Assess
your endurance with wall climbing
I must admit
that the adrenaline rush is quite an addictive thing. Week in and out of
various adventure activities outside the valley, it was time to look for a
sport within the city limits which would not only guarantee excitement but also
fuel some adrenaline. And since I had never tried wall climbing, I decided to
give it a shot this time and see what the sport has in store for me. Few
minutes of search on the internet, Pasang Limbu Foundation (PLF), located
opposite Shankha Park, seemed as an ideal venue as they were the first to
introduce the wall climbing in the country. And what better way to introduce
yourself to a sport than with the pioneers?
So, the
following weekend, I reached PLF hoping to get some action. One look at the two
massive artificial walls with numerous hand and foot holds that gave it a
natural rock formation and I could already tell that this was going to be a
fun-filled experience and perhaps a little tiring too. There are two types of
climbing walls; first one is a 10 meter tall vertical wall and the other one is
a vertical wall with slight overhang standing at 11 meters.
After being
told that the 10-meter vertical wall is the easier from the two, I decided to
attempt my climb on the easier one first. Putting on the safety gears and
climbing shoes (provided at the venue) I was up and ready for my first wall
climbing experience. Followed by a safety check of the harness and the belay service
by the instructor, I was good to go.
The first
few steps were unbelievably easy, but midway through; the difficulty took on a
whole new level.
The sheer physical
strength that the sport demanded was something I was totally unprepared for.
But I managed to reach the top nevertheless.
Taking a
good half-an-hour rest, it was time to see if I had it in me to reach the top
of the second wall – a tougher and more strenuous climb than the first one. The
first few steps were a piece of cake but then higher I climbed, the harder it
got. My already exhausted arms, which were not used to such continuous
strenuous activity, wanted to give up.
Dead tried
but only few meters shy from the top, reaching there for the sweet taste of
victory was no longer a choice. At this point, it was merely with sheer
determination that I managed to crawl up. It was undoubtedly the hardest climb
I had ever undertaken, followed up by the overwhelming sense of achievement.
Abseiling from the top, my arms were lifeless but the sense of accomplishment
was amazing and that is a reason enough for me to go wall climbing again in the
future. All in all, wall climbing is all about staying clam, composed and
concentrated on the task at hand while it also reveals your endurance level
against the obstacles to achieve the goal.
Pasang Lambu
Foundation
Established in
2002, Pasang Lambu Foundation introduced wall climbing in the country with its
international standard climbing wall. It aims to promote wall climbing in Nepal
and to train aspiring Nepali mountaineers in advanced techniques. It is working
to materialize Pasang Lambu’s dream to empower Nepali women and highlight their
role in mountaineering.
Source: Tsering
Ngodup Lama, The Himalayan Times, Travel & Lifestyle, 13-June-2013
