A Rock Climbing Rant

To be read out loud in an over-the-top and dramatic voice.

Climbing: you all know it. You love it or you all hate it with a fiery passion, whatever floats your boat. Me? Oh boy, let me tell you! I am a bad climber. Like, terrible. It’s not exactly that I lack all technical skill or strength. I work on those things. My feelings about climbing stem from an ungodly fear of heights and a supreme distrust in the rope. But! This is not a place for me to rant about my fear of climbing. Oh no, I am here to do basically the exact opposite.

Yesterday morning, Monday, January 16th, was a warm day with a slight breeze and suffocating humidity. We, The Link School, took a wee hike into the hills and landed ourselves on a beach so we could climb and swim. Now I, being the brave and totally-not-scared-of-deep-bodies-of-water adventurer that I am, was 100% percent content with swimming in the ocean and diving through waves, as long as my feet could touch the ground. But, as I said before, we were there to swim and CLIMB. We set up three routes. My choice could have been straightforward. The climb on the face was quick, simple, and easy. I could have chosen that one and been done with it, but good ol’ Joel suggested I do a shorter, more technical, overhang climb. I thought while forgetting my mortality — chose to do it.

Now, when I actually got onto the climb, I made the decision to not ask Joel for a tight belay, which is what I normally do. Instead, I forced myself to trust the rope. I chose to do the climb in an easier way at first, not wanting to figuratively throw myself at the overhang and literally slide down it. Long story short, I went up, and it did not work. I basically tried to shove myself into a crack and tried to get my foot up on something when, as I’d suspected, there was nothing. Alright, take two. Joel lowered me, and I decided to now, literally, throw myself at the overhang. (I use literally too much. ANYWAY!) Getting onto the route and actually getting up to the overhang came easily that time because it was only six feet up. Next came the issue of, I’m facing an overhang, a type of climbing I have literally never done before.

Now, dear reader, you most likely think that I did get over the overhang and complete my climb, and this is where you would be COMPLETELY RIGHT. I ended up jumping up a little, locking my arm onto a hand hold, and basically dragging myself up on that arm. I got over the overhang, and it felt  GOOD. I basked in the glory of conquering the climb.

Another day in Mexico.

-Connor