Free climbing had stopped being an idea they circled around. It had become the next step. They’d spent enough time learning the systems, trusting the gear, understanding what safety felt like when it was engineered.
Lately, though, they’d found themselves talking less about protection and more about movement—about control, balance, reading the rock instead of relying on hardware to forgive mistakes. This climb wasn’t reckless. It was intentional. They chose routes that demanded commitment. Not shortcuts, not practice walls.