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

Red River Gorgeous…

Climbing. Red River Gorge.
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Steve on To Defy the Law of Tradition 5.10a

Last week our crew made a pilgrimage north across state lines, where we spent 4 days frolicking around on Kentucky sandstone.  This marked our family’s third trip to the Red, but only the first in which we didn’t get rained on every single day.  In fact, aside from a few passing showers in the car on the way up, we didn’t even see a drop!  Since we had a fairly large group, we decided to all go in together and splurge on a cabin – considering that the lows were in the upper 20’s, it was well worth the extra expense to have a cozy, warm place to come home to at the end of a long day of climbing (as well as a week’s supply of climbing videos to ensure we stayed continually psyched!)

For those of you that have never been, the Red is an amazing place, suitable for climbers of all abilities.  While there actually is a wide variety of climbs there, the Red is mostly known for its lines of steep, overhanging pockets, where the crux is often just being able to manage your pump all the way to the anchors.  Its a great place for building endurance, and the steepness as well as sprawled out nature of the cliffline ensure that you’ll find climbable rock regardless of temperature or conditions.

 

Approaching the crux on Wild, Yet Tasty 5.12a, while C plays happily below

 

With daytime highs hovering around 50 we were in search of south-facing, sun-drenched cliffs this trip.  We started things off on Day 1 at Left Flank.  It took a couple of hours for things to warm up, but we still got in a great day.  Cragbaby had fun too – he had loads of leaves to play with, as well as some creepy crawlies (including a big cave cricket that wound up inside Bennett’s shoe – it was C’s idea I swear…)

Brother Stair 5.9+
Maypop 5.11a – Be careful on the start or else your foot “may pop”.  Took a few tries to figure out the start, after that the balancy crimp-fest went down without much trouble.  There was only one hanger at the top, so I ended on the 5.8 to the left of it to set up the toprope for everyone else.
Hen-ry 5.11b – This blunt arete featured thin technical moves up a slab with funky high steps and holds so tiny they were virtually non-existent in some places.  Pretty sustained all the way to the anchors, with a decent run after the last bolt.  I fell at the crux on my first go, but since it was pretty low I decided to lower off and try again, and the next go I sent.
Wild, Yet Tasty 5.12a – The crux starts by making a really hard clip…which I never could find a stable enough position to do on lead, so I lowered off and toproped it in between Caleb and Bennett’s redpoint burns.
To Defy the Laws of Tradition 5.10a – A great way to close out the day.  This beautiful and sustained line was littered with perfect pockets and sidepulls all the way up.

Anyone need a fan?

The next day was filled with sun, and we soaked it all up at Global Village.  The rock was nice and toasty warm, and we had all stripped down to t-shirts by the end of the day.  But the best part?  We had the crag to ourselves the ENTIRE DAY, which is virtually unheard of in an area as popular as the Red!

Vision 5.7 – This was the only time I broke out the trad rack all week.  I had intended to do more trad, but it just never seemed to work out.  This was a nice route, with a splitter hand crack with very few face holds for the first 25 feet, followed by exposed, blocky climbing through a flake system.
Kentucky Pinstripe 5.10a – Kind of a one-move wonder crux down low with enjoyable low angle climbing  the rest of the way – Great view up top!
Loosen Up 5.10b – Funky sidepull jugs on slightly overhanging rock with a pumpy crimper crux just before the anchors.
Out for Justice 5.11b – This was definitely one of the highlights of my week.  A bouldery, athletic start with long moves to pockets and a horizontal rail, and then 75 feet of precarious vertical face climbing on small crimpers and incut edges.  The crux was literally the last two moves of the climb as the rock steepened and the holds disappeared.  My fingers were screaming as I tried to figure out how to get the anchors clipped, and I was preparing myself for a heartbreaker finish, but somehow I was able to hang on and clip off of something really bad to save my onsight.
The Disappearer 5.11c – Not sure whether this was sandbagged or whether it was just me, but I thrashed and flailed myself at the crux repeatedly to no avail, until finally I had to be hauled through it…not my finest moment of the week for sure.

Bennett on Kentucky Pinstripe 5.10a

The third day proved to be the climax to our trip for virtually everyone in our group.  We had originally planned on Funk Rock City, but after seeing all the cars in the parking lot we opted for Eastern Sky Bridge instead.  What an amazing place – definitely my new favorite area at the Red.  Every route I did felt classic.
Drop the Anchor 5.8+ – Definitely a full-value 5.8, I was really proud of Manuela for stepping up her game and tackling it on the sharp end!
King Me 5.11b – Made famous by making the cover of Eric Horst’s “How to Climb 5.12” book (although ironically its far from 5.12…), this line is touted by many as the best of its grade in the region, and I would definitely have to agree! It was 100 feet of pure goodness – boulder problem start surmounting a bulge, then steep, exposed pockets and sidepulls led to the crux – a long move off a crimper and a funky undercling.  There’s pretty big (but clean) whipper potential if you blow it.  Next was another bulge on holds that would feel good except for the fact that you’re so pumped at this point…I was fortunately able to get a right hand jam just after the bulge, otherwise I never would have been able to hang on for the flash.  This kind of overhanging business isn’t usually my strong suit, so it felt really good to send on my first go!
Jack in the Pulpit 5.10d – Another fun romp up steep bucket holds, with one eye-opening move up high on some pinchy pockets.
Dave the Dude 5.11d – All I can say about this line is WOW.  This was by far the most difficult route I’ve redpointed to date, and it’s in the rankings for one of the best routes I’ve ever had the opportunity to tie into.  So I thought it would be only fitting to dedicate a separate post so this line wouldn’t have to share the spotlight with anything else… if you’re curious, come back tomorrow to read more (and see the video)!

