Snowball Effect

I was in the gym, working a problem with Logan and when he asked all casually, “So, what are your projects this spring?”

“Onsight Heinous Cling,” I blurted proudly, with temerity, and he asked “full Heinous?” I shook my head ruefully, not daring to go all the way.

“But you’ll keep going if you onsight the first pitch, right?”

“Hell, yeah,” I said forcefully, as if I was really saying you’d have to be an idiot not to. “You’d have to be an idiot not to.”

I turned the question back to him; “what are you working this spring?”

He smiled up at me from his lounging position on the crash pads and said, “To Bolt or Not To Be has some heinous crimpers on it. I’ve been on it. And Villain.”

I knew he’d sent Scarface last fall. This seemed a logical progression. Later, I looked up Villain in the Smith Guide. It certainly wouldn’t be my choice for a .13d.

As long as we were on the topic of projects, I forged on with my own: “What I’ve really been thinking about is The Optimist,” I said, and rushed on, “but it’s so far out it’ll be hard to find a climbing partner for it.”

“Oh, yeah? Well, I’ve been thinking about Just Do It, that’s a pretty long hike too. We can be belay buddies.”

I smiled awkwardly, thinking there’s no way I’m in the same league as this guy. He’s talking about Villain, one of the hardest cruxes in the park, and To Bolt, an uncontested 5.14a!

Before I thought too hard, I stuck out my hand and said, “Let’s shake on it. We’ll work our projects together this spring.”

And he put his hand out, reached up from the mat, and I put my hand down and we shook in a warm and insincere kind of way, a forced pact that meant nothing more than what I would put behind it. If anything’s going to come of this, it’s got to be from me, pushing for it, and feeling worthy of climbing with him. I’ll make that decision when I’m ready.