Spring Break at Jackson Falls: Part 1 Climbing
So during Spring Break, I had the great privilege of joining
15 fantastic people on a week long trip to Jackson Falls in southern Illinois.
Because so many amazing things happened during that week, I’m just going to
share with you the climbing part of the trip. You’ll have to wait until next
week to read more.
Before this trip, my rock climbing experience was limited to
a few times climbing the easy routes on the Rock Wall at the Rec Center. I
really had no idea what I was getting myself into. On the first day of
climbing, we hiked down the canyon system of Jackson Falls and headed for some
“easy” climbing routes. I was one of the first people to Top-rope one of the
routes. The first thing I noticed was that real rock is cold when it’s cold
outside; makes sense. The Second thing I noticed was how different it was
compared to the Rock Wall at the Rec Center. Outside on real rock there’s no
colored routes. There are no defined handgrips to hold on to. You have to
make your own routes and test areas on the rock to make your own grips. I had
a difficult time finding holds because I wasn’t used to looking for them. I
also noticed that your style of climbing changes. You can’t use your upper body
all the time. You’ll get tired out really fast and you’ll just make it tougher
on yourself (note to self, leg muscles are stronger than arm muscles).
After going through the growing pains and relearning how to
climb, things got really fun. I felt like I was a part of the rock. No longer
was it just me trying to climbing a big piece of rock, but rather, it was me
figuring out a puzzle using my mind and my body. After getting better at it, I
decided to try Lead-Climbing for the first time. For those who don’t know,
Lead-Climbing is when you climb the wall and while ascending, you attach
quickdraws to knobs on the wall to catch you if you fall. Lead-Climbing is both
really exciting and terrifying. Because you are making your own anchors, the
falling distance is greater. The scariest part is when you are about to make
the next clip. You are already far away from the last one, and the belayer has
released more rope for you, so if you decided to fall then, you’ll be falling
for a while. It definitely made me a lot more conscious of my moves and more
focused. Though it’s scary at times, I would recommend everyone to try it out .
Just make sure you have some skilled climbers watching you and helping you
along the way.
Rock climbing is an amazing sport that combines both your
mental and physical being. You
can’t just do pull-ups all the way up to the top. You have to constantly think
about your footing to make your legs do most of the work. You also have to plan
and think about your moves so that you use the least amount of energy. Another
mental aspect of it is that sometimes the wall can test your will power. You
will find times where the route looks impossible and you think you can’t do it.
Those are my favorite moments. That’s when I get to know what I’m made of.
For more information on the Outdoor Pursuits department at the Rec Center or more information on the different trips offered, visit:
- Just a thought from Dev. Hill
