Dan Mirsky, 42, ticks Shadowboxing (9a)

Dan Mirsky, who last month sent his sixth 9a, has completed Shadowboxing (9a) in Rifle (CO). ”One of the last king lines in the canyon; it was both a saga and not. At first I thought the name was a Wutang reference (which I liked) but I learned quickly it was more about the challenge of finding conditions. I Started for real in June of last year and once I found my way, I really learned to love the bouldery style; both powerful and technical, with one actual bad hold! Of course once I got psyched it got too hot... I Started back up in November and started feeling close but by early December it was too cold. Got back to it at the beginning of this month and really felt it coming together. Then, a couple of weeks ago I found myself in the sun and flying through the air at the end of the upper crux wondering, what just went wrong. Since then it's felt like a montage of errors and bad luck. After literally falling out of a resting kneebar (Yes, I used a right kneepad for the purpose of doing right kneebars) on my first go, I finally ran out of ways to not send. Great sesh and Double send day with the Burger. If only the Knicks had pulled it out too. Now ask me, if I am "still" trying Shadowboxing...” (c) James Lucas

Can you tell us more about how it is possible to maintain your top level at age 42?
For me, As with most things that are worth investing in, there's no magic bullet to success in climbing. I continue to be driven by my passion, my commitment to growth and a focus on the pursuit of mastery in craft. I have also learned from my own experience, and from coaching and climbing with others, that working smarter is even more important than working harder. I bring these lessons and my mindset for growth with me to all my sessions whether that's on a project or in the gym. As an older climber it has become even more important for me to focus on quality in my sessions and know when the work has been done and trust myself to do less. In doing so, I both stay positive and psyched and give myself the opportunity to recover and adapt.

Shadowboxing was a great route for me to practice this mentality because it is so frequently in the sun or otherwise not in a good condition to try. With a route like this you have to make the most of your sessions and the best way to do this is by being present and intentional. Last fall, in an effort to "eek" it out before winter, I over did it, got tired and lost momentum. This spring when I came back, I set an intention for myself to climb on the route only when I felt good and in a situation that felt positive and productive. With this mentality, I made very good progress and ultimately succeeded. I would be lying if I said there weren't a few moments of becoming too attached to the outcome of sending and those were the attempts where I found myself hanging on the end of the rope. In the end, each one was just a great reminder to stay present and focus on the moment and not worry about the outcome. On the send, I felt I did that very well and really enjoyed being present, unburdened in my climbing and supported by good friends.