Goal 36 : Try Rock Climbing

I Tried Rock Climbing!

It was terrifying. In ways I couldn't imagine. 

Now, let me set the scene a bit. I had been scoping out a rock climbing gym online and was trying to work up the courage to buy the beginner class when... it went on sale through living social! I mean, it was almost too good to be true.

A friend of mine was also interested so we signed up. The day came and, unfortunately, my friend wasn't able to make the class. I wasn't about to back down (after taking weeks to get myself up for it), so I went on ahead.

As it turned out the class did not actually teach how to climb a rock, but we'll get to that!

This is the gym I walked in to. Kids could do it. Women and men were clambering all over, like wild things. Swinging around, pulling themselves up and having a great time. Making it look like this could be a fabulous new activity for me.

Maybe.

We were told the building was closing early, and that we would not get extra practice time as usual. We had been emailed ahead of time that we could cancel if we wanted to. Not me, oh no. But apparently most of the class did - because there were only 4 of us (instead of 8).

It became clear within the first 2 minutes or so that I was the only one who hadn't climbed before. In fact one of the participants was a former Rock Climbing instructor! Another one was military. And the last one had been climbing for weeks, but hadn't learn to belay. Um..... so much for beginner's camaraderie.

As the night went on, the other 4 students did show up. They had also all climbed before (except 1 woman who was tiny, and seemed to scale the wall with complete grace when the time came).

It turned out the class was about learning to belay, not climb. For those of you, who like me, don't know what that means - it's basically the ropes aspect to climbing. You hold and work the ropes so that your climbing partner can be safe way up high.

We did learn how to knot the ropes and move them through the carabiner. I felt good. A little shaky, but good. We practiced. And when the time came, each of us had the chance to go up and the chance to belay.

My partner was the instructor and was rudely nervous about letting me belay, but I rocked it. Of course.

Now.... when the time came for me to scale the wall... things didn't go quite as well. I ended up asking the instructor when he was going to teach us about going up the wall. He was like, what do you mean? You just climb! So I tried.

I made it about.... 3 feet. the guy who was belaying for me was the kind of guy that had been looking for shiny surfaces all night in order to admire his own reflection. So I wasn't feeling particularly safe. The instructor wanted to night to be over. And I was the last to try. It wasn't the best moment for me to face this particular fear.

After seeing the dismal failure, the instructor gave additional notes, "Climb like a monkey!"

 I tried again, and made it about 5 feet! And that was it. the gym was closing. 

All in all, I tried it. I'm contemplating going back and trying again. or getting one on one instructions. But ... I did it! I don't think I'll ever love it. I do wonder if I'll feel the need to conquer it, but not right now.