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Aug. 25th, 2011 10:04 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
aella_irene posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
disobey_gravityToday, I had an introductory climbing class at The Castle!. They run several introductory courses: I took the 'all in one go' off peak 5 hour one. It was six people and the instructor, who was wonderful.
So. I arrived, signed in, and faced my first hurdle with the shoes. I have quite long feet, and rather wide feet (for a woman, anyway) and my eventual shoes were a little too long, which probably did not help with anything. Next time, I will experiment even more.
I went up to the dedicated training room, and was introduced to the rest of the group, and then our instructor showed us around the climbing centre, detailing the important places: emergency exits, the shop, which walls are which, and where the cafe is. This done, we went back to the training room, and learnt how to put harnesses on. Then we did. Then we learnt how to tie knots, and how to knot ourselves in, and about belaying, and how to belay. Then we had our first try at climbing.
And I had my first panic, when I tried to lean back and just couldn't. I knew I had to, I knew that they wouldn't let me fall, but I just couldn't, and ended up climbing down. And then I belayed my partner, and that went alright.
Next, they let us on the actual climbing walls, as opposed to the tiny ones in the training room. We were divided into groups of three: climber, belayer, and safety person, and were taught how to hook ourselves in to the anchor system. That time, I actually managed to lean into the rope, and come down! The first time, I didn't get very high. The second, I set myself a target and made it there.
Then we paused for a break, and sat down in the cafe, for, in my case, tea and climber's delight. (Which is millionare's shortbread, for anyone wondering.)
After that, it was on to the bouldering! I enjoyed that rather more: I didn't manage to get very high there either, but I did manage to get up and over one of the shorter bouldering walls (with, I admit, help and encouragement, and someone just giving me their hand because I could not work out what to do with mine as I was trying to get over the top.) (It's designed for you to climb over it and come back down via a ladder.)
Then we went onto the traverse, and then there was more climbing, where I managed to get even higher! And ended up just belaying, because I could not do any more climbing.
We did a little bouldering, but it was mostly focused on top-roping, and how to do so safely, and the proper ways of tying yourself in, and checking your harness and your partners, and never ever letting go of the belaying rope.
(And I'm planning on going back on Monday, to do more traversing, and to try some more bouldering.)
So. I arrived, signed in, and faced my first hurdle with the shoes. I have quite long feet, and rather wide feet (for a woman, anyway) and my eventual shoes were a little too long, which probably did not help with anything. Next time, I will experiment even more.
I went up to the dedicated training room, and was introduced to the rest of the group, and then our instructor showed us around the climbing centre, detailing the important places: emergency exits, the shop, which walls are which, and where the cafe is. This done, we went back to the training room, and learnt how to put harnesses on. Then we did. Then we learnt how to tie knots, and how to knot ourselves in, and about belaying, and how to belay. Then we had our first try at climbing.
And I had my first panic, when I tried to lean back and just couldn't. I knew I had to, I knew that they wouldn't let me fall, but I just couldn't, and ended up climbing down. And then I belayed my partner, and that went alright.
Next, they let us on the actual climbing walls, as opposed to the tiny ones in the training room. We were divided into groups of three: climber, belayer, and safety person, and were taught how to hook ourselves in to the anchor system. That time, I actually managed to lean into the rope, and come down! The first time, I didn't get very high. The second, I set myself a target and made it there.
Then we paused for a break, and sat down in the cafe, for, in my case, tea and climber's delight. (Which is millionare's shortbread, for anyone wondering.)
After that, it was on to the bouldering! I enjoyed that rather more: I didn't manage to get very high there either, but I did manage to get up and over one of the shorter bouldering walls (with, I admit, help and encouragement, and someone just giving me their hand because I could not work out what to do with mine as I was trying to get over the top.) (It's designed for you to climb over it and come back down via a ladder.)
Then we went onto the traverse, and then there was more climbing, where I managed to get even higher! And ended up just belaying, because I could not do any more climbing.
We did a little bouldering, but it was mostly focused on top-roping, and how to do so safely, and the proper ways of tying yourself in, and checking your harness and your partners, and never ever letting go of the belaying rope.
(And I'm planning on going back on Monday, to do more traversing, and to try some more bouldering.)
