Rock

Yesterday, I went back to the hiking/climbing store with the climbing wall in the basement to look at climbing shoes. Again. I'll be going on a climb tomorrow and wanted to at least have my own shoes.

After an initial "no, we can't help you," I discovered the power of "I don't understand." After a little back and forth, I at least was able to try on a pair of incredibly painful shoes. There was no way these would work, but I WAS able to convince them that climbing shoes were supposed to be tight. They took me downstairs (I think to have one of the climbers tell me I was wrong) and one of the guys came up and helped me go through all the shoes they had in stock. I ended up with a pair that were far more comfortable, if a little expensive. Then they knocked off about $25. Yay!

They took me back downstairs to climb on the wall. I ended up getting a free rock climbing lesson from one of the folks in the local climbing club, and I was asked to come back on Monday. He wanted to put me on one of the intermediate walls (he said I didn't look like a beginner) but I don't have the technical knowledge or the strength to be on the walls at more of an angle. I also learned how to climb on a gym wall as opposed to regular climbing. I'm not able to use strength and dint of will to pull/push myself up, but rather have to think about handholds, footing, and crosses to work my way across, which is a lot harder.

Tomorrow I will get up wicked early to take a couple of buses to a climb in Gochang, then will take a couple of buses back to Suncheon to get ready for the 5k on Sunday, where I will be meeting friends an hopefully not embarassing myself.