Semi Annual Review
Well, it's the end of March, and winter is just about over. I've done about all the ice climbing I'm going to do this year, and while I might get one or two more ski days in, the season is also pretty much done.
So, it's time to look back to the goals I set in September and see how I did.
Part 1: Gym Goals
- Complete the P90X cycle
Complete and utter failure here. I lasted about a week before I just gave up on the idea. I just hated those workouts so much! I did manage to do about 8 weeks of crossfit (mid October to mid December). Expensive, but effective. Still didn't like it much.
Part 2: Ice Climbing Goals
- Log at least 12 days ice climbing
Achieved. I logged 14 days this year.
-Get solid on untracked WI 4 ice.
Not really. I didn't have a chance to climb much untracked ice this season, since I spent so much time hanging around the well travelled ice crag areas. Still, I'd bet I'm a lot better at climbing WI 4 now than I was at the end of least season.
-Try some WI 5 climbs.
Failure here. I climbed one 4+ climb this season. Again, I was at the standard ice crag areas most of the winter, and most of them don't have any WI 5 ice.
-Climb some M7s and M8s.
Not really. I did climb one M7-, but that was it. I wanted to do more mixed climbing. However, I did most of my climbing this season with the Outdoor Centre, and they often can't get permits for Haffner Creek (the major mixed climbing area around here).
-Start leading WI2 ice.
Achieved. In fact, I led some WI 3 ice.
-Follow a guide up Polar Circus
Failed. I did follow a guide up Louise Falls instead.
Conclusions: I logged a lot of time on ice this winter, but most of it was at lower level ice crags and on WI 3/3+ routes. That meant most of my goals for difficulty didn't get achieved. Why these areas? Because that's where the guides were taking us. So, next year I need to cut loose from guided trips (or at least the guided trips that cater to beginners) and strike out into new areas.
It's not all bad news, though. I did log a lot of time on my tools in varied conditions, and learn a lot about ice as a medium. I've got a much better understanding of how to climb soft ice, hard ice, brittle ice, etc. I've learned a lot about where to swing my tools, and how to let the ice dictate my placements. And maybe most importantly, I found out the old style crampons I was using were holding me back, and bought some new ones.
Part 3: Ski Goals
- Log at least 12 days of big resort or BC sking
Fail. I've logged 7 days so far. I might get one, maybe 2 more.
-Be able to climb 700m and still have energy for a descent.
Not really. I did log a 500m day, and descend pretty well. I think I could have managed a 700m day, but I never actually did one.
-Get comfortable skiing in trees
Some improvement here. I did cut into the trees a few times while skiing at Sunshine, and not feel like I was totally out of control. Sill, I wouldn't say I'm comfortable in them.
-Complete AST1 and AST 2 training.
Fail. I did get through my AST1, but didn't get my AST2.
-Ski at least 1 run on Delirium Dive.
Fail. Never attempted it.
Conclusions: This wasn't a good year for skiing. Not enough volume, and didn't really push myself. I did start to feel more comfortable on black runs by the end of the season, and my avalanche avoidance knowledge is significantly better. Still, this season really wasn't all I'd hoped for.
Overall, I'd say I made some progress this year, but not as much as I'd hoped, and probably not as much as I could have. I'll try and learn from this and adjust my strategy next year.
And now, it's time to think about goals for this summer. Climbing and kayaking season are coming!