Log 003: Saturday Morning Rock Climbing

You know, life is meaningless without a little bit – or a lot – of adventure every so often.  After the past workweek of long days on the computer, I felt the urge to try something new: to challenge myself to something new.  I needed to get out, and decided to try climbing out.  Climbing has always been something interesting.  On my hikes around the Tucson area, I would see climbers up at amazing heights in the Catilinas.  It would both be awe inspiring, as well as, third party fear creating.  This past Saturday I finally decided to pull the trigger, and try out the climbing adventure.  I went to Planet Rock out in Ann Arbor Michigan, and it was a blast.

Starting the morning off right, I had a small hearty breakfast of peanut butter Bulgar wheat with almonds and a banana.  This with my morning pep in a mug (i.e. coffee “lifeblood”) got me ready to head over to Ann Arbor for a morning of climbing.

Getting to Ann Arbor, walking into the gym I was greeted by some of the nicest staff.  All very knowledgeable of gym climbing.  Once you get singed in, and if your a noob like myself, they will direct you to a great starter package that included the price of all the rental equipment, a day pass, a second day pass to you within 30 days, and a class to get the basics down.  You know I’ll be honest, walking into that gym I felt way overwhelmed.  But, just diving in, I may have been no where near the best climber (in fact I was certainly the worst); however, it was still so exciting and thrilling.  There’s none of that crazy annoying judgment you may experience at a normal gym.

Myself on one of the easiest walls you can find at the gym, really the reason for the photo shoot just so I could be on the wall

Arbor Brewing IPA this is truly the best post climb experience

After feeling like my arms, and more so my fingers, were falling off, my roommate Zach and myself left the gym feeling as accomplished that we could for a first time gym climbing experience.  Naturally, we felt we needed a reward after our climbing extravaganza, so Zach and I headed over to Arbor Brewing to get a pitcher of an amazing craft IPA.  I must say, it was an amazing Saturday, and I will definitely be climbing there again.