Can't say the walls won, but ...

I finally got back to rock climbing after a few months off.

I missed it and had a lot of fun back on the walls, but I didn't make it to the top either time. I probably should have done some easier climbs, but I tried two tall walls.

On the first climb, my helper attached herself to my rope to keep near me. It wasn't the best idea. When she lost her hold on the wall, say when my foot slipped off a foothold and smashed onto her hand, she dragged me with her. Not that we fell -- we just were swinging on roped not holding the wall.

Also, near the top there was an outcrop for my helper but not me. I am sure she could have gotten over it but not tethered to me. But with the tether there was no room for us both. I would have had to climb the last 10-15 feet alone.

I considered asking if I could and trying to, but I knew I was struggling. So we called it quits there.

The second wall was another tough one -- the dreaded chimney, with its outward leaning wall and its overhang and its narrow spaces.

I think I started that climb about 9 p.m. and when I called it quits and got down, it was like 9:55. I kept twisting oddly. I think I might try without the shoulder harness next time -- that seemed to be pulling at me. But probably I was just twisting oddly.

My helper on that one did say my legs seemed stronger, and he should know -- several times he let me use his thigh for a foothold. I feel kind of bad about doing that though.

It wore me out. I was sore before I got home.

Working the legs

I only climbed two walls last night at EarthTreks Rockville, but I got a ton of exercise.

We switched things up a bit, and my normal belayer P helped me climb.

While he braced my feet on the holds, I had to get my feet there on my own. It was tough. But he, like all my climbing friends, was incredibly patient with me. On the first climb, he even had me use his leg as a hold for my feet when no good holds were reachable.

Others I was with noticed that I was working my own legs more, so that felt good.

I continued to hold myself on the wall. I relied on the belaying rope alone just a few times, not that I am climbing without it anytime soon.

I also continued campusing, using just my arms. Usually, I just do it to kind of nudge me into a better position to reach a foothold.

No photos, I am afraid. Next time ...

Climbing is so fun!

This is my favorite pic because it looks
like I am doing something. The others
I am standing straight. (And note to
self: Don't wear black socks.) More
photos at end.

I achieved several firsts in our first rock climbing trip of 2011 on Friday. As usual we went to Earth Treks Rockville. It was just four of us, and a fifth friend to cheer us on, so I only had one helper. But:

• I climbed four walls, one more than normal.
• It felt like I was actually getting my legs in position, or at least helping. J still had to put my feet on the holds, but I think I was getting them in that general direction.
• I even used both my legs once.
• I also pulled myself up a little using just my arms, a climbing technique known as campusing. (More lingo. Seriously, how bad am I?)
• I use a glasses strap, but I knocked my glasses off on one of my climbs, and they fell around my neck. But I finished the climb!

It was also the first time that I sweat so much I could feel it. But I didn't think that deserved a bullet point.

I brought my new manual wheelchair, which came apart and went back together fine. I did learn that it is really hard to push without being buckled in. (I tend to slide out.)

Someone said to my friend, he's been here a lot and he's getting better. Several people told me good job as we were leaving, too. I think I must be getting better, but mostly it is because in the morning I wasn't too sore.

Another good climb

Other than thumping J on the head twice during the second climb and nearly kneeing her in the face, climbing last night was good: three climbs and I made the top on all.

I kept trying to use both my legs, which is easier with a helper on either side. I also tried to stay on the wall. I mean I tried always to be holding on to the wall.

Not that I always did. Nor was I afraid I'd fall -- my belayer had me quite secure. I just wanted to try to do something a little harder than before. I also figured that when I get tapped for my first James Bond-esque mission, I might need to stay on the face of the mountain I have to scale. Unless Q has a jet pack for me.

I whacked J because my hand slipped off a hold and hit her. It is interesting how sore and tired one's fingers can get.

After the first climb, I had to ask J to help me pull up my kneepads because they had slipped and my knees were getting hurt. I had tried to do it myself, but my fingers just were too sore to grab the kneepad.

This was when I came real close to kneeing her in the face. My crazy reflexes sent my knee jumping just as she let go off the kneepad and stood up. Could have been ugly.

But it wasn't. Everything was good.

On my first time rock climbing, one of my helpers told me that I did not always have to use my arms to pull myself up. Sometimes, she said, I could put my hands on a lower hold and push myself up. I did it then but not since. I noticed several times it would have been a better move, but it was too hard to do. I want to work on that some.

Pictures to come.

