This past weekend was spent in the north of England’s Peak District with the university’s climbing/mountaineering club. We stayed in a unique little stone hut built into the boulders of a range called “The Roaches”. The weather stayed cool and damp with a thick fog that came and went throughout the weekend.
To pick one highlight from the trip would prove impossible. For the first time, I went bouldering outside rather than in an indoor gym – and man it feels different! On the first day, I and two others took a break from climbing the damp rocks and went on an accidental 4-hour (and 7 mile-long) hike. We may have gotten off route and lost Ella at one point, but we made it to our desired destination and returned back in time for dinner. No amount of pictures can fully capture the beauty of running through the countryside of England as the sun was setting (many, many pictures below).
Another highpoint (haha) was climbing by top-rope through a route called “the squeeze”. With a very fitting name, this route entails climbing through a tiny hole in the rock formation that initially feels quite impossible to pass through. Ella braved the route first and then I followed – both of out personalities coming out by the way we seized the climb: Ella was very verbal in her struggle to get through the tight hole, feeding off the encouragement and reassurance of others to get her through; Never having been a loud person, I was more methodical in my approach to finish through the squeeze. I knew if Ella could do it (even with a moment of panic) I could finish strong by keeping a clear mind and my nerves under control.
When I came home and showed my pictures to my roommate, Dowa, she told me, “you will miss adventures like this the most when you return home”. She reminded me that making memories outside with friends is better than the memories of staying inside the library. Something I am learning to keep in mind is how to better prioritize and balance my time with school and adventures.
I am learning an abundance about climbing; I can’t wait to return to Arkansas to incorporate my new skills with my lifestyle and my friends at home.
the start of a 4 hour hike
Lud’s Church (Chasm)
eerie foggy woods
the start of a beautiful sunset
eerie foggy woodsthe start of a beautiful sunset
so. many. sunset. pictures.
“The floor, table, and chairs are lava”
floor is lava cont.
First time outdoor bouldering
Ella squeezing through the toughest part (note – at this point our feet have no base for support)
tight fit – not for the claustrophobic!
the tiny light on the middle-left is the little passage-hole (I made it!)
light beams!!
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Accounting major Jessica Perez is spending the spring 2018 semester in England with our U of A Exchange program at University of Sussex, Brighton with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship and the Kitt Rom Scholarship.
Read more from Jessica at tobrightonandbeyond.wordpress.com
Don't wait. Make plans for your semester or year abroad today! Find your program today at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/
