Another GREAT Climbing Day!!!

Okay, enough with the climbing pictures.  But WAIT!!  It was a milestone for me!!

I CLIMBED A 5.10a WALL ... TO THE VERY TOP!!!!

A midweek escape landed us at Metalmark Climbing Gym in Fresno.  Three of us including Ofelia and her daughter Nina, took off mid morning in the pouring rain for some great climbing.  Being a Wednesday, there was no one there ... just two guys changing some of the routes.  After almost four hours of climbing, we virtually had the place to ourselves.  I'm tying on to my harness, getting to climb ... Ofelia is attaching the other end to her belay device so she can stop my fall should the need arise.  Luckily that hasn't happened to me ....... yet!!!

After warming up on a 5.9 (really?  I always warmed up on a 5.6!!) they insisted I try a 5.10a.  Okie dokie ... here I go!!  Pretty tough at the top, I actually completed this climb.  I was sooo excited!!!

Next up Ofelia did me one better ... 5.10b

Here's Nina tying in getting ready to climb.  Safety is a big thing ... everyone checks everyone elses "connections".

And Nina put us all to shame and climbed a 5.10d.  Course it helps that she is half our age and a great outdoor climber along with her fiance Ryan.  

You can see in the above image and in this one, just how awkward some of the positions are that you have to get in, in order to make the climb.  Half the problem is figuring out which holds go with your route ... and how to get to them!!

From here we moved to another wall for a different climb!  Amazingly enough I completed another 5.10a climb!!  I was hooting and hollering after this one.  

Now I can call myself a 5.10 climber!!!