This is Schoolhouse Rock at the Quarry in Riverside. Our new friend Youssef took us to this giant slab of granite to show us the ropes (literally) in climbing. This is a sport that Fred and I really enjoy, and are excited about the prospect of doing it more frequently.
We met Youssef at Threshold Indoor Rock Climbing Gym. He is really good at what he does. The lead climber has to scale the route, clipping in as he climbs. This means there is no rope above him and if he were to fall it would be for at least twice the distance of the clip below him.
I love my new climbing shoes. Thanks for my birthday present Sisters! (And Raya, you were totally right about going with the smaller size. They are already stretching out.)
I made it to the top! This climb may look super easy but it was challenging to us. There was a point where there was nothing to hold on to. I had to depend solely on the rubber of my shoes, stepping upwards, and standing on rock that was almost vertical. It was such a rush.
Then we decided to base jump from the top.
Just kidding! But there were two men doing this while we were climbing. I can't even imagine what THAT rush is like! Climbing alone is thrilling enough for me.
For me, going up is the easy part. It freaks me out to depend on my gear on the way down. I know this is something that I will slowly get used to, but even thinking about it now makes my heart sink a little.
Youssef, you are the MAN! Thank you so much for being our climbing Guru.
Next stop, El Capitan, right?
And you did it all carrying a camera. You crack me up. There is absolutely no way I'm asking you to include me on this babe. Hiking on flat land is my thing. Looks awesome.
ReplyDeleteBummer about the graffiti though. People can be so destructive in such a beautiful environment. Man!
The base jumping photo, until I read "just kidding" freaked me out. Please don't do that. I feel the same way as you do. YIKES. Great photojournaling babe.