Climbing through fears

Last week I went wall climbing for the first time, possibly one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. I volunteered to go up first, thinking that the best way to tackle it was to get it out the way (it didn't really occur to me at the time that the lesson was an hour, and I'd probably have to climb a wall more than once) I got half way up the wall, and froze. Completely. I couldn't move an inch, all I could do was hang on for dear life. I remember hearing distant voices shouting 'you can do it' and 'left hand yellow' (yes climbing is vertical twister) knees knocking, palms sweating. Sadly mind won over body, and I abseiled back down to the wonderfully flat and solid floor shaking and looking very pale. Not in a million years was I going back up there. Lisa's turn, she shot up the wall rather elegantly, at one point actually walking up the wall, it was amazing. Then she glided gracefully back down, and the rope was handed back to me. My turn again, and the instructor told me I was going up there, and I wasn't to come down until I'd reached the top. Well that was it, I was off like a shot, straight up the wall, and was holding onto the pipes on the ceiling. I've got to admit, I felt very sick, and very dizzy, but I had done it. And I loved the abseil back down, it's very peaceful and calming after the chaos of climbing.

Well, all this climbing got me thinking. Climbing a wall is like life. You can stay on the ground, it's safe and comfortable, and it's fine, lots of people are here with you. But that's pretty boring. Maybe you'll start climbing that wall, and you'll get half way up, and can't physically and mentally go any further, so you go back and start again. But sometimes you really push yourself, fight through the terror and the pain, and you get there. And it's well worth that push, taking all that risk, because of the rewards. you'll feel like you've earnt it, and you're so proud of yourself, the best feeling in the world.

And even though I feel scared and slightly sick when I think about climbing, I still really want to go again.