Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408190039
SECTION: DISCOVER PAGE: 27 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MELISSA CURTIS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
From below me came words of encouragement, pointing out the inch-wide rock ledge to my right that was "perfect" for my next move up the sheer rock wall, away from the safety and security of the ground.
This is where I wound up - hanging onto a 40-foot rock wall somewhere outside of Roanoke with no prior experience in rock climbing - when I agreed to write a story about the sport that is rapidly growing in popularity in Southwest Virginia.
Afraid of heights, I knew the climb would not only be a physical challenge but a mental one as well. But I was determined to try.
I made arrangements with a group of experienced climbers, including two outdoor education instructors and two assistants for Roanoke County Parks and Recreation with more than 20 years of combined climbing experience.
On the telephone, Bill Wilson, manager of Blue Ridge Outdoors in Roanoke and Blacksburg and a part-time climbing instructor for Roanoke County Parks and Recreation, reassured me by saying, "Don't worry, we've never dropped anyone yet."
The group of six - myself, a photographer and the four experienced climbers - drove out to Iron Gate, 40 minutes from Roanoke.
After a short but steep hike in, I surveyed the wall we were to climb. I was pleasantly surprised, it wasn't nearly as high as I expected - about 40 feet.
Immediately our chaperones began instructing the photographer and me on how to put on the equipment. First I strapped a long, belt-like harness around my waist and each thigh. Then I squeezed my feet into slipper-like, rubber-soled climbing shoes. Finally, I put a helmet on my head.
Once everyone was equipped, Wilson went first up the wall as the "leader" to anchor the rope to small metal bolts that had been drilled into the rock.
As Wilson climbed, he dipped his fingers into a chalk bag to provide traction as well as to mark good ledges for the two novices who were soon to climb after him. He clipped runners, metal devices that anchor the rope to the rock, to each bolt, in order to secure himself if he fell.
I was amazed by his agility and swiftness. He had climbed the full 40 feet of the wall in a matter of minutes. He made it look easy.
Soon it was my turn. Bill Sgrinia, supervisor of outdoor education for the Roanoke County Parks and Recreation Department, acted as the "belayer". He held on to the rope at the bottom of the wall in case I fell, took in the rope as I climbed and lowered me down after the climb.
Sgrinia tied the rope to my harness. The time had come for me to climb.
I had heard the advice Wilson and Sgrinia had given the photographer, also a novice, as he climbed: "Focus on where to put your feet. Use the inside edge of your foot. Push up with your feet, not with your hands. Always look around for the next foothold before you make a move ..."
At first the climb seemed easy, with plenty of large ledges to step onto. Then, suddenly, the wall became much smoother. I clutched it, frantically scanning the rock for an outcrop that looked large enough and sturdy enough for me to hoist my foot onto.
At one point my right foot was not satisfied with the mere bump the others were insisting I use as my next foothold. Unable to find a better route, I leaned back in my harness to calm my nerves and re-evaluate the situation.
I decided, having successfully climbed about 25 feet, that I was ready to be safely lowered to the ground.
Wilson, who said the increase of climbing in the area has been tremendous in the last couple years, said it is important to receive good instruction before climbing.
Roanoke County Parks and Recreation offer classes in rock climbing for beginner and intermediate climbers that cost $22.50 each, as well as a five-day rock climbing camp for ages 14 and older that costs $145.
A weekend trip in the New River Gorge for intermediate climbers is set for Sept. 24-25. The trip costs $68, and includes meals and equipment. Registration ends Sept. 2.
by CNB