Climbing: Fitness, Fun and Friendships

      It has been pretty crazy around here lately!  I think I mentioned in an earlier blog post that I will be starting Physician Assistant (PA) School in the fall.  I am finishing up my last semester of prerequisite classes of Organic Chemistry II and Biochemistry and it has kept me very busy (and very stressed).  Also, most of my blog posts are written on trail runs and the weather has been less than ideal for running on trails in Ohio lately!
      Recently while training, I have realized the importance of others in the sport of climbing.  I started training with Power Company Climbing again in the middle of January.  Ben took a bad fall at Littlw Rock City in the beginning of January, bruising his heel and as the doctor put it, "really angered his planter fascia."  He was put in a boot for 3 weeks and was unable to climb.  On top of that, he has been dealing with a wrist injury since the beginning of December that he hurt while at a high rise fire training in Florida.  Not having my usual climbing/training partner has made it tough to stay motivated to climb/train.  I love climbing and have a lot of fun with it, but most of that is the fact that this is a passion and love that Ben and I share together.  It is great to watch each other progress, or be there for each other when we are having a tough day or a frustrating session.
      Since I was little, I have always enjoyed the social aspect of climbing.  I was a little 12 year old, out at the crags at the Red, making conversation with whoever else happened to be there that day.  We have met many people over the years and it is wonderful to have such a friendly community in the sport of climbing.

Group from the Wright State Comp

      Yesterday, I competed in a competition at Wright State University.  The climbing was fun, the setting was great, but the part I enjoyed most was spending time with all of our friends who happened to be there as well.  It is fun to encourage others, share beta, and learn more about each other.  There were some very strong climbers there, men and women, and it was great to see how the sport has progressed.  I made new friends, hung out with old friends, and simply enjoyed doing what I love with a great group of people.

Girls weekend at the Red

      Especially with training it's easy to get caught up in the numbers game. But the memorable part of climbing is not climbing a number. For me it's about time spent outdoors, the gift of each rock climb and the great company we keep. I truly enjoy the challenge that climbing brings to my life, and overcoming challenge every time I send. But the true gift of climbing is all of the friendships I have gained the last 18 years and the friends I will meet in the future.

Hanging out at the Gallery

     

Home Away From Home

       The weather has turned colder and the leaves are changing colors.  As Ben and I pull off the Slade exit for Red River Gorge, we have arrived home.  The beautiful rolling hills and bright orange trees make this one of the most beautiful places to be in the fall.  People come from all over the world to visit the amazing rock climbing and hiking that the Red has to offer, and we live only 2.5 hours away.
       I use the word home to describe the Red because that is exactly what it is, a home away from home.  I have been going to the Red for 18 years now and each time I pull off the exit, I am excited to be back to such a familiar place.  Fairly new to climbing, my dad and I started going down to the Red when I was about 11.  The Red has always been more than just a place to climb for me.  When I was young, it was my outlet, a place to get away from the regular life I lived.  I could forget about the meanness of junior high and be in this place that was beautiful, doing something I loved and spending time with my dad.  We would leave early in the morning to make the drive down, climb some of our favorite pitches, head to Miguel's for a delicious pizza or pizza sandwich, and camp in one of the front spots.  Miguel's was not as crowded back then and there was maybe 15-20 tents compared to over a hundred now.  It was a special thing for a father and daughter to do together and some wonderful memories that will never be forgotten.

Dad and I climbing in the PMRP

       As I became a little older, I was competing in the JCCA and, like most competition kids, did not climb as much outside.  During this time I still went to camps at the Red with my team, however, and continued to make memories.  My climbing friends became my best friends, whether they knew it or not, and helped me through some very difficult times that typical early teenage girls go through.  One of them became an inspiration to me, somewhat of a mentor, as I looked up to her amazing talent in rock climbing and in life.  Our parents even threw us a surprise double birthday party at a cabin in Cliffview for my 15th and her 16th birthday.  Lots of friends piled in this cabin to celebrate our birthdays and some of the people who attended I still see down at the Red today.
       My spring breaks in high school were not spent in Cancun or Destin, but with a small group of girls and my dad in a cabin at the Red.  We would climb some, eat lots and stay up late into the night laughing and talking.  Sometimes we would camp and go on night hikes under the stars.  It was wonderful to be able to share this special place with my friends and give them a glimpse into what my life as a climber had been and still was.

Spring break at the Red with my high school girls

      When Ben and and I met many years later, I hadn't been climbing much.  One of our first trips together was with our mutual friend Grady and we could barely climb 5.10, but we had a lot of fun.  From that point on, Ben and I were making trips down to the Red every week, getting to know each other, climbing and making new memories together.  Soon after, my dad started having his birthday at the Red where our whole family would travel down to hike, climb, and enjoy each other's company.  
       The community at the Red always has been and will remain one of my favorite things about this place.  Ben and I were recently at the Motherlode and stayed 3 hours past when we finished climbing because we kept running into more friends along the way.  We have met people from all over the world and made many lasting friendships.  People invite us into their homes, offer us food, and we always see familiar faces at the Rockhouse or Miguels where we stop for dinner after a long day of climbing.
       There are so many reasons why Ben and I call the Red home, but getting to know each other better and falling in love there is definitely at the top.  My 11-year old self in rainbow-striped leggings and pigtails has grown to make more memories at the Red throughout the past 18 years than she could have imagined.  What once started out as a special place between my father and I (and still is), and then between Ben and I, will hopefully be a place that we can take our future family and let our kids make their own special memories as they grow and find their "home" at the Red.