Rock Climbing

He we are... We arrived at Higher Ground (Joel, Tuuk, JHo, Jplant, Adam, Swac, and Me). Adam, JHo, and Swac had climbed before, but I believe the rest of us had not.. I know I hadn't... So we got our shoes and our harnesses, and went through the 5 minutes of training, then they let us be to get ourselves killed. Here we have Tuuk and Joel practicing the A,B,Cs of climbing (Anchor, Belay, and Climber [the knot]).

Those harnesses..... not kewl, Zeus.

Here's Tuuk climbing.

Tuuk dangling...

Jho knew what he was doing.

Jeff and Swac look on.

This wall was the first one I tried to climb. This wall was "teh suck". Here's Jplant giving it a go.

And here's Jplant giving up. This wall had very, very small hadn and foot holds, and they were awkwardly placed. You could make it a decent way up, then you'd be stuck, hanging on by two fingers and a toe...

Here's a look around at a number of us climbing.

Here's Tuuk climbing another rather challenging (I thought) wall.

JHo, showing off the goods.

Tuuk making the move up the wall, past the tricky ceiling dealie.

Jplant climbing that sucky wall.

Adam also knows what he's doing.

Here's me. I found that having pretty flexible legs was quite helpful. I found that having a harness wrapped snugly around my nuts was not helpful.

Here I am, with Swac as the balay man. I'm working on getting up the wall Tuuk was on a little while back.

And I made it.

And down I come.

Here's one of the other rooms. Here you don't use ropes, you just climb around. The floors are covered with padded stuff. There are specific routes mapped out on the walls as well.

Here's Adam in the 3rd room.

Adam again

Here's a [dark] look around that 2nd (boulder?) room.

Here's Swac climbing.

Tuuk is going for this wall again.

Making it past the tricky spot...

Here I've trying that sucky wall again, determined to make it all the way this time (The first time I get pretty close to the top, but didn't touch a bell or the top or anything.)

Right about here is where it starts to suck.

Now I'm regrouping, and giving it another go.

Here's JHo again.

He found a way up the side after a little bit. Nicely done.

Tuuk and Jplant. They seem pleased.

Back at that sucky wall. and making decent progress.

They seem... um.. riiight. Way to pay attention to making sure I don't die, Swac.

Tuuks attempt at an upskirt shot. Not kewl, Zeus.

Here's Joel attacking that one wall.

Tuuk took a picture of the guy stretching... Thanks, Tuuk.

JHo setting up the rope.

Adam on that sucky wall. He made it up, but I'm pretty sure he said it sucked too.

Here's Joel on the "ABC" wall. (The name came either because it was the wall we practiced at when learning the "A,B,Cs of climbing" or because at the bottom were footholds shaped like letters of the alphabet... or because it was hella easy.)

This wall... was insane. The idea is that you have to pretty much throw yourself from the bottom holds to that high hold. Some people tried, and a few came pretty close, but no love.

Joel conquers the ABC wall in no time.

I've giving it another go on that "other" wall. We're nearing the end, and I was exhausted.

Here's my final climb. I didn't want to end on a failure, so I made sure to get up there.

And down I go for the last time.

Here's Swac trying for that insane leaping wall thinger. He cam close a few times.

Here's Joel coming down for the last time. Fun times, good stuff.. and my arms were really sore we were all done.