As we began to unpack below the rocks like a first-time skydiver about to jump out of an airplane I began to have serious doubts. I wondered if I would be able to actually climb the rock. And even more importantly, I wondered if the rope would really hold me as I dangled in the air. I m a pretty athletic guy, but I have this fear of heights that can sometimes overcome me. I have trouble looking over ledges of tall buildings and high cliffs.
Ladders are pretty much out of the question.
Jay assured me that the rope would hold and that my fear of heights would only be a problem if I looked down. But there is one glitch in his advice because I had to look down to see my feet. Jay, trying to hone his skills, decides to lead a small crack route called The Kitchen, according to our printout. Jay sets up equipment as he climbs. The carabiners, cams and nuts ting as he moves up the face of the rock.