Derrick and I knew we wanted to get a taste of outdoor rock climbing while we were out west and there was no better place to get our feet wet then Yosemite! Derrick and I own the basic gear (shoes, harness, belay device) but don't own ropes and do not know much about anchoring and safely setting up an outdoor climbing experience so we were quite happy to default to the experts on this one. After a quick Bing search (gotta rep that Microsoft :) we found there were 2 companies in Yosemite that do group rock climbing. We ended up choosing SMYG because they were super quick to respond, very nice on the phone, and weren't going to make us jump through some crazy hoops for a day out.
It was also very reasonably priced for what we were getting. We're talking a full day with a private guide just for us. We are SO glad we did this. It was such a great experience and we can't wait to go climbing again!
Enough blabbing...check out some pics!
We learned to lead-belay while we were there. It's harder than it looks!
The first set of 4 we did was super slabby. This just means it leans in a bit. It was so different having to find your own hand and foot placements instead of having a very clear, colored path like in the gym.
These first 4 were incredibly trying on our ankles. Because there aren't big foot holds all the way up, you are essentially gripping the rock through your shoes so your ankles stay tense the entire time. It was a new sensation and really affected us more than I expected.
The view from the top was awesome, and I'm not just talking about that hottie at the top of the wall!
After a quick lunch break at which Derrick and I realized we significantly over-packed food-wise, we headed up to a higher rockface for a couple more climbs and the topic of this blog title. Doesn't' it look just like an elephant? We climbed up her trunk and all the way up over her forehead. It's about a 75 foot climb but it's also on the top of a mountain so when you get up there you feel SO high and the wind is pretty crazy. We LOVED this one!
There is our awesome guide Colby who kept us safe all day!
Colby obliged us with a quick selfie. Best guide ever! We felt very safe while we were with him and he even humored us by laughing at our jokes and complimenting our inexperienced climbing :)
We ended the climb by simulating a multi-pitch climb which was pretty cool. A pitch is just a rope-length so in a multi-pitch climb you climb as far as your rope will allow, anchor yourself in place, and then continue your climb from where you are anchored. It was pretty neat and Colby taught us some tips and tricks for safely anchoring and belaying from the top of a wall. We also got to repel down which was pretty cool and something Derrick and I hadn't done before.
Seriously, this was an awesome experience and we are so glad we decided to go for it. If you are looking for a company to take you on a rock climbing adventure I would definitely recommend SMYG. It was exactly what we were hoping for and so much more!
You two are sooooo adventurous! By the way, open casting calls for Amazing Race in Winston this weekend :)
ReplyDelete