Planet Granite: Sore but fun
gentle_gamer, andrea_lambda, and parmonster have been going to Planet Granite recently, and have invited Quinn and I in the past but we've been really busy, sick, or otherwise felt we couldn't make it. I wanted to go, and so finally lastnight, we made it. There were actually three of us new, and three experienced people who were allowed to belay (one Joyce's flatmate, who was just watching, at first).
Start off simple. Gina got a 5.2, Quinn a 5.3, and so I took the 5.4 next to them (the higher the number, the harder the climb). Yeah, I'm new to this, but I'm a squirrel, so a 5.4 should be fine, right? ;-)
Well, yeah, except for the stamina. I started feeling it towards the top. The climb itself wasn't too bad, but definitely don't have much stamina yet. Then at the top... let go of the wall, lean backwards and walk down the wall. The first time was the hardest, fighting the instinct to hold on, and trusting that this rope (which is not tied down anywhere) will hold you.
No 5.5s. Just chance, or is there some weird thing where there is no rating for 5.5?
Since the first climb I did was a 5.4, I decided to try the next up - 5.6 - and choose one that was a fun climb (and I thought easier, actually), followed by another 5.6 in the crevice section which was interesting. Didn't really think about the crevices as being part of the climb, but then when I went up I just used them without thinking about it. Got 2' or so from the stop and ran out of stamina. Almost thought I wouldn't make it to the last handhold, but managed. Took a break, let the belayers belay each other for a bit, then tried a 5.7. Made it most of the way, but just ran out of steam. Took a much longer break, ended up climbing a 5.3 and a 5.2 to finish. Both seemed like the hardest climbs of the night.
And I had a lot of fun, and so doing that again.
And I am sore as heck at this point.
Start off simple. Gina got a 5.2, Quinn a 5.3, and so I took the 5.4 next to them (the higher the number, the harder the climb). Yeah, I'm new to this, but I'm a squirrel, so a 5.4 should be fine, right? ;-)
Well, yeah, except for the stamina. I started feeling it towards the top. The climb itself wasn't too bad, but definitely don't have much stamina yet. Then at the top... let go of the wall, lean backwards and walk down the wall. The first time was the hardest, fighting the instinct to hold on, and trusting that this rope (which is not tied down anywhere) will hold you.
No 5.5s. Just chance, or is there some weird thing where there is no rating for 5.5?
Since the first climb I did was a 5.4, I decided to try the next up - 5.6 - and choose one that was a fun climb (and I thought easier, actually), followed by another 5.6 in the crevice section which was interesting. Didn't really think about the crevices as being part of the climb, but then when I went up I just used them without thinking about it. Got 2' or so from the stop and ran out of stamina. Almost thought I wouldn't make it to the last handhold, but managed. Took a break, let the belayers belay each other for a bit, then tried a 5.7. Made it most of the way, but just ran out of steam. Took a much longer break, ended up climbing a 5.3 and a 5.2 to finish. Both seemed like the hardest climbs of the night.
And I had a lot of fun, and so doing that again.
And I am sore as heck at this point.