Cragmama "Not all who wander are lost…" JRR Tolkien

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Nursery Rhymes for Outdoor Play

Nursery Rhymes for Outdoor Play

Not sure about your kiddo, but my 4 year old absolutely loves to sing.  He sings in his room in the morning, sings at the dinner table, and sings in the car.  In fact, he sings his loudest when he thinks no one can hear him…Many of the songs are learned from us, from Sunday School, from preschool and from the occasional TV show (the theme song from “Thomas the Train” is an annoyingly catchy favorite).   Anyway, one recent school song was the nursery rhyme about the speckled frogs.  Big C has been singing it constantly for several days…Read the rest of this entry →

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A Wild and Scenic Weekend at Obed River, Tennessee

A Wild and Scenic Weekend at Obed River, Tennessee

Family tradition mandates that we spend Memorial Day weekend climbing and camping at the Obed Wild and Scenic River, an area just outside of Knoxville, Tennessee, and this year was no exception.  Despite my excitement to get on a rope again, I was a bit apprehensive about the logistics.  It was only our 2nd time roping up with Baby Z, and roped climbing can be a lot harder to manage than bouldering at this age since I can’t always just hop right down to get to her (although if I’m not there someone else always is.)  Additionally it would be Baby Z’s…Read the rest of this entry →

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Bouldering Circuits: A Quickie Power Endurance Workout

Bouldering Circuits: A Quickie Power Endurance Workout

Thanks to a loving husband and a (for the most part) cooperative baby, I’ve been able to consistently get to the gym 2-3 times per week starting around 2 weeks postpartum.  But when I go and how much time I have is always up in the air.  Sometimes I know up front that I only have 45 minutes to acquire a good pump…other times I go in thinking I have an hour and a half, only to have my workout cut short by a screaming baby.  If efficiency was an important component to my climbing workouts with just one kiddo,…Read the rest of this entry →

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Highlights from the Jocassee Gorges (and Adventure Package Giveaway!)

Highlights from the Jocassee Gorges (and Adventure Package Giveaway!)

I am really excited about this week’s trip report – first of all because I love reporting on new places to explore and play, and secondly because I love giveaways!  Jocassee Gorges in Upstate South Carolina is a hidden gem filled with lakes, boulders, trails, and one of the largest expanses of roadless wilderness on the East Coast!  Seriously, if you’re a southerner trying to find a Sasquatch, this might be the place!  I’d known about the area for a while now through fellow climbing blogger, Brad Caldwell (who also happens to be one of the co-sponsors of the giveaway!)…Read the rest of this entry →

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Cragmama’s Featured #KidCrushers – Round 1

Cragmama’s Featured #KidCrushers – Round 1

A couple of weeks ago I sent out an “all call” for parents to send in inspiring photos of their children gettin’ it done on the rocks.  The response was amazing! Within just a few days time, my email inbox and instagram feed was overflowing with shots of some outrageously cool kids. Don’t believe me?  Check’em out for yourself! Here’s 11 year old Jacob M. from Charlotte, NC seconding his way up Hidden Cracks (5.7) at Table Rock, NC. And 7 year old Ella R. recently took to the sharp end for her first lead on Pro-wire (5.5) in Guadalest, Spain…Read the rest of this entry →

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