Rock Climbing!

Well, hello again!  Glad you could make it to the second life of My 20 Hobbies... :)

Me, standing on a recycled rubber floor with topropes hanging in the background.

While traveling for my job last year, a couple of my coworkers invited me to go rock climbing at a Vertical Endeavors in Duluth, MN.  I had no idea that there was such a thing as a rock climbing gym.  I was hesitant at first, as I was afraid of heights a bit.  I went ahead and tried it, and for the first week or so of my new hobby I wasn't so much climbing as I was learning to trust the auto-belays!  I didn't mind, though.  I figured, well, I must look silly...may as well keep going!  That's right, my first goal was simply to not be afraid--of heights, looking ridiculous, failing, whateves!  That's how all hobbies get started, IMHO.  Eventually I got all the way up my first route...and then Sean and I bought harnesses, shoes, and chalk bags for our third anniversary...and then the next thing I knew, I was hooked...or, maybe, roped would be a better word?

Sean with colored routes in the background, after our toprope belay lesson at Climb Iowa in Des Moines.

 There's something that is very satisfying about climbing for me, whether or not I get to the top of a route.  Perhaps it's the adrenaline, but I also think it is a good sport to engage in as it is not only a complex physical sport, but it is also quite mental.  In order to get up a route, one cannot expect to succeed on purely physical attributes.  It requires careful thought to be able to place the body where it needs to go in order to achieve what one wants.  I'll be thinking, for example, "Should I pinch this hold or hang from it?  What if I put all my weight to the right?  Are my feet in the best position?  Man, that handhold seems too high...maybe if I did a dyno move..."  In short, I suppose, there is a lot of technique involved.

The many routes of the toproping area of the Vertical Endeavors in Warrenville, IL.

For me, the only other sport that I have found that I have obsessed about is bicycling (though, arguably, fishing is a sport, albeit not as sweat-inducing).  I think I have not been good to my body since the holiday season, so going to a rock gym when I can has been quite a relief.  I still can't wait to get on my bike, though.  I just bought a Terry seat!  Hopefully all this snow disappears soon.  If it doesn't, I might just take up cross-country skiing.  I mean, what else is one to do in this polar vortex!

Anywho, this summer I'd really like to climb some real rock.  I'm thinking Devil's Lake, WI.  It's apparently a mecca of sorts for toproping and it offers a lot to the outdoor adventurer.  There's a wide variety of hiking trails, great fishing, a doggie beach, small cliffs to jump off of into the water, non-motorized boat rentals, and much much more.  My family goes there every year for a picnic, and before learning about climbing, I thought Devil's Lake was just a place where people ate bratwurst and then swam it off!  I can't wait until I find an opportunity to plan it out.  Hopefully I'll have enough money to go for two or three days, including my family picnic.  I'm crossing my fingers!