Girls Climbing Merit Badge Day

Five Scouts braved near freezing temperatures to earn their Climbing merit badge at Castle Rock State Park in November. Each one completed three ascents on rock so cold that their fingers could barely grasp the handholds, did three belays, three rappels, and answered questions about first aid, gear safety, proper storage of ropes, knots, verbal and hand signals, and numbering systems. That followed two days of training, climbing and belay testing at the Planet Granite indoor climbing gym in Belmont. Troops 64/4064 will be back on the rock in the Spring, hopefully in warmer weather.