The “High” Points
By Daniel. Filed in Family, Natalie, Travel |
It has been a long road for us since Christmas and we have taken our time in posting something up to give us some healing time. We still have our low days, but I know that for me, there is has been a lot of positive change. More good days than bad I believe. The love and support we felt from all of you before, during and after has been uplifting and indescribable. So I wanted to share with you one of our good experiences we just had.
Those who know what we did this past weekend are aware just how insane Nikki and I may actually be. Friday through Sunday we spent out time in Sand Rock, AL camping out and going rock climbing with our 2 1/2 year old along with our close friends Jill and Rachel. It was an amazing experience and not nearly as challenging as we thought it might be. Natalie did AMAZING for her first camping trip. When we got home she told Nikki that her favorite part was the dirt. Shortly after that, she played dress up in a Cinderella outfit. I guess you could say she is a well rounded child. 
Sand Rock is one of my favorite rock climbing spots. I used to teach climbing at Camp Widjiwagan in Antioch, TN (they called me Houdini). It was one of my favorite jobs. After 2 weeks of lessons on a ropes course and a large alpine climbing tower I would take my campers on an overnight stay to Sand Rock as a reward for their hard work.
On this trip there were tons of people showing up for camping and climbing enjoying this area. We almost didn’t get a good climbing spot. But found a good starter climb for everyone. Natalie didn’t make it far, but loved trying and swinging from the rope in her new harness. The ladies did great on the first climb and seemed to be enjoying themselves. For me, this was a nice healing time. Getting back to some of my roots before I joined the corporate world and just got too busy with life.
My worry before we went was that I had lost my touch, but I was glad to know that Papi still has it! Over the past month or so I have tried to take steps to get healthier physically to help me get healthier mentally. It was rewarding to see that pay off. I was worried that my 31 yr old body wasn’t going to do more than one or two climbs…however, the extra prep time made me feel better than when I was 21 or 22 and did these climbs before.
The first day of climbing I was able to scale the rocks, setup the climbs, give proper instructions, even help some strangers with their climbs…and even complete my climbs without hurting myself or feeling sore afterwards. But the real challenge came the next day. I decided to face a climb called “Pressure Sensitive” located right next to another route called “Midget Digits.” Pressure Sensitive is considered a 5.10 climb. It is about 90-100 feet high with a slight inverse overhang part way up with most of the hand holds requiring finger tip grips. This was my test for the day. Our prior climbs were roughly 5.7-5.8 climbs. Those offer some challenges for beginners.
But this was the day for me to face my mountain. We had faced so many over the last 5 months, this was my time to step up and overcome feelings of defeat. I felt inadequate in front of this massive obstacle. After an hour or so of working my way through the first challenge, then the second, and so on all the way to the top, with several stops along the way to fight feelings of self doubt…I finally felt a sense of reward as I kissed the 2 carabineers that anchored the rope at the top. I knew what the final reward was as I turned to enjoy it. Behind me was a breathtaking view of the valley. It is one thing to walk to the edge from the road and take in this view, but I can assure you that it is a whole different experience when you come from the bottom.
This is how I have felt lately. Each day has been a challenge and each day I have to fight off feelings of doubt and sadness. But each day that I overcome another challenge, I build that confidence to get past the next one. I hope that you have enjoyed the pictures that accompany this post. I am also including a video at the bottom of Natalie enjoying swinging under Pressure Sensitive. Thank you all again for your continued support. We love you all!
Click on the Photo Album to see more of our adventure. And check out the video at the bottom of Natalie “Climbing.
Daniel (aka Houdini)
Tags: alabama, Antioch, area, beginners, Behind, Camp, campers, christmas, Cinderella, confidence, Daniel, Daniel Hardeman, Digits, dirt, feet, High, Houdini, hour, instructions, jobs, ladies, lessons, life, Midget, mountain, Natalie, Nikki, Nikki Hardeman, obstacle, Papi, Points, Pressure, Rachel, road, Rock, rock climbing, Sand, sand rock, self, Sensitive, setup, starter, strangers, Thank, valley, Widjiwagan
Tuesday, April 13th 2010 at 12:47 am |
Hey Daniel,
Reading your post brought back some good memories for me too. When I worked at Camp WinShape we would take our high schoolers there every session.
I hope y’all are doing well and I will definitely keep the three of y’all in my prayers.
I can’t believe how much Natalie is growing!
Matt
Tuesday, April 13th 2010 at 11:01 am |
Ahhh, Sand Rock! I remember being able to climb 5.10. In fact, Midget Digits was my first 5.11 send. Good times. I’ve tried to give away my climbing gear twice. Just can’t do it yet. Climbing was an important part of my life during a pretty serious vocational crisis and subsequent move. It was also a parallel to some of the important work I was doing with my therapist. Focus, intention, acceptance of limits balanced with commitment to hard work in order to grow beyond the old limits. Feeling afraid and acting anyway. Trust. Failure and disappointment. I guess any sport can give you these gifts, but climbing really did it for me more than soccer or cycling ever has.
“Climb on!”
Tuesday, April 13th 2010 at 11:11 pm |
yeah man, we need to plan a trip sometime. I think I am getting the fever again. I have 4 adult harnesses and a kids harness now….so I am open to take a group.
Tuesday, April 13th 2010 at 4:20 pm |
I’ve never climbed but that looked fun. Old man, I’m proud of you. Not everyone looks as good as you do at that age. I love you and don’t give up. Get past the doubt and know I’ll be there for a good hug or a shove or a pull, just let me know what you need. Love you!
Saturday, April 17th 2010 at 8:50 pm |
Finally getting around to reading this post. What an adaptive kid that Natalie is! And wow, Nikki and Daniel. Awesome climbing skills! Thanks for sharing about this unique experience. And no, I still can’t believe you camped out for two nights with a preschooler.