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| Hanging on to the anchor after my first sport lead! (M. Bracken) |
Today was a monumental day - I completed my first lead belay and first lead climb, and did it outdoors.
I was only able to do so thanks to Matt Bracken, a climbing instructor I met at my local climbing gym, Go Vertical. He's a western PA native, currently employed by the Air Force, with a collection of tattoos and a wonderfully sarcastic disposition. He offered to give me a crash course in leading outside, an offer which I happily accepted.
We drove an hour west of Philly to Birdsboro, PA. It used to be a rock quarry, which translates to some relatively long walls, and a bit of loose rock, but generally great climbing. I was happy to see a couple of familiar faces from Go Vertical throughout the day. We started with Sultans of Swing (5.7) on the Orange Sunshine Wall, which Matt lead after giving me a crash course in lead belaying. He's a trusting soul.I went up on toprope after him, and he taught me how to clean the route on the way up. I did a few more topropes and a bit more route cleaning, at which point Matt decided I was ready to lead.
He picked an easy scramble, what I think was Sultans of Swing (5.6) with five bolts, which was perfect to learn on. I was able to focus on clipping properly without worrying about falling. He sent me to the top with slings, a bunch of extra carabiners, an ATC, and some words of encouragement. With a bit of coaching, I was able to climb up, clip in, rappel down, and clean the route as I went. Success!
My first lead climb, despite the easy grade, left me with an incredible feeling of self-reliance and accomplishment. I assume it'll grow as I try harder routes, and as I get more comfortable with the new-to-me discipline. Truth be told, I was nervous all day. Transferring from gym climbing to outdoors is difficult; no tape to tell you where to go, feeling around for holds, numb hands from cold rock, and rough edges. But I forgot to be nervous while leading, I was much more concerned with finding the next bolt and clipping in.
Even better was the feeling of actually being a climber, and being part of the community of climbers I was a part of today. We spent quite a bit of time trading belays with another couple, with whom we shared beer and the tiniest wings known to man at a dive bar after packing up. It really is a community, a group of people who care about each other, and their environment. No one starts out knowing how to climb, knowing everything - everyone has to be taught, and that overarching sense of neighborly cooperation proliferates. It is unique to the climbing community, and makes me even more proud to be a part of it.