"2009 was sort of a rough year for me.  I stared out the year with a major wrist surgery, where they shortened my ulna and put a plate in, then they rebuilt the tendons in my wrist (apparently I had been climbing without them for 3 months) and put a pin in so that my carpals wouldn’t shift. I also had slight nerve damage from the tourniquet and couldn’t open my hand or straighten my arm. I missed out on a trip to Bishop because I was getting my cast off and the pin removed. I went through 7 months of physical therapy…UGH! In May, Hannah and I made a trip to Yosemite for a friend’s wedding and a few days of bouldering and some easy trad lines. With me being pretty much 1 handed, I played on a bunch of classic slabs and climbs that I could do in my Daescents. Stealth® rubber was there for me when one of my hands was not.   All-in-all it was a great trip and I can’t wait to go back with a healthy wrist. I spent the rest of summer doing some deepwater soloing at the Flaming Gorge and sport climbing in Lander. It was very frustrating to be injured because I had to work on routes that used to be part of the circuit. But it was also kind of nice to be injured because I was re-learning how to climb in a way. I was learning to move more efficiently and use my body more. It’s very important to climb when you are weak; it makes you listen to your body more. By the time I had 75% of my strength back, I had already progressed so much technically. Seeing yourself progress is always so motivating! This is what climbing is all about and why I love it so much.  I am p$yched to see what 2010 brings and where it takes me." -Brian Dunnohew