Red on the River - Page 43

Vienna stood and held out her hand to pull Shabina to her feet. Shabina’s family was wealthy. She would have had the best of counselors. If she said this was what she needed to do to keep moving forward, then they were one hundred percent behind her.

“This is a great boulder with an easy climb for you to start with, Shabina,” Stella said, indicating the one they had warmed up on. It was overhang but with large juggy holds on it. Stella was sure Shabina would have success on it.

Shabina stared at it with great trepidation and then shook her head and indicated a tall boulder. “Maybe that one.”

Vienna’s breath caught in her throat. The boulder Shabina had gestured toward would be considered a “highball.” In a way, she understood. Shabina was used to rope climbing. She didn’t boulder or use crash pads, and the gymnastic movements that were used on overhang climbs weren’t as familiar to her. The other boulder was a tall slab with pretty good holds and feet, but it wouldn’t be a clean fall if you came off the boulder.

“Just try this one, honey,” Stella encouraged. “It has fewer moves and is a way safer fall if you come off. You can top out easily.”

Shabina watched them place the two crash pads beneath the overhung boulder before she reached up, stretching to reach the large holds to pull her body up. She found a foothold with her left foot, missed with her right and then found a little ledge to put it on.

“Keep your hips toward the wall and keep lots of body tension so you don’t swing out,” Vienna called out. “Now get your heel on that hold right and reach up for the jug.”

Vienna stayed close, as did Harlow and Stella. The others surrounded the boulder, calling out encouragement to Shabina. As Shabina went to heel hook the hold Vienna suggested, her left foot popped off and she was now hanging from the jugs with her feet dangling in the open air. Since the boulder was fairly short, her feet were only dangling a couple of feet from the crash pad. However, Shabina seemed to be unaware of this fact. She started to panic with real fear.

“I need to come down. I need to come down.”

“Okay, we got you. Just drop,” Vienna said, keeping her voice very calm.

Instead of dropping, Shabina started to panic more and kicked her feet about with a little scream. She was clearly terrified to drop.

Immediately the girls moved in closer and Vienna grabbed her waist with her hands. “We’ve totally got you. Calm down, we’ve got you. Just drop, honey. Let go.”

“No. I can’t. Vienna. I’m going to fall.” Shabina flailed her feet around even more, panic making her voice high-pitched.

Vienna tightened her hands on Shabina’s waist, casting a quelling glance over her shoulder at the other women, who were trying not to laugh. “Babe. Let go. You have to trust me. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

With a little scream of fear, Shabina opened the death-grip she had on the rock and dropped the less than two feet to the crash pads, guided by Vienna’s hands. Shabina looked shocked when she dropped softly to the ground only a couple feet. The fear melted to laughter. “I was only that high off the ground? I was so terrified. I guess I don’t like falling.”

“That wasn’t falling, that’s just letting go. You can practice that. Next time look where your crash pad is and try to fall softly with your knees slightly bent. You ready for another try? We’ll help guide your hips if you come down again,” Vienna said. “This is actually better for you than topping out. Like practicing a downclimb. The more you come off the rock and learn to trust the pads and your spotter, the more confidence you’ll have.”

“I guess so,” Shabina said, still a little reluctant.

It took a lot of encouragement and Shabina coming off the rock several more times, but each time she managed her fear a little bit better and they could see a change come over her. Once she wasn’t as afraid to fall, she was more focused on the climbing part of it. She was soon at the top of the boulder with a smile on her face, and they all cheered, proud of her that she’d accomplished so much.

•   •   •

Their next destination was the Pearl Boulder. They made their way up to the beautiful boulder, delighted to have it to themselves. The Pearl sat right off the trail in the sunshine. The south face contained the classic route for which the rock was named, along with the V3 Clam Bumper, which went up to the right of Pearl. It was easier than the classic line, but in some ways a little more intimidating as it was slightly taller and the landing for the Pearl was better. The Pearl was Stella’s current project, and since it was also her bridal shower, they had all agreed that she should get on it after they had warmed up.

The crash pads were carefully placed in the potential landing zone as Stella looked at the problem, mentally climbing each move and visualizing herself getting past the crux with the new beta Raine had recommended she try out. They stood back as she studied the rock.

Raine stood next to her and they discussed the alternative beta. Instead of matching on the nice rail midway of the route, she would use a small crimp to the left and then get her left foot up high on a small foothold. Then she should be able to lock off and pull herself up to the good hold. Stella wasn’t particularly tall, where height sometimes helped on rock, but she was strong and her fingers could slip into cracks and onto small ledges and hold.

Stella pulled on her climbing shoes, attached her chalk bag to her waist and coated her hands in the chalky powder that would help keep her hands dry and create more friction while she climbed. She reached up, felt the textured rock, her left hand on the high thin crimp and her right on the much better side pull. It was warmer than she would have liked. She hoped they hadn’t let it bake in the sun too long while they warmed up. Colder conditions would make it easier, but it still felt good to feel the familiar holds, and she wanted to try it. She took a deep breath and then in-stepped her left leg on a small foot and high-stepped on a small foot with her right. She rocked her body weight over the high foot, and then stood up to reach the good ledge with her left hand.

Vienna moved closer to her with arms outstretched to spot her. If Stella came off the rock, the hope was to guide her to the crash pad below and cushion her fall. Vienna was always in awe of the way Stella climbed with such confidence, her posture perfect. Climbing posture was not the same as posture everyone was constantly reminded about outside of climbing, and Vienna admired and aspired to climb with the posture Stella had when she moved up a rock surface.

Stella fought the urge to match her left hand on the good hold and searched for the crimp out left. She found it and then looked for a good foot left. She settled for the only slippery tiny foot that was in the area. This must be the foot she needed. With confidence, she committed to the foot. Her hips tight to the wall, she locked off the hold to the left, pulling her body in close as she flagged her right foot under her. The flag allowed her to counterbalance her weight and cross her right hand to the good hold directly above her. She grasped the hold, and while she felt instant relief with the knowledge she had done the hard part and the send was likely, she made sure not to relax and kept pressure through her body as she finished the last couple moves out right to top out. Everyone cheered, and Stella felt the glow of accomplishment that came with climbing a boulder she’d really wanted to experience. She was also very shocked that she’d managed to send it first go. She hadn’t expected that at all.

Raine stepped up next and shook out her arms and hands before feeling the start holds. They felt smaller than they looked when Stella was on them, but they were nicer on her hands than she expected. The girls were used to climbing at the Buttermilks in Knightly, with the sharp granite boulders, so this sandstone felt pretty friendly on their fingers. Raine tried the first few moves, getting a feel for the high step and coming off a few attempts. She surprised herself by sticking the larger ledge on her fourth go, and Stella yelled at her to reach for the crimp out left.

“You’re going to have to really lock off on the crimp since you’re shorter than me. Get your left foot up. Yes. That’s it. Trust the foot. It’s good. Now flag under and cross to the jug.”

Raine tried to execute the beta, locking off her left hand as she flagged her right foot under her to make the cross, but instead of smoothly grabbing the big hold, she peeled off the wall from her body weight swinging out. She felt Vienna’s hands guide her hips as she landed on the crash pad. She felt the rush of excitement knowing how close she was to a good hold. It would be easy from there to top out.

“You were so close, Raine!” Stella encouraged.

The others added their voices.

In the end, try as hard as she might, Raine couldn’t complete the climb. She came off the rock over and over. They had their biking to do, and she didn’t want them to miss that, so she promised the boulder she’d be back another day.

Tags: Christine Feehan Romance
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