New Year’s Resolution?

Ah, the New Year’s Resolutions, they’re everywhere these days.  Just to be like the cool kids, I am writing about mine.  When I say cool kids, I mean the folks at WordPress who have issued this writing challenge about New Year’s resolutions and the fact that apparently there is a huge meteor coming.  My take on reading the challenge is that since a meteor is coming soon I need to pick three things to resolve to do and get them done. Pronto!, the end is near after all.

Three resolutions is two too many for me to write about.  Take my word for it that I have made some pedestrian resolutions.  I am going to be writing about the Big One.  It is this:

ISO 250 4mm f/2.8 1/15

That is a photo of the starting point of a bouldering problem at the gym where I climb.  Or attempt to climb anyway.  I’m not so good at it.  I am afraid of heights.  All bouldering problems at the gym have a grade level marking using the Hueco system.  If you would like an overview of the different systems including Hueco, here is a good place to start.  Basically the way it works is that a V0 is the easiest, as the numbers go up, the problem is harder.  Notice that this is a V0-.  It doesn’t really get any easier than this.

For me though, this is a huge challenge.  I get part of the way up and have to remind myself to start breathing again.  My vision dims a bit and the panic starts to set in, so I scramble back down.  Here is the really nutty part, it would actually be technically easier to keep going up and finish.  I am so close to the top but can’t quite seem to make it.

So, this is my New Year’s Resolution, make it to the top.  I have three things to help me make it there.  One is I promised myself a gym t-shirt if I make it.  Second, the staff redoes the bouldering rock all the time, so at some point soon this problem will be gone.  The third is this meteor that I hear is getting closer…

Leave me words of encouragement and other thoughts in the comments section.

Cheers!