I love groups on Facebook. There are a couple facebook groups that involve awesome people in SoCal who post open invites for outdoor climbing partners. So my friend Aaron and I hit up Malibu Creek State Park yesterday! The weather was absolutely perfect. Warm sun with a cool canyon beach breeze flowing throughout the whole area. I wish I could 4D the picture below. Absolutely fantastic.

Sooooo…. I’ve been bouldering nonstop since last year. This is the first time in a WHILE I got on ropes. Fought the anxiety and balled up to get on lead. We went to Ghetto Wall area. Warmed up just fone fine on Kathmandu [10a], sloppily did Johnny Can’t lead [11a] first go, and then took a few good falls but finished Ground Zero [12a], which is the picture below. Even though I tried 3 routes, I still got pretty wiped after every attempt. I desperately wanted to get on Urban Struggle [12b]. I’ve climbed it before, wanted the red-point… but there was no way brah.

Lets just say, anything more than 5+ moves… kicks my ass. I definitely need some time to build up my endurance. It’s so frustrating knowing I can do the moves, but it wont go if your forearms are screaming mercy! Nonetheless i’m really glad I got on the wall finally. Cant wait to get more routes in.

Fighting past anxiety, gettin’ on ropes & takin’ whips… whith a smile on.

We were walking back to the car when we got halted by a film crew. In that marching crew was actor Eric Roberts Golden Globe & Academy Award nominee, is what were told lol. You know your in LA when you get pushed back from walking, so you don’t “interrupt the shot”

Stay Psyched & Climb on!

-Natalie Duran