24 Dates in 2024

24 Dates in 2024 – Date #9

“You’re going to want to cut those nails,” Ken casually stated while giving me a nail file, a clipper, and a forearm gadget to improve hand and forearm strength. It looks like long nails and whimpy arms won’t work for Date #9 of 24 dates in 2024.

Ummm, this date better be worth it because my nails are 100% all mine. No shade to gels and the like.

Once again, we bridge-hopped to Philadelphia. I think we can all agree that Brother Philly is part of the South Jersey family, and we visit him occasionally. Our Philly excursion led to the Boulder Lounge, Tufas, pronounced Toofas. Ken and I have been calling it Tough-as because, well, bouldering looks tough as . . . and we had no idea how to pronounce it correctly.

Signed up for beginner lessons and ready to go, we entered a spacious zone filled with color and a heavy dose of chill. At check-in, we met Brandon, Amanda and our instructor, Alexi.

Alexi was kind, welcoming, encouraging, and, most importantly, a clear communicator. You want to know what you are doing when climbing up 15-foot walls without a harness or rope. The risk of injury is significant.

If you didn’t already know, this girlie is afraid of heights. Yet somehow, I end up on dates that require some elevation fear-busting. Full disclaimer: Upon entering Tufas, I internally chanted, “I can do hard things,” until it sounded like a single word instead of a sentence and had a mini-stroke when Alexi told me he would “teach us how to fall.”

Hold up – wait a minute!

Isn’t the whole idea not to fall? And who knew there were two different kinds of falling, one that you do on purpose ( but – why?) and one that isn’t done on purpose. Alexi walked us through each and then had us “fall.”

Am I the only one who is “fall” averse here? I was worried; I wasn’t gonna make it past the first 5 minutes of instruction, much less spend “the day” climbing. My ears hung on every word Alexi shared about “falling:” the way to fall, the body’s position, the movement to make, and what not to do. Like jet my arms out to catch my fall for an imminent wrist fracture.

My eyes surveyed the people in the space, and folks were falling left and right, then popping up for a pause on the sideline. There was no embarrassment, no judgment, no self-flogging overt frustration. People fell, brushed themselves off, rested, reflected, and hit the wall again.

If this isn’t the perfect analogy for life, I don’t know what is!

It’s striking how an environment can encourage a particular behavior or mindset. The best environments are only valuable if you feel comfortable, and Ken and I were immediately comfortable at Tufas.

Once Alexi completed his instruction and we climbed some primary routes, we were “ready” to self-explore. People near us, whom we had never met, were reassuring, chatted about when they started bouldering, provided tips, and qued us up on the lingo of routing levels and the difference between bouldering and rock climbing. There are no ropes or harnesses for bouldering; in other words, bouldering is more badass.

Some encounters make you believe in humanity again. They don’t always have to be over-the-top grandiose things; it’s often the simple and genuine that is most impactful, like being kind to a couple who never stepped foot into a bouldering lounge.

Other encounters spark awe in the capacity of people and of self. Yes, people were falling, I was falling, Ken was falling. But, people were also ascending walls with the strength of their fingertips, upside down. Even for a fraction of a second, the impossible was possible. It was like watching real-life spider-men and women do their thing. And we were part of that community. Overcoming apprehension and preconceived notions of what could be done, taking the falls with joy, reflecting on new ways to improve, and celebrating the day’s climbs at the go to spot,the Human Robot for sandwhiches and beverages.

Bizarre but true, I craved a beer like nobody’s business after climbing! And I’m a wine girl not beer.

I didn’t have high hopes for date #9. Truth be told, I was thinking of ways to get out of it, but something deep inside kept gnawing at me, quietly saying, “You can at least try.” and I am grateful that I did.

We had a fun-filled, falling-up experience worthy of being proud of and doing again.

Click here to learn more and book your date at Tufas, Boulder Lounge. This establishment offers a sliding scale, with the “mission to foster a community centered around rock climbing in Philadelphia, with an inclusive space dedicated to climbing, fitness, and collaboration.”

Until next time, Tufas. I’m coming for you, Blue V2.