My very first pseudo-climb was in college. I say pseudo-climb because I didn't have proper climbing shoes and I had no one to guide me. You see, my university had a climbing wall, and as long as you stayed below a certain height, you could climb what you wanted. Attempting the climbing wall was a whim decision and lasted maybe ten minutes before we continued to our regular gym activities (probably to elliptical -- snore).
My next introduction to climbing however was the true start of it all. A college friend's cousin owns a climbing gym in Tacoma Washington called Edgeworks. A group of people were car pooling down together to have a bit of climbing fun. It was the beginning of a weekly event. Every week I could feel myself improving. I was learning more about my body, how to position it, how to make certain movements and how to trust my feet.
Many people assume rock climbing is all about your upper body strength, it's not. Rock climbers, like Ballet dancers have strong feet, ankles and calves. As you begin to advance from V0-V2 beginner routes, to more challenging sets, your feet holds get smaller and smaller. You often end up relying on chips that only fit the tip of your rock climbing shoe. The same goes for hand holds, you learn to embrace crimpers ;) I often find myself now saying, don't worry it's a great little crimper!
I started off bouldering and then rapidly got belay certified and began rope climbing. Soon climbing once a week wasn't cutting it. Then we discovered Seattle Bouldering Project. The largest indoor bouldering gym in the world, heaven! Okay, almost heaven. It's down fall is exactly what's so amazing about it, it's only bouldering. To supplement, once or twice a month I'll go to Stone Gardens Bellevue, to top rope and lead climb - mostly as training for outdoors.
Last summer I dipped a toe in outdoor climbing. First stop, bouldering in Leavenworth WA. It was a whole new playing field! I was not prepared for the mental game that goes with outdoor climbing. During one of my first climbs I couldn't stop thinking about how heigh up I was on the rock and how far I had to fall - on what seemed like a teeny tiny crash pad. I had a committing move to make and sweaty hands. I eventually found for me to succeed on rocks outdoors I have to shut out the world; calm my mind, thinking about the sequence I must perform and breath.
Leavenworth is filled with granite! Granite is great because of the amount of friction you get but when your fingers aren't use to the sharp crysals your skin wears down fast! By the end of the day my fingers are pulsing and my pads blood red.
Last fall I dipped another toe in outdoor climbing. Lead climbing at the exits in North Bend Washington - Exit 32 and Exit 38. After bouldering outdoor lead climbing felt less scary. Though, it carries its own amount of risk with placing biners correctly and trusting your belayer. I'll elaborate more next time.
Gotta stop typing now, it's time to get my climb on!
-Elle
Last summer I dipped a toe in outdoor climbing. First stop, bouldering in Leavenworth WA. It was a whole new playing field! I was not prepared for the mental game that goes with outdoor climbing. During one of my first climbs I couldn't stop thinking about how heigh up I was on the rock and how far I had to fall - on what seemed like a teeny tiny crash pad. I had a committing move to make and sweaty hands. I eventually found for me to succeed on rocks outdoors I have to shut out the world; calm my mind, thinking about the sequence I must perform and breath.
Leavenworth is filled with granite! Granite is great because of the amount of friction you get but when your fingers aren't use to the sharp crysals your skin wears down fast! By the end of the day my fingers are pulsing and my pads blood red.
Last fall I dipped another toe in outdoor climbing. Lead climbing at the exits in North Bend Washington - Exit 32 and Exit 38. After bouldering outdoor lead climbing felt less scary. Though, it carries its own amount of risk with placing biners correctly and trusting your belayer. I'll elaborate more next time.
Gotta stop typing now, it's time to get my climb on!
-Elle
