Date: February 22nd-23rd 2020
Location: Vantage, WA
Author: Erin
Training Stage: Base
Climbing Type: Sport Climbing & Top Roping
Two-and-a-half hours from Seattle, and I felt like I was in a different world, surrounded by burnt orange slabs jutting out of the ground like fingers. I pulled up to the dusty parking lot feeling nervous. I’d barely climbed in the gym all winter. I’d never climbed outside. Would the other climbers see me as a phony?
Luckily, the rest of our NSM group of seven showed up and put me at ease. Megan, our trip leader, deemed Vantage a judgement-free zone. Don’t feel comfortable lead climbing? Not problem. Only want someone you know to belay you? Just say so. Megan created a safe, welcoming environment. She made it her mission to make sure each of us got the experience we were looking for that day, whether it was practicing lead climbing outside, setting or cleaning anchors, or, in my case, just popping our outdoor climbing cherry.
We spent the day at the Feathers, a beginner-friendly, single-pitch climbing area. We warmed up by setting up ropes on a few 5.6s. Once we were feeling loose, we moved around to the sunnier side of the Feathers, and one of our group led a 5.9, a 5.10, and a 5.8. This gave us all a chance to top rope some more challenging routes. A few of us practiced lead climbing—and I did my first lead climb outside (!)—on a 5.4 and a 5.3.
I had as much fun cheering on my fellow NSM groupmates as I did climbing. After stumbling on a 5.4, a new climber moved on, unphased, to top rope a 5.8. We all cheered as Jenna set an anchor on a particularly tricky 5.9. Sonya top roped and cleaned an anchor on a 5.10a, her boldest climb yet.
As I looked around, I noticed people of different genders, races, and body types donning their harnesses and tying in. I was no longer feeling like a phony, I was just one of many people that day putting themselves out there and leaning on those around me when I got stuck.
I headed home, belly full of burrito and smile on my face, and looking forward to signing up for another NSW adventure.