I’m discovering that there are pros and cons when it comes to dating the adventurous type.
Yesterday afternoon FD called asking if I wanted to meet up last night. I enthusiastically agreed and said – “Let’s do something different”. I suppose I should have explained that by ‘different’ I meant eat at a restaurant that isn’t Espressos, or go for drinks somewhere outside of Sandton.
I wasn’t suggesting for a minute that we spend Tuesday night hanging from a climbing wall in Kya Sand.
Now don’t get me wrong… I believe exercise is important, but for me this is usually restricted to the confines of my local Virgin Active gym. But I also understand that this whole ‘relationship’ thing is about sharing each others interests. So I mustered the energy to get an enthusiastic smile on my face, donned a tracksuit and headed off westwards to Wonderwall.
The place was teeming with people hanging upside down suspended by their big toes and pinky fingers... I was intimidated.
And then I was handed my harness. Man oh man – how much I hate those things - there is just no way of looking cool in a harness.
Then it was onto the climbing wall. I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was much easier than I expected and FD did a super job of shouting out words of encouragement. After about two hours my forearms had completely seized up, my fingers were aching, my legs were shaking and I decided it was time to call it a night.
Before we left I got to watch FD ‘bouldering’ – which is essentially low climbing without a rope and using the walls and ceiling as support… every muscle in those perfectly chiseled arms of his was flexed and I couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off my face. And I was right back to loving the pros of dating the adventurous type.
12 comments:
bouldering is great...i know all about all those flexing muscles...!! good for you that you tried it, don't let it be the last time either ;-)
I LOVE CLIMBING!
I do it every weekend with a few of my friends, it is one of the best hobbie's ever! Once you get in to it it really is a lot of fun, I promise. Keep going!
Bouldering is alright, I'm more of a fan of the top roping and leading but hey - men bouldering without their tops on is one of the best things ever ;)
I am imagining the look on your face when FD revealed exactly what his idea of different was!
My best friend goes climbing as well, and she always tried to get me to come, but she told me I'd have to cut my nails first cos I wouldn't be able to grip.... I've still never been ;-)
@lopz - COME WITH ME!!! It is sooooo much fun!
Ye you do have to cut your fingernails, not because you can't grip but because they could catch on something and rip the entire nail off. Not nice.
Well, I suppose if I can bring myself to cut the one hand to practice my guitar, I could cut the other hand too....*sighs nostalgically at the thought of two hands of symmetrical long nails*
Ok, sounds like a plan!
@Sweetass – definitely won’t be my last time, in fact FD has already decided I’m ready for real rock this weekend! Scary…
@Miss M – Ya I heard about that top roping, sounds quite hectic because the thought of falling becomes a lot more real.
@Lopz – Same story here, but decided not to go with the asymmetrical nail thing and I just cut them off both hands for the sake of guitar. Ah the sacrifices we make for our hobbies! But at least I’m already past that potential hurdle in the furthering of my climbing career :)
@mosi - soon you'll be be buying proper shoes like me, a chalk bag and harness ;) You'll make friends with your harness ...
No leading is more scary as you have further to fall. Top roping someone is always holding on to you, belaying you, it is a lot of trust so it might take your relationship further.
I LOVE IT!! :)
@lopz - fantastic, we shall plan
Please ask him to do something different again soon, I'm dying to find out what else he can conjure up for a cool date! Maybe cageless shark hunting or playing with poisonous vipers - could be loads of fun!
@wiggly - what do you usually do on a date?
Yeah wiggly, give us your gameplan of an adventurous/different date and we'll rate you out of 10.
@Miss M – I love those chalk bag thingies…. So awesome, I didn’t realise I’d get to accessorise if I took up rock climbing. And now I remember – leading is when you have to hook yourself in and stuff and you can fall down to the last place you hooked in. Very scary. And yes, the whole trust thing is totally hot. Until they tried to make me belay for FD, I nearly took off.
@Wiggles – come on – the panel has spoken!
@mosi - You need to get a "daisy chain" for that, it holds all the weight and clips you to the floor so that you can't lift off. I use it for the boys as they're much heavier and it is safer.
I have a bright pink chalk bag, it is the bomb. And these really cute climbing shoes with jokers on them. I'm getting a pink harness sometime soon too ;)
I love climbing
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