So… Spiderwoman I ain’t.
But this height-fearful, arthritic-fingered adventurer still had fun on her virgin rock-climbing experience, scaling (part of) the four-sided, 40-foot wall at The Workout Club in Salem, N.H.
After locking me into a harness and attaching me to a rope with figure-eight and safety knots, my 18-year-old instructor, Angela (a competitive swimmer and longtime rock climber) watched from her side of a double belay as I maneuvered slowly up one wall.
She offered tips: Keep your butt close to the rock, and rely more on your lower body strength (pushing off from footholds) than on your upper (hauling your body weight up with your fingers) until you develop a style that works for you.
I would also add this advice: Anticipate underwear wedgies, and DON’T LOOK DOWN.
After climbing a while, I started sweating under my fleece sweater and descended in one of those cool, kick-off-from-the-rock moves where the rope and harness bring you gently to the ground, like you see in commercials. That part was genuinely fun.
Then, down to my T-shirt and pants, I climbed again, this time with a little more confidence. I’d like to say that I made it to the top of the wall, but I’d be lying by about half or more. As Angela had predicted, muscles that aren’t used in most day-to-day activities, like the ones in your forearms, started aching and I soon called it a day (though I was pleased that my athletic husband didn’t make it much farther up the wall than I did).
For those serious about the sport, special footwear can be purchased – flexible, rubbery shoes with lots of Velcro bindings – and, of course, harnesses, ropes and other gear can be bought at a range of prices. Gyms devoted to rock climbing, like the Boston Rock Gym in Woburn, Mass., or Vertical Dreams in Manchester, N.H., offer professional classes.
As for me, I’m not ready to invest in a ton of gear or sign up for a K-2 climb, but I plan to build up those forearms ‘til I look like Popeye and give it another try!
Just stumbled on this blog looking up climbing exercises. I'm 58 in fairly decent shape and went to my first wall climbing lesson this morning. Loved it. Even made it to the top ( not bragging, well maybe a little)and rang the bell. It was great and I hope age is never a factor in deciding what we truly want to try.
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