Climbing In The Great Outdoors

Climbing In The Great Outdoors

by Jaimee Blocksom

Publication Date: July 1996

Your fingers are burning. It feels like someone is cutting into them. The only options for your feet are minute or at waist level. As you start to move up, you realize there is a wasp nest in front of your face. You are thankful that there isn't anything coming from it now, and move past it quickly. The sun is out, and though clouds and trees are covering the beams, you can still feel the muggy heat. By the time you reach the anchors, your whole upper body is drenched in sweat. What was at first a halfhearted attempt at a climb a little above your level becomes your greatest achievement as you effortlessly reach the top. Or perhaps what you hoped to be a good day turned into a nightmare as you feel gravity pulling you off the cliff for a 50 foot fall.

The only thing standing between you and dinner is a long hike. The mood and the pace are often times dictated by the day's climbing Finally, you reach the car and head back to Miguel's, the local climber hangout, for pizza. After a long day of climbing, those waiting for pizzas can recant their victories and defeats of the day, as well as their favorite stories from times past. Neophyte climbers can listen to both the horror stories and inspiring tales of more experienced climbers. Miguel's is also a great place to get beta (key advice) on climbs and to meet other climbers, including potential partners and mentors.

The best part of climbing in the great wide open is the greater variety and choice of holds. Mother nature is a great equalizer. Different strengths can be exploited to get the same results. You may watch two climbers reach the top, though one may rely solely on technique and another on their superior strength. A short person and a tall person can find different holds to use that work best for their size. In fact, a novice climber and a seasoned veteran may even attempt the same climb, only using different sizes of holds to change the difficulty.

My favorite climbing adventure took place recently. I had gone to the Red to meet up with some friends from Upper Limits, in Ill: Chris Bridges, Sean Wilson, and Dane LaHood. After the first full day of climbing, we ran into Ben Cassell, one of my friends from RockQuest in Cincinatti. Over dinner at Miguel's Ben mentioned his dream of doing a night ascent of Ro Shampo, a 5.12 climb. Since it was practically a full moon outside, we all encouraged him to climb it. As soon as it was dark enough, we donned our headlamps and headed for the cliff. Though Ben was initially a little nervous, everyone agreed to use their headlamps to help him see the holds. The moonlight was out, but the trees and angle of the rock kept it from illuminating the entire route. Ben began his ascent of the rock climb slowly. Though he had not even been on the climb in over a year, he knew it well. The headlamps followed him up the rock. His pace was quick with a combination of fear and familiarity. The movement was sure and he reached the anchors without faltering.