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

Archives

The Heresy Saga

The Heresy Saga

At some point I think most climbers develop what I like to think of as “Daydream Projects” – routes that for whatever reason, almost seem to call your name.  Maybe its because the route is particularly aesthetic or has a famed notoriety associated with it.  Perhaps the route speaks to you because you know it will  push either your mental or physical abilities (or both!).  Or maybe you keep obsessing over it because you’ve gotten on it so many times and keep falling off at the same dang spot.  You have a connection to the route on a personal level.  You rehearse the crux…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Tennessee = Thunderstorms and Composting Toilets

Tennessee = Thunderstorms and Composting Toilets

We set off late Friday afternoon on another weekend climbing trip, this time to the Obed River, in Eastern Tennessee.  The forecast called for a 30% chance of afternoon showers on both days – so of course that meant storms the majority of the day on both days (yet again).  Although I’m relieved that we always manage to make trips more than worthwhile (thankfully once again we were still able to crank hard both days), I’ll be honest that the rain is starting to get old…fortunately this time we didn’t have to spend our evenings hanging out in a soggy campsite. …Read the rest of this entry →

Share

Because a Cragbaby’s Gotta Eat…

Because a Cragbaby’s Gotta Eat…

For the first 6 months of his life Cragbaby was on a breastmilk only diet. Food at the crag was easy – as long as he was with Mommy he wouldn’t go hungry!  Even when it came time to introduce solids we were still relying on breastmilk for the bulk of his nutrition, so it wasn’t until around the 9 or 10 month mark that we had to start planning out C’s crag menu along with our own.  Now that Cragbaby is a big boy, we’ve had to devise our own plan for making sure our picky toddler is putting…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

New England Glider Series Ropes

New England Glider Series Ropes

Your rope – as a climber, it’s the one piece of gear that you don’t back up, so it better be a good one, right?  I’ve climbed on many different ropes over the years, but my favorites above all are the New England Glider series – and specifically their 70m 9.9mm bipatterned rope.  Here’s what makes this rope stand out above the rest… Twill-Pattern-Technology – What makes all of the Gliders so smooth is the 1 over 1 sheath design – not only does it feel great in your hand but it also has noticeably less rope drag than other ropes.  The…Read the rest of this entry →

Share

A Day of Hot Flashes

A Day of Hot Flashes

Don’t worry, this post has nothing to do with skewed hormones and ticking biological clocks.  For those readers who are non-climbers, here’s a quick little lesson in climbing linguistics… Onsight – Completing a route from bottom to top with no falls or rests on the rope the first time you attempt it, without any prior knowledge about the route. Flash – Same as an onsight except that you had some helpful beta (info/tips) before attempting the route – such as observing someone else climb the route, reading someone else’s ascent notes, etc. Redpoint – Completing a route from bottom to top with…Read the rest of this entry →

Share