Southern Sendfest '11

So it's been a rather eventful the last few days. On Wednesday, GT Climbing found out our shirts were done, so Jonathan sent me out Thursday morning to pick up our team shirts. It turns out, King Screen is located in the sketchiest area ever... old warehouse full of other little shops. After picking up the shirts, we realized that there was a mistake in our print and that it didn't match the proof they sent us. So I quickly drove back while Jonathan cleared things up on the phone. They were super professional about it and told us they'd have it to us Friday before our comp.

We wore our team shirts today at Southern Sendfest. And for the first time ever, I kind of felt like I was on an actual team. I designed the front (inspired by Jason Kehl from Dosage V) and Baranak designed the back. Teamwork!!! Here's our (very late) 2010-11 shirt:

The comp was actually very well put together! They even gave everyone a March 2011 issue of Rock & Ice in our good bag (granted, it's April. But whatever! We love climbing lit!) 

Marina trying on my new Ralph Lauren sunglasses!

Waiting for Heat 2 to start

Format: Flash/2nd go bonuses, 5 problems, 3 hours to climb. I tried to start off strong after a nice warmup, working mostly 600-800 point problems. I was making great progress on most of the climbs, but I was having a lot of trouble getting the send. 

1 hour in, I had 0 climbs and was starting to feel the pressure. 

1.5 hours in, I had gotten only one (600+) problem in. 

1 hour to go, I started to panic, and started jumping on pretty much anything I could. Amazingly, within 30 minutes I was able to send another 600+, 700+, and a 500+ problem. (Many thanks to Jonathan for suggesting I try white even though I was sure it was going to be too reachy)

30 minutes to go, Jonathan convinces me to do a 560 point problem. It wasn't easy, but about my sixth try in, I managed to move past the crux. However, as I approached the top, I realized there was no more feet to help me reach the last hold! I desperately threw for it... hit it solid with my left hand, but the momentum swung my body way past the hold and I spiraled from the top of the problem (maybe about 12 feet?) and FACE PLANTED into the floor.

Battle wounds... floor burned my upped/lower lip.

I was a little shaken, so I settled for a simple 430 pt problem next to it instead. About 15 minutes to go, I just didn't feel satisfied with the result of the climb that roughed me up. So I built up a little courage, and went for the send... clean, quick, and a thousand times more refined.

So psyched!!! GT women did awesome today! I won women's advanced and got a rope. Marina won women's intermediate with a tent! And Sumner won women's beginner with a hangboard! On the men's side, Tsui took Advanced 2nd, losing by 10 points. Jonathan took Intermediate's 2nd. And Blair took Beginner's 3rd. SOO proud of us!

Here we are at the end of the day!

Some of the coolest people on earth! Love you all!

Clemson did win the Regional Comp. But we will come back stronger next year... with more than 7 club members.