Felix and I went rock climbing at Brooklyn Boulders. I was a bit nervous at first. I recalled climbing at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum many years ago and being too scared to get more than 6 feet off the ground (even while attached to a safety harness). I think my biggest fear was the cable not supporting my weight as I fall to the floor. Luckily, nothing like that happened.
We arrived around 9pm and the place was not crowded (which I liked). There were many walls to climb and different challenges to tackle. We rented shoes and a harness and waited for a tour of the place. The staff was very helpful and even the climbers gave us some pointers. The guide informed us that there were different levels present on each wall (V0, V1, …). He said we should start with the “V0’s” since they are the easiest. On our first climb Felix and I just grabbed whatever we could to get to the top. After about 2-3 climbs I thought of challenging myself and only touching the correct grips on the way up. This is where things got interesting.
We left the rope and went for a free climb. We stated with the V0 and managed to clear that climb pretty easily. The V1 was slightly more challenging, but the V2 seemed almost impossible. Additionally, after learning that the proper way to start a climb was to have each hand on the double taped rock and one leg on a foot mount each climb was even more difficult. Let me add that my fingers felt more sore than any other part of your body. I originally thought my upper back would be in pain from all the pulling, but my fingers took the most pressure since they keep your body close to the wall.
Our climbing started around 845pm, and I had to leave early, but I definitely want to return again. There is another wall in Long Island City. Maybe I will check that one out too.
