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What are some of the biggest ego checks you have experienced while climbing? And I am not talking about that time you almost sent tissue tiger. I am talking about the shameful failure that made you go home and train harder.

For instance, last weekend I thought I was a badass. I finally sent reliquary after umpteen thousand goes, I'm a killer, hell yeah. I had my rack with me and my project for the day was done so I decide to try Beene Material (10c), yes 10c and I could not get off the ground, 30 minutes of body contorting, hand jamming finger locking pain and I was just barely above my belayers head. I would have aided up, but whats the point....downclimb of shame, at least it was only 5 feet of shame

other noteworthy failures:
The fury
dogleg (I'm not short)
thunder chicken
inhibitor
didn't even have the balls to get on the quest

Well first off nice work on reliquary, super climb as you know. And way t sprinkle a little spray into your ego check.

Last fall was a bust for me. Rather then continuing to get honed as the season progressed, I got dinged up and discouraged. I'm trying hard to stay healthy and also focus on speciics like endurance rather than just "go to the gym and work out."

yeah, I was going to put reliquary on the spray page, but I thought the hang dogging was more memorable, especially because the cute ladies on the ground did not see me on reliquary, but definitely witnessed the disastrous pride crushing fail

I can't beleive I'm going to tell this story...

Two years ago (I think), around spring time, I was severly out of shape. I had gone somewhere earlier in the day and climbed a few pitches, then went to Roadside. Andrew put up a rope on Jersey Connection. I knew I was tired going into it and that it was going to be ugly, but I wanted to get pitches in. After getting shut down on TR I came down. There was a nice French couple that Andrew had started a conversation with, flipping through the guidebook. Of course they come to the pic of me on Jesus Wept (which I have not sent, btw). Andrew quickly points out that it is me. They looked at the book, at me, at Jersey, at the book. Super embarassing. On the bright side, it was motivation for training that lasted for a couple months afterwards.

pretty much everything i've ever tried has been an ego check, mst notably
hippocrit
up yonder, the first pitch. 35+ goes and two thoughts of untying at the top.
my first dozen trad leads, felt like the little girl i was.
any time i come out feeling strong and then get beat the hell down.
oh and that thing at the zoo, jailbird?? first 10? i ever got just shut down on.

This weekend when my three year old top-ropped Sweet Jane, save the crack at the top, faster than I did...

Any time I cliimb with Ray and Michelle

Where to begin?
1) My first big project in Texas. On go 15 I thought I had it. 88 tries in, and still hadn't clipped the chains.
2) Not Worth It at Military. I have NEVER dug deeper in 16 years of climbing and still didn't do it. I was so spent, I needed 45 min to get my shoes on and pack up.
3) But what inspired me to try harder? Watching the success of friends for the last few years. Ray and Kris doing there thing. Shannon and Julie setting new personal bests. Nick walking (not an exaggeration) his hardest send to date, and Matt seeing what he is truly capable of. None of them are young. All have inspired me to push thru and see what im capable of.

Nice send, btw Joel. Slopers in the Summer!

11b's seem to be my own ego checking grade. I don't exactly think 11b's are going to be easy when I get on them, but I never expect to be "unable" to send them. Well, here are a few that just plain kicked my ass when I should have been capable of sending the average 11b.

They are: Out For Justice, Skunk Love, Seven Bore, Battery Life

Oh yeah, although those listed spanked me good, my hardest 5.11b send to date is the one at de Bibliotek. I think it is "Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man." It was indeed an ego check. Man I love 5.11b's!

As for crack, I don't do jamming only. I couldn't get 15 feet up Crack Attack on top-rope. I also couldn't hardly climb anymore that day after making it that far.

Oops, make that "Resuscitation of a Hanged Man." Hardest 11b ever!