Prevailing utilize footholds and handholds to successfully scale

Prevailing utilize footholds and handholds to successfully scale

Prevailing Over The RockAbout year ago, I overcame an arduous rock climb appropriately nick-named the subway. I had flown up to the coast of Maine to be included in an Outward Bound expedition. After a tedious week of navigating a thirty-foot pull-boat, we arrived at Hurricane Island, which is the center of operations for the U.

S. sailing expeditions of Outward Bound. It was around midday when I stood at the base of the rock face with the ten members of my team and two professional climbers. At the time, the only rock climbing experience I had was derived from a few unadorned climbs on an artificial wall.

Those limited experiences taught me that rock climbing can be very physically demanding, strenuous, and sometimes, dangerous. It takes a lot of physical strength, as well as keen senses to locate and utilize footholds and handholds to successfully scale a mountainside. During a basic debriefing, one of the professional climbers informed us that the difficulty level of this climb was a 5.3. Sensing that few of us comprehended the ratings significance, they explained that this meant that the climb would be a difficult one.

Despite the warning, our group, which consisted of five males, three females, two instructors, and myself were anxious to commence our ascent. Few of us understood, however, of the turbulent challenges that lay ahead.At that point, each of us were issued a harness and a helmet and were told the proper procedures which we would have to follow. We were to scale the mountain one at a time, while two other members of our team were to remain at the base of the wall to maintain the rope. During this lecture, I asked one of the experienced climbers the significance of the name the subway.

They told me that in order to overcome a certain overhang in the rock, it was necessary to grab a small fixation in the rock and pull oneself over it. They then continued to say that this process somewhat resembled that of reaching up and grabbing hold of the straps in a subway car, and thus, the climb had been deemed the subway. Though I could somewhat able to visualize what the climber talked of, I did not comprehended the difficulty that was involved. Nonetheless, I was soon to find out. When it came to my turn to climb, my preset determination drowned what little apprehension I possessed. I shot up the majority of the rock without much difficulty. Before I knew it, I had already scaled around three-fourths of the rock.

However, my hastened progress was cut short when I came to a formidable overhang that protruded approximately four feet from the rock. I paused my climb in order to assess my situation and try to decipher my next course of action. I thought to myself If I cant see any further above me, maybe I can retrace my steps and find another way to the top. I was then reminded why it is advised to never look down. Because I had been so busy scaling the wall, I did not realize just how far up I was. Apprehension began to overcome me as I reminded myself that the only thing keeping myself from the ground 150 feet below was a rope about a half-inch in diameter.

Though I was somewhat shaken from the intimidating view, I knew that I had to move on! Not seeing an alternative root passed the ledge, I returned my gaze upwards and confronted the seemingly impassible ledge. While studying the obstacle ahead of me, I realized that I had arrived at the daunting overhang that gave the climb its name. Furthermore, I could see no way around it! In order to proceed, I would have to blindly grope around the ledge for an unseen hold. It seemed an impossible feat that I was not sure if I would be able to overcome, but I was determined to not let my will be diminished so easily. I summed up my courage and leaped upward, reaching around the lip of the rock, scrambling to find a handhold, but was reluctant to find it and began to rush towards the ground below. Though I did not feel the hold, I did feel the straps of my harness uncomfortably dig themselves into my pelvis as my freefall was cut short.

I hung suspended in the air for a short period of time, collecting my senses. Knowing that I had to continue, I pulled myself towards the rock once more. I had thought that I would have completed the climb without much effort because, up to this point, the climb had not been that difficult. Never the less, though I had been shaken from the failed attempt, I still had the desire to press on. So I did, but resulting with the same effect. I repeated my actions over and over again, but just could not find the handhold I had been told was there.

Then, on my sixth lung, I found the reclusive handhold! It was a small protrusion in the rock that was roughly half the size of my hand. Though it wasnt much, I derived a boost of encouragement from my discovery. Yet, I did not succeed in hauling myself over the ledge. So, I tried once more.

Leaping around the rock, I secured my fingers onto the desired location. I was trying to heave my body over the top, but once again, I failed to do so. I repeated this act countless times afterward, but to no avail. My determination, as well as my physical vigor, was being depleted with every attempt.After my seemingly hundredth attempt, I was contemplating weather or not to signal to my team members below to lower me down. Although I am not typically someone who abandons my objectives, I was exhausted. However, though the mere thought of being able to rest on the ground seamed to bring me to a blissful oasis, I convinced myself to give everything I had left on one more try.

So, once again, I reluctantly grasped the rock, secured my footing, and jumped skyward grabbing the hold. By now, every muscle in my body ached and seemed prepared to give way. I told myself, This is it. I dont have to save any more energy.

Give this all you have, then you can quit. With that, I clasped my eyes shut, and pulled with all I had. Unbelievably, since all my concentration had been directed towards forcing my arms to pull, I did not even notice that I was now above the lip of the overhang! Accompanied with encouraging cheers from my companions below, I swung my legs over the exigent rock, and climbed the remaining five or six feet of the climb.

Now residing on the top of the mountain, I stood unmoving in thoughtless stupor for an unknown amount of time. All my senses had left me as I stood there, traveling through the nether regions of my consciousness. I was not even thinking of what had just happened. I merely stared off into the now visible horizon. When I regained my thoughts, I only half-realized what I had been doing and tried to make sense of it. Yet even as the thoughts passed through my head, my body gave way. I collapsed onto the peek of the mountain and remained there, unmoving, for at least ten minutes.

Though every fragment of my body ached, I never felt better. And in those moments of mental bliss, I recalled every detail of the struggle with which I had just overcome. It was not pride that gave me such an overbearing feeling of contentment. Instead, I contributed the sensation to the confirmation created within myself of my own self worth.

And, because of that confirmation, every time that I have encountered a strenuous obstecal that seems hopeless, I just remember staring into the horizon on that fateful day, and know that I can overcome anything that comes my way.