S de Sorro, or learning to fly...

After having redpointed the near-by Xilum this spring, I decided i should go for its neighbor, much less done, and supposedly easier line in Guilleumes, S de Sorro.  After some inspiration here and here, i took up the combat and checked out the moves on toprope.  Ville generously belayed me on the first meeting.  Pretty impressed from the beginning, I tentatively went up.  I solved the traverse doing a strange, hard pull from the key pocket to the two-finger right-hand wonder, getting the right foot as high as it would go on the red sandstone bend.  Incredible move that I found rather tenuous.  The second part of the route is really the business (despite a hard 2-move boulder problem at the second draw).  You get to a small roof, first traverse left along red sandstone ledge, than come back right following classic Montserrat two-finger pockets, and than there is the final dyno to the big rescue pockets to the right.  Overall, the first part of the famous "S" is formed by 14 moves from leaving the security of one bolt to reaching the next one.  It is a long journey, that takes away one's breath, inspiration, self-composure, sleep, if not more.  The last move is what makes this route a challenge for me - it is a dyno that I have to do with the right foot in the air, from a crappy sloping left foot, and a good 3-finger extension with my left hand.  When i fail, it's a whipper.  When I stick it, I do the route.

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As Eva Lopez says, dynoing is genetically not a girl's thing.  I have been struggling with dynos for some time now - I encountered the first serious dyno for my little self on the Rush, my first 7c.  The key move has to be done dynamically, going for a big hold from very small crimps for the left hand.  Vianant, my first 7c+, also had a dyno on it - instead of launching for the big hold on the left, in the end of a tricky traverse, I was always going for the shitty hold below.  Although a worse hold, I could stick the dyno much better as the distance was shortened by going for the smaller hold.  Finally, the Ben Petat, this winter's struggle, did not have serious dynos, but I fell around 7 or 8 times before sending the route after the crux, incapable of going dynamically for the jug undercling after the pump below and the crux move on crimps.  There has also been Calladeta - still not done - where the dyno came first, I had to jump to get past the first bolt, than dyno again to get out of the roof section.  I failed many times on this route so far because I got too stressed and tired by these two dynos to be able to start the fun - slabby - part above.  Dynos have always been my low point, my challenge, my pain.
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There we go, so why would one do this to oneself?  Lo que no te mata te hace mas fuerte?  O no?  I don't know, but somehow, in this vicious circle of life, I got myself head over heals into trying the S de Sorro.  Coming back to the route after a pause, I checked out the moves again, this time figuring an easier way for the traverse - going further left from the key pocket instead of doing the mortal dead-hang to the right-hand two-finger, and figuring a final traverse variant (doubling the S) to escape the mono that I could not hold on the exit moves.  All set, no?  No.  The problem is the first S, the DYNO.  I tried cheating around it - putting a long extension sling and clipping just before the dyno.  Although strong enough to clip, I cannot stick the dyno after clipping.  The last time i tried the trick, I had a perfect go, very strong, did everything perfectly - and certainly had strength to do the dyno...But the sling was there, i could not fight myself, i betrayed myself, i could not control my head.  Survival instinct said clip.  I clipped.  I had strength enough to get my feet very high - but not enough to get the dyno.  I fell.  I fell less than i would without the sling - but i failed again.  I could have done it, but i did not, i managed to convince myself i needed the extension, again.  Not anymore.  Playing games with oneself is the worst kind of a game one could play.  I am strong.  I will forgo the sling and send the route.  It is just one dyno.  I am not even that scared when on the route, I go for it with it all, but somehow I psyche myself out of it.  I can do it, and i will.  It is a struggle in my head, the worst kind of subconscious struggle.  Let's play...!!!
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Project sent, 28/07.  Thank you Ville, Uri, Victor, Txema for accompanying me in my learning, pain, fears, and flying time.