Last weekend, I had started working in "Hallelujah" and amazingly, was able to do all moves and do the boulder in two parts. I only needed to fine tune the overlapping crux, but I knew that this could be my very first of the grade. The problem is short, powerful, slopey and on compression; exactly my style and what I like.
Two days ago, on Friday evening, when climbing was still allowed, I went back and fell off the last move a few times, when coming from the start. It was about 20°C though and the slopers had warmed up. I knew that if the conditions would just be a tiny bit in favor, it would have most likely been a send.
Yesterday though, the forest closed down for any kind of sportive activity and it was just then that the temperature cooled down with ten degrees and a mild wind from the North-East set in. Just the conditions that I needed for that last sloper and most likely be able to send "Hallelujah".
The problem and the conditions were racing through my mind all day yesterday, and even though I'm not the kind of person that can stay at home for long, I managed to stay away from the forest.
This morning, I was up early and the conditions were still quite ideal. I didn't want a bad mood and extreme frustration of not being able to go back to a boulder at a stone's throw from my house, interfere with my family life, so I admit, I cracked and left at 8h30 this morning.
Barely an hour later, having finished "Hallelujah", I was back home.
Fontainebleau - Roche aux Sabots Sud - Hallelujah 8A(8A+)
I know that it will be in vain for the most, but I will now try and explain my silly and irresponsible action.
The country is closed and we have to stay at home against our will, but for the sake of humanity. Even though the supermarkets are ideal grounds for any contamination, we are allowed to go shopping for necessary supplies and walk our dogs on the condition that you are alone.
I completely understand that the parking grounds around the forest were being closed, as to avoid gatherings of crowds (at least, that was my understanding), but I couldn't grasp the fact individual people were also being refused access to an area where the air is the cleanest and the risk of contamination is the least.
It was only after the facts that someone made me realize that in case of an accident and for example a broken leg, it would require emergency services resources, which could indirectly lead to more Corona deaths.
"Hallelujah" is my first of the grade, and now I'm having mixed feelings about it. I don't feel any pride and the joy from the first ten minutes after the ascent is gone and replaced by guilt.
I know that I do a lot of good things every day, but it are these kind of selfish and silly one time actions that will be remembered the longest.
Unlike the desire of some, I will not remove my video from YouTube, as I do feel like sharing this magnificent piece of rock and the brief but true at the time happiness that I felt climbing it.
Unlike the desire of some, I will not remove my video from YouTube, as I do feel like sharing this magnificent piece of rock and the brief but true at the time happiness that I felt climbing it.
I didn't mean any personal disrespect to anyone, but I have regretfully broken the new rules, disrespected humanity and my civil duty, for which I truly am deeply sorry.
How hard it may be, stay home and don't go to the forest like I foolishly did.
If you want to be a civil example, be a hero or even a better person to society, then don't be like me.
You didn't mean disrespect ? what the hell do you expect sharing this on the web ? You climb on rock all the time, is it that hard to have a few weeks break ? BD must appreciate the advertisement.
ReplyDeleteAn angry confined bleausard. FLB 4 ever.
Even though I might not have posted it, I can completely understand Filip, and yes, every climber knows that it can be that hard to not climb for weeks (!!) especially when after a rainy season the conditions are finally perfect and one is so close to sending a project. I am surprised the "angry bleausard" does not know that.
DeleteThat being said, I also don't find Filip behaviour problematic if it comes to preventing the spread of Coronavirus. It is obviously a nonsensical rule to forbid single people to go to the forest. I realise it is targeted at people meeting there, but then you should enforce prevention of that and not take the last little relaxation people have away from them. The French health system will see very soon that domestic violence, alcoholism, depression etc stemming from the confinement will be a much higher burden than any broken legs from single climbers or even hikers (!!) can ever be.
An understanding almost confined wannabe bleausard
There is a bit more to it. Filip behavious is not problematic by itself no. But what about having 10 000 climbers in the forest and you can also add people Moutain Biking, Hiking, ... How can you draw a fair and safe line there. And if you have 20k people alone in the forest, they are not really alone anymore. The decisions might not been the right or smart ones but they're still the rules. I don't know if you've been in the forest the last sunday before the lockdown, but people went crazy in the forest, you had more than 200 people climbing in "Bas-cuvier" I don't even talk about Isatis or Roche aux sabots. Since it's impossible to split all those people, it's just easier and more convenient for the authorities to just "close" the forest.
DeleteI agree that there is more to it, and I know there is some problematic sites. But I still think that even with 10 000 climbers in the forest it is quite easy to follow the rules of "social distancing" and if people would just do and follow those rules, the risk of getting infected is extremely low. I was climbing the last Sunday before the closing, alone, and without seeing other climbers, but of course I know that that might not be representative. So I still think it would be better to target the potentially crowded sites (even if more difficult, but frankly, the number of these sites is very limited and maybe just closing the bigger parkings to dilute a bit would help already). And I am really not saying this because I want to climb so badly or because of climbers in general, but because I really fear it will cause big problems if people living in shitty flats are not even allowed to have a walk alone in the forest...
DeleteSo you removed the video at the end... :(
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