“You got me, right?” Imagine, at this moment, my right thigh has decided to shake and shiver uncontrollably. I should mention that I’m not afraid of heights.
“Dan?”
“Yeah.”
“You still got me, right?”
“Yup.”
I keep moving, slowly, reaching and stepping higher with encouragement. It’s not that I don’t trust Dan; it’s that my fear of falling to a bloody death was overshadowing all other emotions at this time.
I live with three boys, two of which happen to be avid rock climbers. A few weekends ago I was invited to join them on a trip to Rumney, New Hampshire, which is one of the best spots in the East to climb. I love being outside, camping and backpacking is all I do over the summer, but this was my first experience outdoor climbing. And over the years of all the climbing movies and stories about “sick heel hooks” or “mad overhangs,” I figured I got a bit of a heads up on the whole climbing thing. If you’ve ever lived or been around rock climbers before, you know that any surface – an indent in the wall, a door ledge, or even an uneven siding – can be a “perfect crimp.” I was curious as to what it is about climbing that has my friends spending hours on the wall at the gym and planning vacations around great climbing spots.
“This is kind of scary.” I am, at this point, full body against the rock, which is a hair past 90 degrees. After chalking my hands (chalk helps grip), I try to rest a bit before the next move. My feet are standing on a few inches of rock. (“The trick is to trust your feet,” says Dan.) Well, it can be hard to trust the rubber on your sole when only the tips are not in the air.
“Want to lean back and see how it feels?” I’m still holding on. “Let go completely, I got you.”
“Yeah? For sure? Ok…” I relaxed, trusting Dan and letting my full weight sit in the harness–I stay in this position, hovering for a few minutes. After realizing Dan wasn’t going to let me anywhere near the ground, I felt exhilarated.
“Maya, you totally got this.”
“This is so much fun!” I was hooked when I saw the beauty of it—the rock that was full of unseen nooks and features, and the view of the forest in the distance just starting to yellow and orange. “Ok, one last try. I’m just going to go for it.”
My hands ran along every edge, every crock and ledge that was organically formed, desperately feeling for a little something to hold. My fingertips begin to throb and my forearm started feeling funny (climbers call it “pumped”); it’s hard to grip anything at this point.
“Ok, you got this!”
“You got me, right?”
I took a breath, traced the moves I was about to make in my mind, and told myself to stop worrying about falling. I reached, trusting Dan, the rope, a few carabiners, and my harness to save me. It was thrilling. My hands slipped off, my feet gave way from under me, and I hung suspended in the air. So, I leaned back and enjoyed the view as I came down.
I’ve been thinking about getting out and climbing ever since. I’ve heard Shagg Crag (Western Maine, out near Rumford and Bethal) is a great spot. There is also the Maine Rock Gym on Marginal Way, which I plan on visiting as soon as I have some time and money to spend. Climbing is a great sport for anyone who wants a little adventure and thrill, and it’s great to go with friends…especially ones you know will catch you.
– Maya Ranganathan