There’s something inately pleasing about reaching for another grip while dangling 20 feet off the ground percariously perched on maybe a few inches of foot holds.  Those few seconds of barely hanging on, followed by a satisfying and reassuring hand placement and attaining another foot in an ascent - albeit an easy 5.5 grade climbing wall.  No, it doesn’t get much easier than that, as far as climbing goes, but getting to the top is a great feeling regardless.

Over the weekend, I took my first steps into the world of rock climbing.  It has always been something that thought I was somewhat interested in, but for one reason or other I never got around to doing.  After only a couple of hours of working the walls, however, it became incredibly apparent that I was far more interested in it than I ever really knew.  Afterwards, I couldn’t help but conetmplate why I had never gotten into rock climbing before and why it wasn’t until the end of my 30th year that I decided to give it a shot.

On Saturday, Sonya and I showed up at the Guelph Grotto to take their appropriately named “Show me the Ropes” course - a two hour training session with a high school aged climbing instructor.  The instructor showed us how to tie the necessary knots and gave us a quick lesson on how to belay (controlling the climber’s rope) then it was off to some of the easier routes on a couple of the walls.

In short, we had a great time.  Rock climbing is loads of fun.  Beyond that, it is a serious total body workout.  After only a few times up the walls, my forearms and hands were toast and the next day I was sore from top to bottom.  I had no idea that my legs wou