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courtesy of QuietDangst
I’ve read Liz post about first time learning crack climbing and other new skills and it made me think about the first time that I had to climb with ropes.
I think I was in high school almost 30 years ago and being a daughter of two extreme travelers I was used to crack climbing and hiking in the weirdest conditions since I was a little child. At that age I was usually begging them to let me stay home and watch TV instead of sweating at some trail or mountain but karma or life to be exact have turned me into a passionate climber and hiker as they ever were and still are.
I was able to balance myself at almost any spot and were always able to use the smallest cracks to balance myself in addition to strengthening my hands ability to support me.
Ropes I refused unless it was for a very short section of the path and I kept avoiding climbing that involved relying on ropes for longer periods of time.
The salvation came in the form of my English teacher in a school trip. There was a relatively large part of the way to climb with ropes. Which is actually easier than other form of climbing as you don’t really need to control the climb. Someone else puts the ropes and in many cases it takes less effort than other form of climbing.
She looked at me and told me that I just like to be in control and when I climb on my hands and feet it is just me and the mountain but adding elements of depending on others was the real problem.
After I thought about it a little I realize that she was right I want to be left alone in the face of challenge and depends on myself alone.
After it clicked I decided that depending on others to do part of the work is not such a bad idea and since then I have no problem with rope climbing even if I still try to control situations a little too much.
