ROCKCLIMBING

An awesome day! The voicethread says it all. (But I'll put the text up anyway!)

Rockclimbimg was one of the best school trips I've ever had! I love it so much, love the challenge, and am reasonably good at it too. My goal is to become a professional rock climber. First, we started on the Climb Zone walls. Throughout the course of the day I climbed to the top of all these walls, and had a lot of fun. I even got up the fish wall, something I've never done before because of the immense arm strength required to pull yourself up using the ropes. Unfortunately, I exhausted myself so that I couldn't do the rope, but that means there's something that I haven't been up! I went up the Indiana Jones wall too, and, although you can't go right to the roof, I got to the second highest box. (Funnily enough, I got a little bit scared!)
It was very hard, hot, sweaty, thirsty work so I bought a juicy iceblock and a delicious icecream cookie. Plus my lunch. Once refreshed, we swapped over so we got a lesson on belaying. My friend and I belayed each other on the House Wall and it was really fun. When belaying, you must keep your eyes on the climber the whole time, keep two hands on the rope and keep the rope tight. When you are climbing, first you must untangle the rope, then clip yourself onto the carabiner and ask your belayer if they are ready.
Towards the end I thought that it was time to try some harder partner-belayed walls so I attempted, and completed, my very first overhang! I was so proud! I got to the top of another wall and then, just to see how far I'd get, I tried the back wall. It had a big overhang, rounded, daunting, followed by another just as hard overhang, before a long straight stretch to the top. While my firend belayed, I tried and tried again (sqillions of times, actually) and would swing right back in the harness and... fly! With my arm outstretched and my mind on gripping the hold that I so desperately needed, time and time again I tried. My other friend (and both my friends were very supportive, thanks guys) held my feet and pushed me up until I found a handhold that was easy to grip. I slowly but surely pulled myself up, and over the second overhang. I fell off so many times but I kept at it. I was asked if I wanted to come down, but I knew I had to keep going, so I said, "Once more". And, would you believe it, I made it! At times I would just hang there, my fear growing by the second, but then I would find the strength I needed and pull myself up one more rock. It took a while, but eventually I got to the very top and I was soooooo happy! It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life! A real achievement.