This morning I went indoor wall climbing with a friend for her birthday. She was Spiderwoman-like in her abilities, graceful and assured. I, on the other hand, was like those paintings of buffalo being stampeded by Indians over the side of a cliff. Technically, I had two near death experiences, but only near because in both cases when I lost contact with the wall I was spared from splattering on the floor so very far below by the belay line attached to my harness. In each case my friend, with my life in her hands, gently lowered me back to the floor then asked if I’d like to try again. Naturally, being male and trying to impress her, I said yes, and the thing of it was, I really did want to try it again. There’s something incredibly exhilarating about pushing your body and getting outside of your comfort zone. The best part was reaching the top of the wall then just letting go. Talk about trust. You just let go and your partner slowly belays you back to the floor.

If you haven’t tried climbing I’d highly (well, not too high to start) recommend it.