Nikki Tate my harness is as secure as it was when I started up the wall Or that my belayer has never let me down It doesn’t even matter that I have climbed this wall before My heart turns over in the tight space inside my chest Most climbing accidents happen at the end of a session People push too hard They are tired That’s when mistakes get made The little brass bell at the top of the wall the one I should be able to get to and ring is so close I can see the tiny clapper the delicate chain suspending the bell from a hook right at the top I won’t be ringing it tonight Take I call down Need a rest Lissy asks as she takes the slack out of the rope I feel a comforting tug at my waist as she holds me safe Lower I answer But you’re almost there Two more moves I’m done I lean back into the harness push my feet against the wall and let go of the hold Bring me down 6
Deadpoint I can imagine Lissy’s thoughts as she begins to lower me and the ground inches closer She’s thinking I will never be a great climber that she is wasting her time coming to the gym with me She’s thinking I should take up another sport Something easier Something safer Soccer maybe Or golf My feet touch down beside her and she grins Good fight she says Next time You’ll nail it next time Standing beside her safe on the ground her words seem reasonable Thanks But what I’m thinking is that it’s getting harder and harder to find reasons to come to the gym Would our friendship survive if one day I walked out of the gym and never came back 7
Chapter Two Lissy is so close behind me I can hear her breathing Neither of us says anything We don’t have to The new boy on the wall has our full attention He is so good It’s like he has glue pads on his fingers or suction cups on the bottom of his climbing shoes He’s like one of those cute frogs from the Amazon with the blobby toes Or a gecko Or a fly Normally I would say something encouraging but there’s no need He is handling the bouldering route we call 8
Deadpoint Turtle Alley like he’s strolling down a side walk Effortless Smooth I’ve never made it to the top of Turtle Alley There’s a move around an overhang that has me beat The hold on the other side is just out of reach My fingers have grazed it but I’ve never been able to grab on This boy though He takes a deep breath moves his left foot to a tiny nub of a hold under the overhang It’s more like a pimple than a hold But it’s just enough that when he pushes hard with his other foot and takes a big swing with his left hand and then immediately his right he’s able to grab onto the elusive hold He must have incredible abs because he’s holding his hips in close as he moves his left foot up around the corner He hooks his heel on a small block and then pulls himself up and around in one smooth motion I hardly know where to look Everything is moving not fast but all connected balanced And then he’s at the top of the bouldering problem both hands securely on the last hold It’s a juggy thing that looks 9
