High on a rock

It's called the crux, the point of greatest difficulty which defines the rest of the experience. In this case, the crux point was about six inches from the sweat dripping off the end of my nose.

My world had shrunk to a few square feet of granite. All I could see was the crack in which my right foot rested, the one tiny little rugosity I was hoping was large enough to hold the inside of my left foot, and the expanse of seemingly featureless granite where my left fingers were searching for something to grasp. Just above knee level of my right foot was a flake of rock which might hold me while I grasped for another invisible handhold with my right hand. Finally, my left fingers and thumb found two opposing dimples in the rock, invisible, but enough for a stabilizing hold.

"Get ready!" I called to Ian Osteyee of Adirondack Mountain Guides who stood on solid ground 40 feet below, securing the rope attached to the harness around my pelvis. "I'm probably gonna fall."

"I've got you! Go for it!" he replied.

"Climbing!" I yelled, then pushed my weight up with my left leg as my right foot rose to the spot I'd picked for it. As that foot found its hold, my extended right hand reached over the curve of rock above and found a niche in the rock face. Two quick moves later I was standing solidly on a foot-wide ledge looking out at the mountains across the valley and down at my guide, grinning from ear to ear as I let out a whoop of triumph.

Rock climbing is one of those sports that looks incredibly difficult and dangerous, strictly the province of the young, the fit and the foolish. Not so! Climbing is only as difficult and as dangerous as you want to make it -- success is more about brains and finesse than brute strength. If you work with a qualified and competent instructor, anyone who has enough leg strength to lift themselves out of a low chair can get on the rock safely.

Safety and rock climbing don't seem like compatible concepts, but they are.

First, there's the equipment: all sorts of ropes, slings, harnesses, helmets and hardware which, when used properly, are designed to hold you should you slip and fall. Then there's your instructor who uses his or her knowledge to keep you safe (you getting hurt would be really bad for business).  Every rock climbing lesson starts with safety instruction and safety is the central theme of every lesson thereafter.

You'll likely start with "top roping" where your instructors stands on solid ground and "belays" you with the rope running through an anchor point above. In this situation you can't fall more than a few inches. Other than a scrape from the rock, it's almost impossible to get hurt.

Later, as your skills build, you'll belay a lead climber as he or she climbs a "pitch" putting in "hardware" for protection on the way. Maybe you'll even progress to lead climbing yourself.

With each crux point you pass, you'll build both strength and skill, using both your body and your perceptions in ways you never have before. You'll be rewarded with stunning views, quality camaraderie, amazing adrenaline rushes, and a sense of accomplishment you simply won't believe until you've experienced it.

You can, literally, get high on a rock. 

Rock venues

I re-started my rock climbing while on a visit to the Adirondacks in Keene Valley, New York. There are several climbing schools in the area, but I chose Adirondack Mountain Guides. Owner Ian Osteyee is certified by the American Mountain Guides Association, and is a consummate professional.

There are also rock climbing hotspots and schools near North Conway, New Hampshire, in the Shawangunks near New Paltz, New York, and in northern Vermont's Green Mountains.

If you don't want to travel, check with your nearest outdoors sports retailer or climbing gym. Chances are there are local climbing spots nearby where you can learn.

Rating the rock

The climbable rock faces here in the northeast have established "routes" up them. Like ski trails, these routes have a difficulty rating, starting at 5.0 (five-oh) where a fall could possibly have serious consequences to 5.14 (five-fourteen) which are the realm of Spiderman.

A good instructor will start you on very easy stuff and let you progress from there at your own pace. By the end of your first day, you should be comfortable on the easiest 5.0-5.3 routes, and ready to challenge yourself on the "intermediate" 5.4-5.8.

Reasons to rock

Have you ever given up something you loved or, worse yet, never tried something for reasons that, in retrospect, seem foolish? I have. In fact, a few hours ago, I gave myself a dope slap for being stupid. Fortunately, it didn't hurt because I was wearing a helmet.

Until today, it had been almost exactly 23 years since I last challenged a steep rock face. That hiatus was about 22 years and 364 days too long.

I gave up rock climbing for four reasons that seemed good at the time. I had family responsibilities, time constraints, money issues and feared injury. Sound familiar?

I know now my reasons weren't good enough. Responsibilities? How about your responsibility to yourself to use your body and your mind to stay healthy and have fun. Time? You make time. I could have introduced my sons to climbing as I did to skiing. Injuries? Rock climbing is a very safe sport if you climb within your limits. Money? You can buy a lot of climbing gear for the price of a TV set -- and the TV set is far more likely to do permanent damage to your body.