by Bess Hochstein
Oh cool, you’re going rock climbing! exclaimed Kipp, as my beloved perused the itinerary for the Jumpstart Boot Camp at Red Mountain Spa in Ivins, Utah. Rock climbing? Having never attempted even an indoor rock wall, I couldn’t imagine hanging off the side of a cliff, pulling myself up by my fingertips. Fortunately, this adventure would be at the end of the weeklong program. Perhaps I’d develop the necessary strength “and courage “along the way.
Red Mountain offers its focused Boot Camp program, limited to five guests, nearly every month, to provide a taste of many different fitness activities as well as a personalized fitness plan for attendees. Thus my week begins with Health Services Manager Dr. Brad Crump introducing Red Mountain’s ethos “Workout smarter, not harder “by explaining that exercising within specific heart-rate zones maximizes fat-burning. Crump then measures my heart rate and metabolism at rest and on a treadmill, and maps out a twelve-week program to help me meet my goals.
Over the next few days, I meet with certified personal trainer Gene Geary who provides me with a full-body balance ball routine that I can follow at home, and nutritionist Kathy Egan, who gives me a customized nutrition plan.
In between these personalized sessions, I do find time to participate in other classes and activities on the spa schedule, including a few hikes through the stunning, vermillion desert landscape. Kipp and I even enjoyed a ride through the spectacular Navajo sandstone formations and sand dunes of adjacent Snow Canyon. The two spa treatments included in the program “the Red Rock Hiker’s Massage and the Against the Wall Upper Body Massage “were perfectly targeted for the agenda and my sore muscles.‚ ‚
By the end of the week, I’m on the ropes, literally, climbing the red cliffs of Snow Canyon, reassured by the safety harness and the encouraging, expert instruction from our guide. I’m relieved to learn that rock climbing calls more upon leg strength than upper-body muscles, and that the flexibility I’ve developed in yoga is a tremendous asset. Crawling up a red-rock wall, my heart pumps with fear and exhilaration; it’s nerve-wracking, but over the week I’ve gained enough confidence to meet the challenge. I pause at the top to take in both the view of the canyon and the scope of my accomplishment before rappelling triumphantly to the earth. Kipp stops by on a bike ride; admitting that he’d be daunted by the climb, he marvels at just how tough I am, and I take a moment to savor the satisfaction this statement brings.
For more information call (877) 246-HIKE or visit www.redmountainspa.com
July/August 2008
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