First Climb
This story really isn't too exciting. I mainly wrote about it because I wanted to document the first time I ever went rock climbing. As I continue to climb and develop strength, I find it almost humorous now to look back on the day that it took me 30 minutes and a lot of coaching and patience to get me up a 40 ft section of a 5.6 climb known as "Down for the Count".
The year was 1999, and the season was summer, and it was hot out. Very hot. Too hot. But then again, I do live in Oklahoma, so that's how it is supposed to be that time of year. I was working at a local hospital up in the Information Technology Department as a computer tech, and I needed a break. By chance, one of my good friends from highschool messaged me on ICQ and we got to talking. He was going climbing. I almost invited myself.
His name was Justin Waits and he had told me about how he had plans to go with a fellow named Ben Boudreaux and a girl named April (Sorry, I don't know her last name) to the Wichita Mountains to do a little hiking and climbing. I knew Ben because he graduated with Justin and I and although I didn't know April, they all three were going to Oklahoma State University at the time...so it didn't take long for me to pack my backpack, fill-up on gas, and drive down to Stillwater.
Upon arrival in Stillwater, I was a little nervous, partly due to all the University of Oklahoma stickers I had on my truck. Being Bedlam rivals I didn't know what they would think of that. Oh well. I was only going to be using their parking lot for a weekend.
I found Justin and his dorm room and we were actually ahead of schedule so he gave me the tour of the campus. He showed me where he went to class and where he worked. (He worked at the Laser Lab) Soon enough Ben and April were calling saying that they were almost ready to go. I was pumped. They had even stopped by the climbing wall and picked up some rock shoes for me to wear for the weekend. This was all too much. However, noticing them pack their gear, I immediately realized I needed a backpack. At the time all I had was a schoolbag type backpack, while they had the normal backpacking pack's that I would soon after purchase for myself. Needless to say, it meant that I didn't have to carry as much, and before long, we were off in Justin's car to the refuge. Well alright, maybe after a few stops at Wal-mart to pick up some food action and stuff like that.
By the time we actually got to the Wichita's it was about 1 in the morning and the campground had officially closed for the night. In fact everything had closed. Not knowing what to do, we just kept driving. We got pulled over by a police officer and he told us our license plate light was out. He asked if we had any beer in the car. We didn't because well, none of us were 21 in the first place. He shined his flashlight around and eventually let us go. We continued driving and we didn't know where to park, so we decided that maybe if we parked in front of the gate to the "Narrows" which Ben kept harping about being some sweet place (which upon another trips discovery, is) We talked for a bit, but soon we grew tired, and our ultimate plan was to be awake when the rangers came around at 8 in the morning to open the gates. That way we will look like we just arrived. However it didn't happen that way. We fell asleep.
I had taken the drivers seat in the car as my bed, and Ben was in the passenger seat. Justin and April spread out their Therm-a-rest pads on the concrete so they could stretch out and sleep out in the big open. I awoke sharply at 7:45am to the tapping of a nightstick against the window. It was another police officer. She was not as nice as the other one that had pulled us over only hours before. She was set on writing us tickets for illegal camping. Apparently she was concerned because they let Buffalo and Longhorn roam freely out there on the refuge and one could have walked up to us and started munching on our hair or something or trampled over us. And that's not a good thing. We convinced her that we tried to get to the the campgrounds and we just missed the time and well, she wrote us a warning ticket instead of the real full-blown thing. Which saved about $60 a head. Whew. However, on a few of ours...Ben and I's I think...she checked the wrong box and checked the one that said we were in trouble for having Firearms...lol...we found this funny, and I wish I had it so I could frame it. I don't know where it is. OH well.
After all that, we decided to check in at the campgrounds. After getting us a site we decided to head to Mount Scott. Now Mount Scott is basically for all intentions the tallest thing in Oklahoma...it's 2500 feet and well, we make due with it. Upper Mount Scott has some easy climbs, and since I hadn't climbed before, that what we headed towards. As soon as we got there, Justin and Ben went up top to set up the gear for a top rope, while April and I stayed down below in the shade and kinda watched. I didn't know what to think of all the gear. It looked like quite a bit of stuff just for one climb. Oh well, I would be trusting my life to it so I wanted it to be good. "Bomber" as they would say. After they got it rigged up they rappelled down like they were in the Army or something and we were all set and ready to go. April was elected to go first.
