I made my first trip of the year to my favorite sport climbing crag, Rumney, a few weeks ago. It felt so good to actually grip real rock instead of slamming my ice tools and crampons in to an ice pillar.

When I first started climbing outdoors, I always admired “that girl.” Who is “that girl” you ask? There’s one at every crag. She’s the one that’s the obvious leader – she’s got the rack, she’s route finding, and then she effortlessly guides her partner up a difficult route that I couldn’t even comprehend top-roping, much less leading. Confident, strong, graceful – she climbs like a girl.

Sunday I got a call from Shim Shimberg, owner of Rock Barn climbing gym as well as Rhino Guide Service in Plymouth, NH. "Hey Sonya, play hooky from work tomorrow and let's go climb Whitney-Gilman Ridge at Cannon!"

Sit in a tiny, overheated cubicle all day long, or spend the day outdoors climbing. No real decision there.