A Very Me Weekend
I think the most interesting thing about the weekend is that throughout its various parts, I felt peaceful and open to the universe.
The morning part of the exam felt easier than expected, particularly bc I'd read through the 2008 morning exam the night before and it was horrible. I wonder if they realized they'd made it too hard and overcompensated this year. My big concern is that (a) my answers were insufficiently complete or (b) the curve is vicious. The afternoon session was tough. There are all sorts of things I knew they didn't test and all sorts of things I kinda knew that they did. Hope the stuff I pulled out of my ass was right, bc I'd say about 10% of morning and afternoon each was straight from my ass. Bottom-line, I think I should've passed, but I'm very aware I may not have. In case I didn't,
My biggest mistake was taking that three-day review. The first time I did that class with that instructor, I thought I didn't understand the material whizzing past bc I hadn't read enough; this time I knew it was bc he was doing it too fast. If I'd gone the cheap route and bought the version you watch from your home, I could've done what I did with the problem solving video, i.e. watched it and paused every time he came to a concept with which I was unfamiliar to check it in a more thorough discussion.
The only other thing I could've done is started drilling questions as soon as I finished the units. I did the ones at the end of the readings, but I didn't have the test prep question bank yet, bc I was still dithering about which package of stuff to buy. The downside of this is that they don't actually have many questions - even with how little time I spent doing the prep provider's practice questions, I did 20% of the (200) FI questions, 16% of the ethics questions, 25% of alt, 5% of risk, and 37% of gips.
In other words, I think I prepared almost as well as I could've and by the night before the exam, I'd done everything I'd really planned to. I think if I failed, I'm going to do it again this coming year, without taking a year off like last time; I'm going to start reading the tough sections of the exams in January or February (like this year); I'm going to buy the package that includes the 3-day video online and closely watch the "easier" sections that I didn't read, checking the notes when I don't understand a concept; and the rest I'll do pretty much the same way I did this year, hoping for better results. I really hope I passed though.
Spider met me at the bar at the Four Seasons restaurant. The bartender was fabulous and suggested the Moet and poured me a taste of the Chateau d'Yquem. I had Moet at their Australian vineyard and didn't much care for it, but this stuff tasted like bubbles and made me glow-y and happy in short order. By itself, I liked the Chateau d'Yquem very much; I've never had a sweet wine with such complexity before. I was interested in it bc I came to the bar specifically to have their foie gras and sauternes is the classic pairing. What I discovered is their foie gras already has the perfect accoutrements, so sauternes is like gilt foil on your marble staircase. The foie gras was too small of course (it always is) and served with strawberries, greens, sugared toast, and a balsamic reduction. I had a bite of greens and strawberries by themselves and found it tasted like distilled essence of buttered popcorn. It was amazing.
Unfortunately I was clueless (as usual) and didn't realize at least 3 different other people thought I would go for drinks with them Sat night: I missed OperaBoss's hints; my sister ripped me a new one for not texting her after the exam; and apparently my similarly-suffering coworker actually went to the bar looking for me, but we'd moved on to The Modern by then. d'oh!
I was hurting the next morning, but hauled my sorry butt to New Paltz, as I'd already paid *mumblety* for the day's lesson. I was disappointed when I got to the shop and got the same guy as my first time ever climbing outdoors. He has some sort of medical issue, like maybe a tracheotomy?, such that he doesn't have a normal speaking voice, which makes it hard to hear him. I told him I thought I climbed 5.5, maybe 5.6, and that I wanted to spend the day working on my technique, bc I believe it is that, not strength, that is holding me back.
He set up a top rope on Sixish, which is a 5.4+ with a 5.6 variation. I did both with little trouble and wondered if I'd wasted my money, as he didn't really have many comments on my technique. He coordinated with one of his colleagues and set up a top rope on Walter Mitty, a "good old thin crimpy face climbing" 5.8+. I'm glad I read the description today, bc thin and crimpy are not my strong points. In belaying, I think Jim was reminding me to look at my feet, bc I found myself using holds that I knew were much smaller than my usual, but if you've got better feet, you can cling using smaller handholds. While waiting for Horseman (a 3-star classic 5.5), we did Rhododendron (5.6-), which was nice and cracky.
