Friday, March 5, 2010
Started the day reviewing LOPs (Local Operating Procedures) and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) to prep for the certification exam. Doesn't happen until sometime in April so we'd better hold on to and improve our knowledge. We were given self-assessment sheets to take with us on the course and Beth and Austin would be there with their clip boards assessing us themselves.
Got outside and those of us who had Trust Activities to run ran 'em. Mine was "Slice and Dice" and it's a lesson in perceived vs actual risk. There should be a minimum of 12 people in 2 lines facing each other 3.5' - 5' apart. They have to make chopping motions with their arms and a volunteer needs to walk through the line at a consistent pace. We had fewer than 12 people so I improvised and had the first 4 people run to the end of the line after the volunteer had passed them. We ran through this twice and then went to the debrief. That's when I said I'd have done better had I practiced in advance. I thought my debrief was decent because I tied it to events that happened on the Zip Line yesterday. My group feedback was that my instructions were kind of muddled. Another said that had they all been paying attention and not having side conversations, it would have gone smoother. Thanks for that. Austin said I should have said, "I need all of you to get into 2 lines facing each other and about 3.5 to 5' apart" rather than stand around telling them what they were going to do. Of course. He also appreciated how I did my debrief but said I could have gone deeper with the consequences of actions and the process of helping someone who is frozen on a platform--that was me.
From there we did trust falls from the picnic table. There was discussion about how prevalent trust falls became but that they should be done with groups of people who know and work together well. Apparently that has not been the case and trust falls have become a bit of a joke in some circles. They showed us how to set up, shoulder to shoulder, spotter stance with left foot a little behind and turned, knees bent and ready, and arms alternating with the person across from you no more than to the elbow. The person falling, in this case Austin, needs to put their heels on the edge of the table and be centered so that they will fall in the center of the line. The person trusting needs to interlace their fingers and turn their hands inward so that they fold across their chest. This keeps them from flailing their arms out and hitting someone. They use typical commands: Spotters ready? Ready. Falling? Fall Away. Then the person falls back stiffly (pinch a quarter in their butt cheeks) so that they don't drop their butt which will put a lot of pressure and likely fall through the lineup causing someone to get hurt. After Austin, Marc, Jen, and I tried it. I faltered on the first "falling." Beth said do the commands again and I fell back that time though it felt like I might have bent my knees a bit hence a butt drop but I was told I didn't. That felt good to manage.
Time for lunch and then out to the course again. This time we needed to identify areas in which we feel weak and to ask questions and practice. I felt I needed practice in most all of it but went to the Pamper Pole to review chest harnesses and belaying with a gri-gri. By the time we got back, it was too late to do much of anything else. I was feeling frustrated because while we're supposed to be learning from each other, if everyone is testing and learning, you spin and guess and retry as time ticks. I came away feeling less confident than I had the rest of the week.
The call went out,"Who knows where the ladder chain went?" I found it buried in leaves so we were able to lock up the ladders. That felt productive. Also tied a killich (clove hitch followed by half hitches with the last one on the tip of the rope so that it will go through the pulley smoothly) on the Giant Swing; p-cord is hitched to the belay rope and you pull the cord through the pulley and secure the belay rope out of easy reach and to the tree.
We turned in our self-assessments and Beth saw my scoring and called me the self doubter. Oh, well. I guess you can't have significant days everyday.
Friday, March 5, 2010
Practioner Challenge Course Day 4: Zip Line
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Set-up and climbed the Play Pen. Took all my strength to get to two levels. Felt zapped afterwards. Watched a rescue demo. George, who is going for Level 2 certification, rescued Beth from the Cat Walk. Level 1 just needs to have a sense of how it happens and the types of things we can do before it gets to a Level 2 cutting a rope to rescue. Beth's dog Marlee was crying because Beth was up in a harness and not reachable.
