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

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Melrose Mountain Climbing

Melrose Mountain Climbing

One of our family’s first forays into post-quarantine climbing was Melrose Mountain, a small cliffline just outside of Tryon, NC. If you’ve never heard of this area, it’s probably because public access was just negotiated with the town of Tryon in 2019, courtehsy of the Carolina Climber’s Coalition and Blue Ridge Mountain Guides. Coming straight out of all the closures and having not climbed outside in months, a grade range of mostly 5.10 and under seemed like a good fit. And as a relatively unknown climbing spot, we felt pretty good about avoiding crowds. The weekend we went was hot.…Read the rest of this entry →

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Running For Rock Climbers Series #1: Why It’s a Good Idea

Running For Rock Climbers Series #1: Why It’s a Good Idea

Just like not everyone who climbs is a “climber,” not every one who runs is a “runner,” and I’ll be the first to admit that I’m the  former, not the latter!  And while most people probably can guess that rock climbing is great exercise, it’s not all-inclusive, so for me running has always played a smaller but very  consistent role in filling in the “gaps” in my fitness regimen.  I run 3 or 4 days a week outside, year round, generally not on the same days that I climb.  I do not run far, nor do I run particularly fast – usually around 3.5 miles…Read the rest of this entry →

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Extracurricular Training Part 2: Shoulder Stabilizers

Extracurricular Training Part 2: Shoulder Stabilizers

Last week I posted about PUSH muscle training, and why its important.  Of equal importance is shoulder strength – all those tiny little stabilizer muscles that keep your shoulder in place while you latch a dyno, lay in hard on a gaston, or run laps on horizontal terrain.  Climb long enough and I guarantee you will either sustain a shoulder injury yourself or climb with someone who does.  Sometimes shoulder problems are chronic and creep up gradually as dull, nagging aches that never quite seem to go away.  Other times these injuries occur acutely, resulting from a specific motion or fall scenario.  Regardless of…Read the rest of this entry →

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Extracurricular Training Part 1 – The Antagonists

Extracurricular Training Part 1 – The Antagonists

In the literary world, the “antagonists” represent the bad guy – the person, place, or thing that causes conflict and opposition to the “protagonist,” or good guy.  Lord Voldemort, Sauron, and even Satan are classic examples of antagonists.  It’s no wonder that we as climbers tend to steer clear of training our antagonist muscles…But joking aside, however, this type of training should be a very important component to EVERY climber’s training regimen, from beginners to the elite.  Here’s why. Just like their literary counterparts, antagonist muscles in climbing are the muscles that act in opposition to the main muscles used…Read the rest of this entry →

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