First to the Top!

Annette here. So from the previous posts, you probably figured out that we had gone climbing on Wall Street right after we arrived. Well, since Mike had trouble leading the climb, we had to get someone else to finish setting up the rope. After that was done, I took a turn. The rock was hard to get used to at first since there were no obvious hand or footholds, but after a minute or two I learned that I needed to trust my shoes. The wall was indeed very grippy and even the tiniest foot hold was enough to keep from sliding back down. I did have to cheat a little bit because there were areas with nothing to hold on to. Cheating involves grabbing the rope and pulling it towards the belayer and it also provides some added balance. After about two-thirds up the route, it was basic crab walking the rest of the way. I was so excited after I reached the top and I did feel on top of the world. The scenery was incredible. Pics are below in Mike's post. Anyway, thats all from me.