Dare you to rock climb

I've never gone rock climbing before. Several members of my family love rock climbing but not me. I think that it has a little something to do with my fear of heights. So when I asked my Facebook friends to challenge me to complete a physical test as part of the Under Armour Women What's Beautiful competition, the last thing I was expecting was for something to dare me to go rock climbing. But someone did. Thanks Ben.

Nothing like a good challenge to get you to face your fears. Luckily, there's a pretty great rock climbing gym near my apartment - Brooklyn Boulders. I knew that it was NYC's only fully dedicated rock climbing gym but I wasn't sure what to expect. The place is massive. It has 22,000 square feet of climbable terrain for all levels. 

I actually went bouldering which is climbing done on short walls with no ropes or belay. There are various paths up the wall which are marked by colored tape and numbers. The numbers indicate the level of the path and you're supposed to only use the foot/hand holds that are marked the same color tape. So if I'm climbing the pink path, I can only use the foot and hand holds marked with the pink tape.

Don't mind the little kids scampering up the wall next to me.

Let me tell you, it was kind of scary hanging off the wall with nothing securing you, especially when you have a bad knee. You will fall if you slip or lose your grip or just get tired.

But I had a lot of fun and my heart was racing. My forearms are SORE and it was hard work, especially since I finished an hour and a half physical therapy session right beforehand. OK, that might not have been the smartest move.

Have you ever been rock climbing or bouldering? Are you afraid of heights too? Wanna go climbing with me sometime?

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