One thing I will never get tired of is watching the world wake up. The pre-sunrise hues may not have been stretching across the skies this morning, but it was still a beautiful sight. The road ahead was taking me towards the light, meaning I was heading east. There is only one climbing destination that way, within a reasonable distance, being Welly Dam. Some may be surprised I was heading there today. Seeing how I have mention that I still needed to be careful to ensure I keep moving forward on my road to recovery:
Added to that I was out on rock just a couple of days back with Craig. Today was however going to be a very relaxed session at the Dam, if there could ever be such a thing. Matt works in the same office as me, and as I worked from home on Friday a message popped up from him with a picture of my online mini-guide about the climbing at Welly Dam. He has been looking for activities to keep in shape, and has been coming to the Wellington National Park for decades. As a kid and then more recently with his family, and to hike and mountain bike:
He confessed to never having climbed before, but had always enjoyed scrambling up rocks. During his trips this way he had noticed the bolts and thought why not try it. One thing led to another and after a quick google search he stumbled across my guide. At the time he was not aware that I climbed, and he was also completely oblivious to the delights of Welly Dam. Having read in my guide he picked up that the place has in the past been given a bad rap. In my opinion a rap that is undeserved, but I was very clear that this is not a beginners place:
He was however super keen to give it a go. Living ten minutes from Welly Dam and due to family commitments not having the time to be able to drive and walk into the more forgiving places to learn the ropes along the west coast, we ended up agreeing to meet here today. Luckily his shoe size was such that he could fit into my shoes, so I came armed with shoes, harness, ropes, and gear. When he asked what he needed to bring my reply was simply ‘a can do attitude and to be prepared to be defeated by the dam’:
As with anyone starting out there is a fair amount of downloading to be done: which muscles to use and when; having real faith in your footwork and the shoes, check the second image; thinking of the most efficient way to move and position your body; and remembering to breathe. Sounds so obvious, but it is amazing how these simple things can be completely forgotten when you get into an unfamiliar or comfortable situation. And for a first taste of climbing Welly Dam does not offer any routes that are not likely to put you on edge:
Matt was not put off. After some instructions and a bit of bouldering, which lasted maybe half to three quarters of an hour, there were more instructions. This time of rope work, belaying, trad gear, and safety calls. Essential knowledge before we tied in for a real climb. It was just as this was happening that another car rolled in, and through the open window I saw Sarah and Rongy’s smiling faces. Telling me that just yesterday they got back from their 20 or so months of travelling, under a cloak of secrecy. So it was a complete shock to see them:
The timing of their arrival at the dam was great. With a few more people about support and encouragement could be given from above and below, as Matt made his first ever roped climbing ascent. Needing to put the mass of information he had been given, over the last hour or two, into practise. Holding it together and even finding a hands free rest half way up, although to start with I wasn’t sure he would follow my instructions to let go with his hands and dangle them by his waist. Enjoying it so much he then belayed Rongy on another line:
Managing to get up, despite finding it technically way more difficulty and also having a tiring body. Understanding that from here on the routes would only get harder, he was happy call it a day. He may however have got the bug, hinting he would be investing in a pair of climbing shoes. With just the three of us left Rongy encouraged me to take a lead, before he jumped on one more route. It was a lovely and unexpected catch-up. And while it may not sound like we did heaps of routes, what with all the bouldering my body told me enough was enough:
Sandbagged 