A friend got free voucher for a Beginners (2 person) session at Nomad Adventure in Summit Climbing Gym. At 1st I planned to go there directly since there’re buses to Summit USJ from KL Sentral but he offered, “Where do I pick you up? KTM?”
“Oh, since you offer ride, ok.” :D
I didn’t know what to wear. And oh, I had donated all of the loose t-shirts already! Thank goodness I kept a long pants – those sports type.
Got an idea. Rummaged through brother’s closet and found a navy t-shirt. Very wrinkled from being folded and under tons of other stuff. Opened a new pair of socks too.
Subang Parade had gone through renovation – especially Parkson and there are more booths for flea markets. It’s brighter, cleaner. I didn’t check out the toilet. Last I went, I came out ASAP and grimaced at the sink suspiciously.
This friend laughed when he saw me, “Can you wear something else?! Eee.. your bag is so ugly! Your shirt, what brand is it?!”
That bag was like those school bags with shoulder handles (good for back) and hard material. It wasn’t exactly gorgeous but it was functional and quite new I’ve only used it once or twice. You know, those luggage bags that have zippable compartments? Ingenious. You can attach more bags into the luggage and detach when you just want a smaller bag as you shop.
I looked at him wearing tight top and cropped khaki pants. “Got people wear khakis to exercise? You wear like this to gym?”
“Yeah!”
“Ha. Go to gym to be seen ha?”
He snorted, “Of course.” He pouted.
It’s 1 thing to wear tight clothes when 1 has a toned body with muscles. It’s another view to witness fat bulging when you bend. LOL. OK, sorry, I was just trying to spite him because he chided on my school girl sports look. Hey, it’s not my fault that I look young :p and someone commented that he looked like someone in his 30’s hahhahahahah! :p
I had no idea what people wear to rock climbing either. Sports shoes and t-shirts, loose pants? The only time I had done rock climbing was when I hung out with Nat to her gym and I could only step on 3 small stones on the rock wall! Damn! That alone took out a lot of energy!
Because I didn’t know how to rock climb!
While working in the fashion retail, our store room had racks made from steel (or such stuff). We had to climb up and down on those thin racks about 3″ width only – we stood on tip toes – to get, put back, arrange stock. There was a ladder but it was tough to carry it in the store room to the rack that you want because the store room was very narrow in the first place. Once you open the ladder in the middle of the store room, nobody could move over. So we learnt to climb like Spiderman. ;) It was faster and more convenient.
It was fun for me.
Got to see tight butts. Not that most of the butts there were heterosexual. Sigh..
Rock climbing was a bit like that. As in climbing racks to get stock. Not checking out butts ok?!
Check the route that you want to take. Stick your body closest to the wall. Hold the nearest stepping stone. Step on tip toe. Imagine you are as light as feather.
Falling is even more scary. Your life depends on your partner (the belayer).
On the way, he suggested, “We go there see the atmosphere first. If we don’t like it, we just leave.”
“Ha? Wouldn’t that waste the ticket and chance?”
“I’d rather go shopping.”
Unh.
Once there, we looked for the place and it wasn’t empty. Uh huh. He got straight in, repeating, “Ohh cool. Cool. Cool.”
There were several people rock climbing already.
We registered ourselves for the next session because the current session had already started. Had 15 minutes so we went to McD’s to eat. That we had miscommunication over Banana Pie was wasted breath.
Got our shoe sizes and tried it out. Tight. Toes curled in. We asked the petite but muscular (got biceps eh!) behind the counter and she replied, “It’s supposed to be tight, different from normal shoes.”
The trainer was the petite gal!
Nomad Adventure Rock Climbing @ Summit Climbing Gym
We started with briefing on general terms and equipments like harness, belay device, karabiners. How to wear the belt harness.
Warning! If you wear tight pants, your crotch area would be like wearing diapers especially if you are wearing light tight pants haha!
Then we were taught how to make a figure-8 knot. Practiced, practiced.
After that, we were taught on the communication between belayer (the one standing at the ground) and the climber, belaying technique and dropping heheh lowering the climber.
The trainer was very good and she didn’t lose it totally even though some of us made mistakes. She was stern but corrected us whenever we made the wrong move.
Since my partner was heavier than me, I was dragged forward when he went down. Trainer shouted, “Put your feet on the wall! HOLD!!!”
When it was my turn to climb, I warned him beforehand that I was going to feign falling.
When I was at the top, it didn’t feel like.. enough. Coz I couldn’t climb over and sit down at the top to view sunrise or sunset.
After our training was finished, she told us, “Ok you can do rock climbing anywhere here now.”
Unfortunately, partner wanted to rush to another place :( and we had to leave! So SAYANG!!! Free ticket to use it to the max and he had to go shopping! Unh.
You can wear your own shoes during Beginners training but you’ll need to rent the climbing shoes if you are not under training. Everyone must go through training before they allow you to climb.
For a Beginners course, you get:
- a handbook about the terms & ways to climb in door & outdoor
- basic training on the gears and ways to climb on the rock in door
- free usage of the gym for that day
I am Rainbow 
sayang you din go into parade’s toilet – so much different than last time! i really like it. :P
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A guy telling a girl he’d rather go shopping than rock-climbing? HAHAHAH cool! Talk about stereotype busters!!!
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eh hehe rock climbing eh? cool, i started climbing at summit 6 years back, now a member at camp5 at 1U. Last time there was a gym in kepong called deltarovers but there was a fire and it was burnt to the ground. Rumours has it that they are reopening in midvalley, cant establish the integrity of these rumours hehe.
Its interesting u took the first step hehe, hope u get a second chance or maybe i bring u for free one day at camp5 as my guest, i do give training there as freelance sometimes.
hope this was not ur last time ;)
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Sulz, Subang Parade’s toilet as nice as KLCC?
Blue, a lot of guys like shopping nowadays. There will be no more men someday in the future haha – read it in a research.
Munak, wah, you teach rock climbing? Heard there’s 1 in 1U but not yet check it out. Yep, the company moved to a shop lot nearby Jusco Metro Prima but I think there’s no rock climbing facilities yet.
How long have you been freelancing there? Rock climbing outdoor’s more fun and dangerous, right?
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outdoor might be dangerous but i think its easier compared to the gym. Actually when u get a chance, go to camp5 at 1U and look out for the natural walls, you will get a rough idea in the difference. In outdoor climbing u dont have to follow a specific route where-as in the gym you got to follow a color code and is much tougher.
btw one perception people have abt climbing is totally wrong. i asked alot of my friends to come and try out and they all complained saying they dont have the muscles and blah blah but actually rock climbers dont really have huge muscles. i mylsef am skinny but i do climb. its not abt the strength but the skill.
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haven’t been to klcc so long already, can’t remember. :P but at any rate it’s got to be cleaner since there are so much less crowd at parade than klcc! imagine how many people use the toilets in klcc…
but if you’re referring to the rm2 toilet of course can’t compare la. that one got body shop products in it some more!
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munak, they’ve watched too many times of Tom Cruise in MI and Angelina Jolie in Mr & Mrs Smith rock climbing? True, the skinier the better – can climb into tight spaces ;)
sulz, of course have to compare with the free KLCC toilet la. Subang Parade toilet need to pay? Actually, I wonder if anyone steal from those Body Shop toiletries in KLCC pay toilet..
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Im really interested to try this rock climbing thing.But im a bit shy..hehe..my sis said that peoples will stare at ur butt.thats the problem.i dun exactly have jessica sipmson butt u know.will be embarassing.but one day will try though..
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