Celebrating mother's day........without any mothers

The look on my face shows how comfortable the harness was.



This wall had a gradual overhang, so the higher you climbed the harder it got.

Same wall as above. Notice, no socks.

On Sunday (Mother's Day) me and some friends went to an indoor rock climbing establishment here in K-zoo. This was pretty much my first time rock climbing except for some brief fooling around sessions at summer camp a few years ago.
A few things struck me throughout the day. First, I'm convinced that a woman designed the rock climbing harness. Let's just say there's virtually no room for the male "equipment" once the device is cinched tightly around both legs and your waist. Second, rental equipment at rock climbing places is so beat up it looks as if it passed through some large mammals digestive system recently. Third, it's depressing to think that enough people enjoy rock climbing in Kalamazoo that an indoor facility can stay in business but the closest real rock climbing is hundreds of miles away. Shouldn't these people realize, "Hey, Kalamazoo sucks, there's nothing really here. Maybe I should move."
Once I was suited up in my raggedy equipment we went through a beginner training course and learned how to not drop your climbing partner, or basically how to not kill your friends. After the lesson we were ready to attack the walls, but first I had to put on the shoes.
As I was putting on the climbing shoes they advised me to go barefoot as it gives a "truer feel". I asked if they cleaned the shoes. They said yes. I still hesitated. These shoes looked like soft dog food that had hardened and was then molded into the shape of a foot and finally colored green. I took off my socks and decided to go for it. As I tied the mismatched, and different length laces, I wondered what kinds of foot fungus I was exposing my toes to.
On my first climb my right big toe was starting to hurt once I reached the top of a relatively simple wall. Once descended I realized my right climbing shoe had a quarter sized hole in the bottom of it. These things really did look like they had been attacked by the flesh-eating disease. I got them taped up however and kept at it.
The afternoon was quite enjoyable. My forearms a day later are quite sore but the fun memories easily take away the pain. I'm afraid I may have enjoyed the experience too much though. I definitely want to go again. It even crossed my mind to get my own equipment. Or at least my own climbing shoes that haven't been mauled by some kind of jungle cat but are being held together by chewing gum and eletrical....er....climbing tape.