After lunch we headed to the Zip Line. I never noticed it before right off the side road and near the parking lot. Just looks like a couple of telephone poles with guy wires running off it. But there it was in all it's height. I'm guessing 30'. Austin said to guesstimate with someone you know is about 6' tall and standing next to it--then multiply. A lone pole looks all the more imposing as it stands smooth and bare with only climbing staples to stand upon.
Beth and Austin planned to step back and let us figure out how to set up the system with minimal intervention. I was with the group at the platform and chaos reigned. My brain was moving frenetically so at some point I walked down to see what was happening on the other end of the line. . . not helpful to the larger group but I needed more direction. It happened that the other group was finished setting up so I lucked out and got a one-on-one with Austin. We talked about the set-up and I pointed out what I saw and asked questions and he asked questions of me to assure that I understood.
We had 2 belay set-ups. One at the start to raise the rider to the platform and one at the finish to raise them and take tension off their self-belay line so they could unclip and be transferred to the 2:1 belay system which looks something like an N. The 2:1 gives a mechanical advantage making it easier to lift or haul a person. From the belay cable, there was a steel locking carabiner clipped into a figure eight knot. From there, the rope dropped down to create a loop through another carabiner (this produces a little friction but we don't use a pulley because someone's fingers could be caught) and went back up to a directional pulley. From there, the rope dropped down again for the haulers. Because there was a 2:1 mechanical advantage, 2 or 3 people could belay the 6' height without a belay device. We could have also used a 3:1 which would have looked like an M and made the belay that much easier. For some reason I thought that I saw an SRD (sheer reduction device) but Austin said we would only use those on an element like the Pamper Pole where we want holding ability rather than hauling ability.
I made my way back to the platform belay where Beth was perched on high. We were using an Australian Belay where at least 4 or 5, maybe 12 people, are clipped in and haul a person up to the platform where Beth would walk them through the process of clipping and unclipping and deciding how they'd like to ride. (We used this same system for the Flying Squirrel.) Some were jumping off backwards in trust falls. Don't know how they did it. I was helping belay, and eventually took a ride up to Beth to see what I could do.
As I was getting hauled up I felt the panic start. It was so high. I climbed up on to the itty bitty platform and Beth used her calm voice to get me over on her side that was just slightly less itty bitty. She did the clipping seeing that I was hardly functioning. She suggested I stop hugging the pole and turn around. I turned my feet in tiny increments until I was facing relatively forward to the zip line but on the verge of tears saying "Beth, I don't think I can do this."She worked with me, giving me the Challenge By Choice option but still encouraging me to go. The longer I stood there I noticed I started to hyperventilate because I was getting the same tingling sensation I felt when I tried to rappel. She tried to get me to regulate my breathing but I was well into my fear. She suggested it may not be my day and I could try another time and rappel or climb down. But then I'd feel like I failed and I know there won't be another time because our schedule is tight as it is. I tried repeating the battle of fear and ego from "The Fear Book" but don't think I got it quite right. Beth said later that she was trying to remember what I had said. But then she hit on the right approach. "Eileen, it's really a lovely ride."Oh, a lovely ride? That's a different bent from a thrill ride. Maybe I could do a lovely ride.
We talked about whether the belay rope was long enough to allow me to sit down on the platform and I found I was able to. From there I asked if she could push me but she suggested I scooch up toward the edge. I did and finally moved myself to the point of no return and with breath sucked in fast and hard, found myself zipping down the line. It was a lovely ride. Tears and sobs fell out of me in relief and at some point I just let go my grip on the rope and rode with arms outstretched, embracing my ride, my fear, and my courage. People stopped me at the finish, did the belay routine and got me to the ground. Got a hug from Coquette as I wept from relief. Austin walked over and reminded me that the best way to get rid of the hyperventilation numbness is to walk around. I felt better in a few minutes and Kristie showed me how to get others down from their rides. Mike came through in cannonball fashion and set the distance record. It held for a few rides until after I told Aaron Mike's tip about holding yourself in a straight and aerodynamic form which should help you go a longer distance. I saw an opportunity for payback for Mike's earlier Freudian slip when he tried to take my place at the Australian Belay saying, "I know your muscles are weak. . . oh, I mean tired." Oh, no no, Mikey!" I've owed him since the fall for a few other things so I finally hit pay dirt.
