One of the activities Jay found in researching Acadia, was rock climbing against a backdrop of the ocean. We booked with Atlantic Climbing School, which had amazing reviews. All the reviews were spot on because it was a wonderful experience.
After checking in
and gathering our gear, we headed out with our guide, Dane. The first climb was at Otter Cliffs and I
will say that I just about had a mini meltdown.
I had my pack on along with the harness and helmet and didn’t realize I
would be navigating a rock path, so I was a little grouchy about the carrying
all the weight. Jay and our guide had
packs on too, so unless I passed it off to one of the girls, I was stuck. Thankfully once we reached our destination I
was able to take it off and regain some of my joy.
For the first climb, we decided to let Georgia go first. In hindsight, this was not a good idea. Once she got to the top and looked down there was no way she was going to sit back in a “chair” position and walk down backwards. Let’s just say we waited a long time before the next person got to climb! Eventually our guide went up and rigged it up so he could repel down alongside her and she made it safely to where we were waiting. Katie Jo went next, then mom and lastly dad.
After that first climb we made our way over to the cliff side to repel down to the ocean and then climb back up. While one person was climbing the other three had to be locked in so we could sit on the edge and watch without falling off. Katie Jo went first and she was very brave to repel herself down. You are basically feeding the rope through your own hands to be lowered, and if you let go completely there is a locking mechanism, but still it’s a little disconcerting. While KJ was taking her turn, G kept telling me she wasn’t going to climb any more and I told her that was OK. Well, by the the time KJ made it back to the top, G changed her mind and I was so proud of her for repelling herself down and climbing back up like a pro. Jay and I had our turn and then it was time for lunch.
After lunch our guide suggested scrapping the last climb for a trail
called the Beehive Trail. He said it
would be fun for the girls since there would be lots of “scrambles” to
navigate. It turned out to be a great
idea and it was fun to “scramble” to the top and take in the views. Great end to a active day! We also found some wild blueberries to enjoy
at the top!
Little G climbing her way to the top.
Next was Katie Jo.
Then mom
And finally Dad.
Getting ready for climb number 2.
After a long day, it was nice to come back and RELAX!
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