Last week - Mel, Jen, Angie and I all met at The Roxx (http://www.theroxx.co.nz/), climbing wall, in town to go indoor climbing together for the first time. But we'd all had horrid days and I was ill, so we went for a coffee and good old natter instead. 
So, we met up again this week to give it another go. We where all fine and well, and in high sprits. The place is smaller than the warehouse-ness of the climbing wall in Sunderland, but the walls are more outdoors like. I was a bit nervous and everything was different. Angie could see that I was a bit nervous, so after she did her first climb and I belayed for her (held the rope at the bottom). We went to the easy wall for me to have a go. The wall was about 8-10m height and lucky was sloping in so makes the climb easier. On my first climb I lost my nerve a little at about 3/4 of the way up, but managed to over come this and made it to the top. I did 3 or 4 climbs in total in the 1.5 hours we where there. I wasn't rushing or pushing myself, was more about being social and chatting.
I belayed for Mel at one point and she was trying a route up which was where 2 walls met at 90 degrees to each other, and I have no idea how, but, she ended up climbing up the wall with her back to the wall and a slightly puzzled look on her face. I didn't know whether to laugh or shout encouragement to her - went with the first one.
Both Jen and Angie are really good confident climbers. I will be going again but think that I'll just stick to the indoor climbing at the mo - plus it's drier - it's been raining here for a few days now.