Poor Beth. She stood on that platform for near 3 hours in the cold and wind giving us thrills and teaching us how to manage a platform. That is dedication.
Fell into bed at 7:30. Woke around midnight. Knew Victoria would be up so called her. Woke on and off but got some much needed sleep.
Tomorrow (today) not sure what's up but it's Challenge Course Day 5. I'll be leading a trust activity.
Set-up and climbed the Play Pen. Took all my strength to get to two levels. Felt zapped afterwards. Watched a rescue demo. George, who is going for Level 2 certification, rescued Beth from the Cat Walk. Level 1 just needs to have a sense of how it happens and the types of things we can do before it gets to a Level 2 cutting a rope to rescue. Beth's dog Marlee was crying because Beth was up in a harness and not reachable.
After lunch we headed to the Zip Line. I never noticed it before right off the side road and near the parking lot. Just looks like a couple of telephone poles with guy wires running off it. But there it was in all it's height. I'm guessing 30'. Austin said to guesstimate with someone you know is about 6' tall and standing next to it--then multiply. A lone pole looks all the more imposing as it stands smooth and bare with only climbing staples to stand upon.
Beth and Austin planned to step back and let us figure out how to set up the system with minimal intervention. I was with the group at the platform and chaos reigned. My brain was moving frenetically so at some point I walked down to see what was happening on the other end of the line. . . not helpful to the larger group but I needed more direction. It happened that the other group was finished setting up so I lucked out and got a one-on-one with Austin. We talked about the set-up and I pointed out what I saw and asked questions and he asked questions of me to assure that I understood.
We had 2 belay set-ups. One at the start to raise the rider to the platform and one at the finish to raise them and take tension off their self-belay line so they could unclip and be transferred to the 2:1 belay system which looks something like an N. The 2:1 gives a mechanical advantage making it easier to lift or haul a person. From the belay cable, there was a steel locking carabiner clipped into a figure eight knot. From there, the rope dropped down to create a loop through another carabiner (this produces a little friction but we don't use a pulley because someone's fingers could be caught) and went back up to a directional pulley. From there, the rope dropped down again for the haulers. Because there was a 2:1 mechanical advantage, 2 or 3 people could belay the 6' height without a belay device. We could have also used a 3:1 which would have looked like an M and made the belay that much easier. For some reason I thought that I saw an SRD (sheer reduction device) but Austin said we would only use those on an element like the Pamper Pole where we want holding ability rather than hauling ability.
I made my way back to the platform belay where Beth was perched on high. We were using an Australian Belay where at least 4 or 5, maybe 12 people, are clipped in and haul a person up to the platform where Beth would walk them through the process of clipping and unclipping and deciding how they'd like to ride. (We used this same system for the Flying Squirrel.) Some were jumping off backwards in trust falls. Don't know how they did it. I was helping belay, and eventually took a ride up to Beth to see what I could do.
As I was getting hauled up I felt the panic start. It was so high. I climbed up on to the itty bitty platform and Beth used her calm voice to get me over on her side that was just slightly less itty bitty. She did the clipping seeing that I was hardly functioning. She suggested I stop hugging the pole and turn around. I turned my feet in tiny increments until I was facing relatively forward to the zip line but on the verge of tears saying "Beth, I don't think I can do this."She worked with me, giving me the Challenge By Choice option but still encouraging me to go. The longer I stood there I noticed I started to hyperventilate because I was getting the same tingling sensation I felt when I tried to rappel. She tried to get me to regulate my breathing but I was well into my fear. She suggested it may not be my day and I could try another time and rappel or climb down. But then I'd feel like I failed and I know there won't be another time because our schedule is tight as it is. I tried repeating the battle of fear and ego from "The Fear Book" but don't think I got it quite right. Beth said later that she was trying to remember what I had said. But then she hit on the right approach. "Eileen, it's really a lovely ride."Oh, a lovely ride? That's a different bent from a thrill ride. Maybe I could do a lovely ride.