Jim asked how I felt overhands, and I commented I'd never done any at the Gunks. Unfortunately, in his only error all day, he took me to Ape Call. There was a facey section where I was 1" short of being able to pull the move easily. I tried it a dozen times and Jim had to his anchor so he could come down to give me suggestions. When I started to show what I'd worked out, swear-to-god there was a new hold I hadn't seen before and scrambled up it. Unfortunately, my confidence was shot at this point, so when I got to the crux, I was already freaked out enough that I couldn't make the overhand :( I've never had trouble with exposure before, but while dangling under the roof, I deliberately avoided looking at the ground or even the view. Jim earned his tip when he hauled my fat ass up the overhang so I could retrieve his gear and we could rappel down.
I would've been only a little disappointed had we called it a day then - the muscles in my back were already a bit sore before Ape Call and I'd proven to myself what I needed. Jim didn't really ask me though and took me to City Lights and Pas de Deux. I never dreamed that he'd still be taking me on 5.8s, so I didn't ask. heh. I also didn't remember that I'd had trouble with City Lights last time I'd climbed it. This time, the crux, which is about a third of the way up the first pitch, gave me some trouble - it took me a few tries and I admit I grabbed gear on one try, although not the ultimately successful one. It was with great difficulty that I restrained myself from yelling "Yatta!" and doing a Hiro-like fist pump when I got to the top. And then we did Pas de Deux, which was also lovely; I honestly can't remember if I hung on anything, but my memory is that it was challenging, but smooth. which is, like, perfect.
Jim and I had interesting chats about the Tetons (he commented it's mostly fourth class, with a few crux-y moves; he wouldn't say that guides haul their clients through those bits, but he did comment he had clients who'd done the Grand but couldn't climb 5.6 in the Gunks) and my climbing ability and how the Gunks compares to everywhere else. I think next time I go out with a guide in the Gunks, I'll work on overhangs, bc Jim commented they are a distinct feature of the Gunks. And there will be a next time, bc yesterday was so marvelous, I can't imagine any better weekend's trip. Even if it was just one day.
The morning part of the exam felt easier than expected, particularly bc I'd read through the 2008 morning exam the night before and it was horrible. I wonder if they realized they'd made it too hard and overcompensated this year. My big concern is that (a) my answers were insufficiently complete or (b) the curve is vicious. The afternoon session was tough. There are all sorts of things I knew they didn't test and all sorts of things I kinda knew that they did. Hope the stuff I pulled out of my ass was right, bc I'd say about 10% of morning and afternoon each was straight from my ass. Bottom-line, I think I should've passed, but I'm very aware I may not have. In case I didn't,
My biggest mistake was taking that three-day review. The first time I did that class with that instructor, I thought I didn't understand the material whizzing past bc I hadn't read enough; this time I knew it was bc he was doing it too fast. If I'd gone the cheap route and bought the version you watch from your home, I could've done what I did with the problem solving video, i.e. watched it and paused every time he came to a concept with which I was unfamiliar to check it in a more thorough discussion.
The only other thing I could've done is started drilling questions as soon as I finished the units. I did the ones at the end of the readings, but I didn't have the test prep question bank yet, bc I was still dithering about which package of stuff to buy. The downside of this is that they don't actually have many questions - even with how little time I spent doing the prep provider's practice questions, I did 20% of the (200) FI questions, 16% of the ethics questions, 25% of alt, 5% of risk, and 37% of gips.
In other words, I think I prepared almost as well as I could've and by the night before the exam, I'd done everything I'd really planned to. I think if I failed, I'm going to do it again this coming year, without taking a year off like last time; I'm going to start reading the tough sections of the exams in January or February (like this year); I'm going to buy the package that includes the 3-day video online and closely watch the "easier" sections that I didn't read, checking the notes when I don't understand a concept; and the rest I'll do pretty much the same way I did this year, hoping for better results. I really hope I passed though.
