Rediscovery
We all know COVID has thrown a wrench in pretty much every plan we had. And we also learned to go with the flow and embrace spontaneity. Last weekend I was supposed to facilitate a high ropes course but the group cancelled the night before so I texted some friends and we made a plan to rock climb at Pilot Mountain instead!
Meatball! The cutest little Pitbull mix that I got to love on!
I haven’t been climbing since March so I was super excited but also nervous to head out again after 6 months. Living in New England, nothing was open from March through most of the summer so going to a climbing gym was off the table. I also didn’t want to go outside alone because 1. not super fun and 2. you can only boulder unless you want to be crazy and free solo.
We climbed in Three Bears Gully and the Amphitheater at Pilot Mountain.
The climbing community is the most supportive community I’ve been a part of so I wasn’t worried about being judged on my ability level but I did worry about whether I was still going to enjoy it as much. Taking such a big break from something and not having people you can do it with made me question whether it was something I really wanted to invest time and money into. The reason I got into climbing was no longer applicable so I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to find a new reason to start again. Luckily I jumped at the opportunity and fell in love with the sport all over again. Oddly enough I have no fear of heights while climbing outside but when I’m in the gym I get freaked out.
We climbed in Three Bears Gully and the Amphitheater at Pilot Mountain.
Not only is it a physical challenge but it's a mental task to figure out the next move and how to position your body. As I was climbing the movement and motion came back to me and I felt in my element. My forearms were absolutely destroyed because they hadn’t been used in 6 months but it felt so good to be crimping and thinking about where to go next. Figuring out which foothold to balance on and then reach to the next hand placement was so refreshing to be thinking about again.
I highly recommend making friends with Cinema & TV majors so that you get bomb adventure photos.
The weather could not have been more perfect and the company was unbeatable. The atmosphere at Pilot Mountain was incredible! There were so many groups of people climbing different routes and sharing knowledge and cheering everyone on that I spent hours being nothing but happy. I fell in love with the sport through the community and I can’t wait to go back.
So adventurers, fall in love with something all over again this month. Rediscover the thing that used to make you smile for hours. Open that atlas, have courage to try it again, and be spontaneous!