We talked about whether the belay rope was long enough to allow me to sit down on the platform and I found I was able to. From there I asked if she could push me but she suggested I scooch up toward the edge. I did and finally moved myself to the point of no return and with breath sucked in fast and hard, found myself zipping down the line. It was a lovely ride. Tears and sobs fell out of me in relief and at some point I just let go my grip on the rope and rode with arms outstretched, embracing my ride, my fear, and my courage. People stopped me at the finish, did the belay routine and got me to the ground. Got a hug from Coquette as I wept from relief. Austin walked over and reminded me that the best way to get rid of the hyperventilation numbness is to walk around. I felt better in a few minutes and Kristie showed me how to get others down from their rides. Mike came through in cannonball fashion and set the distance record. It held for a few rides until after I told Aaron Mike's tip about holding yourself in a straight and aerodynamic form which should help you go a longer distance. I saw an opportunity for payback for Mike's earlier Freudian slip when he tried to take my place at the Australian Belay saying, "I know your muscles are weak. . . oh, I mean tired." Oh, no no, Mikey!" I've owed him since the fall for a few other things so I finally hit pay dirt.
Poor Beth. She stood on that platform for near 3 hours in the cold and wind giving us thrills and teaching us how to manage a platform. That is dedication.
Fell into bed at 7:30. Woke around midnight. Knew Victoria would be up so called her. Woke on and off but got some much needed sleep.
Tomorrow (today) not sure what's up but it's Challenge Course Day 5. I'll be leading a trust activity.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Practitioner Challenge Course Day 3: Climbing, Gri Gris, Birth & Death
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Oh, where to begin. Weary, exhausted, previously exhilarated. Forced myself to buy some food on the way home and actually stay vertical to cook it. The days are becoming a blur and I'm not sure I remember what I did this morning. Let's see.
I was waiting for a turn on the Multi-Vine so, while waiting, belayed Jen while she Lead Climbed to attach a second belay pulley. She was up freakin' high but got it set up like a pro! I let her down with the gri-gri but got pulled off the ground on the downhill as her pulley slid to the center. I had a sense that I could be pulled but didn't think about the downhill factor. I should also have had someone holding my harness to counter that action. I tried to stay with it but as my feet left the ground I called for help looking for someone to grab the loop on my harness and hold us both down. I presented Austin and Beth with a "teachable moment" and learned well. But, I didn't drop Jen with the gri-gri so things were looking up in my book.
Beth got me Lead Climbing again with the lobster claws but this time up the Cat Walk and with the miserable carabiner type "claws" that you have to do a one-handed twist and squeeze of the barrel so you can clip onto an anchor. I whined about using them vs the real claws and Beth basically told me it would be good for me so stop whining. Once I was off the ladder she took it away and I was on my own with the claws maneuvering around the left side of the post and onto the platform which is higher than the beam. From the platform she asked me to clip in and climb up to the belay cable and when Beth or Austin ask, I try. I guess I know they won't ask me to do anything they don't think I can do and I need that kind of support. All that Challenge by Choice. . . moving out of your comfort zone. Beth said I'm leaps ahead of where I started and now my goals are about getting comfortable with height. Especially now since we're being assessed.
