Tag Archives: rock climbing

The Peaks now rival Cornwall for the English place I most want to go back to.

22 Friday Jun 2012

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I went to the Peaks for the first time last weekend.  I have lots of things to say about it (in particular: in Pride & Prejudice, there is a scene where Keira Knightley is standing on a cliff, and I was like “Hollywood, please.  that is not England.” I stand corrected).

This is ME climbing gritstone in the Peaks.  It was only my second trad climbing experience, but hopefully the second of many.  I’m already making plans trips (plural) to Wales and hopefully the south coast this summer, even though weekends are already awfully few and far between, even at this early stage in the summer and with this miserable weather.  There is SO MUCH FUN to be had!

CornWALL…wow bad pun.

11 Wednesday Apr 2012

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A few weeks ago, I got a text message from My Friend Lauren that said “sea cliff climbing in Cornwall Easter weekend?” and without actually looking to see when Easter weekend was, I responded “YES PLEASE AND THANK YOU.”

I’d done some outdoor climbing in the past, but I’d always done top-roping – where you hike to the top, set up some gear and thread a rope through it, and then go back to the bottom and climb the same way you would in a gym.  This time, we were trad climbing – one person attached crap-tons of gear to their harness (they sounded like goats with bells on, scrambling around the rocks).  Then, as they go up, they wedge safety gear into the rock.  Trad climbing is really dangerous, because if you fall, you fall pretty far, and there’s no guarantee your safety gear will hold up.  So I stuck to pretty tame routes this time, especially as I was getting the hang of it.  The first thing I “led” was about twelve feet high, and the guidebook designated it as a scramble.

I learned so much this weekend – about Cornwall, about climbing, about all the people I shared a trailer with (its called a caravan in England.  The walls were so thin you could hear someone brushing their teeth from the other end of the thing.  seriously.)  And also how much bigger England is than I realized.  Cambridge is the red dot above – and we went allllll the way to Land’s End.  It took a lot longer than I expected when I blithely agreed, via text, that sea cliff climbing would be awesome.

I already can’t wait to go again.

Urban Adventures: Boston

16 Monday Jan 2012

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I was in Boston for three days last week and, despite 5-degree-Fahrenheit temps, it was pretty wonderful.  I got to visit my old rock gym and my old yoga studio in addition to seeing many of my remaining friends and, as already detailed, eat in some fantastic places.

Most people don’t get excited about indoor climbing gyms and yoga studios when they visit Boston, but there are some crazy indoor adventure sport options that I think would make for an awesome holiday in and of themselves – spending the week taking in the city’s best indoor alternative fitness options.  I can think of a bunch right off the bat.

1. Hot yoga (flow or bikram):
I personally am not a fan of bikram, but there are three studios in Boston and Cambridge if you are.  I am a devotee of Prana Power Yoga – despite the fact that the studio owner is obviously a nutball.

2. Indoor Climbing: Boston Rock Gym or MetroRock
Boston Rock Gym is a bit north of Boston, and is smaller, but has a welcoming and relaxed feel.  MetroRock, in Everett, is higher, bigger, and a little more testosterone-fueled (and also a bit more expensive!) but they’ve just added a high ropes course that I’m dying to try, and they always have a good variety of mid-level climbs that suit me (5.8 to 5.10, or in English parlance, 6a-to-6b-ish)

3. SkyZone Trampoline Gym
I recruited all summer to get people to go to this thing with me, and still never made it there.  But I would *love* to go sometime if I’ve got any takers (Georgiana, I’m looking at you).

4. Trapezing at Jordan’s Furniture
Awesome, right? You can do it in Chicago and New York, too, but that’s a story for another time.  And Boston is the only location where you can buy a couch when you’re done.

5. Indoor Skydiving
This is technically in New Hampshire, but still.  I’ve lost interest in trying outdoor skydiving, but I think indoors, I could be entertained for a seriously long time.

There are also indoor laser tag, go karting and plenty of other stuff I’m sure.  What did I miss?