Yepp, that's me on the bottom left, completely feeling myself for actually mustering up the courage to try indoor rock climbing. Oh man back in the day before being diagnosed with Crohns disease or juggling motherhood with grad school and work I used to run track and field, studied Ju Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do, and considered squats and crunches fun and had awesome rock-hard abs to prove it. These days I'm lucky if I can run to catch the bus without keeling over, undoubtedly out of breathe. But this year I've decided to make fitness more of a priority and my inner bad-ass was extremely excited to be invited to Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers by Duracell for a morning of rock climbing with climbing and outdoors expert Kevin Jorgeson. Most notably known for his record-breaking free climb of El Capitan's Dawn Wall, Kevin was there to explain first hand the rewards and challenges from outdoor climbing.
Indoor rock climbing is one of this year's biggest fitness trends, whether done at an indoor facility or braved in the great outdoors & with warm summer days in full effect it only makes sense that people are moving their workouts outside. I've always been in awe of watching the strength and power that help rock climbers persevere to the top & that afternoon I learned a lot about the challenges and importance of planning and proper gear.
To shine a light on taking your climb from the wall to the wild outdoors Kevin offered up some great tips on how to tackle the unpredictability of the outdoors no matter day or night:
One significant tip was the importance of dependable power "During my free climb of El Capitan's Dawn Wall, Duracell Quantum was the only battery I trusted to provide dependable power because it lasts longer in 99% of devices vs. the next leading brand."
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little anxious about climbing this wall in the dark but it made me even more so impressed with Kevin's level of skill and passion that had developed as a child. Fortunately I was confident climbing alongside him knowing we powered up the wall with all of Kevin's favorite, dependable essentials from the headlamp and shoes to the pack you are carrying. He coached me up the wall (which I only made it half way up, but to my credit it was the most difficult side) and I could totally relate to him sharing how rock climbing was a way to relax with his dad after all the hustle and bustle of the day to day.
Check out this video of his story
Thank you to Duracell and Kevin Jorgeson for such an inspiring and fun morning! I'm not sure you'll ever catch me outdoors journeying through the wild, climbing walls but I look forward to experiencing it with my boys at a local indoor location and powering up with Duracell Quantum which will be great for all our high drain devices and emergency needs.