Do other people find themselves holding certain achievements permanently out of their reach even as they progress? In the "pointless" world of climbing I have felt this way about bouldering V12 for... as long as I've looked up to people that are capable of that grade. It was one of those mythical numbers for me growing up patiently trad climbing 5.8. I felt that perhaps my body just isn't able to hold the positions necessary, that it's above my limit, that I should have hangboarded from age 5 if that's what I wanted to accomplish. Luckily I have friends that don't carry that baggage. @keenantakahashi took me to 'A Maze of Death' for the first time a couple of days ago and cut through the preconceived notions of my ability with encouragement and belief where mine lacked. I didn't send but stoked a little trust in the process. One rest day later and I came back to the boulder alone in the morning. I warmed up, other climbers arrived, I complained about tendonitis, taped a split, and then with Keenan's advice, made each go count "as if I were on a big wall". A few Bawppps!! echo'd into the dry Sierra mountains, and I jumped to the finish patina. So psyched to redpoint this one and carry on up the big wall of life. Photo by the always inspiring @keenantakahashi /Photo taken on Paiute ancestral land/