Tuesday, September 11, 2012

To The Top of the Wall Pt. 3



 Guess I’m going to do it without any help.  I extended my left leg towards the rock as it began to spasm, shaking uncontrollably.  “Left. Leg. Spasming!”  I announced, as I reached for the hold.
“Can you put any weight on your left foot?”  I heard my spotter ask.
“I don’t know!”  I shifted my weight, trying to bear down on my left side, fighting against a flood of muscle tone and fatigue.  My leg seemed insistent on shaking, crying for relief.

“Ahhh!”  I called out, and with one last surge, pressed down, balancing my weight.  Once again, my harness came to my rescue, as the rope squeezed my thighs, pushing me further in my ascent. 



Ahead of me lay a cubby.  A box of sorts cut into the wall providing a built in step to propel climbers upward.  I reached into the box, gripping the holds that lay in the bottom, but once my arms were secure, I found myself in a new predicament.  “Where do I put my feet?”
“You can’t see it, but there’s a yellow rock just beneath the box.”
I fumbled around for a minute until I felt my right leg plant itself firmly as if pressing on a brake.  With my left leg in a new position, I pushed upward moving my hands to a higher level, finally standing on the “step.”

Find out how my climb concludes tomorrow!

Note: This is part 3 of a 4 part series.  Read previous posts:



Photo by J. DeChamplain

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