Since returning from Hueco I’ve been struggling with recurring pain in one of my knuckles, something that seems to be a yearly ritual at this point. I initially injured the joint pulling on pockets at Wyoming’s Wild Iris…in 2001. Apparently climbing 6 out of 8 days in Hueco was enough to enrage the injury for the umpteenth time, and I’m well on my way to having another wasted winter season, much the same as the past 3 winters. Negative.
In times like this its important to keep things in perspective, something I think this video from Australian climber Jerome Pink does nicely. Jerome was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, but that hasn’t kept him from still trying to push himself climbing:
In October 2009 I realised a long goal of mine whilst on Chemo, to climb the Nowra classic “Trigga Nigga” 25. I picked this climb because it required me to work on both my endurance and strength, the two aspects of my climbing most damaged by the chemo therapy. At the time I chose TN as a goal I was having trouble walking up flights of stairs so in the end it was an incredibly challenging goal. In the end I suspect the process was much more important for me than the actual achieving of the goal.
Warning: this video contains needles, blood and other medical situations. Prepare to fast forward if you are squeamish.
“Trigga Nigga” 25 from Jerome Pink on Vimeo.
Compared to what Jerome is dealing with, minor things like the occasional finger injury seem rather insignificant. Best of luck to Jerome in his battle against cancer!
