Fresh Air

I got an irresistible invitation from a friend this month. My friend Tina called and asked if I wanted to go outdoor rock climbing with some of her climbing friends. She said they had an extra harness and all the gear I’d need. Tina’s been going to the Boston Rock Gym for a few months now, and getting pretty good on the indoor walls there. Her two climbing friends Mike and Phil have been seriously climbing for 3 and 5 years respectively. How could I say no!

We were going to College Rock in Hopkinton, MA. To get there, take the route 85 exit off of Rt 495 in Hopkinton, and take the first right onto College Street. About a quarter mile down the road there’s a small parking lot on the right. There is a trailhead in the parking lot that leads right to the rock. Phil grew up in the area and has been climbing College Rock for years. Our friend Jen and I were the only rookies that day.

When we pulled in and walked to the rock, Mike was busy setting the ropes. I think we set a total of 4 ropes that day. Mike and Phil were paying a lot of attention to specifics while setting up the ropes. Tina, Jen and I kept asking if we could help somehow but never got to. Mike apologized for being particular about setting up his gear. We joked about skydivers who wouldn’t let anyone else pack their parachutes. It made perfect sense to me!

The rock is only 100 or so yards in from the parking lot. It sticks out from the ground about 50’ vertical and maybe 150’ across. Most of the climbs are on the left as you stand in front of the face. There are plenty of secure spots to hang ropes from the top and from any rope, there are three or four ascent routes to choose from. Further to the right there are stretches perfect for bouldering (practice areas where you’re never too far from the ground and can safely work on climbing techniques). It looked like the perfect place for both skilled climbers and us rookies.

The week before I went with Tina to the indoor Boston Rock Gym to give it a try. I felt like I did pretty well. I was climbing 5.8s and the occasional 5.9 relatively confidently. As soon as I touched the outdoor rocks in Hopkinton I became immediately aware that indoor rock climbing was infinitely different than climbing outside on real rocks.

In comparison, indoor rock climbing is like being spoon fed pre-chewed food while outdoor climbers had to hunt and kill the beast with bare hands. Needless to say, an outdoor 5.8 is not nearly as manageable for a rookie as an indoor 5.8. Jen and I spent a lot of time struggling on stuff the other three were comfortable zipping right up.

The first climb that Phil did was an impressive face with a tricky overhang on top. There were so few handholds, and those I could see were only little tiny finger cracks. It was really impressive to watch his form on the ascent. Every time he moved a leg to the next foothold, he did it in such a way as to help the rest of his body get ready for the next move. He looked like a spider negotiating his way up rocks that I was sure people weren’t suppose to be climbing. His climbing was really more like an art form than a sport.

I made it up a 5.6 pretty easily, but only 2/3rds of the way up a tough 5.8. Jen got to about the same spot on the 5.8 but she made it to the top of a shelf I couldn’t reach. NICE JOB DUDE!!! My excuse is that the rocks felt just a little greasy. That day the air temperature was warmer than it had been for a while. The rocks had just a little condensation on them and that’s what made them slick.

A lot of the well used hand holds had white resin marks left by the climbers. That helped to mark the good holds, but made them a little more slick than normal. We all took turns belaying climbers up and down. It was a lot of fun!

We used ATC belaying devices. I can’t recommend that anyone try climbing here without a good fitting harness, the right ropes, good belaying tools and some legitimate experience. It can be dangerous if small details are overlooked.

Rock climbing isn’t the type of activity that I was going to be instantly proficient with. It was easy to recognize that there is a lot of benefit that comes with training. You really have to know how to use your body to help you get up the rock. Just about anyone can run, you just put one foot in front of the other in rapid succession; climbing is different...you can’t just muscle through the tough spots. You really have to practice and refine the techniques that will help you take better advantage of your muscle. This is what impressed me most about the climbing of Phil and Mike. They made it look both easy and intelligent.

Thanks guys!