Sorellas Learn to Love Climbing
Robin Allen | Published on 6/13/2021
Jennifer Klein, with assistance from Beverly Yearack and Diane Schleicher, hosted a climbing clinic at Chastain Park on Sunday, June 6th. A dozen Sorellas gathered in a shady lot by the horse park to learn the art of climbing. Jennifer opened the clinic with introductions, then dug in with techniques and tips for cresting summits short, long, steep, rolling, and all those in between, such as:
- Attitude is important. Be positive, think happy thoughts.
- Relax. Tension wastes energy.
- Find your own pace, and go with that.
- The more you climb, the more and better you will climb.
- Climbing with others can make the time pass more quickly.
Sorellas chimed in with questions and suggestions of their own, making for an interesting interaction and exchange of ideas.
After the instruction, it was time to climb some hills. Splitting into two groups, the riders took off to tackle climbs through the lovely, lush green neighborhoods surrounding Chastain Park. Each rider embraced the challenge, found her rhythm, enjoyed the journey, and grew a bit along the way, adding fitness and finesse to her quiver of riding skills. Together, they averaged 2500 feet of climbing over 25 miles.
The Sorellas convened at the parking lot after the ride, lounging in the shade, snacking, and socializing (SO good to do, after our COVID year), before dispersing around the Metro area.