The temps have dropped, trees get colored and start to loose leaves, snow has fallen in the mountains - fall has arrived. So its time to have a quick look back what summer was like.

The start of the summer was bitter but the second half was pretty sweet. Coming back from an 8month rehab period after my hamstrings surgery and feeling strong as never before (due to some “serious” training for which I had time as I was not able to climb outdoors) I managed to split (pretty badly) my meniscus on my left knee.

The free gliding part of the meniscus locked my knee on rotating moves when bending my knee... but “normal” life (and climbing) was no problem. An eventual surgery looked pretty complicated with just a 50/50 chance and (highly) possible collateral damage, the free gliding part was too big to take it out. So the decision was made to give the knee some rest and just hope it would heal itself.

Two days after (and despite) the shocking diagnosis of a split meniscus I made my way up to sustenpass. I wanted to test my fitness on rock and I just wanted to have a look at the highlanderproject again as I thought it may would be possible to climb on that one without stressing my meniscus too much. I had to change a lot of my beta, the sequences got way harder (not what i was precisely looking for) but I was just happy to be able to climb on rock again!

 

Despite the harder beta I got higher and higher up on the highlander. I could feel like my fitness got better and better, I got closer and closer but there was also the departure day for summer-holidays coming closer and closer as well. Big drama was on its way (as usual) and it all culminated on the last day before the flight and me falling off the last hard move. I got the last hold but could not hold the swing... the next day I was on a plane to indo for some surfing.

That was a real bummer as i had been climbing every day one move higher - so all i needed back then was one more (dry) day... but with a super bad weather forecast and my meniscus still causing quite some problems i decided against canceling my trip and took a one month summer-breake - well that was actually the sweet part of summer ;)