I finally tried indoor rock climbing yesterday. My friend Adriana got me curious about it a while ago. She’s really into climbing and made it sound like fun – which it is – but she failed to mention how much harder it is than it looks.
I found this place near my house. It’s not climbing specific, it’s got the wall, glow in the dark mini golf, bowling and billiards. Basically a Friday-night-family-fun centre. So I’m thinking “no sweat, this’ll be like the bunny wall”. HA!
The first surprise was that they sold tickets for time increments of fifteen minutes. I was thinking I’d be there an hour (like I would at the gym) but the kid at the counter told me “if it’s your first time, just try the fifteen minutes and see if you like it”. Fair enough, but the way he said it made me afraid the next question was going to have something to do with a seniors discount.
The next kid (I swear they were all less than seventeen years old) hooked me up with my equipment and gave me the rundown, the safety rules and all that good stuff and started me out on the “easiest” section.
The first time I lost my grip and fell, it surprised and scared me a little, but the harness and rope they have you clipped to lets you down really easily on the nice squishy floor. By the twenty-seventh time I lost my grip and fell, I was pretty used to it and just trying not to swear with so many kids around. I don’t think I made it more than half way up and had to take a break after ten minutes.
I’m glad I got today’s comic done yesterday when my forearms were just a little tender because even my fingers are stiff today and my hands are shaking when I try to grip a pencil. Now I know why they put the emphasis on climbing with your legs.
I have a personal policy that I have to try something three times before I decide if I like it or not, so I will be going back for another fifteen minutes…once I can lift my arms again.
