Most of us have watched Cliff Hanger, my husband had not. So, the night before our departure to Colorado to go cliff camping, he decided to watch it – bad move. For those of you who also haven’t seen the movie, or simply have forgotten, it starts with the iconic scene of Sylvester Stallone climbing with his best friends’ girlfriend when she comes unclipped from her harness. Despite Sylvester’s incredible physique he is unable to hold onto her and she plummets 1000 feet to her death.
Fast forward a few days and we’re in Estes Park, on the outskirts of Rocky Mountain National Park, being clipped into our very own harnesses, Steve was undoubtably a little nervous.
To make matters worse, the day before we had been driving through the Rockies over the highest sealed road in the US stopping numerous times to take photos and enjoy the incredible scenery. Later that evening Steve began to feel a little under the weather; headaches, nausea, loss of appetite and went to bed early. The following morning, still feeling pretty dodgy we decided to check in with the local pharmacist to see what maybe ailing him. Seemed he had a dose of altitude sickness and was prescribed some travel sickness pills for the nausea, ibuprofen for the headaches, a portable oxygen cannister for his breathing along with a box of ‘concrete pills’ and told to go enjoy the day.
So, we checked into KMAC, (Kent Mountain Adventure Center) and met our guide for the day. Kalley (pronounced Cali, as in California) was the quintessential rock climber, who despite growing up in Wisconsin (not renowned for its peaks) had fallen in love with climbing and the mountains. She was passionate about the outdoors and had made a life for herself doing the thing she really loved, climbing.
We were there to experience both the Via Ferrata and Cliffnicking… I’ll explain….
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Papua New Guinea
Four reasons to add Papua New Guinea to your bucket list
The benefits of being a Multi-Trick Pony
"A broad skill base and how you can draw from one platform to the next – women often pigeon hole themselves"
The RELUCTANT adventurer
An eighteen-year-old princess, who paints his (yes, his) nails and dyes his hair bleach blonde, embarking on an adventure trip with his family, sounds like a plot for a bad 80s movie.
The Meaning of Tramping
What does tramping mean to you?
Keala Kennelly owns Red Bull Magnitude
The North Shore season of 1957 is recognized in the surfing world as the start of an era. When Greg Noll, a young Mickey Munoz and company went out and rode Waimea for the first time, it was a glimpse of what could be in the world of big-wave surfing.
North West Circuit Stewart Island
I found myself in limbo during the winter of 2020, in between jobs in a strained covid economy. And so, I did what any outdoors person would do with a large amount of free time on their hands. It was time to pack up my belongings and hit the road. It was time to leave behind home comforts and go adventure-seeking.
Emilie's adventure to Angelus Hut
“I want to be the leader!” Miss Six announced, pushing past me in her determination to be in front. Momentarily off-balance with my heavy pack, I narrowly avoided twisting an ankle on the sharp rocks and silently swore while cracking a bright smile.
Nancy Jiang Breaking stereotypes
I recently watched a youtube movie entitled, “Her Way” (check it out on the Adventure Website) which introduced a woman who had an overwhelming passion for running. The preface at the bottom of the clip, read as follows:
Adversity at Altitude
The wind and snow is whipping at my face. I’ve readjusted the stiff frozen fleece buff around my neck and mouth, desperately trying to protect myself from the -20 degree bitter wind. Adrenaline is still pumping through my body but I know I’ll start to get cold soon.
Last Great Mountaineering Challenge
Ground-breaking mountaineer Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja MBE has attained an incredible new world record by submitting K2 as part of a collaborative team in the depths of winter. Until now, it was a record that was believed to be impossible to accomplish and was famously known as the ‘last great mountaineering challenge’.
