Black Magic

I finally got to go climbing yesterday! We went to Mt. Stuart which is about half an hour away from campus. I was feeling pretty confident starting out. Most of the people we were climbing with had little to no experience. I had all my own gear, I could talk the talk, but could I walk the walk?

Not really. The climbing was rough. The rock was really solid, but the handholds were crimpy and the footholds required an acute sense of balance. There isn't a guide book for that site, so I'm not sure what they were rated. The club leaders were really nice and very helpful in getting everyone up and going.

I tried my hand at a difficult climb called Black Magic. In my defense, I was trying to stick a dyno while the rope was stuck over a bulge in the rock. It wasn't until I was giving it my last shot that the rope had found its way into the right corner and by then I was out of energy. You have to start somewhere I suppose.

I was crouching on that ledge trying to jump up to that crack in the corner.
(Photo by James Ragan)

The president of the climb was nice enough to take me, another study abroad student, and another club member to the lookout point over Mt. Stuart. We watched the sunset over Townsville. The perfect end to my first day climbing!

(Photo by James Ragan)