get back into rock climbing

It’s been almost 20 years…and unfortunately much more than 20 lbs ago. Time to get back on route.

Not just yet! But just as soon as I’ve had the baby & recovered a little… should recovery be necessary… perhaps “adjusted a little” is more correct…

“If you don’t use it you lose it” applies to many things. Including rock climbing. I recently took a rock climbing class. There I learned and relearned many things. Hopefully I will keep going. I was never a climbing guru, but maybe I will be…

Another one of those things i used to do. I spent a lot of time in high school rock climbing, rappelling, caving, and hiking. After high school I was even an instructor on a high angle ropes course. Along with most things in my life, though, some how it got away from me when I went to college (I’m starting to wonder if college was such a great thing… lol). Anyways, I’m going to inspect all my gear to see what kind of condition it is in, buy a new rope and harness, and get out and do some climbing! Used to be at 5.11. We’ll see where I’m at now (5.5? lol).

I got back into climbing about four years ago, when my girlfriend (now my wife) asked me if I’d go climbing with her.

I used to climb a little (In the English Lake District – where I live) when I was about 16.

Back then, it was a rope tied around the waist, belaying around the body, and green flash tennis shoes.

I have to say that I hated it. I was climbing with more macho friends, and frankly, I was scared most of the time, so I stopped doing it.

Fast forward 26 years, and I tried again, with more modern gear, and older friends who were encouraging, safe, and enthusiastic.

So for the last four years, I’ve been doing some climbing, and making slow progress.

Things ramped up a bit, when a bunch of us took a week off in October ‘06, and went climbing in Spain. To get fit we did some climbing wall sessions, and continued after we returned.

Now, in the English spring time, we’re back out on rock, in fact I was out climbing last night, on a crag about 12 miles from home.

I’m delighted that I re-found climbing – there are lots of benefits:

It’s a great social scene – especially for meeting new people
I’ve lost about a stone
I get to see views from places, only climbers get to see.
The beer in the pub afterwards takes great …

I’d recommend climbing to anyone – it’s not all about strength, more, a balance and head thing, sort of “dancing on rock” – women especially seem to be good at it.

hmmm… 25 pounds lighter and a whole lot stronger… it’s got to be more fun now…

this was an amazing way to lose myself in a moment…

loved it and miss it!

I used to free climb (without the use of ropes) anything that I could. However, now I am older (however, not too old) and too heavy (this is probably the stopper). I think I would need to get back into shape and lose some weight, otherwise I don’t think I could still do it. I found an indoor place that uses ropes, so I was thinking of giving that a try. Maybe someday I will get back to free climbing…will have to see how the lose weight goal works out.