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

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Life Lessons Learned on a Slackline

Life Lessons Learned on a Slackline

A slackline is really an interesting idea.  Very popular amongst the climbing community, and more or less unknown to everyone else.  The concept is quite simple in theory – picture a circus with a tightrope walker high above the spectators, hands out to the sides, balancing her way across the rope to the other side.  Now, take out the “tight” part and picture the same person walking across a piece of webbing about an inch wide, as the webbing sags low underneath their weight and wobbles from side to side.  Welcome to the curious world of slacklining. Invented by a…Read the rest of this entry →

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Gear Review: Kelty FC 3.0 Kid Carrier

Gear Review: Kelty FC 3.0 Kid Carrier

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t looking forward to the day when Cragbaby could hike his 25 pound self into the crag on his own two feet, and my husband would for sure be lying if he said he won’t be waiting to replace that weight with 25 pounds of gear from his own pack on the day that happens!  But for now, we’ve got a pretty good system – hubby hikes in ALL of the climbing related gear – rope, quickdraws, rack, harnesses, shoes, etc (thankfully our “third man” can usually take some of that burden), while I hike…Read the rest of this entry →

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Cold, Sleet, Snow, and Generosity…but No Bouldering.

Cold, Sleet, Snow, and Generosity…but No Bouldering.

Ah, fall.  Always ushered in for our household by the first Saturday in October, where we head up to the High Country of western North Carolina with the other “pad people” to pretend that we are pebble-wrestlers (aka boulderers).  Even though roped climbing is more of our “thing” (as is evident by anyone seeing hearing me on a mantle topout), we like to get our boulder on occasionally as well, and ALWAYS on this particular Saturday for the Hound Ears Bouldering Competition.  This annual shindig is the first in a series of 3 comps collectively known as the Triple Crown. …Read the rest of this entry →

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Helmets – Heck No or Essential Pro? (and a GIVEAWAY!!!)

Helmets – Heck No or Essential Pro? (and a GIVEAWAY!!!)

This is a post about brain buckets, aka helmets.  And guess what – in honor of Petzl’s October Helmet Campaign, I’ve been authorized to sponsor a free giveaway of a Petzl Elia  or Elios (winner’s choice) to one lucky reader, courtesy of the folks over at Pemba Serves.  Interested?  Read on… The majority of climbers have helmets – the real question is does it ever end up on your head, or is it merely dead weight in your backpack?  The subject of helmets can be a controversial one for some climbers – it seems as though there are two extremes,…Read the rest of this entry →

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Name that Caption: A Slightly Awkward Picture with a Pumpkin…

Name that Caption: A Slightly Awkward Picture with a Pumpkin…

***A few of you got a sneak peek at this post earlier in the week, when it accidentally went out to my email subscriber list on Monday.  For those of you that read it before I got a chance to “unpublish” it, you’ve had time to think up a great caption all week, so I’m expecting great things! Many thanks to all who participated in the last “Name that Caption.”  Grace Chu was the popular winner, although in my opinion Nicole H was a close second…  So today’s pic has an interesting back story that technically began long before we…Read the rest of this entry →

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“Not all who wander are lost.” —JRR TOLKIEN