Yesterday was one of the nicest days of the week, it was sunny and warm, and barely a cloud in the sky. We had Laura as our Outdoor Pursuits instructor today since Sally was gone. Laura picked us up and we headed to the Conway Centre excited to find out what we would be doing today. Once we got there we all gathered in the classroom and met Garreth, who would be accompanying our group for that day. They told us we would outdoor rock climbing since we were already experienced with the indoor rock climbing and the weather was ideal for outdoor activities. We gathered our supplies and hopped into the van to Fachwen to climb Lion's Rock, where Garreth told us that Lion King was filmed! I was so excited that I believed him for a couple seconds, until I remembered, that Lion King was an animated film...that was embarrassing, and I definitely made a great first impression, haha=/ We headed up a path for about 300 meters till we reached spotty rock, where we would be climbing that day. In order to start climbing, Laura and Garreth had to set up the ropes and karabiners on top of the rock to hold the ropes to climb below. It took about 20 minutes to set up, while the rest of the group waited at the bottom getting our gear on. When everything was ready and set up we got in groups of 3-4 and headed toward a climbing rope. Molly, Sarah, and I tried the easier rock climb first, to warm us up. We each took turns climbing, belaying, and spotting. At first it was difficult to find a place to put our hands and feet, but as we climbed it became second nature. It was very important to have good footing since most of us didn't have much upper body strength. Once I had reached the top of the rock and it was time for me to propel down, I froze. I think I got nervous about having to lean back and knowing the person below me was in charge of my safety. I had to get over that fear, because Sarah wasn't going to let me fall, and I propelled down. After our first climb our hands were pretty beat up, but we knew what to expect for the next climbs to come. We moved on to another climb, a little more difficult than the last. It was especially important as the climbs got harder to be a supportive belayer and always have the rope as tightly pulled as possible, in case the climber were to lose their footing and slip. After two successful climbs we stopped to take a lunch break.
On our lunch break, we sat on a large rock at the bottom of the climbing rocks overlooking the water below. It was beautiful, with the sun reflecting off the water and the warm sun on our faces. After a filling lunch and some time to let it digest, we were off to our the next, more challenging, climb. This climb involved maneuvering between two rocks at times, and we really had to focus on our footing and grip in order to avoid slipping. This climb took all of us a little longer than the other smaller climbs, but after reaching the top and looking behind at the view of the mountains and water, it was worth it! It was such a great feeling seeing yourself at the top of the rock and knowing you had accomplished the climb. Our last climb was the most difficult climb of the day. Each group had their struggles so we knew we would have to work hard to reach the top. When it was my turn, I struggled to find the right footing and places to put my hand, which became very frustrating after awhile. I wasn't going to give up, and with the help of Elliot as my guide, I made it to the first landing successfully. Already drenched in sweat from using so much energy, I took a couple of seconds to breathe and began my climb again. Although this climb took us all the longest to climb it, the view was 10x better at this height and felt even better to accomplish such a difficult climb. Once we all had a chance to climb, Garreth helped each of us to abseil down a rock. Abseiling was slightly different than normal propelling down a rock. Abseiling was based on your ability to hold yourself up while lowing your body to the ground, attached to a rope the whole time. It was nerve racking since we only had ourselves to rely on, and not someone below us to support us. It was a great feeling touching the ground and knowing you had done all the work yourself.
To end our day Laura taught us a little about how to set up the ropes on top of the rocks to hold the ropes for climbing below. There were a lot of different tools used, such as hexes, bolts, friends, slings, etc. Each tool had a different technique and use in order to optimize safety. We were able to practice using some of the tools by placing them in between rocks and tugging on them to ensure their sturdiness.
I learned a lot about climbing outdoors and techniques that I didn't learn when we climbed indoors. Laura informed us that the level at which we were climbing ranged from very difficult to severe, which is actually pretty tough for beginners. It was a great feeling knowing we climbed such advanced grade levels. I really enjoyed the outdoor climbing because it was more challenging, trying to find places for both your feet and hands. Each of us in our groups accomplished climbing up every single climb successfully and learned new techniques which was ideally the goal for the day. I can't wait to go rock climbing again and use the new skills and techniques I learned.
On our lunch break, we sat on a large rock at the bottom of the climbing rocks overlooking the water below. It was beautiful, with the sun reflecting off the water and the warm sun on our faces. After a filling lunch and some time to let it digest, we were off to our the next, more challenging, climb. This climb involved maneuvering between two rocks at times, and we really had to focus on our footing and grip in order to avoid slipping. This climb took all of us a little longer than the other smaller climbs, but after reaching the top and looking behind at the view of the mountains and water, it was worth it! It was such a great feeling seeing yourself at the top of the rock and knowing you had accomplished the climb. Our last climb was the most difficult climb of the day. Each group had their struggles so we knew we would have to work hard to reach the top. When it was my turn, I struggled to find the right footing and places to put my hand, which became very frustrating after awhile. I wasn't going to give up, and with the help of Elliot as my guide, I made it to the first landing successfully. Already drenched in sweat from using so much energy, I took a couple of seconds to breathe and began my climb again. Although this climb took us all the longest to climb it, the view was 10x better at this height and felt even better to accomplish such a difficult climb. Once we all had a chance to climb, Garreth helped each of us to abseil down a rock. Abseiling was slightly different than normal propelling down a rock. Abseiling was based on your ability to hold yourself up while lowing your body to the ground, attached to a rope the whole time. It was nerve racking since we only had ourselves to rely on, and not someone below us to support us. It was a great feeling touching the ground and knowing you had done all the work yourself.
To end our day Laura taught us a little about how to set up the ropes on top of the rocks to hold the ropes for climbing below. There were a lot of different tools used, such as hexes, bolts, friends, slings, etc. Each tool had a different technique and use in order to optimize safety. We were able to practice using some of the tools by placing them in between rocks and tugging on them to ensure their sturdiness.
I learned a lot about climbing outdoors and techniques that I didn't learn when we climbed indoors. Laura informed us that the level at which we were climbing ranged from very difficult to severe, which is actually pretty tough for beginners. It was a great feeling knowing we climbed such advanced grade levels. I really enjoyed the outdoor climbing because it was more challenging, trying to find places for both your feet and hands. Each of us in our groups accomplished climbing up every single climb successfully and learned new techniques which was ideally the goal for the day. I can't wait to go rock climbing again and use the new skills and techniques I learned.
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