Page 140 of Free Heart
Rye is silent, but I know he approves.
“I think I want to see about going around the roof. Heading up the side of the formation, looking for an entrance to Golden Gate from that angle.”
“You can’t side climb there. There’s no flake.”
“Right.”
We sip more water. Rye says, “You could take it all the way up. Fuck Heart Route. Open a new route. Give it another name. Sejin’s Sweet Ass Crack or something.”
I don’t reply, but my brain’s working full steam ahead. If I did that, then I’d be starting over on a new route. I’d have to learn an entirely new set of holds and moves, and I realize that’s not possible.
“Avoiding the dyno is worth it,” I say. “It’s a few additional moves. Twelve or so. It takes more time, but I’m not speed climbing.”
“Right.”
“If that rockslide hadn’t happened this winter, that way wouldn’t even exist.”
“It’s like the universe wants you to avoid that dyno.”
“If that option had been there before, the guys who freed the route would have taken it.”
“Undoubtedly.”
I drink the rest of my water, consider the roof above, and crack my knuckles. “Do you think I should be afraid?”
“Are you?”
“I had a nightmare about falling last night.”
Rye stays quiet. He’s doing that more and more lately. I don’t mind, but it also means he’s still sad.ThatI don’t like.
“I was nervous before I got here,” I elaborate. “The whole drive over, I kept thinking of that dream.”
“Makes sense.”
“But now that I’m on the wall again…” I take a big breath of the air, lift my arms wide. “I feel like I can fly.”
“None of that,” Rye warns. “Remember Sejin.”
“Fly right down to him in the meadow,” I murmur, blowing kisses in case he’s watching. Grinning, I turn to Rye. “But I’m not going to fly. I’m going to stick to this walllikea fly.”
“Good.”
I chalk my fingers. “I can do this. Maybe not today, and maybe not this month, but soon enough.”
Rye double-checks his carabiners and ropes. “Then let’s get to it.”
I turn back to the wall. It’s time to start re-training the roof.
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Sejin
April
Twenty-eight weeks since free solo attempt
“Do I lookokay?” Leenie asks, straightening her spaghetti straps, and adjusting the pink roses in her hair. Her cheeks are pink from the cold wind on the rock, and goosebumps cover her arms.
