we do in life. My take on it is that with practice and exposure to a set of skills (just an example) at some point our brain puts it all together and its this moment John talks about. The point when we see something clearly or complete a skill this is the emerging moment. Its an interesting concept that makes perfect sense.
I look at it we climb a difficult problem and complete it. We don't really know how it just happened. The next time we climb it the memory the, motor neurons, the body movement is clear precise and perfect. The climb is a clear calculated event that flows with ease. This is my emerging moment. They can be small or they can be huge but they happen.

Its been a While

Since returning from Thailand Ive been busy.
I spent Two weeks in the South Island ,attempted a summit of Mount Arrowsmith (see photo).This was a fantastic trip . The major dificulty was route finding and the shrinking glacier.
Spent two wet days looking at the Charlston seacliffs (see photo again)

And of course Ive clocked some seriius time on my project on short wall. What ive come to is a massive mental block, well I think thats what it is> I can not,at present link the final four moves and it comes down to committing to a sequence that's desperate. Ive spent countless hours working variations and I believe Ive got it sorted and can complete it on top rope but I just cannot link it.
The problem is strenght and mental.Ive started working on several bolder problems and the finger board to build the required physical needs, with this will come mental strenght.
I also spent three days in the central north island climbing Meed's wall on Mount Reuapheau and a day at Kinlock on the lake both cool venues and very different rock and climbing.