May 19, 2024 - Painful cherry on the cake.

I met with Victor (Burger) this morning on the parking of Rocher de la Salamandre with the intention to try "Menhir", a very nice but quite high boulder that had been high on our lists for some time, but it's not a boulder that we wanted to try alone. Olaf (Deppe) unfortunately couldn't join, but combined, we had six crashpads, which should be enough.
Our first steps in "Menhir" went pretty good, but we soon discovered that the crux high up, as good as the last move. Thanks to the crashpads, the landing we constructed was pretty good and we were gaining confidence fast. Giving each other tips, we perfected our beta and a send was looking near. We took a ten minute break after which I confidently set off another attempt, knowing that the send was within reach. Unfortunately, right at the crux, my right foot slipped very unexpectedly when my body wasn't leaning enough to the right and I fell left of where we usually fell other time, with my left foot next to the pad, resulting in a painful sprained ankle. It felt bad but I could sort of stand on it, mostly because of the adrenalin still rushing through my veins. Nevertheless, I knew that the session was over for me, which really sucked, especially being so close to the send.
I put on my shoes so I could spot Victor with more stability when he started his next attempt. I watched his movements and body position at the crux and knew that it was good. He sent it beautifully and despite I was feeling extremely annoyed having been forced to stop, I was truly happy for him and was glad that at least he was able to put the cherry on the cake.

Fontainebleau - Rocher de la Salamandre - Menhir 7C (Victor Burger)

Walking back to the car was long and painful with adrenalin that had worn out. Thanks again to Victor for carrying one of my bigger crashpads.
Now I'm home with a painful and badly swollen ankle. Luckily we have some crutches here, so I can relieve some pressure while moving around. I just can't sit around and do nothing.