Rock-climbing with Mini-Me

When the admin makes the Whatsapp group icon a photo of yourself, you can’t help but feel drawn to go rock-climbing instead of hiking.  Also, you need to complete that route you couldn’t finish last time you were at Lakeside Pinnacle.  The only thing is renting the gear which is quite cheap at Hangtime BUT all that driving puts me off.  Driving from Southern Suburbs, to northern suburbs back to southern suburbs then back to northern suburbs and back home to southern suburbs.  Sheesh!  I freaked out just typing all that O_O

Anyway, then Llewellyn said that if I arrange with John (owner of Hangtime in Pinelands), he can pick up the shoes on Saturday and he has a spare harness for me ^_^ Sorted!  Harvey then asked if anyone had a junior sized harness for his kiddos and Warren said he has an extra 1-size-fits-all.  I jumped at the opportunity that I could bring my daughter along.  Especially since we wear the same size and could share gear 😀

I get to ‘sleep in’ Sunday morning and I’m in good spirits.  Have lunch at home and off we go to Lakeside Pinnacle and get some traffic along the way.  That was a trying drive x_x Anyway, the short hike up to the Pinnacle as surprisingly tiring lol and Harvey and Ilana is there with their kids and quick introductions are made.  We watch the other climbers a bit as Llewellyn is waiting on Farzana.  If you bank with Nedbank, you will know what happened yesterday with the ATMs.  Needless to say, she was suffering from PTS and was not in the right frame of mind to be climbing.  Warren and Anesh and some other climbers were around the corner and watch them a bit before getting back to the rest.

Ruth kindly offer her spare gear but decline as Llewellyn is on his way.  Before climbing with Jonothan, she shows Ilana and Harvey something complicated with ropes and shiny hook things and slings.  I couldn’t exactly watch and learn because I don’t know what the hell they were doing lol

Llewellyn is struggling his way up to the Pinnacle as he’s feeling anaemic so I go down and help him with the gear.  He tells me that John from Hangtime gave his harness as well!  ^_^  Honestly!  These guys are so generous!

Anyway, Harvey is lead-climbing  Asterix http://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Lakeside_Pinnacle and his daughter Gemma goes first.  She’s 13 years old J  She’s a little nervous, this being her first climb and make it almost halfway but made her way down again.  Her confidence is not there yet.  Taahirah is next and she’s past the most difficult part and I take a gazillion photos of her ^_^  She reached the top and super proud of her!  I took a video of her abseiling down J

My daughter rock-climbing

This gave Gemma more confidence and she tries again and quite a few times she tells her father that she’s going down but almost in the same breath, she climbs a little higher!  She made it to the top as well! 😀  She abseils down and I decline to do this route as I’m waiting on Obelix to be set up.  This is the route I couldn’t complete last time as I over-exerted myself attempting Cacophonix.  I should be able to do Obelix as I completed Nebulous Pathway at the Quarry with the same grade.  http://www.climbing.co.za/wiki/Higgovale_Quarry

I’m hooked up and forgot how to tie the knot so Harvey had to show me how again.  I start climbing and initially didn’t feel strain in my shoulder until I was ‘hanging’ for a bit attempting to find a comfortable foot hold.  I felt the weakness in my left shoulder and nope, no way I will be able to do this route today.  It didn’t even occur to me that my shoulder would give me issues today.

About a month back, we were walking around in Gatesville when all of sudden, my shoulders went stiff.  You know how when you wake up to a stiff neck and can’t turn your head properly?  The next day I awoke to what felt like both the right and left sides of my neck was sore.  I couldn’t turn it either way.  After a few days of massages, hot bean bags and patches, the right side was ok.  The left side went on for a while longer.  Last week I had another massage and it felt fine.  I hiked, the itty bitty scrambles wasn’t an issue either.

Despondently, I attempt the Asterix which is an easier grade and one I’ve completed before but then I felt my shoulder give in and I was terribly annoyed.  I’m the ‘glass-is-half-full’ type of gal and accept everything happens for a reason.  There was a reason I didn’t go hike with the club as doing scrambles with a weak shoulder would have been disastrous.  Even better though, is that my daughter got to do a successful rock-climb thanks to these amazing guys!   It is not something I could have done without them.  I am in awe by their guidance and patience and sacrificing of their own climbs that us n00bs can attempt what they do so easily – most times.

Llewellyn was not having a good climbing day due to his anaemia but he did complete his climbs after much struggle.   Farzanna got to complete the Cacophonix for the first time with very little guidance as we were too busy chatting 😛 Gemma got to complete Obelix as well 😀  Natural born rock-climber that she is ^_^

Mini-me attempted the route again but tired herself out so opted to go down rather.  It was time for me to leave due to ‘Natural’ reasons lol and Llewellyn again kindly offered to return the gear for me.  I am still amazed by these people.  Taahirah had to carry my bag down as I didn’t want to put weight on my shoulder and I had to drive home still.

I got into bed with a hot bean bag again with pins and needles in my fingers.  I hate this so much!  ‘Injury’ keeping me from doing what I love.  My weekend feels incomplete as I didn’t accomplish anything.  Needless to say, I am not in the greatest of moods as my endorphins nor adrenalin was activated and add ‘natural’ reasons to that and PLUS I seem to have IT issues at work every Monday so this day can end already sigh.

On the plus side, I will be doing 2 easy hikes Saturday and Sunday.  I’m wanting to do more trail-running as well so maybe I’ll do that the week after just to give my shoulder that extra time to heal.

Until my next mountain adventure, ciao for now and thank you for reading J