Got my 6

On the last climb this past weekend, my partners started getting me on the wall when my belayer hollered at them that I wasn't fastened in yet. We laughed and I asked if they were trying to kill me. My belayer said, "I got your 6, buddy." The thing that is really awesome, when climbing, I know all my helpers all do.

I must be getting better or at least more used to rock climbing. We went Friday night, and I was not unbelievably sore Saturday. Once I got out of bed anyway.

I kept waking up early and wanting Advil, which was on the window sill right above me. But I didn't want to move -- I hurt to much. It is definitely a good hurt, though.

We went back to Rockville -- despite what REM says. Six of us, and they all helped me make it to the top on two of three climbs.

We did the chimney first, and I am glad I had two climbers helping me, one on either side. J frequently gave me little pushes so I could reach one hold or another, which I suppose is cheating but I needed it. R pointed out holds. And both held my legs in place so I could push off.

The chimney climb was harder than last time. I did not think I would ever make it over the outcropping of wall. But after a time I did, and then it is a short climb to the top.

My feet still didn't stay on the holds really, but I did try to climb one leg than the other, like Crazy Climber from the '80s video games. It occasionally worked.

I watched one of the other folks I was with do this really hard climb. He was like spread out on the wall, using his fingernails and toes. It was pretty amazing.

The last climb was the only one where I didn't get all the way to the top. That one narrowed out so only I could get up. My climbing partners could not go up next to me. I thought about trying to do it without them but I was tired and it was getting late.

I was better off than J, who kept putting her foot on a hold only to have it turn. Apparently, that is why the third climb had more trouble than expected.

A step back, but a fun step back

I hope the kids aren't disappointed. Matty Claus didn't make it up or down the chimney last night.

Actually, I didn't make it to the top of any of the three walls I climbed last night. I said last time that if I have all day I can make it up a wall. Clearly, I was lying.

And it did not even help that I bought my own harnesses and wore kneepads. I looked like a badass, granted, but ...

We went to EarthTreks Columbia. It was fun, but the walls were harder. They ran higher -- 44 feet -- but the problem was the holds were not were I needed them. And even when they were they didn't always have easy places to hold on. J said the walls were harder, but she was just being nice. She and the other folks climbed OK.

J was actually kind of pleased. Yeah, we finally found something that Matt can't climb the first time, she said. She is mean like that. HEE-- kidding!

It was a fun time, as I said, but a bit frustrating, too. I had just told the friend who was belaying me that I liked climbing because of the satisfaction you got from reaching the top and looking down to see what you did.

I still looked down and saw what I did. But I also was able to look up and see what I was unable to do.

I did almost make it to the top on the first climb despite becoming scared for the first time when climbing. I knew I would not fall and on all the other climbs I have swung off the wall and was held up fine by my belayer.

This time was different. I think it was because I actually lost my grip unexpectedly and swung off the wall. I looked down, saw my wheelchair and imagined me falling into it.

Anyway, I recovered and was near-ish the top when my freaking shoe came off. Really. It fell down and there was no hope after that.

When I was trying to learn how to drive with hand controls, I almost killed the instructor because my arms jumped around. Someone encouraged me to just keep practicing, that I would get it. I was sure I wouldn't. I knew my arms would not become less jumpy no matter how much practice I put in -- that is Friedreich's ataxia for you. My arms did not improve, and I don't drive.

Perhaps it is just as well I don't drive. My friends mocked me for saying I like PT Cruisers. Only cheesy guys drive them, J said. They were just as disdainful of square cars. I was too worried to mention my real favorite: Chevy HHR.

But every time I face an obstacle in some physical effort, I wonder if it is an issue or practice or a limit forced on me because of FA.

I am not quitting climbing or anything, but I wonder how much better I can get.

You can call me Matty Claus

Because I climbed up and down the Chimney at Rockville Earth Treks last night! And it was a really hard climb.

We had to do a little regrouping at first. It was a new team. My good friend J climbed with me, and each of us had belayers who I had not met before. P and A were very cool, though.

It is pretty awesome how J finds these good, patient people to help me. And she found another last night while we were climbing.

J kept telling me she was not as aggressive as my other climbing partner. But when we were on the wall, I didn't want to stop she was cheering me on so much.

One thing we had to tweak. I realized halfway through that J was saying this leg and tapping one. I didn't feel it, so she began smacking the wall next to whatever leg. J also lets me get away with using my right leg too much. I need to work on the left leg.

We started on a regular wall and that felt almost easy. I tried to ignore all the kids zipping around the walls who probably weren't born until after I turned 30.

Then it was time for the Chimney.

