I remember New Year’s Eve 2019 like it was yesterday: a terrified curly headed kid walked into a foreign house in San Diego, knowing not a soul at the party, except the host – my Hinge date. What a way to start 2020. This year held many surprises to say the least but, at least it was memorable? As 2020 comes to a close, it’s time to set eyes on 2021. Although this year was a bit different it truly provided a gift, time to think. This time was spent reflecting upon what’s most important to me, what I’m fired up on, what brings me joy, and where I see myself in 10+ years. In 2021, I’m excited to take the lessons of the “Great Pause” that was given us to in 2020. It’s not exaggeration to say this year has changed the trajectory of my life. It’s exciting, terrifying, and so fulfilling at the same damn time.
Exploring the New Home
Let’s get a little less existential and just reminisce on CLIMBING! I moved to California in December of 2019, a long awaited move back to the West Coast after a fun stint in the Midwest. I wanted to use 2020 to get my feet wet within the outdoor playground that is California. I wanted to experience the sharp quartz monzonite of Joshua Tree, feast my eyes on the lichen of the Needles, and stand below El Capitan in pure astonishment. I was able to realize these goals and so much more.
This year’s goals were really about exploring, making connections within my new community, and of course pushing grades a bit. I wanted to span the three disciplines of climbing and improve in each category – a lofty goal even without an unexpected global pandemic. I am not afraid of failure, but the healthy amount of anxiety that accompanies the realization that you aren’t going to reach x or y goal can be the kindling for those training sessions when you’re unmotivated after a day of work.
For not having access to a climbing gym for ~9 months of the year, I’d say this year was a huge success! It took a lot of skill development, discipline, and planning to reach these goals but this year showed me that limitations are mental constructs we tell ourselves. There were multiple times throughout the year where I said, “I’ll just take this year off, 2021 I’m getting back on the horse.” Trust me, that first climbing trip after lockdown was BRUTAL! I doubled down on training in the Shoebox, my 400 sq. ft. studio, and put in the work. I am grateful for the fact that all my basic needs were met this year, I had a supportive community, and the opportunity to pursue these frivolous goals.
Peak Memories
There are way too many highlights throughout the year to go over each individual memory, but I’ll try to hit on some of the most memorable. First, I was introduced to Alpine climbing – potentially my new favorite discipline of climbing. It was quite the introduction during our time on the Third Pillar of Dana. A violent hail storm broke out on us during the last pitch, as quoted by Peter Croft, “The best 5.9 on the Universe”. A shocking experience to say the least as I followed the pitch, shivering the entire way.
My all-time favorite alpine epic was when Molly and I did the South Face (5.8, 12 pitches, IV) of Charlotte Dome this summer. I’ll be diving into this one later but let’s just say there were tears, excessive bushwhacking, and plenty of Type 2 fun. Lordy, the hike out almost broke my soul…. I swear we talk about this trip at least once a month. I am convinced Type 2 fun leads to our most memorable moments within our lifetime.
Manzanita Bushwhack 
Summit Bliss 
PYSCHED 
I pushed grades this year both on gear and clipping bolts. I put a big emphasis on trusting gear placements and trying to shift my mentality away from the idea that trad climbing is scary. Grades are grades! It shouldn’t matter whether it’s sport or trad climbing. What are the limiting factors holding me back from climbing similar grades on gear versus sport climbing? Admittingly, I have progressed but still have loads of improvement to be had for jamming technique and other crack/trad climbing movements. A couple of proud sends throughout the year include:
- Serenity Crack 5.10d (Onsight) – Yosemite Valley
- Rubicon 5.10c – Joshua Tree NP
- Sunny and Steep 5.11d (Onsight) – Red Rock
- Pretty in Pink 5.12a (Onsight) – Echo Cliffs
- Starry Night 5.12a (Flash) – Red River Gorge
- Banshee 5.11c (Flash) – Red River Gorge
I have come to realize that it’s a bit crazy that my Redpoint grade is the same as my best Onsight grade…. Projecting here I come in 2021! This reflection is one of the many reasons I’m proponent of goal setting/review. As always, I am grateful for the relationships I have cultivated while out the crag. Although the pandemic limited the variety of partners, we made up for it within quality.
2020 Climbing Awards
I’m a real geek when it comes to climbing. I’m also an engineer, meaning I LOVE data! Data + Graphical Format = Heavy Breathing. I have been recording every pitch/boulder I’ve climbed for the past two years. It’s a nice way to see progression, write notes, and give out awards at the end of the year! Below I have a slew of different graphs that breakdown my year of climbing:
Variety is the spice of life! I went to 11 different crags within the state of California. Too hard to pick a favorite but, I am looking forward to spending more time in Yosemite, The Needles, and Shuteye Ridge. The hometown crags of Echo Cliffs and Tick Rock were obvious well-trodden ground due to the pandemic.
I have a yearly tradition of buying a six pack for the #Belayeroftheyear. In 2019, it was my good friend Johnny who caught me 100+ times. In 2020, James takes the cake. A six pack of your choosing is headed your way my friend! Thanks for the support, heal up, and looking for 2021.
Finally, here is a breakout of how I spent my time climbing in 2020. I climbed ~280 pitches this year. Pretty incredible taking into account closures of areas due to the virus, devastating fires in California, and keeping partners to a minimum for safety. In 2021, I want to commit to the #tradislife game and get those #gainz from bouldering. Additionally, I want to focus less on number of pitches and focus a bit more on quality/hard projecting. It’s time to put down some beasts! I’m pumped y’all.
Time – Take Advantage of It
The year of 2020 provided ample time for proper introspection. It was a tough year, don’t discredit yourself in that. There are a multitude of ways that one could have survived this year however, these are a couple of questions that could help dig into the mental framing of this year: What headspace were you in throughout the year? How did this mindset effect your year? Is this internal dialogue driven from external or internal factors?
We all dealt with the circumstances this year in our own little ways whether it was doom scrolling on feeds, finding pleasure in the latest insta trend – bread baking, or binge watching Tiger King. The “Great Pause” allowed me to take action on a couple of thoughts that I’ve had for quite some time. After all, I started this platform in 2020 – not sure this would have come to fruition if not for the mandatory break from my normal hustle and bustle.
In the new year, I wish to take these lessons from 2020 with me as a constant reminder. A couple of good questions to ask could include: How can we take the lessons learned from the “Great Pause” and apply it to our everyday life when life returns to its normal state? How quickly will we revert back to our old grooves? Frame this year as a gift. Think creatively, dream, and scheme for the future. We had time to ponder our current trajectory, take stock, and break out of the day to day. Time is our most precious commodity. How do you plan on using it? Get your reps in.
Much Love,
Kyle
