Climbing Carderock

Let me just say that climbing outdoors is VERY different than climbing indoors. The rocks are more slippery, the holds are harder to find (not to mention smaller), and you sweat. Just fyi, sweat running down your hands and arms makes the task of NOT falling off the side of the mountain even more daunting. This was my first outdoor climbing experience. I found it to be rather stressful for all of the above mentioned reasons. Having said that, it was a learning experience, and I'm excited to go again sometime soon. I only fell once. The ropes we were using had a lot of give which made it seem like I fell a solid ten feet before stopping. In reality it was probably more like 5. I made it to the top and felt like I had really accomplished something. It's kind of like a puzzle... figuring out where to put your hands and feet and maneuvering in such a way that you get from one spot to the next. It's not easy. The face (cliff) we were climbing was probably around 40-50 ft in height. I went with Catherine and two of her friends from work. We had a great time... minus the wet dogs that kept running around while splashing us with their muddy paws. Hello? Where were the owners? Sheesh. Next climb? Mount Everest.