Climbing Out Of My Comfort Zone

Rock climbing is the only activity that I do that requires a little quiet time before I head out the door as I find myself trying to get centered before the main event.

I checked in and asked for a harness and shoes and the guy told me that I might want to consider buying a harness. Yeah, the thought did cross my mind especially since I seemed to have been bitten by the rock climbing bug. I also need some shoes. I'm good on the carabiner and ATC device. As long as Kam (reddish shirt) stays on his climbing hiatus, I'm going to keep his C & ATC.

Kam, thanks for the loaners.

For the last two Saturdays, there have been rock climbing classes which mean that some of the easier routes are roped off and I have been forced to climb out of my comfort zone.

It was kind of cold in Upper Limits but things quickly heated up. Patti (#21) suggested that I try a 5.8 which I had previously faltered on since I could not get over the hump. She pointed out all of the foot holds that you need to get up and over the little overhang. I think 80% is psychological she said. So, I tried it but really fell off the wall.
Patti told me that I had actually approached the route in the hardest manner and gave me more advice and, hot damn, I was able to make it up the Face Plant route. I left parts of fingernails but that's okay. And thanks to Patti for literally talking me up that route.

And guess what I wanted to do after the route? Plant my face in one of the bouldering mattresses. Good God, I was tuckered out!

So, what's a girl to do after finishing a 5.8? She tries to climb another one. I have to take my hat off to Patti who would not let me quit on the route. I was about three holds away from the top when I was, like, take; lower please. That route took just about everything that I had in me and I lost my grip and swung several times. I was confused for some time afterwards. Delirium, maybe, from all of that swinging.

Something had been puzzling Patti and she finally figured out what was going on when I was being lowered. She said that I was supposed to take my hand off the wall. Really now? Take means take your hands off the wall?

Yes, climbing is psychological because I had a hard time taking my hand of the wall to be lowered. It just seems safer to be able to, at least, have one hand, if not two, in contact with the wall.

I wasn't the only one having contact issues. One of the Rock Climbing 101 instructors asked this teenager to take his hand off the wall and the young climber wanted to know why. I was cracking up.

Here's some more climbing humor.

Adult to child: Do you know what ATC stands for?

Child: No Comment

Adult: Adam The Climber

Everybody wants to be a comedian.

Rolling Out To Rock Climb

Whenever I'm about to embark on a rock climbing adventure, the self-talk begins:

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to make it up the dang wall.

I'm probably also chitchatting with myself because of the waiver which, in part, reads:

I acknowledge the inherent extreme risks in rock climbing activities...

Last night, I was looking on the web for information about the ATC device because, all of a sudden, I couldn't remember which side feeds the climber.


Thanks to Outdoor Action, I didn't have to wonder too long about my little dilemma.

Mission and risk in mind, I rolled out of bed to be at Upper Limits by 10 a.m. because that's when the doors open and the joint is usually jumping.

It's always such a diverse crowd at UL, including a baby who was tethered to a floor anchor. That baby is the calmest one in the universe. There were also several dads exhibiting the patience of Job while belaying for their daughters. I love to see fathers hanging out with their girls.

One father told his apprehensive daughter to, basically, feal the fear and do it anyway. Daddy's got you, he said.

While waiting on a route (because it was crowded), I witnessed a climber who looked as if he was doing yoga and, then, ballet on the wall. It was an exquisite ascent.

I was about to belay and forgot to secure the ATC in the carabiner and I was about to feel bad but, before I could, Patti said that's why we do safety checks.

After we had exhausted ourselves and there is a point when you simply cannot ascend the wall anymore, Patti asked Jeremy and me if we wanted to go out to lunch. Since it was 1 p.m., it was definitely time for lunch but the mention of eating out causes me to fret. Patti suggested Crazy Bowls and Wraps and I didn't think that their fare would do much harm.

I ate half of my Caesar Chicken Wrap without even looking at the nutrition information. I'm glad that I only ate half of the sandwich because a whole one sets you back 720 calories.


It must be the brown rice, right? I was happy to see that Crazy Bowls has baked falafel. Holler! Looking at the calorie count, I should have gotten the falafel but I didn't spot it until I had already ordered.