Hi, friends! I hope you had a wonderful weekend! Mine was great. I tried rock climbing on Saturday!
After posting about my goals for 2013, a reader, who does PR for the Boston Rock Gym in Woburn, hooked up Mal and me with a beginner’s rock climbing class. So cool!
During the 3-hour class, we learned all of the basics of indoor rock climbing””from using the equipment and tying knots to belaying and climbing.
The class started at 10:00 AM on the dot. Our instructor, Dave, introduced himself to the group (there were 8 of us) and then asked us for our shoe sizes, so we could rent climbing shoes. All of the necessary equipment for the class (climbing shoes, harness, carabineer, belay device, and chalk bag) was provided.
During the first hour of class, we learned how to properly wear our harness, tie the rope, and safely belay another climber. Then, each of us had a chance to climb with Dave belaying us.
Mal went first and sped right up the wall.
He was like Spiderman!
And then it was my turn. I was a little nervous because I’m afraid of heights, but Dave walked us through each step and double-checked our work (properly wearing the harness, tying knots, etc.), so I knew I really didn’t have anything to worry about.
My first climb actually wasn’t scary at all, and I flew right up the wall.
Before I knew it, I was coming back down.
Once we had a taste of what climbing was all about, we focused on tying knots and belaying.
The rest of the class was spent belaying our partner with Dave nearby for extra instruction and technique tips.
Mal and I took turns belaying one another.
Mal went first.
Spiderman.
The first time belaying on my own was a little nerve-wracking (I didn’t want to drop Mal!), but Dave coached me through it.
Once I had the hand movements down, it was actually pretty easy.
Mal and I did a few climbs on our own after class, and I felt totally confident in my belaying skills.
Once Mal finished his climb, he belayed me while I climbed.
This climb was a lot more challenging because I needed to move sideways and then navigate a ledge.
I quickly learned that rock climbing is a lot more about strategy and precision than strength. Dave kept encouraging us to use our bodies and shift our weight to make ourselves more stable instead of just trying to lift ourselves up with only our upper body. He also told us that people with a background in dance or martial arts (or anything where you use your body a lot) tend to pick up rock climbing quickly because so much of it is about how you position your body.
I also learned that looking down for where to step (instead of up for where to grab) was a lot more effective and efficient.
Success! Made it to the top!
Once the class ended up, Mal and I stayed and did a few more climbs together. The “Intro to Indoor Rock Climbing” class that we took includes a day pass for the day of class as well as a 2-week membership.
The Boston Rock Gym was a great place to try rock climbing for the first time. The instruction was excellent, and I definitely feel confident in my climbing technique and belaying skills now that I’ve completed the class. If you’re looking for a new way to mix up your workouts, especially in the winter (it was nice and warm inside), I highly recommend the Boston Rock Gym. It would also be a great place to take kids for an afternoon activity. There were a TON of kiddos climbing on Saturday””some of them were really small too (like 4-5 years old) and whizzing right up the walls. It was pretty cool to see!
Question of the Day
Have you ever tried rock climbing? If so, what’d you think? If not, do you want to try it?
P.S. You still have time to enter my giveaway to celebrate my 5-year blog birthday! I’ll pick a winner tomorrow morning!