As a
kid Ive always loved to climb things, what ever you can think of Ive tried to
climb it. Trees always proved to be a popular choice when I was a kid. I always
loved climbing to the very top of a tree and looking out over the forest.
Now climbing trees isn't the safest, nor the climbing that I really enjoy doing, but in our area that’s all we have. We are
surrounded by farmlands and small rolling hills. Which arnt ideal in for
climbing. The local community center offers a climbing wall, which gives you
the feel of real climbing but at a steep price. The other downside is that its
highly geared towards little kids. So what im trying to say is that I didn’t grow
up in a big climbing community. Still I was able to hone my skills and get to
the point where I could climb real rock.
The
first time I legit rock climbed was at Michigan Tech, Which is in the Upper Peninsula for those of you who don’t know. MTU is about 8 hours away from my
house, and let me tell you that means a big difference in terrain. The whole Upper Peninsula is very rocky, and in certain places huge rock outcrops protrude from the earth. One of these places is called Cliff drive, which
happens to be about a 30 minute drive from MTU. Cliff drive offer's varying
levels of climbing difficulty, certain faces are bolted and others you have to
set your own anchor points. Meaning cliff
drive challenges a wide array of climbers. Of course there's a few rock faces that
are like the “bunny hill” of the climbing world. While others have huge ledges
and cracks that you need to plan every move you make. In order to stay safe and reach the top
without being exhausted. That’s right I'm saying climbing is a lot of work,
fatigue is a big problem with new climbers. It’s very common to see a climber try to rush and
end up getting half way up the face and
having to repel down. Not to say that
speed climbing isn't a thing, but this should be saved for very experienced
climbers.
One
of the things that I like the most about climbing and the reason I chose this
as my topic, is because it is so rewarding. With all of the preparation that
can go into an outing, the best thing is sitting on the top of a rock face that
you just pushed your self to climb. Surrounded by your buddies who have
accomplished it with you, and looking out at the breath taking views. Not many
people will ever see the surrounding area from that point of view, due to the
fact that not many people rock climb. So the fact that you get to see something
most people wont its pretty awesome, and why I enjoy rock climbing so much.
"Climbing
is the only cure for gravity." - Unknown
Wc 507
That last quote you included is great.
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