Unlike the other walls I had climbed, this one had both a negative incline and an outcrop.

Negative incline means that the wall leans a little out so parts of the wall are farther out than the bottom. The other walls had been straight or leaned a little back so the bottom was farther out. Instead of just worrying about climbing, you have to worry about staying on the wall.

The outcrop just means there is something to over from underneath.

Before we started, J kept telling me that it would not be bad if I didn't do this on my first try and that I could always try again.

The way I look at it, though, is I don't want to have to climb through all the negative incline, only to be outdone by the outcrop or whatever. J says "All day baby!" I suspect it doesn't really mean this, but I will succeed at most things if I am given all day. And I took a rest or two on the Chimney. P held me steady so I was safe.

And then I was up there! ADB!

I did a third climb on an easy wall, and it about killed me, but I made it to the top of that one, too.

Swimming or maybe rock climbing?

Swimming started yesterday, but I did not go. The co-ordinator called last week and said they were moving the 4 p.m. class to 5 for the first four weeks. A 5 p.m. start means I would not be home and changed until nearly 7 (yes, it takes me that long). Plus, there might be opportunities to rock climb on Sundays, and that is really fun. But it is hard to get together the people needed.

I decided not to swim until they brought back the 4 p.m. class.

But the swimming teacher knew nothing about the time change. No one told her until I e-mailed her. She told me she is still there at 4, whether the class starts then officially or not. Come on out, she told me, it'll feel great.

Just yuck

I told a friend at work that I imagine that I am pretty low on the list of people you worry about running through the building with a shotgun. Not because I can't run. More because of my dislike of violence and guns.

But, I told my friend, a few more days like today could make me reconsider my non-violent stance.

It wasn't really that awful. There were just like 37 people asking me to do 37 things, and all 37 needed doing.

Plus, I slipped in the bathroom. Not that bad, but enough to remind me that I am in a wheelchair in an unfriendly body,

There is little, unfortunately, that doesn't remind me of this. I sit outside with Claren after work at home. I am sure I could grab her ball and play with her if I was stealthy and speedy. Neither of those adjectives describe me, not even a little.

One thing that doesn't remind me of my imperfect body, at least lately, is rock climbing. Even though I need a lot of help to climb, a lot of people can't do what little I can. It is a little like horseback riding was at the beginning.

I found out last night we were going rock climbing tomorrow night but then we had to reschedule. That was rotten, too. I was looking forward to climbing and seeing friends.

And my hayfever is killing me. Goddamnit.

Piss, vinegar and a little inspiration

I am thinking I need a them song for when I am rock climbing.

Granted, I can't hear well. But I am thinking I'd recognize something "Eye of the Tiger"-ish.

I thought I heard "Further On (Up the Road)" off Springsteen's "The Rising" during my second climb, but that makes no sense really. Most of the clientele are like 20 and I am pretty bad when it comes to distinguishing music in crowds. It must have just been the blood circulating, but it's an odd song to imagine hearing.

Anyway, I went climbing again. It was a blast.

I was a lot better, but mostly that was because I came home from work and took a two-hour nap before going to the climbing center. Last time I went straight from work.

Mom and Dad drove me -- this time in my manual chair so I could get a ride home -- and I got the leg harness and the shoulder harness on. Then we went to the same wall as last time.

Before we did anything else we got this picture, which I wanted last time but forgot. Then I climbed. Claren is a hit with everyone there, of course.

The first route, one I climbed last time, was named the "3:10 to Yuma," not sure why. It did not seem to have much to do with Russell Crowe or Westerns, but that's OK. I actually did it pretty fast and felt good -- tired but good.

While I was recovering, my one friend who belays me and the one who climbs with me and helps me get my feet in position went out to scout tougher walls.

My climbing buddy K said it was apparent I was full of piss and vinegar and we should take advantage of it. I should have told her I am always full of piss and vinegar, but I had energy, too.

They found a climb that looked good. It was at least 500 feet tall, I am sure, or maybe 40 or 50. But it was tall. I believe it was called "Tiger," which sounds no more imposing then a Russell Crowe movie. And I think they were both the same rating in the Yosemite Decimal Rating System (check me out with the lingo!).

It was so much fun to get to the top of this tall wall. I stayed there for a bit so we could get the descent planned out and I got to look around. I could not believe I got that high. I haven't been that high since we climbed on to the second roof at Mom and Dad's, and unlike that time, there was no fear of plunging to my death, less anyway because J had a grigri (and yes, more lingo!).

