Roadside Rock

Climb Review

Daddy’s Midlife Crisis (5.8; Roadside Rock)—I led this route and belayed from top to bring Cassie up. The route was a bit harder than I had remembered as my fear of heights kicked in and I wasn’t the coolest cucumber as I could have been. Still, I took some big breaths, gathered my wits, and got to the top. Once Cassie climbed the route, we set up a double-strand rappel, and I taught Cassie how to rappel using her ATC.

Daddy’s BMW (5.7; Roadside Rock)—I led this route and again belayed from top. This time, I fixed the rope for a single-strand rappel and we rappelled using our grigris. Cassie made it down safely and I followed as the sun set and night encroached.

What I Learned

Cassie was probably the fifth or sixth person that I taught how to rappel. I thought that I was an effective instructor because she and I had practiced at home. This meant that we were both very comfortable during the rappel, which helped her retain more.

What Happened?

 

After work, we went to Roadside Rock to practice belaying from top as well as rappelling. We rappeled using both the grigri and the ATC on single and double-strand rappels, respectively. I was able to get a bit more practice leading, which is always a plus. I had a bit of an issue with my fear of heights on Midlife Crisis, but as usual, was able to recover and finish with a level head.