I’m really good at route reading. Really good.
Gym Rat Outside, pt. 2
I'm super-excited to get outside on some real rock tomorrow in Colorado! However, I've heard that smeary, non-existent footholds are the order of the day out there, so I'm expecting this scene to play out a lot:
Gym Rat Outside, pt. 1
I've only climbed on actual rock three times so far, due to Southeast Michigan's crushing lack of vertical terrain. So far, this has been my biggest challenge making the transition from gym to crag.
Hindsight Beta
Have I mentioned that I'm not very good at route-reading?
Idiocy aside, I'm actually unduly pleased with myself that I made that move without using the arete. It was WAAAAAAAAY harder that way.
Visualization
Some climbers, such as Adam Ondra, can meticulously dial in beta for a route by visualizing every single move in incredible detail before they even leave the ground.
I am not one of those climbers.