Meeting a long-standing goal

This weekend I led my first 5.8 climb on gear- it's a goal I've been working on for the past year. I don't have lofty aspirations to climb the really tough stuff, but I do have a nearly endless list of gorgeous alpine climbs in the 5.6-5.9 range that I can't wait to get out and experience. But before I can throw myself into the wild unknown, I've needed to take the time to build a solid and varied skillset: glacier travel, physical conditioning for the approach hikes, endurance, confidence, self rescue for rock and snow, navigation, and the ability to quickly and efficiently lead on alpine rock.

The pieces are finally starting to come together and I'm really, really excited.

One pitch of 5.8 doesn't make me a 5.8 leader just yet, but it means I can lead more pitches of 5.8 and eventually move onto harder and more committing stuff. That's exciting.

The past couple years have been really tough for me. While I've been incredibly lucky to avoid physical injury while climbing, I cannot say the same for emotional scars. A seemingly endless parade of tragedy is starting to let up, but the person who stares back at me in the mirror still isn't a woman I really recognize. That's okay. Progress is progress. I'm stronger today than I've ever been and am learning to say no to doubt and fear. There are still three months left in this year to continue to grow, and I have a feeling that 2017 is going to produce some amazing treasures. 

Edit: I later learned that I've led three other 5.8s on gear. Yay for inconsistent guidebooks. Also, I didn't hesitate nearly so much on the "5.7s" that were actually 8s. Funny how fear of inadequacy is such a crazy thing