And in Beth's style, she pushed me to walk the Cat Walk while she was belaying me with a gri-gri. You don't get the same tight tension and unless you know how to use them properly, they are an accident waiting to happen. (Odd, since Austin told us that the gri-gri was originally developed to solve climbing problems.) Beth was pushing me to use my legs and feel myself on the beam rather than count so heavily on the belay tension to hold me upright which is what I generally ask for. She was having none of it. She suggested I try a surprise fall so I'd see how the tension feels when I fall. She gets me to do the strangest things. I fell and slid around but kept my feet on the beam and the tension was enough to hold me there. I righted myself and Austin happened by at the time and watched as I tried no hands and no noticeable belay tension to inch across the beam. Did it, sort of. Then Beth belayed me down from the beam which I can say in this semester is fun.
She had me Lead Climb again up the other Cat Walk post this time up high to the belay cable. My fingers were freezing and I kept catching them between the claw barrel and the stem as I clipped in. I couldn't make it up to the belay cable which is higher than the cables you walk on. Beth suggested I transfer from the Cat Walk to the Multi-Vine and then over to the giant swing. Right. I didn't have a lot of faith I'd get far on the Vine but tried. I did a similar element 3 years ago and it was tough. The vines are hanging vertical ropes that you grab onto but they offer little stability as you cross the cable from one rope to reach another rope. Hanging on to a vine and my belay rope, I can't recall if I got to the 2nd rope but I was beat and cold so opted for a belay down. At some point through all of this she told me again, "Don't be so daft." It's become her endearing way to poke fun and keep me loose.
Since we've all been told that we need to be busy doing something so we can be assessed, I next found myself climbing the big swing. I figured I'd go up, and it is up, but no expectations that I had to swing down. Aaron had taken Austin's place on the platform and Erin was belaying. What I've noticed is that I'm climbing better. I go up pretty quickly. I'm still nervous but I don't let it get me early on. I got up to the swing platform and Aaron did a bunch of clipping in and out. I was holding on to the tree anchors--amazing how sticking a finger through each anchor gives some foolish semblance of safety. Of course I was belayed to Erin but still. I told Aaron that 3 years ago I had sat on a zip line platform for 15 minutes before a friend gave me a gentle push off. It was the only way I could get off the damn thing. Today I had seen others swinging. There's a long drop and then a long swing. I just couldn't do it. And it was okay. I had been climbing up and down trees and belaying and damn it, I was busy doing things I wouldn't do last semester. So, while I'm not doing the highly technical stuff like installing pulleys on the highest cables, I've moved forward. Austin caught me end of day doing something high and said appreciatively, "Pushin'. Always pushin'. You've been doing that since day one."
Somewhere in between all of that, Ian got himself up the ladder and onto the Cat Walk. I learned that he fell off a ladder in the summer while painting a house. He landed on the deck and fell through the guy's picnic table. When he was little, he also saw a kid fall out of a tree. Hence, fear of heights. He really pushed through some stuff today and I got to belay him. I hope that fact didn't prevent him from going out onto and off the beam. I wanted to give him a big hug and I'm not sure why I only did a stupid high-five. I think Ian could have dealt with a hug. Meanwhile, Laura was on the Playpen and on the highest level. She got a nosebleed!
We headed back to the classroom for a debrief. My group had to pick a button that had a saying that meant something to us. I found two.
1. "I'm in the awkward stage of life between birth and death." Since I'm much closer to the death stage of life, I can feel especially awkward in this OLP direction I have taken. At the same time, I can feel especially grateful.
2. "It's not just a backpack. It's my life!" Nuf said. Well, no. Beth prodded me for how all of this connects to the Challenge Course. Oh, I'm Fully Participating In Life!
Erin reminds me that I'm still one bad bitch and she's counting on me getting a tattoo before graduation. I've thought randomly of it for a few years but of what?
Took pictures yesterday and today but who's got time to upload? Marc took some, too.
Tomorrow, Zip Line. Now, more reading. . . maybe.
Oh, where to begin. Weary, exhausted, previously exhilarated. Forced myself to buy some food on the way home and actually stay vertical to cook it. The days are becoming a blur and I'm not sure I remember what I did this morning. Let's see.
