It was day two of our training in rock craft and I just couldn’t wait to get to the Chimney. Turned out it was as enthralling as I expected it to be!
Chimneys are cracks or fissures, gaps in rocks or mountains that have just enough space for you to fit in. One of my favorites.
I am as fascinated by the structure and how it came into existence as the technique and challenge of climbing it. Was it lightning that struck the rock into two parts, wear and tear or some other phenomenon that created that crack and left the perfect amount of space to let you in- too wide and one couldn’t keep contact with both rock faces and too narrow would mean one couldn’t move. Plus since the rock surfaces were shielded from the sun, they were cool and a relief from the blazing sun.
There was no equipment needed simply because nothing would work there. One had to insert themselves between two high rocks and climb up while pressing one foot flat on the rock face in front and the other one at the opposite rock at the back using the technique of backing-up. Doing it a few times, scraping my back a little, I somewhat got a hang of it.
There was no chance for error. The moment even one of my foot was not flat, the toes would just slip and I would fall down all the way- scraping my body or falling flat in a weird angle. In any case it could lead to serious injuries. Plus due to the constricted space in the chimney, putting a crash mat was also not possible. So if one had to do it, one had to do it right.
It was a bit intimidating but once I understood that I had to be pushing such that I wanted the rocks to move, I could be stable. Once I had climbed to a decent distance, our instructor asked me to stop since the chimney widened out at the top and a mistake would prove to be very costly. I was in a comfortable position- pushing my back and pressing my feet against the rock surfaces, I could breathe easy. Ahh! What a moment. I could feel the cool sweat, the occasional soft breeze on my flushed cheeks and my heart thumping with all the adrenaline.
Climbing down had to be done carefully again. There was a rhythm to it and the process was more enjoyable as I got into that rhythm. One-foot down, hands-pressed, back pulled down, other foot pressed forward, other leg comes in-hand pressed back pulled down and repeat..
Usually, this technique is used when climbers or mountaineers come across such obstacles and there is no other path to get to the other side of the rock or mountain. So the lead climber or the most skilled climber goes ahead and climbs to the top of the chimney and makes an anchor when he/she gets there. The other climbers on the team can then climb using the anchor and ropes while being belayed (supported) by another climber. This makes it way less riskier and quicker for the other members.
Read more: How rock-craft started- Day 3
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Wow! Amazing!! Haven’t done this before. Sounds daunting....