I'm finally okay with it being winter now because I got to go ice climbing again this year and now I kind of want to learn how to snowboard. I've heard about this happening from people who have lived here for years. Every season they say it's their last but they stay for part of the next season and remember all the things they loved about it so instead they'll leave at the end of winter but ohhhhh boy summer is just great. Anyways, this is Moonlight Falls in Kananaskis Country and also my first time rappelling. About half way between me and what looks like the top there is a little ice ledge on my left. That was 60m's up at the first pitch, we had originally planned to keep on going but it started raining and the rest of it looked like crap. This would have been my first multi pitch and also my third day of ice climbing ever which given that I don't rock climb is apparently pretty impressive. I wish I brought my phone up so I could have taken a picture of that ledge. It barely fit two people but the view was amazing. The lead climber was standing on the edge belaying and thanks to the light rain he had a thick layer of ice covering his entire jacket. This might have also been thanks to me taking around an hour to get up. By the time the third guy came up both of our axes were covered in ice as well I'm not sure exactly when this was taken but I know it was one of my many "can I bend this way" moments when looking at where I had to put my feet next. At the start of the climb you can talk to the person on the ground and they'll convince you to just go for it but around the middle you can't get much of a conversation going through shouting. I had another one of these moments near the top where I told the lead climber that I just didn't think I could get my leg up that high. His response was something like "ohhhh well go for it, I've got you" and that was all that needed to be said. I did get my leg up although my hip felt like shit for a second. It was interesting experience for me physically and mentally. I climbed the entire way even though my arms wanted to quit before the half way mark. I did this last year for a day and rarely made it to the top of easier/shorter climbs, even though I was actually stronger back than. It had a lot more to do with pushing myself mentally and that's what made it feel so good to finish. I had great climbing partners who helped me out when they were in less than shouting distance but that little part where I had to convince myself to basically do the splits and keep going was new for me. I didn't stand to loose anything by trying because I was on belay and could have tried to figure out a different route. This was definitely a mental block I had to push through and it felt really fucking good to push through it. My body alternatively does not feel that good a few days later and I really should have gone to the gym more (read: even once) before this climb.
