Bound to Fall
Camille & I took the Arizona Mountaineering Club’s Basic School. Here are some photos from our 2nd class climb on Sunday, 18 October 2015. Thanks to Mason for these wonderful memories.
Here is Camille, climbing on Superman. She went up first. I can be seen in the lower left belaying her. She climbs well. The guy in the orange shirt, above and to the right, is at the top of the next route that Camille and I climbed, after we both failed to get up Superman to the anchor.
Camille, belaying Greg, on “Superman”
Greg, climbing on Superman
A close-up. I am about 20-30’ up a climb they called ‘Superman,’ with another 10’ of crevice below the start of the climb. You can see the rock bulge out above my head. I eventually got up another 6’, but I couldn’t get around the bulge. I fell, as in, off the rock, fell, straight down, 8 times. I quit trying this one after my muscles were too fatigued to try again. Fortunately for me, C caught me with her belay line every single time, bless her heart. I actually didn’t fall far at all, since she was keeping the line fairly taught. Falling was very strange - it was not a choice, nor was there time to be scared. One minute you’re clinging to a rock, leaning back and sticking your butt out to get more weight on your feet so they grip better, and the next instant gravity has proven its own existence once more and you are dropping straight down, touching nothing. The first 3-4 times it was pretty embarrassing, since no one else had fallen, but after that, I figured, what the hell. And so,
"Bound To Fall"
Stephen Stills
Just as everything’s going fine
Lose my grip and slide
Bounce the rock and catch
The ball bound to fall
Fall stumble or toe the line
See my face and hide
Catch the tears I've cried
From reality it seems I've strayed
Tired of all the silly games I play
From reality it seems I've strayed
Tired of all the silly games I play
Just as everything’s going fine
See my life in rhyme
Hear my hand slip from the wall bound to fall
Fall, stumble and reaching blind
Oh, how hard I've tried
Possibly I've died.
14 Bound To Fall
Right after failing on this climb, we both climbed the route immediately to the right, straight up with no problems. That was pretty cool!
Class Photos:
After class, as we walked out to our cars, we were rewarded for our efforts.
We did have a blast!