Why I Stopped Climbing with My Significant Other

The morning I stopped climbing with my significant other began on the Zion shuttle at 7 a.m. The crisp morning air chilled my skin, and my stomach churned as we rode to the base of Moonlight Buttress (5.12c). My partner had proposed that I try it since it matched my “sporty” style. Part of me worried that a 1,200-foot 5.12 finger crack would be beyond my skill level, but after being together for a few years, I didn’t challenge his suggestion. I trusted him, the better trad climber, to know what I could handle.