Progress...

Three weeks post-dislocation I did my first climb. It was a F6c+ at Masriudoms, which I top-roped a few times and then led. I was pretty happy with that, but it was a route I'd done literally hundreds of times before, either as a warm-up or to start the extensions that continue above. So I knew the route inside and out, knew that it had no awkward moves that would affect my then delicate shoulder. It was a good sign, and gave me a boost. I was a bit worried I'd overdone it and pushed too early but, in fact, the day after climbing my shoulder actually felt better. Less achy and more flexible. Again, a good sign. But I wasn't kidding myself that it meant that much. The real test would come when I started doing unknown routes again, with more awkward movements.

The next week we started getting out more regularly, but I was sticking to low 6's, and combining it with stretches and some very light rotator cuff exercises with a theraband.

My new friend. Macho pink theraband (yes, the lightest resistance you can get!)

The first sign of real progress came with a weekend trip up north to Ager. I managed to onsight 9 routes above 7a, including one 7b. However, following that weekend my shoulder was quite sore and clunky - maybe a sign I'd pushed it too far?

After that I eased off the climbing a little bit and concentrated on the stretches and theraband exercises. Progress with mobility and pain reduction was sporadic, and at times felt like it was going backwards. I found some new stretches to do though which seemed to help a lot, and that week managed to redpoint a 7b+ at La Mussara. The following week was much the same and I did another two 7b+'s. One in Siurana and the other at Llaberia. However, all the time it felt like my shoulder wasn't progressing as well as I'd like and I just couldn't trust my arm to stay in place. I had to be incredibly careful not to make any dynamic moves and it was seriously limiting me.

Blossom with the Llaberia cliffs behind.

Yesterday seemed like a real milestone though. I woke up without as much of the usual shoulder stiffness. Pulling back the covers wasn't as painful as it normally was, and going through my morning stretching routine it felt like my shoulder had gained in strength significantly overnight. We headed up to Siurana and to sector Can Gans Dionis. My aim was to have a look at a 7c+ that I'd been saving the onsight on for years. In my current state I've decided to stop being so precious and just get some of the shorter, more bouldery old-school 7c/+ routes at Siurana ticked that I've been saving for the onsight. In hindsight this turned out to be a good choice of route. I would never have onsighted it. Flashed maybe, but onsight never. The climbing was just so unobvious.

Getting the draws in took well over an hour as I repeatedly flailed on several thin sections, especially in the top half. I finally reached the belay with sore feet and very little skin remaining, but at least I'd managed all the moves. I left the rope in, just intending to top-rope it and try to link some sections. After a long rest though I decided I'd be better on the sharp end and gave it a go. Despite messing up in a number of places and getting myself completely wrong-handed at one point I surprised myself by scraping my way up it first redpoint.

So F7c+ done exactly 7 weeks post-dislocation. All hail the theraband!