emi's blog: Hueco #2

Life here in Hueco Tanks is getting more relaxing every day. We get up in the mornings and start off the days with a long breakfast in the sun, chilling on the pads, have some coffee... Then it's climbing all day long with burritos after it - perfect!

We checked out a lot of problems all over North Mountain and everybody kinda found his projects and favourite lines... One problem I really wanted to get on was Diaphanous Sea, V12. It's such a cool, pure line, the holds and moves are very very nice and hard to find on a rock climb just like that. I got on it once three years ago but couldn't do any of the moves back then. It's style of climbing is pretty basic: pulling on crimps in a roof. I kinda have a hard time on climbs of this character... coming back stronger and more confident this time I knew that it still will be challenging for sure. This time I first got on it at the end of day on North Mountain, tired and little skin left and to my surprise did all the moves on that first session! So I rested for two days, grew some skin and came back with high expectations on climbing the boulder. But no, I was to shaky that day and always fell on the big crux move where you throw your right hand to the big flake. Also my fingers and tendons started to hurt really bad after a few goes... frustrated I had to call it a day and leave. I was able to finish off the day by doing the amazing Dirty Martini on the Rocks V11 in a few goes wich was nice at least!
I decided to wait some days for when the weather forecast finally pronounced cooler temps (it still has been really really hot!) and climb on other stuff in the meantime. But I couldn't really stick to that plan and so I found myself back on Diaphanous Sea two days later at the end of a long day on North Mountain. But it was windy and overcast, temps were good and so I decided to give it a try or two.
After the burning sensation in my fingertips, caused by a horrible warm up go, disappeared I sat down again and pulled off the floor. And with no expectations or anything else on my mind I simply climbed better on it, stuck the big move perfectly and with surprising ease and moments later stood atop of the boulder... my skin was fried big time but I was just so psyched to have done this super classic line. Lifetime ticklist - check! :D

We are now in the second half of our trip and starting to feel better every day. Skin is getting thick and we are all psyched to get on tours now and explore more of the beautiful climbing this place has to offer.

Emi