So I'm going out with everyone from work to Peel Crag in a couple of weeks. I've not climbed in a while and I'm more of a boulderer than anything else. Also I'm slightly afraid of heights and I imagine I will spend most of the time taking photographs and scampering off to explore the area. Needless to say I'm nervous! But I do want to give it a go. Any tips on how to keep my cool?
This from a walker who does a bit of climbing and is also a bit scared of rock and heights...
... though actually I'm a heck of a lot happier on the end of a rope (at least a top rope!) than I am scrambling, and I hate bouldering because you fall off and aren't caught by a rope. So climbing's much safer, at least if you're on a top rope so any fall is only small. Rationalise it that way?
Let the people organising it know that you're a bit scared of heights?
Alternatively, develop a sudden passion for Roman military history and appreciate the awesomeness of Hadrian's Wall at the Peel Gap and take a flying column on a walk along the wall to Housesteads Fort; the wall between Peel Gap and Housesteads is one of the most spectacular parts of it, and Housesteads is a fun fort (there's a Roman military bog there).
Second alternative - develop a sudden passion for period video games and visit the Twice Brewed Inn where they have an original 2 player Space Invaders pub table top machine.
Well I'll definitely be top roping, the lads will hopefully be nice to me! Although I expect there will be some banter! They are all quite experienced and I'd like to have a go first to get it done and then spend the time doing my photography! which I am more at ease with!
As for bouldering, I love that you aren't on ropes! It's weird because I still freak out and get stuck sometimes and refuse to move when I feel I've gone past my limit! But for some reason I like that i can jump or fall off and have another go straight away. I think its quite a new experience for me to dangle off a rock higher than 15ft and put my trust in others!
I was at Hadrian's Wall last weekend on Sunday evening, decided to go for a walk at 8pm when it was pretty rainy! We just went for a quick couple of mile explore before it got dark! Was fun to just have a look at some of the ruins one of them was Brocolitia then went down to one of the auxillary forts. Was even fun in the wind and rain! I wouldnt call it a sudden passion though!
I think its quite a new experience for me to dangle off a rock higher than 15ft and put my trust in others
D'you think that might be part of your nervousness? I'm always a bit more nervous climbing with a new belayer because you don't know how responsive or attentive they'll be, or how controlled the lower-off'll be.
Well I do trust these guys as they have all been climbing for years. But I'm new to the area and used to bouldering in Yorkshire with my friends down there. So it will be my first outing with work here. As always, it takes me ages to pluck up the courage to do something and then when I eventually do it once I just want to do it again and again and I get the taste for it! Either that or I'll have a freak out half way and not move for like 45mins!
