Climb for your Life!

I've rock climbed before, which is to say I've gone into an indoor climbing gym and pulled myself up (huffing and puffing - the technique and finger/hand/forearm strength and fancy footwork elude me) a simulated rock wall. It can be intimidating, and takes a little getting used to the heights to which you climb and the belayer in which you put your trust. Otherwise indoor rock climbing is a very safe activity (especially when compared to playing a physical contact sport or even just running on rough terrain). The only injury I've ever suffered occurred when I first stepped onto the gym flooring my first time at the Madison climbing gym, evidently not knowing of its extra squishy consistency. I rolled my ankle. The safety is due mainly to the double and triple checking of ropes, the soft floor you'd fall onto and the relatively low height from which one would fall. Difficulty in climbing a gym rock wall really depends on which holds are on the route, and where they've been bolted.

A few weeks ago, mainly on a Thursday afternoon whim, I agreed to partake in a weekend climbing adventure at Froggat Edge. This free-climb paradise is located a few hours south of Auckland, just as you approach the ethereal world of Sir Peter Jackson's take on J.R.R. Tolkien's Hobbiton. We weren't far from the theatrical version of The Shire, and the landscape helps you understand why Sir Peter chose the locale. Hint:  one of the following images is not from Froggat Edge. Can you pick it out?

I want to see mountains again, mountains Gandalf!

Even the name 'Froggat Edge' has a token Tolkien ring to it.

If you picked this one, congratulations, you are not a robot!

This was my first outdoor climbing experience, ya know, scampering up a sheer rock face attached to some rope threaded through bolts some crazy guys installed at some point. I have to admit I was a little nervy going in. But while camping the night before with a group of very experienced climbers, my anxieties were put to rest. For the safety of everyone involved, they would keep a close eye on me and make sure I didn't do anything with which I wasn't comfortable. It was strange and captivating to see such vertiginous volcanic rock formations jutting up out of a soothingly rolling and verdant landscape.

Ungh. I think I might move here and become a shepherd.

I got my 'climbing' gear on, which consisted of an Under Armour®‎ long sleeved tee, some running pants, and borrowed harness and climbing shoes. I own no climbing gear.

Let's do this? Confidence.

And the climbing began! The rocks were porous, kind of like a pumice stone, but angrier. At one point when reaching for my next hold I felt a painful bite into the tips of my fingers. Just the sharp and brittle rocks defending themselves? I yelled down to my belayer, "I feel like I just grabbed a rusty knife!" I clearly didn't have the tough hands (or mental fortitude) that my companions did. It was an exhausting five hours, and watching others take on the big 'classic' climbs was a treat - some were close to 30 meters (~100 feet) high:

Center:  Renee the Spider comfortably resting halfway through her lead climb, so cool and relaxed. Other adventurous humans pictured for scale.

And Marco, from whom all these pictures come, cleaning the same route.

Because of the local topography, there were actually pretty easy routes walking up the back sides of these formations, so that I could enjoy the view as if I had traversed the difficult climbs myself (though in fact I did successfully climb 3 or 4 of them).

Everything the light touches...

Photo of a guy taking a photo of other guys climbing rocks.

So maybe I didn't partake in all of the difficult and harrowing climbs, nor did I (or do I) have the expertise to go out there and do this on my own. But I did learn how to tie myself in and how to belay, gained some massive forearm muscles, carried gear like a champ,

Actually slipped and fell in front of everyone at some point.

and generally really enjoyed the company, climbing, and landscape. Maybe I'll stab my hands with steak knives every few days to toughen them up before next time.

Cheers!