Welcome to Greatness

AAAHHHHH, past two days can only be described by one word...SIIICK!! So I took my long rest(2 days i know Im spoiling myself) with hopes that something would click. Philipe hooked us up with a bed for the night on friday, I need at least 1 day away from the cliff to feel normal...so this was a very good hook up.
Saturday-
We arrive at the cliff, warm up, hop on the proj's.....and I fall on the last move of the crux.... jon does as well on his...not exactly what we were hoping for. I lose the syke for the day and give this route honk a burn, miss a hold halfway up, fall, and go straight to the top. It was a freakin frustrating day I must say. After feeling so terrible, I was hoping that a 'repose' would do some good, but after today I wanted to leave this place, enough said.
Sunday-
another night at the crag, the beast stayed its distance so we didn't need to plan any assaults. Go through the warm up routine once again...as I said, gettin a little fed up with it all. I tie into the rope, hop on the route....everything went PERFECT!!! Every move on the route felt super casual until the crux. I had done the moves so many times, there was no way I was letting go and sure enough, I didn't. That burn put Ultimate Sacrifice, .14b/c, in the bag, my hardest to date! Riding off of the syke, I decide to try honk again and see if anything happens. Sure enough something did. I cruise through the move I had missed before. Everything followed in perfect harmony on the route. I grab the finish hold, kick the right foot up to put the knee bar needed to clip the chain and.......NOOOOO. I took the last hold a little to low and there was no room for my knee!!! Frantically I try and fix it all, but was in the wrong position and it was too late, down I fell. I decide to chill until the evening session and hope I still had some energy in me. Jon goes for another burn on triptik tonik, his project at the moment, and falls once again on the last move of the endurance crux....it has been a rollercoaster of emotions today already!!! We go down to the swimming hole, jump in the freezing water, then proceed to chill until the sun is off of the wall for the evening session. after a few quick warm ups Jon preps up for his route. "...don't even think I can get through the bottom crux this time...", that was about all that was said. Ten minutes later, in an absolute casual style through the entire way, he is clipping the chains of Triptik Tonic, a solid and sick .14c. Props for sure, its an AMAZING tufa line, that except for two holds with a little sika, is entirely natural. OK OK, I digress, the day is by no means over. flooded with excitement, I start working my way up my route once again. If the last burn I felt great, the only way to describe this time is indubidably stupendous. I grab the finish hold, double bump to make sure there remained room for the knee, and topped off Honk, .14a. The master plan that formed in my head earlier was that if I do honk, to go for Hot ChiliX, .14a/b, but seeing as I had just climbed honk twice...Lack of power appeared as a problem. I decide to cut my losses and go for a slightly easier route. I tie in and start up Deverse SatanX, the locals went a little overkill with the X on the end of routes but who am I to judge. I am working up, feeling pretty gassed. I pull through to the rest before the crux, and just go for it. I don't fall on the crux thankfully....I fell just past it on the LAST MOVE AGAIIIIINN!!! ah, After my feelings going up and down, time after time, I settle at a content level for the day. Jon and I got a little gift from our russian neighbors at the cliff, a free dinner!! I take one whiff of the rice and meat and get......an energy. This surge came over me as I looked up at the route. "Jon I need a catch" I say as I prep up for what I assumed would be a pathetic attempt. I start climbing.....don't feel good. Barely get to the rest....still don't feel good. when I make up my mind to go for it, I am immediately pumped out of the rest. Each move includes a desperate flick of the wrist to try and get any energy possible. I almost fumble the last clip, just clipping in time to grab the nearest hold from desperation. I continue to suffer until the move I had just fallen at before. I desperately toss....and by some magis catch the last crimper. In my last effort before I thought I had no more I toss my foot up to grab the finish hold just next to it. Yet another miracle happens as I catch it, bump up again to get it good, and clip the anchors of Deverse SatanX, .13d. oh yeah, the sun had already gone down and it was my first HEADLAMP SEND!!! We dig into our savory dinner and basque in our victories of the day. Without a doubt my hardest climbing day of my life!

oh no the news isn't over yet
Monday-
Jon and I wake up to Rustam, doing his morning stretches getting syked up to climb. to keep it short, I shall say it as casual as he made it look. on his 39th try, he fired off Kinematix, .14d, making him the first Russian to achieve the magical grade!