Well I gave the rock climbing a shot but I was a complete wuss. The fear as I got higher just got hold of me and I kept thinking "if I go higher I'll freeze so I should just come down now"! I'm really glad I gave it a go. I might even have a go on an indoor climbing wall. When I can trust the ropes a bit more I might feel better.
Photos of the group here.
And I got my new phone which means I'll be moblogging all over the shop. Well not really but I'll be testing the principle over the week over at Wednesday Night Runners with the intention of moblogging our Wicklow Round attempt over at Team Geared Up starting this coming Friday night/ Saturday morning.
14 comments:
Well done on conquering your fears! I would love to do rock climbing sometime but I've only ever gone the other way, rap jumping and abseiling...that's pretty cool. Only, not sure I like the look of my arse in a harness!
Well done on at least attempting to do it! I force myself up Glendalough now and again (I went first with Finn) and I hate being so high up, so I thoroughly understand.
Hi spoon. yes the girls were all going mad about all the arse photos I was taking! Hard to see much else when you're standing below. Of course blokes look quite good in them harness thingys ;-) Abseiling is just for god damn crazy folk! I couldn't even look over the edge never mind lower myself down it!! Fair play to you.
Thanks FMC. Felt like a right twat cos there was tears shed and everything!! (Involuntary ones through fear I might add, I wasn't wailing like a baby I swear!)
Of course it always helps to have handsome instructors in these situations I find!
I guess a quite dash up the North Face of the Eiger after finishing the Jungfrau Marathon is out then.
Can you say "sewing machine legs"? If fear of rock/Mt. climbing qualifies a person to be an official member of the wuss society then sign me up!
Saying things like, yeah you will get banged up a little if you fall but the rope is stretchy and it really won't hurt that bad, just doesn't do it for me.
I've done some free climbing and looked over my shoulder only to see the 1000 or so feet I could free fall before I landed with a solid thud. I think I got my climbing desires taken care of on that trip. I'm talking many many years ago.
I'll just stick to running and hiking thank you.
Mick I'll pass on the Eiger this time thanks.....aftre a little run I did around Mont Blanc last year I couldn't even bring myself to get in a cable car up some hills in Chamonix!
Eric, free climbing is just unreal. I can't imagine how that must feel! I'm loving running up and down mountains at the moment so I'll stick to that.
So you've done the Mont Blanc already. I'm saving that for next year. Can't fail to beat my brother's time. He took several days to walk it. Now there's a wuss.
Hi Mick, yes I did the UTMB last year. The toughest thing I've ever done my whole life, delighted to finish as finishing rate is as low as 30 per cent. Here's my account, watch out it's very long!
http://aislingsblogpage.blogspot.com/2006/11/ultra-trail-tour-du-mont-blanc-august.html
If you're planning it next year it's important to enter as soon as registration opens cos it fills really quickly. My husband is going back again this year with a couple of friends. (Took us 43 hours last year).
Fantastic account of the Mont Blanc. Suspect you're right about the entry timing. I'll have to check. It's staggering to think that the winners do it in twenty odd hours! I imagine that it's a very different event to the Jungfrau. I'm concerned about my time on the Jungfrau but I'd just be concerned about finishing the Mont Blanc. Why do they start these things in the evening? I did a few 24hr bike rides and they started at 7:30pm. By the end you've been awake 36hrs. I actually fell asleep while riding a bike. Your comments about the poles are interesting. I read one account where the author complained about the continuous clack-clack of poles. I use a pole on the KIMM (and other MMs)after I was nearly washed away during the 1998 'Howling Howgills' KIMM. It's like having a handrail. Best wishes to Tony on his next attempt.
Yeah Mick the UTMB has surprisingly little to do with your legs (though you obviously need to be very fit!) It's much more of a head game, despair being the primary emotion as every hill gets tougher and longer than the last. Almost everyone had poles, I would say 90 per cent. They are essential, I think. I used them the entire way and I never used them before or since. What's the KIMM? (I will google it!)
The evening starts are a good way of getting one night out of the way while you're still fresh I suppose!
The KIMM originally stood for Karrimor International Mountain Marathon but last year it was renamed as the OMM (Original Mountain Marathon). See www.theomm.com . This sort of mountain marathon is a two day self sufficient mountain orienteering event (see also the LAMM and SLMM), usually for teams of two. The elite class is two full marathon length courses with lots of ascent. A doddle for someone with your experience.
Thanks Mick, we have a mountain marathon like that here in Ireland:
http://www.mourne2day.com/
Badly timed this year; a week after Jungfrau!
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