Tag Archives: rock climbing

Summer Bucket List: Outdoor Rock Climbing

Disclaimer: we traded a tour for exposure on my blog & social media.

I’ve been indoor rock climbing for a few months now with a co-worker at Joe Rockhead’s around the corner from our office. When I added outdoor rock climbing to the summer bucket list I tried reaching out to a few tour guides on Twitter and googled a few tour groups until I found Escarpment Outdoor Adventures. Dave the owner was awesome. We arranged for a Saturday in August where I wasn’t racing and I brought my co-worker & climbing partner Bessie along with me. Unfortunately, Dave injured himself the day before so he put us in the care of Jared a capable guide.

Rattlesnake Point

He set up our top ropes with ease and even explained which knots he was using. Once it was set up we walked down and around we ended up doing my favourite climb of the day first.

Ready to Climb
Crevice Climb

I decided to use my back and butt to brace myself and shimmied up sitting in the position below. Bessie grabbed video footage of me and all I can say is I sound like a baby. I switch between swearing when frustrated and whining when scared. Not my finest moment.

Crevice Climb

Our next climb was in the sun. I got so excited I started climbing in my Mizuno Wave Hayates before I realized that I wasn’t in my climbing shoes and had to be lowered down to quickly put them on. Whoops!

Rattlesnake Point Climb

I made it up 3/4 of the way until I started getting MS symptoms. Since we were climbing in the sun I didn’t realize how easily I was going to overheat. I definitely should have brought a cooling vest with me. I lowered down, cooled off and we attempted our third climbing of the day which was awesome. It was very “ledgy” as we liked to call it. We would use the climb out of a pool technique to get up to a ledge, stand up and edge our way to the next portion of the climb.

Rattlesnake Point Climb


We found a really nice cafe and juice bar in Milton called Health E Nut. Bessie and I both had the burger. I also grabbed a cookie made with moringa leaf (which I apparently need to research more). The cafe owner told me that the moringa leaf is meant to fight cancer which can only mean it must have some interesting properties & a cheeky monkey smoothie. The cheeky monkey was made of raw cacao powder, almond butter, banana, agave and almond mylk.

Health E Nut

It was an amazing day! I am definitely obsessed with doing more outdoor climbing! Who wants to come with me next time?!

True North Rock Climbing

Another part of my Saturday adventures in fitness was learning how to boulder. We were going to go rock climbing but we missed the lesson which started every hour on the hour so we just paid an access fee to boulder and went at it. It was a little weird climbing without the rope and harness but freeing at the same time. I obviously started at white (easiest) and was able to do one yellow route which is the next level of difficulty up. The first picture below was at the start of one of my last climbs. And the bottom picture was proof I made it to the top. I was shaking extensively the whole time from muscle exhaustion. Because of course I had to do Alpha Genesis in the morning and hot yoga.

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In a moment of pure muscle joy I took a look at the picture below after I jumped down and was so excited to see back & shoulder muscles?? What what!!! It’s kind of nice to see progress when you weren’t looking for it. I’m not stepping on stage anytime soon but it’s awesome to know I’ve developed an awesome body that can push me through obstacle course training, hot yoga and then climb walls! 20140208-212735.jpg

If you’re in the Toronto area and haven’t tried rock climbing or bouldering you must check out True North! What was nice about this place was everyone that was bouldering was really friendly and helpful to us newbies giving us suggestions and telling us where to start and a couple of tricks. It’s definitely addictive and I need to find time to go more!