Get back to it: rock climbing after revision surgery: Back to the bosque

Heading back to the bosque

Because of weather and work constraints, I was unable to get outside and climb again the next two weeks after my first post-op outing. However I continued with my moderate training regimen. Each week I walked 12 or so miles and also climbed three different times in my home bouldering gym. Even though I didn't feel I really needed to use the trekking poles, I still took them out them on my longer walks. I also did some leg exercises and light stretching. I have an exercise bike at home, but I've been mainly using it to warm up before working out in the climbing gym.

At any rate, Monday April 30th was a holiday in Argentina and the weather, although cool (almost cold), was much nicer than it had been the previous days. So once more we went out to the routes in the bosque. This time I managed to do seven routes including three solid 5.10s on lead. I guess that's OK for an old fat guy who's only two and a half months out from revision surgery. Didn't get very good photos of me climbing this time, although my daughter did snap the following picture of yours truly, just after the crux move on a tricky 5.10.

The old, fat guy sends 5.10

Later on in the afternoon, some of the young climbers from Balcarce showed up to give a few of my routes a go. The most experienced climber of the group, Mariano, who has been going at it for about 10 years, can send the hardest of my routes with ease. However, I was not unhappy to see that the other kids, who are getting pretty strong on the boulders but lack route experience, can still get spanked by my more difficult creations. Here are a few shots I took of one of the local kids, named Segu, trying out one of the two 5.11d routes I put up in the bosque. Hopefully I'll be able to give this one a go myself, some day soon!