Saturday, February 26, 2011

1st outdoor rock climbing at Morialta park 5th June 2010

IMG_7407 IMG_7413
My 1st outdoor rock climbing experience!!! All I can say is it’s fun, challenging, cool, and DEFINITELY MUCH COOLER than indoor rock climbing, haha. Why?? You are climbing in a natural setting, real rocks, real wall, you can feel the rock surface and the feeling more superb and more surreal!!!! 
You definitely have to have some indoor rock climbing experiences at least how to belay and wear a harness, a bit of the skills to climb. Having said that the gear used outdoor is slightly different to indoor.

This was my first time to this part of Morialta which is specially dedicated to rock climbing, lots of climbers come here to climb during weekends, the climbs here are mostly short, mostly top-rope setting, i think there might be a few thread climbs?? Not too sure, haha.

All in all, it was obvious to me indoor climbing training is REALLY NECESSARY to climb harder routes because you need to constantly stay fit, train your stamina, hone your skills, trained your fingers, palms,shoulders, legs, etc. For someone like me, that have only went to indoor twice, i find it not too bad for the easier ones, but the harder ones beyong rate 12-13 is a NO NO, haha.

IMG_7415 IMG_7417
Top rope setting site

IMG_7418 IMG_7421
One of the hard short one to climb (right pic)




IMG_7432 IMG_7435
People from AUSA and AUMC setting up top ropes. One thing to take note of, it’s wise to stay off the path when people are setting up top rope, rocks as big as palm size can fall down any time, haha.

IMG_7437 IMG_7444
Jono, among the first to climb, easy for him, haha. And then i tried it too, not too bad actually, got to the top after the harder part.

IMG_7447
Sundance and Emily, both are better than me, hehe.

 IMG_7456 IMG_7460
Emily and Stefan on the left pic. I tried the harder one which is just next to the easier one, but couldn’t make it to the last bit at the very end, it’s just so hard, haha, luckily most people could not make it, hehe. It’s surprising that a wall in front of you can be rated differently depending on the route you take, some part can be easy some part can be surprisingly hard!!!

 IMG_7466 IMG_7470
Jono tackled one of the hard one and he made it!!! On the right pic, is one of the hardest short climb!!! Called the brain because of its shape of the multiple roof pointing out parts that one have to hang over first to climb further!!!

 IMG_7475 IMG_7477
And to my amaze, probably not so shocking, that the lady made it to the top, of course she’s being climbing regularly within and outside of country, there’s defintely SKILL, STRATEGY, BALACING and STRENGTH involved in this one, haha. 

The right pic showcase a thread climb if i’m not mistaken, haha. A tall wall only for experienced climbers!!! It’s true that as the wall gets steeper, muscle and strength comes into play too. And good climbing gears including the SHOES!!! VERY IMPORTANT!!! The shoes is specially designed to hold your feet, toes against the steepest part, the difference is HUGE!!!! You increase the success rate to make it to the top with a good pair of climbing shoes rather than any other sport shoes which doesn’t allow you to grab hold of the smallest hole or rough surface and you rely less on your hands and arms to support your body weight.

IMG_7481
I didn’t climb alot, because i don’t have that much strength, haha. Tried 2 others, but bailed out, too hard, height and muscles definitely have the advantages!!!hahaha.

IMG_7483 IMG_7486
Leaving the area, the day started with bit of rain, bit of pouring, bit of drizzling, the rain come and goes with the wind. Luckily we stayed up bit longer and the weather cleared up giving us the chance to climb!!! Rock climbing can be much more appreciated when you view from the top and sideways!!! haha. And it’s amazing to see those climbers challenging themselves to the limit!!!! That’s the spirit that attracted so many to this sport !!!!


IMG_7487

No comments:

Post a Comment