Climb on!

This past St. Paddy's Day, I wasn't doing a jig at a local Irish pub...been there, done that :-) Instead, I headed out to REI with my friend, Kate who I met while ski instructing at the Summit at Snoqualmie this past winter. Kate also manages a local kayak company, Alki Kayak Tours, which I'll write about in another blog - as soon as I get out there for a paddle.

That night at REI, we spent a few hours with climbing instructors on rock climbing techniques. It has been over 6 months since I climbed...that was up at Squamish, British Columbia. Through Tantalus Adventures, we were set up with Squamish Rock Guides and Jeremy was our guide for the day. I was there with friends who had never climbed before that day. But, by the end of that day, they were excited about the routes they finished and how they were able to overcome their fears. Click here for my blog about that trip - I'm too lazy to transfer it all over to blogger. But, if you climb, a visit to Squamish is a must!! Even if you want to try it out, let me know! It's a great place to learn (much more scenic than a smelly gym).

OK, back to St. Paddy's at REI. I was with people who had little to no climbing experience so it was great to watch their progression and their confidence build as we tried out different techniques and routes. For me, it was great to get back on the wall and use different muscles. The instruction was so helpful and I am really excited to head out to some local gyms and practice some of the new moves I learned. I even got to do some overhangs and learned how to properly execute some non-vertical moves - that was so scary but after my first time through, I wanted to do more! I'm even more excited because I have a a pool of local belay partners who are eager to do more climbing - after one of our earlier sessions, Kate went out and bought her harness and shoes. We'll head out and check some local gyms like Stone Gardens in Ballard, and Vertical World, a chain with multiple locations in the area.

Eventually, we'd like to head outside. I'm already planting some seeds with my new group for a trip up to Squamish for another climbing adventure. Other areas that would be worth exploring include an area right outside of North Bend, off of Exit 38 (on I-90), just 20 minutes down the road from me. And, I would love to head down to central Oregon to check out Smith Rock which is on the way down to Bend. OK, I'm ready for some outdoor activities that's not snow-related. Now, if the rain would just stop :-)