Have You Been Climbing Recently?

I think I mentioned recently that I’ve delved back into the world of indoor rock climbing after a largely failed attempt a few years ago. I have a few friends who are avid climbers, and when Megan (my now-girlfriend) entered the picture earlier this year with plenty of interest and experience in the sport, I was inspired to give it another try.

I’m really glad I did. Similar to my first attempt in 2017, my first try in 2019 was quite bad. I mostly didn’t understand that you can treat a basic route almost as if you’re climbing steep stairs–one foot over the other with small steps, keeping your body straight and close to the wall. The only difference is that you use your hands a little bit for balance (unlike what I was doing, which was using my hands and arms to pull myself up the wall, attempting big steps along the way).

But thanks to the encouragement and advice from Megan, Joe, Lindsay, and others, my weekly trips to the rock climbing gym have become a ton of fun. Each route is a physical and mental puzzle, and my technique, strength, and confidence are gradually improving.

Yesterday marked the first time I’ve tried an advanced route and succeeded on the first try. Fortunately, I had asked Megan to film my attempt (something we don’t usually do), so I thought I’d share the ascent with you. It was either a 10b or 10c.

Have you had any success with indoor rock climbing recently?

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