In the summer of ’23 I started bouldering with my wife after we saw a video of then-Prince Charles flashing a problem like a king:
Jokes aside, bouldering is quite popular among academics, so I was naturally inclined to try it, and the rest is history. But only after two years did I start to crave new heights. To be honest, I hit the dreadful crisis many aging climbers face: plateauing. No matter what you do, you get stuck at the same level. For me, it was somewhere below advanced, around V5. I’d read that roped climbing is a good workout for bouldering, so I started doing that.
I was lucky to have a gym buddy who’s not only a great climber but was also willing to show me the ropes (hehe), and that’s how my belaying adventure began. The thing is, I’m really bad with knots. But to climb, I needed to learn one: the figure-eight. Last year we heard about a guy who fell and badly broke his arm after forgetting to tie in. So to practice, another gym buddy gave me a meter of rope. At this point I know the knot, but I want to do it really well so that when I climb outside, good practice won’t lead to early rope wear and tear.
Anyhoo, my gym buddy wants to show me lead climbing later, but that’s a story for another time.
Here’s a picture of me trying my best.
