Climbing 201

Well, the second climbing class at REI is finished. This was an extremely fun experience though I am definitely sore today. The 201 class covered climbing techniques so we didn’t belay, we just bouldered. Belaying is when you climb up the face while tied in to a belayer; bouldering is when you climb sideways without gaining much height and not being tied in. Bouldering allows you to practice moves in such a way that you don’t have to worry about falling very far.

I have to say that this was a nice workout; I used muscles that are not generally hit in the gym. However, I was glad that I had been working out because the extra strength definitely paid off. My weak point is my grip; I can barely type this post on my keyboard right now.

Of all the things we worked on, I’d say my favorite was the Hip Roll. This is where you use your body in such a way (by rotating your hip) to make climbing through overhangs easier. It takes a little to get used to having your body parallel to the ground while hanging off an overhang with nothing but air beneath you. My grip was the first to give out so I only made it to the first hold on the vertical face past the overhang… besides, the footing on that transition was tricky… oh, and considering the fact that this was the first time I tried it, I think I did quite well.

So, where do I go from here? First off, by attending the classes, they gave us a coupon (one per class) for a free climb on the Pinnacle. I’ll definitely redeem those in the coming weeks. Also, a couple of us from the class are heading up Snoqualmie Pass this afternoon to do some outdoor climbing on real rocks (one of the guys has the equipment). I hope I can get a little strength back in my grip before we get there though.

Next order of business is to get some climbing shoes. Damn, there’s those shoes again; what is it with me and shoes!!!!