#64 - Rock Climb (Outdoors).

The only climbing I'd done before this year is on NEIU's indoor wall.  I probably only did it twice.  I worked there 6 years.  I went up on the indoor high-ropes course maybe 3-4 times.

Each time, I'd suit up and then casually start the climb up to 35 feet.

From the moment both my feet left the ground and every foot after that, I'd freak out.  I'd swear, sweat, curse myself for thinking I'd enjoy it.  I'd come down legs a little shaky, frustrated that I was being such a punk.

So why not try it outdoors?

Lucky for me, the caving trip included about an hour near the end of climbing up cliff faces out of the sink hole that housed the caves.  And this was an hour after 4-5 hours of caving and an hour or so before that of "training," hiking, zip lining, and repelling.  We were already exhausted.  And then had to climb out.  There was no other option.

It was a bit simpler as there were o-rings in the cliffs at the steepest parts, so this wasn't an experience where I had to find hand and foot holds in the rockers.

But dang.  It was crazy steep.  When I'd look down the 100+ feet below, my heart raced.  We were scaling cliffs.

We were clipped in but about half the time, I felt like I was otherwise completely alone.  I could only see others sometimes and hear them a little more often.

I finished exhausted, bleeding, and so thankful for the experience.