I first started climbing mainly to keep my husband company as he climbed. Munchkin was his original climbing partner, but her college schedule and studies limited her climbing time. I figured that it wouldn’t hurt to give it a try as he wanted a climbing partner, and I wanted not only to have a fun way to stay in shape but also spend more time with him.
I quickly learned that I enjoyed the challenge of climbing. While you climb with others, it really is an individual challenge. As a beginner, you don’t have to be better than the next person. You just have to improve yourself. There is always another route to try, a different technique to learn, and different hand/foot holds to tackle.
If you get stuck on a problem, you can move on to another problem before trying it again. There are times that you need to put the problem on the back burner and tackle it again at a later time. I’ve found that I need to get a little creative with my approach to problems as I’m short. Thankfully, my flexibility helps where my height fails me. I don’t have the strength and skills to power through some of the problems, so I try to approach them a little differently. It’s fun watching the various approaches to problems in the gym.
As Munchkin’s schedule changed, she was able to start climbing with us here and there. It turns out the climbing is also a great way to relieve stress which is a huge plus for a college student. We’re hoping that as Munchkin settles into this new semester that climbing will become part of her regular fitness and stress relief routine. I know we all enjoy climbing together. Her youth allows her to tackle problems in a different manner which often inspires me to try again.
Right now, we’re doing mainly indoor climbing as it works best with the various schedules. Plus, it’s been really hot outside, and it’s not fun to climb in the blazing sun on super heated boulders. Sometimes, D and I will head out early on the weekend to do a little climbing before it gets too hot, but lately, everyone has needed that extra rest more than they have wanted to head outdoors in the early morning. We’re all looking forward to cooler temps so we can do more outdoor climbing on the weekends.
