Today we finally released the video documenting the send of Pachamama.
If you are reading this you likely already read about the process in the blog I posted right after sending in November. The past 13 months have been a funny progression of me consecutively moving from left to right on that portion of the wall in Oliana.
Link between Joe Blau and Papichulo. (Joe pimp) – pic: Tell Pec
another link- Patxitxulo 9a / +. Pic: Tell Pec
Papichulo 9a+ pic: François Lebeau
While working on Pachamama I sometimes entered it from below Joe Mama so as to avoid resting for too long at the sitting rest in Pachamama. My working name for it was Patximama, but it really didn’t change much so I wouldn’t probably go back to work it separately. It was, however, when I started working it in this faster way that I first stuck the dynamic move in the lower crux. In the entire process I only stuck that move a handful of times. For a taller climber that move might not even be dynamic nor a crux, but for me, it was the only move that I found to be so low-percentage.
However, when I finally sent an obviously went through the normal entry to the route, and over hanging roof section followed by a good rest before entering the endurance section.
Pachamama 9a+/b. Pic: Tell Pec
While I talked about this being an 8-year battle, I obviously wasn’t actively trying the route that long. I tried it 8 years before I sent it. I never got it out of my head. After a series of injuries, I took years off of climbing, After sending Papichulo March 31st, 2017 I set my sights on Pachamama. (While I had worked other lines that were probably easier, I just couldn’t get this one out of my mind. I did try to onsight American Hustle 8c, but fell off right at the top and haven’t tried it again since losing the OS.) I was in Ceüse in the summer and didn’t even think about Oliana as it is a south facing wall.
In September, with 35°C temps I started to work it again just to get motivated to train for it. {As I mentioned in the last post, the time between when the sun goes behind the wall meaning you don’t bake on the rock to when there is no longer any light and humidity typically rises is a very narrow window often only allowing for one or two tries a day at a sometimes crowded crag due to recent popularity.} with workshops in October, it wasn’t until November 10th, almost exactly 8 years after knocking my shoulder out of socket on this exact route, that I finally clipped the chains and had a very visceral reaction. If you haven’t seen the video yet, the screaming at the beginning is from when I reached the top and yelled “I can not believe it!” (Which translates to “I can’t believe it!”
Now I’m working on the next line over. I have been quite ill, the weather has been dodgy, and I haven’t been able to work on it nearly as much as I would have liked between work, traveling for workshops, and recently moving houses again. I have so many projects running around in my mind. But this next line will happen when it needs to.
https://instagram.com/p/Bfq4XIWFHcI/
For all of this process I have been so lucky to be able to document nearly every step of the way on many of these lines that have had me so entranced and psyched.
•Back to the Top, part 1 -The beginning of a new climbing era for Patxi Usobiaga:
•Back to the Top, part 2: Patxi Finalist sends Papichulo
•Evade TV: Working on various lines in Oliana with Patxi Usobiaga y Luis Rodríguez:
•Fanatic Climbing: While working on Joe Mama, a line I skipped over in the progression from left to right as I got inspired by Fight or Flight:
•Vertical relay: Taking a break from local climbing, vanlife, and returning to Ceüse exactly 13 years after sending Biografie.
A few videos of training with Chris Sharma and Sasha DiGiulian to prepare for hard climbs:
In my Home gym (the temple) with Chris Sharma :
At Sharma Climbing with Chris Sharma and Patxi: https://youtu.be/bQVT7H5zw2I
Preparing Sasha DiGuilian in the gym to take on her goals on the rock: https://youtu.be/BqXpUbdFILU
•Taking a break to climb in Sadernes I talk about returning to onsight 8b there in August 2016 and appear alongside Marco Jubes trying a hard 8c+ in the full documentary.
https://youtu.be/BLN3Jver2ao (Trailer for a documentary)
•Changing focuses and trying new lines with Chris Sharma. (Since then I haven’t been back to retry. Hopefully I can get back in shape for this physical line.)
•La Sportiva Strange Heroes: The fighter: https://youtu.be/U8bg1ZTppe4
(This was filmed within a week of the video below, so my project and obsession for both was Pachamama, but the edition and story makes each one so unique.)
•Epic Tv-La Sportiva Living Legends: (Which happened to be filmed while I was working on Pachamama)
• Finally, sending Pachamama and putting that battle to rest.
Over the winter months I enjoyed climbing at an easier level and did a First Ascent of A.C.A.B 8c in Coll de Nargo.
https://instagram.com/p/BcJ97iEF3Lj/
Spring has technically just started and wintery conditions are just now starting to roll out, but I feel like the Oliana spring season will be done soon so I’ll probably have to set aside Fight or Flight for a while and look at other crags until the fall. I might be wrong, but for now, I’m motivated to try new things, enjoy the sport, and train hard for upcoming goals.
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