UKC

My First Outdoor Lead (90) - Tumbling Chocolate

© Tore
photo
Tumbling chocolate #1

”Here,” he shouted. ”Take these on.”
“What's this?”
“Hearing protection. I'm gonna shift gears to fifth. It's noisy.”
“You mean it gets worse?”
“Definitely.”

I squeezed the earplugs in place. The sound from the gearbox changed from roaring to screaming. My climbing mate pushed his old Suzuki jeep through lone back roads in the dusk. The vibrations made the coffee dance in my cup. A strong smell of exhaust filled the cabin.

Our first glimpse of that impressive granite dome we planned to climb was lit by the first rays from the rising sun: Hægefjell. Maybe Norway's most popular multi-pitch trad destination. When I climbed out of the car at the parking lot I was coffee-stained, dizzy and shivering with cold. The silence was deafening. There was frost on the ground. I suggested turning back, as it maybe was too late in the season, after all?

We did not turn back. After the 30 minute approach we were warm, the sun was climbing higher, ice melted and spirits lifted. The route was Via Lara, an easy one, but still with some seven pitches of climbing with not a bolt in sight.

We had practiced at ground level, placing protection and agreed on procedures, with the cautiousness and thoroughness that comes with age. We were both between 40 and 50 years old, and sometimes I wondered why we were doing this and not cruising smoothly in a Mercedes to some tennis court like some other people I know. But now I knew why I was doing this. Not intellectually, but through a sheer joy that spread from my abdomen, following nerves out to make my fingers tingle and a smile to take control over my face. We're actually doing this. We're actually climbing a mountain, slowly and surely, only using gear we brought with us and will bring back. No bolts, no trace of civilization, just us and the rock, unchanged since thousands of years. And, well, the Rockfax guide to Nissedal of course.

“Climbing!”
“Climb on!”

The crack was easy to follow, but there were few marks from other climbers' gear, no chalk marks, not even obvious pitches. Once one of my mate's stoppers released and came sliding back the rope towards me. I did not tell him. His bag of “finally at the top-chocolate” came tumbling down past me. I gave him a hard time for that. Sad, but it could have been worse. It made us realize what a critical moment the changing between boots and shoes for the steeper parts were, and how much we depended on ourselves for our own safety.

Maybe that's the attraction? To escape from the world of Safe Work Practices and “are you sure you want to do this” Windows warnings? I don't know. The next day it started snowing. But there are more routes on that granite dome, more respect to pay to that mountain when the snow melts and the winter gym days are over.

dmm-writing_comp

www.dmmclimbing.com

Write approximately 500 words about your first outdoor lead and supply an image of you climbing (not necessarily your first lead) and submit to: http://www.ukclimbing.com/articles/send.html

The competition will be judged by us here at DMM and the winner announced on Monday 24th December and will win a complete DMM rack worth £500.

But more than that, everyone who submits an essay will receive a spot prize.

More details HERE



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