Four months ago I got a pretty bad foot injury that prevented me from any real climbing for months. This was not some usual sprain ankle that would have recover much faster than this. What happened is that I fell off, and instead of landing normally on my foot; I landed on the tip of my toes and completely collapsed on them. Apparently this almost broke the bone on the top of my foot but luckily didn't. It did however, leave me with some extremely sore tendons but no cast. Unable to put any weight on my foot I was forced to get myself some crutches.

I really only stop climbing for three days, and started to go to the gym landing as well as I could. But ever since the accident I was just unable to use my foot properly, and lost a lot of sensation, which brought some lack of confidence in my climbing.

Just recently I felt the need to try something different than just going out and try my hardest on some really hard project. So, I decided to get on some really high and really exposed boulder to gain back the confidence I had lost even though my foot wasn't 100%. At least I thought I was now able to put my regular climbing shoes on.

I had seen a really big arête at Buthiers (Font) that I didn't know if it had been climbed or not. It seemed really climbable and I had it in my mind for a few months. I thought it would be in the 7's grade range but the boulder is around 9 or 10 meters high and the landing spot is far from perfect.

I went to try it on a cooler day, with just a rope, a brush and my climbing shoes. I went up there on my own with for idea to clean it up and figure out a good method so I could come back and send it with the needed half a dozen pads. I set up the rope and cleaned the whole thing from the top then put on my new Hornets and in less than 15 minutes I had figured out the best method for me. It was in the lower 7's grade.

I decided to try to do it still on rope and belaying myself so I would know for sure if I would be able to do it for next time. I completed the climb first go. Then the idea of completing in the same session, on my own, with no pads grew in my head…

Fifteen minutes later, rested and focused I laced my shoes and went for it (although I had left the rope hanging in case of sudden fear!). It felt really good to trust myself again. I completed the boulder first go and it felt really good to be on the top…alive!