Day 74 - Weighty Matters

too much enough?

The years first climbing adventure approaches!  Only one more day at work now...and I'm starting to get excited about the holiday.

We spent some time the other evening going through all of our climbing gear, trying to remember everything we might need.  Today's photo shows everything we thought of; shoes, spare shoes, harnesses, helmets, slings, quickdraws, slingdraws, chalk bags, rope (in a rope bag), belay gloves, finger tape, prussicks, screwgates, belay devices, HMS 'biners, and walkie talkies. 

Then of course there'll be a rucksack, guidebooks, climbing trews (complete with gusseted crotch, natch), baselayers, windproofs, fleeces, sunglasses, smartphones, headtorches, approach shoes, beanies, plasters, water bottles, and buffs.

Blimey, it's not like we're climbing Everest...yet still we need all that gear?!

There's also the small matter of carriage - someone has to carry all that from the car to the crag, which is usually quite a walk...

And always uphill.  And occasionally a full-on scramble.  And we only have one rucksack. And it's mine.  And it'll probably weigh 40-60lbs.

And I guess it's going to be me that has to carry it...

All that training, lugging Jazz up the stairs every night, should come in handy at last!

It's a good job we've been climbing so hard lately, too...hopefully this will mean we are in reasonable shape, although I am utterly exhausted at the moment.

I've actually been really sore since climbing on Sunday - whilst I usually avoid the more gymnastic climbing moves (due to age, inflexibility, and a more general lack of talent), I did a couple of pretty dynamic moves.

Both involved throwing myself from one set of holds, up high and to the right (all points off), before catching the next big hold with both hands.  Obviously I swing quite a lot, and it takes some effort to get the swing under control, and then lift my feet up and onto the wall.

Normally, your weight sits on your feet, and your core controls the movement of your upper body, mainly by keeping it upright.  

When you invert this, and put all the weight on your hands, then your lower body is hanging off your core, which is in no way equipped to deal with the weight in this way.   Essentially, your legs swing about and wrench your abdominals all over the place, before you can sort it out.  

At the time, this all seems strenuous, but fine...doesn't hurt a bit.

Give it 24 hours though, and the DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) will kick in...then you'll realise just how much punishment you gave those muscles.

Yesterday, I couldn't cough without wincing horribly at the pain this invoked in my core.   Today it's eased quite a bit, although I can still feel it.

Anyway, here's me, wittering on about climbing again.   Sorry 'bout that.  It's just what we're focussed on in the evenings, at the moment. 

You'd better get used to it, mind...we're off on a climbing holiday in a couple of days...did I mention that?

;-)

PS Think yourself lucky...I only just managed to dissuade myself from naming this post Gusseted Crotch.

You're welcome...