Off-site

[aliskye]

Today my department dis an off-site team building thing at Fulcrum/Peak Performance at a ropes course they have set up in Culver City.  I'm exhausted.

It started with bagels and talk and a few quick exercises.  We did a falling backwards thing but only briefly and to just talk about communication.  Then we did a walk on a cable line about 2 feet off the ground.  That was fun and I did pretty well on it.

Then came the really challenging part.  We broke into two groups.  1 group went up a climbing wall, the second wen up to walk on a beam 35 feet above the ground.  I was in the second group.  I'm pretty afraid of heights and not really in any kind of tiptop physical shape but I climbed up a ladder about 10 feet and then climbed up basically a telephone pole another 25 feet.  I managed to get out on to the beam but that's the most I could do.  It was pretty well terrifying.  And the hardest part is coming down.  You have to just step off the beam and trust that the belay line and harness and guys on the ground are going to keep you from plummeting to your doom.  It was scary hard.  I guess I sort of which I'd tried walking on the beam, but I'm happy I made it as far as I need which was about twice as high as I thought I would do.

On the other hand, I thought I would do a little better on the climbing wall.  It was 50 feet up and I never figured I would be able to do the entire thing, but I didn't managed to get from the rope ladder part on to the actual wall.  I just couldn't get a good enough grip on the climbing bumps to be able to make the transition from one to the other.  It was physically extremely hard, while the first challenged was extremely hard mentally. 

I'm beat now, and pretty much giving up on everything this evening.  I'm skipping on a halloween outfit and think I would send regrets for the party that I'm invited to tomorrow.  I need some serious rest/down time.

Comments

[eowyna.livejournal.com]

Walking a beam 35 feet up -- YIKES! And getting off by just stepping into air -- I'm impressed that you are back on terra firma at all.

A climbing wall - I wouldn't get off the ground. I know I cannot support my own weight on my arms, hanging from a pair of rings, so definitely not on a rock or bump. It sounds pretty exhausting.

[aliskye.livejournal.com]

It was pretty tiring. Going up the ropes to get to the bottom of the climbing wall wasn't bad at all. You try and use your legs more than your arms. It does make me interested in trying a climbing course at a climbing gym but starting with an easier wall. This one was straight vertical.

[the-celestia.livejournal.com]

Wow. I climb ladders and scaffolding as a necessary part of my work but no way will I walk a beam 35 ft. up, I wouldn't even attempt getting on it. I dislike heights and have a fear of falling.

For that matter the tallest ceiling I've had to change lamps on was 29 feet and I didn't much like that and that was with a scissors lift, not climbing.

[mistresshuette.livejournal.com]

You are a better man than I am, Gunga Din. I have a very bad case of acrophobia and I wouldn't even be able to climb up the ladder, let alone walk across. And the climbing wall? I wouldn't be able to stand that either. I don't know what the point of this exercise was, but I would have not gone at all.

[aliskye.livejournal.com]

It wasn't optional. Everyone had to be there whether they were able to do any of the activities or not. It was a team building thing, it showed everyone that we are stronger when we communicate with each other and encourage each other. It was pretty amazing.

Three people didn't do any of the climbing (1 had a back injury, one didn't think she was physically up to it, I never heard why the third didn't try anything. One other person did a little bit but she had a recent injury also.

[deryabar.livejournal.com]

Ok so let me get this straight... you went on one of those ::shudder:: team-building exercise during which you subjected yourself to possible physical harm and the reward is that you're too tired to go to a Hallowe'en party??? What am I missing here!!??? (Esp. if it's the famed Hogwart's Party about which much is bespoke upon the shining filaments of the web.)

[aliskye.livejournal.com]

Everyone was tethered to a harness so there was less worry about physical harm then driving to work. (Much less risk when you think about all the crazy drivers in LA.)

I'm less tired today, though a little stiff. I'll see about the party later (which isn't the Hogwarts one, that's in a couple of weeks.)