Friday glee is all about the mantel

[rydra_wong]

The Friday post of glee is where you get to tell us about your climbing-related happiness this week.

It can be a new achievement or adventure, or just that you climbed and had fun; it can be that your favourite climbing wall is expanding or that you bought new rock shoes or that you found a cool ice-climbing vid on YouTube. No glee is too small -- or too big. Members are encouraged to cheer each other on and share the squee.

N.B. Please feel free to post your glee on any day of the week; the Friday glee is just to get the ball rolling.

To enhance this week's glee: Mina Leslie-Wujastyk on Midnight Lightning

Comments

[allochthonous]

I went to a women-only climbing session at the wall this week and it was so much fun - everyone was really relaxed and friendly, the instructor was lovely and the exercises she gave us were really interesting. Plus, there were custard creams. I was a bit worried about going as a beginner with most other people there having climbed for years, but they couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. Now I just need to rev myself up to try bouldering on my own...

[rydra_wong]

W00t! As long as you're comfortable falling (try to land evenly on both feet, bend your knees), I can highly recommend indoor bouldering on your own.

It's pretty common for it to end up being fairly social anyway -- speaking as a socially-awkward person, I've found myself chatting with fellow boulderers very easily.

If you're not yet completely comfortable with falling the full height of the bouldering wall, you can traverse, stick to easy things you're sure you won't fall from, and/or practice jumping/falling from progressively higher up the wall. Go to the edge of what currently feels comfortable for you, and play around.

[wpadmirer]

That's very cool. I wish we had a women's only night at my gym, but alas, no.