It’s my first time! For a girl who is not exactly very athletic – it was a mission accomplished with loads of fun!
In the middle of a restaurant hub I discovered a wall I was about to conquer! Thanks to my buddy Mike for introducing me to the sport!
We arrived an afternoon after my morning shoot for Unboxguru. It was heavily raining in the morning so it was a pleasant treat that the sun showed up past lunch time, just when we were pulling up at One Technopoint in Ortigas.
Here’s me wondering if I could make it to the top 😀
I started with wall 1 and progressed to level 7. Each wall had different difficulties. There were 14 top-rope belay stations with wall 14 as the tallest. It is also slightly curved inwards.
Everytime you reach the top, you hit the bell
Tips:
1. Warm up. Climbing isn’t a joke and requires power of muscles we don’t usually use.
2. Make sure the belayer is one you trust and knows what he or she is doing! Belayers are the ones who hold the belay to make sure you are securely positioned and hanging on the harness in case you slip off or decide to rest. At Edge, we paid extra 200 pesos for an hour of the in-house belayer.
3. Rocks are strategically placed and varies per wall. The trick is to already plan the direction of your steps, or have a plan, before the climb.
4. I had long nails, but that didn’t really get in the way. My gel nails were still in tact and full sparkle after. Amazing!
5. Stretch your arms gently every time you finish a wall. Lactic acid can build up on the forearms which causes a burning sensation (to me it felt numbing, almost paralyzing). It is temporary, though!
6. You can rest in the middle of it. Either one or both arms while hanging on the harness. But personally, I tried not to do that as part of self-challenge. I did it once while on my last wall!
7. Enjoy the climb and have faith in yourself. Prepare for sore arms the next day, too! Mine wasn’t so bad for a Manila girl who hasn’t been so sporty!
Outfit: Any comfortable outfit for climbing. I wore a pair of leggings and a sports top because I knew I would need to be able to move without much weight and distractions. The jacket was just so my body wouldn’t be too exposed to wind, personal choice at the moment 😀
Shoes: They provide the shoes made especially for climbing – which have textured tip bottoms so they don’t slide off the rock easily as you climb up.
Hair: For girls, I think you can wear hair down but I tied my hair up in a bun so no distractions.
Fees: About Php550 per person, unlimited climbing for the day. Plus Php200 per hour belaying fee, unless you have someone else who can do it for you.
Edge of Climb is near Upper Deck – a sports hub surrounded by restaurants!
