FINALLY bouldered outdoors!!!

Conditions were sketchy at best...deep snow pack still lingering, melting snow causing most of the rock to be wet, colder than preferred temperatures; but it was still invigorating to be outside in upstate New York climbing on real rock again.

It are times like these that I have to step back and truly appreciate climbing areas like Moss Island in Little Falls.  This was where I climbed for my first time outdoors over ten years ago and where I continually frequent to climb when the conditions are too harsh in the Adirondack State Park.

It was exciting to have problems, traverses and circuits that used to feel difficult go down with relative ease today.  This is an excellent morale booster because I have been training hard indoors for the past few months; but ever since the doctors "healed" me last year from my back pain and I had a career change to become a full time firefighter, I have gone from 155/160 lbs to a staggering 185 lbs. We all know about rock climbing and the infamous weight to strength ratio...but my take on it is if I can still climb at a relatively difficult level at this +30 lb increase (mostly related to daily weight lifting for the firefighting career)...imagine how good rock climbing will feel when I slim back down (~165 lbs) right before my peak performance cycle in my training schedule this spring sometime in mid May.

Needless to say, I am anxious to see what the upcoming season has to offer.  A double deet and a daht!

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