Spider met me at the bar at the Four Seasons restaurant. The bartender was fabulous and suggested the Moet and poured me a taste of the Chateau d'Yquem. I had Moet at their Australian vineyard and didn't much care for it, but this stuff tasted like bubbles and made me glow-y and happy in short order. By itself, I liked the Chateau d'Yquem very much; I've never had a sweet wine with such complexity before. I was interested in it bc I came to the bar specifically to have their foie gras and sauternes is the classic pairing. What I discovered is their foie gras already has the perfect accoutrements, so sauternes is like gilt foil on your marble staircase. The foie gras was too small of course (it always is) and served with strawberries, greens, sugared toast, and a balsamic reduction. I had a bite of greens and strawberries by themselves and found it tasted like distilled essence of buttered popcorn. It was amazing.
Unfortunately I was clueless (as usual) and didn't realize at least 3 different other people thought I would go for drinks with them Sat night: I missed OperaBoss's hints; my sister ripped me a new one for not texting her after the exam; and apparently my similarly-suffering coworker actually went to the bar looking for me, but we'd moved on to The Modern by then. d'oh!
I was hurting the next morning, but hauled my sorry butt to New Paltz, as I'd already paid *mumblety* for the day's lesson. I was disappointed when I got to the shop and got the same guy as my first time ever climbing outdoors. He has some sort of medical issue, like maybe a tracheotomy?, such that he doesn't have a normal speaking voice, which makes it hard to hear him. I told him I thought I climbed 5.5, maybe 5.6, and that I wanted to spend the day working on my technique, bc I believe it is that, not strength, that is holding me back.
He set up a top rope on Sixish, which is a 5.4+ with a 5.6 variation. I did both with little trouble and wondered if I'd wasted my money, as he didn't really have many comments on my technique. He coordinated with one of his colleagues and set up a top rope on Walter Mitty, a "good old thin crimpy face climbing" 5.8+. I'm glad I read the description today, bc thin and crimpy are not my strong points. In belaying, I think Jim was reminding me to look at my feet, bc I found myself using holds that I knew were much smaller than my usual, but if you've got better feet, you can cling using smaller handholds. While waiting for Horseman (a 3-star classic 5.5), we did Rhododendron (5.6-), which was nice and cracky.
Jim asked how I felt overhands, and I commented I'd never done any at the Gunks. Unfortunately, in his only error all day, he took me to Ape Call. There was a facey section where I was 1" short of being able to pull the move easily. I tried it a dozen times and Jim had to his anchor so he could come down to give me suggestions. When I started to show what I'd worked out, swear-to-god there was a new hold I hadn't seen before and scrambled up it. Unfortunately, my confidence was shot at this point, so when I got to the crux, I was already freaked out enough that I couldn't make the overhand :( I've never had trouble with exposure before, but while dangling under the roof, I deliberately avoided looking at the ground or even the view. Jim earned his tip when he hauled my fat ass up the overhang so I could retrieve his gear and we could rappel down.
I would've been only a little disappointed had we called it a day then - the muscles in my back were already a bit sore before Ape Call and I'd proven to myself what I needed. Jim didn't really ask me though and took me to City Lights and Pas de Deux. I never dreamed that he'd still be taking me on 5.8s, so I didn't ask. heh. I also didn't remember that I'd had trouble with City Lights last time I'd climbed it. This time, the crux, which is about a third of the way up the first pitch, gave me some trouble - it took me a few tries and I admit I grabbed gear on one try, although not the ultimately successful one. It was with great difficulty that I restrained myself from yelling "Yatta!" and doing a Hiro-like fist pump when I got to the top. And then we did Pas de Deux, which was also lovely; I honestly can't remember if I hung on anything, but my memory is that it was challenging, but smooth. which is, like, perfect.
Jim and I had interesting chats about the Tetons (he commented it's mostly fourth class, with a few crux-y moves; he wouldn't say that guides haul their clients through those bits, but he did comment he had clients who'd done the Grand but couldn't climb 5.6 in the Gunks) and my climbing ability and how the Gunks compares to everywhere else. I think next time I go out with a guide in the Gunks, I'll work on overhangs, bc Jim commented they are a distinct feature of the Gunks. And there will be a next time, bc yesterday was so marvelous, I can't imagine any better weekend's trip. Even if it was just one day.