I was waiting for a turn on the Multi-Vine so, while waiting, belayed Jen while she Lead Climbed to attach a second belay pulley. She was up freakin' high but got it set up like a pro! I let her down with the gri-gri but got pulled off the ground on the downhill as her pulley slid to the center. I had a sense that I could be pulled but didn't think about the downhill factor. I should also have had someone holding my harness to counter that action. I tried to stay with it but as my feet left the ground I called for help looking for someone to grab the loop on my harness and hold us both down. I presented Austin and Beth with a "teachable moment" and learned well. But, I didn't drop Jen with the gri-gri so things were looking up in my book.
Beth got me Lead Climbing again with the lobster claws but this time up the Cat Walk and with the miserable carabiner type "claws" that you have to do a one-handed twist and squeeze of the barrel so you can clip onto an anchor. I whined about using them vs the real claws and Beth basically told me it would be good for me so stop whining. Once I was off the ladder she took it away and I was on my own with the claws maneuvering around the left side of the post and onto the platform which is higher than the beam. From the platform she asked me to clip in and climb up to the belay cable and when Beth or Austin ask, I try. I guess I know they won't ask me to do anything they don't think I can do and I need that kind of support. All that Challenge by Choice. . . moving out of your comfort zone. Beth said I'm leaps ahead of where I started and now my goals are about getting comfortable with height. Especially now since we're being assessed.
She had me Lead Climb again up the other Cat Walk post this time up high to the belay cable. My fingers were freezing and I kept catching them between the claw barrel and the stem as I clipped in. I couldn't make it up to the belay cable which is higher than the cables you walk on. Beth suggested I transfer from the Cat Walk to the Multi-Vine and then over to the giant swing. Right. I didn't have a lot of faith I'd get far on the Vine but tried. I did a similar element 3 years ago and it was tough. The vines are hanging vertical ropes that you grab onto but they offer little stability as you cross the cable from one rope to reach another rope. Hanging on to a vine and my belay rope, I can't recall if I got to the 2nd rope but I was beat and cold so opted for a belay down. At some point through all of this she told me again, "Don't be so daft." It's become her endearing way to poke fun and keep me loose.
Since we've all been told that we need to be busy doing something so we can be assessed, I next found myself climbing the big swing. I figured I'd go up, and it is up, but no expectations that I had to swing down. Aaron had taken Austin's place on the platform and Erin was belaying. What I've noticed is that I'm climbing better. I go up pretty quickly. I'm still nervous but I don't let it get me early on. I got up to the swing platform and Aaron did a bunch of clipping in and out. I was holding on to the tree anchors--amazing how sticking a finger through each anchor gives some foolish semblance of safety. Of course I was belayed to Erin but still. I told Aaron that 3 years ago I had sat on a zip line platform for 15 minutes before a friend gave me a gentle push off. It was the only way I could get off the damn thing. Today I had seen others swinging. There's a long drop and then a long swing. I just couldn't do it. And it was okay. I had been climbing up and down trees and belaying and damn it, I was busy doing things I wouldn't do last semester. So, while I'm not doing the highly technical stuff like installing pulleys on the highest cables, I've moved forward. Austin caught me end of day doing something high and said appreciatively, "Pushin'. Always pushin'. You've been doing that since day one."
We headed back to the classroom for a debrief. My group had to pick a button that had a saying that meant something to us. I found two.
1. "I'm in the awkward stage of life between birth and death." Since I'm much closer to the death stage of life, I can feel especially awkward in this OLP direction I have taken. At the same time, I can feel especially grateful.
2. "It's not just a backpack. It's my life!" Nuf said. Well, no. Beth prodded me for how all of this connects to the Challenge Course. Oh, I'm Fully Participating In Life!
Erin reminds me that I'm still one bad bitch and she's counting on me getting a tattoo before graduation. I've thought randomly of it for a few years but of what?
Took pictures yesterday and today but who's got time to upload? Marc took some, too.
Tomorrow, Zip Line. Now, more reading. . . maybe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)