Pulling Plastic

As I mentioned in a previous post, I've always loved climbing. When it was a kid and even through most of my adult years it wasn't really difficult climbing, but I've always been drawn to the vertical walls of rock and finding out if I could climb them. Well, it's winter now so I've been doing all of my climbing in the gym. My local climbing gym is The Quarry in Provo. I've seen worse and I've seen better, but it's a pretty good climbing gym. There's a great area for bouldering upstairs and the rope climbing has a lot of variety for top roping and even a few lead climbing routes. They've built in cracks for the "usual" crack sizes, which only reinforces the fact that I have much larger hands than are "normal" My fingers don't fit in the finger cracks and the hand cracks are more like ring locks or some sort of finger jam.

I know it's kind of wussy or whatever, but I enjoy top roping. It's nice to be able to work on tough routes and holds without any fear. It doesn't bother me one bit to fall off the wall and either climb back on or get lowered down.

The bouldering area is where I do most of my climbing, mostly because other people have lives and can't go climbing every time I want to go. Though my climbing partner is pretty good about fitting climbing and other adventuring into his schedule. If you walk into a bouldering area in a gym it's a lot like the free weights area in a health club, people are posing and checking out what everyone else is doing. I'm very unconcerned about what anyone thinks of me, but even I don't want to appear too weak by doing a fun easy route in front of a bunch of bouldering jocks.

I've seen people try to explain why they're drawn to climbing rock and no one really has a good explanation. I think because there isn't a good explanation. It's mostly a pointless endeavor. Though I feel my heart beating pretty hard at times, it's not much of a cardiovascular workout. I'm not making any scientific exploratory observations in the cracks of the rock or nooks of the plastic holds. It think it's just a place where a person can test their mettle. It's both physical and mental. You're slowly losing your grip and your arms are pumped, can you mentally hold on for just a moment longer until you can move to that jug and get a chance to rest? You make the hold and finish the climb and feel that much stronger.

Rock climbing shoes make my feet hurt. I recently got new shoes, La Sportiva Tarantula, and I like them, but I can last maybe 30 minutes before taking them off. Tight shoes make edging a small hold so much easier, but it's barely worth the pain. I'm glad these new shoes are velcro, makes it easier to whip them off when I can't take the pain anymore . That said, they are pretty comfortable as far as climbing shoes go. I've worn other shoes that are like water boarding for the feet. I think the companies that make climbing shoes try to make them as comfortable as possible, it may just be that my paddle feet (as my wife calls them) just don't fit a lot of styles very well. Since one of my daughters (as my wife points out) also got my paddle feet, she'll probably have the same problem I have, sorry.

With spring slowly creeping in I'm looking forward to heading out to the local crags to climb rock instead of plastic, Rock Canyon is only 15 minutes away.  I've been looking for a new harness, one that was padded well and had leg and waist straps that would allow me to open them fully and put it on without having to try to slip crampon covered boots through the various loops and straps. Something that I could use for both rock and ice climbing. The climbing shop, Mountain Outfitters, really more of mountaineering shop, located in the same building as The Quarry climbing gym just got in a great new Wild Country Vision harness; exactly what I was looking for.

 Thick wide straps that can be totally undone to be put on over winter clothes if needed. It has great gear loops and even a wear guide to warn you when you need to replace your harness or risk breaking through a strap during a fall. I've had a chance to wear it a few times and it's worked out great. It's a tad heavier than other harnesses, but if I was that worried about hauling a few extra ounces up a wall I'd cut out my evening ice cream habit. Which reminds me, I'm out of Thin Mint ice cream, better head to the store before they're out of it for the year.