12 Days of Forgiveness, Day 12 Just Let Go

I was ten feet up the wall, one finger ground down into a nubby little hold, perched precariously on one toe as I stretched for that evasive millimetre before I could clip my quickdraw onto the bolt.

My rope was last clipped to a bolt a full six feet below me.

As I gained that last millimetre, I felt the rope pull tight. I asked for slack from my belayer, and in those endless seconds of silence, I knew I was in trouble.

Every lead climber is prepared for this. The fall....