It’s been about two years since I tumbled into climbing – a bit haphazardly, for signing up for a level 1 belayer course without having actual real experience in the sport. The only taster I had was climbing a mountain in Malaysia, where we had to grapple and hoist ourselves up using terrain, and I had decided I enjoyed that enough to register myself for a belaying course.
It was terrifying when I was first put on a rope, and left to paw my way up the man-made slab with dotted coloured rock alone. My first top rope experience was during my level 1 belaying certification, which is highly questionable about my stability in decision making but let’s move on.
Within these two years, I’ve been at the sport inconsistently, finding partners and losing some, and having full 5 month breaks in between climbs. I rose to 6b+s, fell back to 4-5s, and slowly rose back up again. I had always made excuses, citing no partners, difficulty, lack of strength. But the truth was, I was fearful. Fearful of the gym and being judged for a lack of skill. My confidence was low.
Somehow, getting to know strength training seemed to have shifted that focus. Keeping up an exercise routine with greater focus on body awareness, movement and strength (thank you, classpass, for the wonders of metcon workouts) has taught me control over my limbs. This, plus a higher hit rate in hitting the climbing gym, watching more climbing videos and analysing technique while taking notes, helped me to gain awareness and control over my movements.
And it’s such a good feeling. The swing of a clockwork leg with the tension in the core muscles, the controlled grading of a sashay of the hips to kiss the wall, dipping into the tip of my toes before the great lunge and plunge into a dynamic movement upwards. I’m no lead climber nor 7 in the routes, but I’m happy where I am.
I have learned to love climbing for what it is, and not what I could be. It has given me the confidence to strive on, for the love and enjoyment of it.
Perhaps with all things in life, this is what it’s meant to be – to love the process and to be consistent with loving it to do something about it. Giving up halfway is usually a lack of confidence and an outcome driven focus, from personal experience.
Anyhow, just a thought after making oatmeal protein bars and indulging in high school flicks in Netflix i.e. Sierra Burgess Is A Loser. Noah Centineo is so cute!! But I feel like a cradle snatcher saying that cause he’s 22. WHUT. Ok gotta go check on my protein babies!
happenstance 