Learning to climb has been an adventure which I have thoroughly enjoyed. I’m sure a huge part of that enjoyment comes from the fact that learning to climb has also meant spending extra time with my husband which, to me, is always a good thing. He says that I’ve come a long way since I’ve started, but I don’t always see the improvements as I tend to see all the things that I can’t do. When I was able to push past the final moves of a boulder and top it, it was a pretty huge deal.
For me, it’s not always the going up part that is the most difficult. Yes, finding the finger and foot holds can be trying and sometimes, downright impossible on some of the slabs, but I always have that little nagging thought in the back of my mind that what goes up must come down. It’s that thought which makes it difficult for me to make the final moves to top a boulder. If I top it, that means I need to be able to find a way to get down. Down climbing prior to topping the boulder tends to be a bit easier – at least, it is on the lower end boulders that I’m working. 😉
Last week, we headed out to the park to do a little climbing. We found a boulder that wasn’t as tall and had some solid hand and foot holds. The goal was for me to move past the head games and top the boulder. I was able to immediately climb the boulder, but it took several tries and lots of coaxing from D for me to make the final moves and actually top it. Coming down was a whole other ball game that was not fun or easy, but thanks to an awesome husband, I got through it. 🙂
It wasn’t a huge boulder. It wasn’t a difficult boulder. It was the first boulder that I topped. It will probably be a boulder that gets worked on more as a way for me to try to work through the whole “I don’t want to top it because then I have to find a way down” syndrome that I have right now. lol! And yes, I tend to deal with that in the rock climbing gym as well. There are certain holds that I won’t commit to going for which means I don’t top the route.
One step at a time, I’m getting better at climbing and achieving goals. Some things are physical accomplishments while others are mental accomplishments. Both are critical to my success as a climber. At this point, it’s all about pushing myself to do just a little bit more and climbing out of my comfort zone just enough to keep moving forward. I’m fortunate to have an amazing husband at my side cheering me on all along the way.
Several months ago, when I first started climbing, I did not imagine I would be doing what I am today. It felt like I’d never be able to make certain moves or grasp particular holds. Yet, I am getting better even if it doesn’t always feel like it. One hold at a time, I’m reaching new heights….
