Climbing is one of those activities maybe you also did as a child, yet as years went by I did less of it. Thankfully these days I do not need to find a tree to climb, there are climbing gyms.
I decided was time for me to return to my indoor climbing experience! Ten years ago I enjoyed my time at a Flagstaff, Arizona climbing gym. I had a friend belay me on some attempts at the gym and a women’s climbing group cheer me on as we belayed each other’s climb. Then eight years ago I was at a Tucson, Arizona climbing gym. Unfortunately during a private climbing lesson, I had a shoulder injury and needed time off from climbing. Then Covid happened; I sort of let my climbing lapse.
Now eight years later, I am back on the climbing wall with an auto-belay. My body is surprised by these strange movements! My toes needed a slightly larger climbing shoe. My hands are getting new calluses. It seems strange to start all over again, but I will challenge myself and see how long I can hang on! (No pun intended!)
Encouraged by fellow climbers:
I have met supportive individuals as I relax in-between climbs. A guy encouraged me to take days off between climbing sessions. He’s a senior, as am I, and we talked about our bodies needing rest. It’s an all-body workout even when we put our body onto the easiest wall challenges. Quite honestly, the easy walls are not feeling easy to me quite yet.
Another individual spoke about the importance of our body moving and our brain figuring out a climbing route. I did ask for help to figure out a route on my second day at the gym. I simply could not see a route. I learned though, do not ask a tall person for a possible solution. Their arms and legs make a route look so easy to climb. Then when I, who is shorter, try to reach for some of the same hand and/or foot holds, it simply does not work! Lesson learned!
It was fun talking with one gray-haired, like myself, couple. They were comfortable climbing harder routes so I figured they must have been climbing for decades. Yes, and we talked about the crazy decades: 60’s and 70’s at Joshua Tree National Park. This area was a climbing mecca I had read about and they were part of it! Cool!
Each time I climb, at either climbing gym in town, I have met pleasant supportive climbers. It’s fascinating to watch how others will climb a route. Someday I hope to be on those routes too. The fun part right now is I can climb like a kid and work on a more efficient approach another day. For now I just want to reach the top and auto-belay down. It does not matter to me if it is not a pretty climb; I just want to reach the top!
Why Do This Climb?
That’s the question I ask myself often when I decide to take on a new activity or return to an activity I once did. It seems the secret for people who live long lives is to keep moving. Could I not simply walk and not indoor wall climb? Yes, but I’m a personality needing a variety of activities in my life. Walking outdoors is time to bird watch when I rarely get my heart rate to where it would be cardio-beneficial. Walking indoors is time to watch The Food Network, yet I can manipulate the resistance to get a better cardio result. But climbing, just like mountain biking, I must focus on what I am doing in the moment and it is a full-body exercise! I know this for sure when I wake up the next morning and feel every muscle in my body!
How many moments will I spend with my indoor climbing? Time will tell, but each will be fun. And when it is not, then time to move onto another activity! Nothing wrong with that; I’ll just keep moving another way!