I thought I worked out my nerves by watching her go first. She did the climb flawless and in about 15 minutes. I was impressed and I was still trying to figure out how I was going to fit my foot in the shoes that they had rented for me. They told me they were supposed to fit tight. I hadn't put on a shoe like this since ballet. And they wanted me to climb up this route in "ballet shoes"? Hah. They are pretty funny. They told me to go next. I said no. Justin went next. He did the climb in around 10 minutes...and I was thinking, man...I hope I don't take forever on this thing. They all looked towards me to go next. I guess I would go, I mean, it's not like I came all this way not to climb.
Now, if there is one thing I noticed as I got into the climb, I noticed that I had HORRIBLE technique. By the second ledge I discovered my best move was the beached whale technique. Basically what that consists of is an all out belly flop on the rock, followed by an attempt to flouder my way to my feet. Yeah, I didn't look pretty but at least I was getting somewhere. The sun was very hot and I was sweating really bad. My hands were wet and I didn't have the fancy smancy chalk bags like everybody else. Oh well, I didn't need those, what would they do anyhow, I thought. I kept climbing....slowly. Eventually I found my watch beeping that I had past 20 minutes...and I was still on the climb. Not thinking I could make it past a few moves I found some encouragement from the folks below...the same people that had me in their hands. And at this point I will let you know how Ben belays. He lays down...and he tells you he is belaying from his teeth. Now when I looked down, he was laying down like he was on a couch in the middle of a warm summer day. And in fact, he had the rope in his mouth. Now I know if I fell he would switch it to his hands, however, this being my first climb it was a little unnerving to see him do that. I tried not to look down. Eventually, I made it to the top, and they told me to kiss Carrie Beaner. I looked confused and what they meant was "carabiner" which is the metal thing up top that clips the rope into the protection. I kissed it and was lowered down. I did it. I was done. My fist climb...and just over 30 minutes. I suck. I needed water.
Ben went up next and well he flew up the route...I guess sitting there belaying people made him a little anxious. He made it up in under 10 minutes...I didn't even really have time to check my watch cause he was like a reverse waterfall on this climb...he flowed right up the crack and topped out. He removed his gear, and we packed it up...well they packed it up, I kept the food...hehe...and we went back to the campgrounds to discuss what was up next. We thought we would go hiking. Then we remembered that the Boulder Fields were a fun place to go, so we decided to go find the Boulder Fields.
This proved more difficult that we thought. We parked in the right parking lot to head towards the boulder fields, however we went down the wrong trail leading out of the parking lot. We chose the one that took us in the OPPOSITE direction. And according to the map we had at the time, they said the boulder fields are no more than 10 minutes from the parking lot. Which they were...if you took the right path that is. :) So anyhow, we began hiking, and Ben was wearing his Teva's because he thought he would only be walking a short bit, little did we know we would be hiking for the next 3 hours in the unforgiving sun. We came across a guy who was also lost and well, we tried figuring out where to go with this guy, and he didn't know, and he had more advanced maps that us. (his had contour lines) Water was a problem as we only brought enough to last us for playing in the boulder field and not hiking all day. Eventually, we found the boulder fields and well, when we found them we were so tired that we kinda just hurried back to the car for fluids and food. No boulder hopping today.
Exhausted we returned to the campgrounds for some good ol' food. This was when I was introduced to the fine cuisine of Ramen and Tuna. Very intersting...yet, it's kinda good. What you do is you take a tuna can...and get it open (the hard part, and makes it even that much more yummy when you get it open) and you pour it into your ramen bag, and you mix it all together and eat it. It's not halfbad...you should try it, and hey, if that's all you have, then it's just that much better.
We spent the night that night at the campgrounds and headed home the next day. We woke up around 9 am...it was Sunday, and we were feeling the sun against our tent, so it wasn't hard to awake from our slumber. After packing and cleaning the place we took off, and eventually we stopped in Oklahoma City to eat food at Chili's. It was good stuff. I had a lot of fun, and I could officially tell people that I went rock climbing. I was hooked. I had caught the bug that would only manifest inside me and I guess now I have passed it on to others. It's not a bad thing.
If you have never gone rock climbing you should do it. And I'm not talking about in a gym, or somewhere inside...you need to do it outside...it really is different...and you won't regret it. Ok, well that's my story...I hope you liked my first experience on the crags...not too much to talk about, but oh well, it's definitely etched in my mind for a very long time.
--Matt
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