One of the best parts of that climb was getting ready. I stood up on the wall before K was ready, so belayer J and I were talking. It was so much fun to talk to someone while standing. I'm taller than her, too.

She was telling me to let them know if I could not do this or if I needed to rest or anything. K asked me several times on the climb if I needed to rest, but the top was tantalizingly close so we never stopped.

I also had another reason for not wanting to stop and it made me think of my college roommate and best friend.

When I was in my third year of college, he was running a haunted house. He wanted to set up a harness and climbing rope for someone to be in the air and spook people. When he bought it, we went to test it out. He lifted me OK, but he wanted to see what it felt like, so I lifted him, or tried. He immediately was like: let me down, let me down. The harness was cutting into his legs.

Now, almost 20 years later, I sympathize with him. I may need to buy my own harness.

After I got down I watched another member of our group climb this wall that had an outcrop built on it. It was pretty cool to watch her figure out which way to go and what hold she could reach. After she reached the top and came down, I told her that was neat. She said, well, you were inspiring. HA. I am full of something but I am not sure it is inspiration.

And the last part of the night was getting a ride home with J. Last weekend and this trip have reminded me how nice it is to sit in the front seat. So fun.

Thanks. You know I'm going again.

Matt shows his mad rock-climbing skills, or something

Ever since I read a post in Bali What?, a now outdated blog by someone else with Friedreich's ataxia, I have wanted to go rock climbing.

She described her experience with a local adaptive sports group, and I thought: "I could do that."

That was more than a year ago. I looked up some local climbing centers and read about them, but I did not know any climbers or anything, so I just put it on the back-burner ... until I met J.

She mentioned she climbed, I told her I had always wanted to, and she decided we would.

Honestly, she kind of called my bluff. I did want to, but I did not really expect to. It really didn't kick in until Mom dropped me off at Earth Treks in the appropriately named Rockville.

I had e-mailed the woman in charge at Earth Treks, and she said it sounded as it I would be able to climb, so there we were last night: Me and Claren, J, and two of her climbing friends, K and T.

The staff was great. They put a harness around my waist and another around my shoulders, which no one else used, and then we were off to battle the only modestly inaccessible moment.

The climbing walls are all on big six-inch mats and there was no way up at first. So a few people just lifted my chair up. This was my power chair so that was heavy. On our exit, they just put up a sheet of wood to work as a ramp.

It is cool to be with people who don't worry about whether I can do something but instead just use common-sense methods to help me do my best.

Once on the mat, we went to a wall that was probably 20-30 feet high, strapped me to a belaying rope and sent me up. Well, more or less.

K climbed next to me and quickly realized she'd need to help my feet find and stay on the footholds. T belayed her. J belayed me, and I think she was working hard. The belaying rope holds you up so you don't fall much if you lose your grip. It can't pull you up, but J did everything but pull me up. Every inch I climbed she pulled the belaying rope tight so I never went back at all.

I looked down at one point and was surprised how high I was. I loved that Claren had wandered over and was lying right next to my chair waiting for me. I later told J how cool this was, and she immediately burst my bubble. Yeah, she said, she was lying there, "after making the rounds" of our climbing area.

When I looked down and saw how high I was, I was also surprised at how far I still had to go. I swear they have a hidden button that they push and make the wall like a million feet high.

But I finally made it! I tapped the tape marks at the top of the wall like climbers do and we started down, which was almost as hectic.

Normally, you lean back on the waist harness and walk down the wall as the belayer lets the rope out. I am not so hot with walking, so my legs kind of bumped down as I pushed off with a hand and K helped me. But we made it. Claren was glad to see me back at wheelchair level.

They lowered me right into the chair and I spent the next hour recovering, drinking water and watching them and a fourth zip up and down the wall. I figure it took me 30-45 minutes to get up and back.

Earth Treks closes at 10, so I started my second climb about 9:30. K had found what she thought would be a good wall for me to climb and so we did. I think this time I managed it in 20 minutes.

We had learned a few things from the first climb. She really braced my foot on the footholds. We also realized that I was more comfortable with a hip on the wall, rather than facing the wall. I am not sure why, but the result was we kept turning from the right hip to the left and back, whenever I ran out of handholds. The other result is some nasty rug burns on my knees from rubbing the wall through my jeans.

Afterward, I headed to the metro for a longish but pleasant ride home. I climbed a rock wall. I can't wait to go back!

P.S. I had just finished and checked my e-mail. J said she went back to the climbing center today and that I have a fan club of people who saw me and were impressed. WHOO!