Rock climbing, both indoor and outdoor, has become a part of our weekly activities. My husband and I did an indoor climbing in passing a few years back, but it it was only after our summer trip  to Boulder, Colorado this year, that we started to take a more interest in it. 

A couple of weeks ago, we did our first outdoor climbing in the Gunks, in Ulster Country, New York.  We tried few routes-Eyesore, Ken's Crack, and Black Fly- recommended by a friend who frequents the climbing area. 

And last weekend we went back and joined a group of regular vertical 'Gunksters.'  It was fascinating to see the way they climbed the rocks, reaching them with flexibility and high energy.  

My husband did his first  lead, and it was a success!  I must say he has become a real climber.   I wish I could call that myself, but I still need to find my way around rocks and "study" them up close.   From my two visits to the Gunks, I find that rocks can be generous even for a person with a limited hand-and-feet reach; I feel encouraged.

:-)
November 2001