First Climb Experience with the Real Rock Shoes

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Written by Haifa Carina S. Baluyos

Tuesday, 16 February 2010 22:57

This night, watching Ken and his company one by one top-out this one particular route until it was only me in the group who haven't completed the route made me felt so freakin' weak! Arrrrgghh. I've been working out that route since Carl gave it to me during my last wall visit (Saturday|13th Feb).

My stack of disappointments was too great to be ignored. When I took a break, Carl offered me his climbing shoes saying it might fit me. And it did. However, my big toes hurt. He said it was normal and adviced me to climb with it. So there I was again, about to repeat the same failing moves of the era. I was staring at the last stone of the route and told myself, "Forget the pumped forearm. Forget the heights. TOP OUT NA DAPAT NI!"

The pain was there but the presence of the stone beneath was felt more strongly. The way the rock shoes hold each rock was just too different compared to my Skechers (the shoes I use for climbing). The first round with the shoes, I finally was able to hold the last stone.. but with JUST ONE HAND!! argggghhh! I had my break again. In a competition, Rick2x said, topping out a route requires two hands. And he told me what my lapse was... I forgot to step my foot to support my body after gripping the last stone instead of hanging there relying on my arms to carry all the weight. I noted the words of Rick2x well. So after the second try with the rock shoes, TOP-OUT FINALLY!!! For a moment, all I felt was the relief and the joy of having completed the route that made me suffer for two sessions!

Great thanks to Carlo for lending me his shoes for this week! Super thanks to Rick2x for the useful critic and the cheers! And to all who were there to cheer (Ken, Leanne, Ian and Co.), critic (Juniel, Allan and Isok) and spot (Keno and Earl) during all my attempts! Thank you so much!!

Here's the first rock shoes I've climbed with owned by the climbing genius Carlo Chiong.

With this post being my first on climbing, I'd like to share some few things I could remember:

1. I started wall climbing January 7, 2010 with Kim at Marco Hotel, Alwana Business Park, Cugman, Cagayan de Oro. We were oriented with basic wall climbing by Isok and Allan.

2. First climbing friends were Isok, Allan, Rick2x, Juniel, Noynoy, Keno, Carlo, Jared and Jerome.

3. (Sunday|31st Jan) First naturals climb experience (which I could technically not call it that way because I didn't climb. All I did was watch and cheer and talk) was at the FS Catanico Falls.

4. Making friends with Mic2x and Cacart, whom we met during the FS Catanico Climb Adventure, triggered to another outdoor experience, Horse Backriding.

5. Marco Hotel's Rock Wall has 6 wall levels. Wall 5 was conquered last 11th February 2010. One wall to go!

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