Climbing the walls
In the outdoorsy town of Lake Placid for the week to cheer a family member in his very first Ironman triathlon, we took a day to go cragging on Pitchoff cliff, a slab located just south of town on Hwy 73. The day was booked through Eastern Mountain Sports by my sister-in-law as a special birthday treat for our adventure-minded niece, who turned 11 that day.
Our two experienced guides, Josh and Matt, set up three top ropes for our group of three families. Climbers included three of the mothers, one father and five kids: two girls aged 11, a boy of 8, and P and J. Our Ironman contender wisely took the day to observe, encourage the kids and rest up for his race.
Although the weather was cool with patches of drizzle, the day was a resounding success, even winning over Kim’s husband, a rock climbing skeptic. The off-vertical routes provided lots of chances for kids and adults to try climbing using ledges, cracks, flakes and friction holds, and even a tricky overhang.
The guides were incredibly patient, tying kids in and out of the routes over and over, and helping them work out some basic climbing moves including laybacks, heel hooks, stemming and rappelling. We felt in good hands with our guides who said they didn’t often have such a keen group of climbers ranging in age from 4 to 40(ish). Not a cheap day out by any stretch, but certainly a memorable one. Happy Birthday, K!
Rating: ☺☺☺☺☺ Outstanding day.
