Fifty-two to Thirty: It's all about the climb...

Week Twenty-Seven:Rock-Climbing

Of all the outdoor activities and various action sports I’ve participated in through the years, rock climbing is one I’ve never really attempted. Even when I’m hiking and encounter a large cliff or rock formation I am always the least daring of my usual cohorts (most likely Terry and Jason) in our attempts at scaling the obstacle. I’m not sure if I’m just a wuss or if it’s my general distaste for pain and/or death that keeps me from wedging myself into tight crevasses, but I’m always content to take the easy way and enjoy the surroundings rather than tempt gravity with my potential broken body.

Of course, aside from the literal activity of climbing a rock, there is also the more established sport of rock climbing. Complete with ropes, harnesses, and various other pieces of safety equipment, this established practice of rock climbing can be performed on natural surfaces (cliffs, boulders, etc.) or in a specifically designed gymnasium. Therefore, in an effort to minimize the possibility of the previously mentioned pain/death scenario, I decided the latter would be way to go.

When considering rock climbing for 52to30, I received a recommendation for the Niagara Climbing Center in North Tonawanda. After checking out their website, I decided it would be the place due to their reasonable prices and the fact that it’s the only such place I know of locally. You can’t argue that logic.

My good friend Terry agreed to join me on this adventure and Jackie also came along in the role of photographer. (For the record, she was not interested in climbing but was happy to take the pictures. I would hate for anyone to think I’m keeping her down.) We arrived at Niagara Climbing Center early Saturday evening and filled out some clearance forms while looking over the place.

The climbing center is located in the gymnasium of an old school and has all the musty charm you would expect in such an environment. Surfaces are erected along the walls and in the center ranging from flat, vertical faces to jagged or crooked forms, jutting out at various angles depending on the level of difficulty. Each surface is similarly speckled with assorted shapes and sizes of artificial rocks laid out in various patterns to further establish complexity. Along each wall there are climbing ropes every couple of feet, suspended between the ceiling and floor through carabiners and a ratchet system that prevents climbers from freefalling to the ground.

Our instructor Beth was explaining how this system worked as Terry and I slipped into our harnesses. Beth seemed nice and was very informative while (very literally) showing us the ropes. After her brief and rapidly paced tutorial she watched us climb one of the beginner walls to ensure we were doing things correctly. I was very eager to begin so I volunteered to go first and, once properly strapped in, I quickly started climbing. I did pretty well for a first timer but there really isn’t too much to the process, especially at the level Beth started us off with. So after we each took our turns on the beginner wall, Beth left us on our own and we started making our way around the gym.

When one person is climbing, the other has the task of belaying the rope. This refers to the process of tightening the rope through the ratcheting device to ensure there is no slack in the line. Therefore, if the climber loses their grip they do not fall, instead dangling from the rope at the same height with minimal drop off. At the end of the climb, the person belaying the rope must wrap it around their waist and lower the climber by slowly releasing a trigger on the ratchet.

As a result of this process Terry and I took turns climbing and belaying as we made our way around the gym. Gaining confidence after each successful climb we quickly worked our way to the more complex routes. Additional inspiration was provided by the Ozzy greatest hits collection that was being blasted through the gym’s sound system the entire time we were climbing.

It’s a pretty incredible feeling when you push your body as far as it will go. Several times, as I was splayed out across some wall, feeling the burn in muscles that have been hibernating for years, my legs would start to tremble from the unnatural extension and pressure. Once it got too hard to hold on I had to let go and dangle from the rope in total dejection. In fact, the only thing that kept me going was Jackie telling me I looked like Spiderman. Probably the best compliment I’ve ever received.

Of course I’m being overdramatic about not being able to scale every wall on my first ever rock-climbing adventure. It would take much more than that to deter me. In fact, the sensation of letting go was actually one of the most exciting aspects of the whole experience. It’s difficult at first because it goes against every natural instinct to let go when you’re that high in the air. However, once you’re confident in the fact that you won’t plummet to your death it’s kind of cool to float there weightless before repelling down like Danny Ocean into the Bellagio vault.

After about an hour of climbing I was totally spent. The amount of energy rock-climbing requires is astonishing and my forearms and shoulders are still sore three days later. My first experience with this sport was totally awesome and while I don’t see myself becoming a regular it’s definitely something I look forward to revisiting a few times a year – particularly as an option during the winter months. If you’ve never been rock-climbing I highly recommend it as a new experience that’s fun, affordable and great form of exercise. It’s also great for kids because it’s very safe and relatively easy - trust me, those are two of the reasons I gave it a try.