The Theater of Shadows
16. Aug, 2010 
4 Comments
The City of Rocks
I wouldn’t necessarily say that I have a fear of heights – more like a height sensitivity. Sure I rock climb but I tend to keep things pretty mellow. The idea of eventually doing a multi-pitch route was on my life list, but that doesn’t mean I ever really thought I would do it.
I’ve always wondered if a height sensitivity could be cured or if it is something that will always be there and you just need to learn to deal with. Watching films of El Capitan ascents, I truly respect the mental and physical strength it takes to climb big walls, but the idea of actually doing something like that makes my jaw clench and my neck tense with all the worries of what could go wrong as I entertain images of free falling 500 feet to my death. I am a long way from El Cap but I did send my first multi-pitch route this past weekend.
Chilling on the top of the first pitch
The first time I climbed outside I got halfway up the wall and said, “That’s enough!” For about a year I would only climb up as high as I thought I could survive a fall from. Over the years I’ve gotten increasingly comfortable with heights and have really learned to trust the equipment and my own abilities. I can honestly say now that I am pretty relaxed hanging out at about 80 feet above the ground.
Well we were on our way back to Salt Lake from a few days of mountain biking and hot spring soaking in the Sawtooths and decided to stop off at the City of Rocks National Reserve to tackle the Theatre of Shadows. After reading in the guidebook that the Theater of Shadows is the kind of sport route your grandma could lead – I was in!
The City of Rocks looks like a dismantled city. Clusters of granite rocks shoot abruptly out of the ground looking like the ruins from an ancient rock city. This Southern Idaho reserve is a favorite among rock climbers with over 500 sport and traditional climbing routes established on smooth granite towers.
Proudly standing on top of the Theater of Shadows
We slept in the parking lot of the trailhead to Steinfell’s Dome to avoid the $12.72 camping fee and headed up to the climb at sunrise. I led the first pitch, which was super slabby, very well protected, and around 150 feet long (almost twice as long as my comfort level).
I stayed quite calm through the first pitch until 2 bees started buzzing my head and I had to revert to belly breathing to ward off a full-on freak out. Soon I became too captivated by the views to produce any sort of anxiety response and just climbed and enjoyed the unique viewpoint atop a 500-foot rock tower.
View from the top of the Theater of Shadows
Now with a view like that, you know the effort was worth it.
Keep posting stuff like this i really like it
Fantastic photos! Keep up the good work
Beautiful pix, Amiee! As weird as it sounds, I feel way more comfortable leading on gear than I do sport climbing. I don’t know, something about placing the gear myself just makes me feel more in control. probably pretty irrational on my part.