Rock Climbing at Dyno Climbing: I Thought the Height Would Be the Problem
I thought the height would be the problem.
It wasn’t.
For this week’s Adult Play Adventure, we headed to Dyno Climbing, an indoor rock climbing gym in Detroit. Going into it, I had already decided how the day was going to go. I figured I’d spend most of the time looking up at walls, questioning my decisions and trying to convince myself to climb.
Instead, the second I got on the wall, it felt weirdly familiar.
Not familiar because I’d done it before but familiar because it felt like I’d never stopped.
Which made absolutely no sense because it had been years since I’d gone rock climbing.
*record scratch* Before you go, do yourself a favor and fill out the waiver online. It takes about 20 minutes and you’ll still need to watch a short safety video once you arrive that teaches you how to do your safety checks and clip in and out of the wall.
Walking into Dyno, the first thing I noticed was how much bigger it felt than I expected. There were climbing walls everywhere, routes for different skill levels and people moving in every direction. They also have a section where people basically raw dog the wall and just let their bodies fall whenever..if ever so yeah..
If that’s your thing, I support you.
It will absolutely never be mine but yes.
The funny part is that climbing up wasn’t what challenged me.
I’ve never really been scared of heights, but if you put me near a ledge, cliff or edge and ask me to stand there thinking for too long..nah absolutely not. Like unless I’m immediately jumping into water..no.
I thought getting to the top would be the hard part.
Meanwhile I was flying up the wall.
The part that caught me off guard was getting back down.
I’d get to the top, look down and suddenly become a much more thoughtful person.
The first few climbs involved some staring, a little negotiating and a lot of slowly convincing myself to release.
By the end of the session?
I was climbing to the top and jumping.
And honestly, what a powerful, refreshing, rejuvenating feeling.
Not because I conquered some huge fear.
Not because I became a rock climber overnight.
Because for a couple of hours, I stopped overthinking and just had fun.
The entire time I had butterflies in my stomach.
Not nervous butterflies.
Excited butterflies.
The kind that remind you you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
One of my favorite moments from the day actually had nothing to do with climbing. At one point my phone fell while I was filming and a woman nearby noticed what happened. Before I could even get to it, she picked it up, propped it up perfectly and helped me get one of my favorite shots from the entire adventure.
So if by some miracle you’re reading this, thank you, beautiful human. 💛
And yes, there was a man in today’s APA episode.
Fortunately, he’s been one of my best friend for 16 years, so I promise, it was safe.
Pedro spent the entire day hyping me up with some variation of “Okayyy, I see youuu” and “Bro, you flying up that wall,” which honestly made the whole experience even better.
Looking back, what I keep thinking about isn’t the height, the routes or even the climbing itself.
It’s the butterflies.
That excited, childlike feeling of doing something simply because it sounds fun.
“Fuck it, just do it” has become the theme of my year, and this adventure felt like another reminder of why.
Sometimes the best experiences happen on the other side of finally listening to yourself.
📍 Location: Dyno Climbing
🏙️ City: Detroit, Michigan
💰 Cost: $23 Day Pass (actually good for entire day) | Climbing Shoes $6 | Harness $5
⭐ Difficulty: 6/10
👤 Solo Friendly: Yes
👥 Group Friendly: Yes
⏱️ Time Needed: 1–3 Hours
🎒 What to Bring: Comfortable Clothes, Water, Hair Tie, Completed Waiver (online)