Post-climbing feast back at the cabin!

After exceeding all of my expectations on Dave the Dude, I easily could have gone home first thing in the morning on Sunday sans climbing.  The majority of our posse did just that, as they had farther to drive than us.  However a few of us decided to stay through the morning to check out a new area in Pendergrass Preserve (aka PMRP).  The parking and approach situations have changed a good bit since we’d last been there (and since the most recent guidebook was published), so unfortunately the majority of our morning was spent trying to get our bearings, but at least we managed to get one climb in at The Gallery.
A Brief History of Climb 5.10c – With a party of 4 (meaning only one rope since somebody has to be on Cragbaby duty…) we knew we’d only have time for one route, and as soon as we walked around the corner and saw this line, we knew this had to be it.  After a somewhat technical start and some blocky ledge systems, the route followed an amazingly steep and exposed arete along giant incut plates, some of which were too thin to believe!  This is the kinda route that makes you feel like a kid on the monkey bars – its just downright fun!  It was the perfect way to end our trip, and big props to Steve for hanging on for the flash on this one, because steep isn’t really the name of his game either.

A Brief History of Climb 5.10c

We ended our weekend with a passed-out Cragbaby in the backseat and several hours of hubby and I talking a mile a minute, recapping all the fun highlights from a fabulous fall weekend at the Red.  It made the 7 hours in our stinky car seem not-so-bad (although it unfortunately didn’t do the same for the pile of laundry that’s still sitting in our hallway…).  Our photos are a little sporadic, but plenty of great memories were captured as best as a camera can do – click here for more.

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Name that Caption: Dirty Bit

Sentimental Snapshots.
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It’s been a while since I’ve done a Name that Caption post.  And, if you’re interested, April M. was the winner of the last one: “A Slightly Awkward Picture with a Pumpkin.”  (April, contact me and I’ll hook you up with a Cragmama sticker if you’d like!)  Anyway, today’s photo was actually taken this past May, while Cragbaby was snoozing at the  crag during the New River Rendezvous.

I like this picture because I feel like it captures my little guy’s free spirit.  Play hard, sleep hard – you could call it his motto even.  He’s never been one to pay much attention to what time the clock says.  He soaks as much fun out of his day as he can, and then he drops – no matter when or where it happens.  I love that in this shot he still had his adventure suit on (and I also love how filthy it is!).  He was so exhausted he fell asleep right in my arms before I got a chance to de-adventurize him into something a little more comfy.  I remember being amazed that he crashed in the middle of all the action, surrounded with the sounds of gear clinking, climbers shouting up commands, and barking dogs.  Ironically enough, despite all of the hullabaloo that was going on outside the range of the camera lens, he was perfectly peaceful, happily exhausted from a day filled with exploring, scrambling, laughing, and living.

So what do you think?  Give my sweet little snoozer a caption!  

(SIDE NOTE – For those of you that remember the talk show/podcast segment I was supposed to do with Mamavation TV back in September that got cancelled due to a technical glitch, tonight at 10 pm EST is the rescheduled night!  I’ll be on there live – yikes! – talking about camping with kids.  If you’re interested check out this previous post that explains how to log in so you can catch the segment. 🙂 ).

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Guidebook Work Day: Enjoyment High, Productivity Low, Sans Cragbaby!

Climbing. North Carolina.
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The Fire Wall - home to some of the most impressive, intimidating, and exciting lines at Moore's...

While admittedly that title might be a little extreme, the Moore’s Wall Guidebook Photo Extravaganza certainly did not go as planned. The original plan was to meet up with my favorite photographer, Manuela, on Thursday morning at Moore’s Wall. Our goal was to photograph as much of the cliffline as we could and spend the night with family in Winston-Salem, so that we could not only wrap up route photos on Friday, but also walk the cliff with Carolina Climbers Coalition president Scott Gilliam so that he could show us some undocumented lines. Our plans started unraveling long about Wednesday however, when Friday’s precipitation forecast skyrocketed from 20% to a whopping 90%. Add in a late start Thursday morning, (FYI Facebook directions plus travel in areas without signal coverage isn’t an efficient combo)and we came out with a lot less than I had hoped. Fortunately at least, Thursday’s conditions were stellar, so what we did get turned out really nice.

View from atop Washboard - note Sauatown Mountain as well as Pilot Mountain in the background

We started our day at the Fire Wall. Our plan of attack consisted of me reading my route description to Manuela to see if she could pick out the line based off what I’d written, followed by Manuela photographing the line from every angle imaginable. Once we got the Fire Wall pretty well- documented, we did the same for the Sentinel Buttress area.

After a quick bite to eat we decided we’d earned the right to put our harnesses on and actually get on the rock. We hopped on one of my favorites, Washboard (5.6), an aesthetic line that provided us with a perfect vantage point from which to photograph the Circus Wall.  For those of you not familiar with the route, Washboard is a lovely little ditty – steep for the grade, great exposure, good protection.  Unfortunately, this line is usually brought up in conversation more because of its controversial descent options than because of its finer qualities.  Here’s the problem – Washboard actually ends in the middle of the cliff on a ledge with a very small pine tree. There are numerous harrowing tales of parties rappeling and even top-roping from this tiny tree.  At this point I assume that most readers who are climbers are raising their eyebrows at this appalling idea, while the NC locals are just chuckling under their breath, too aware of the debate in ethics this little route has sprouted.

So what’s the controversy?  All agree that the best climbing ends on the ledge.  All experienced climbers agree that using the tree is ill-advised.  What many are unable to agree upon is the best descent option.  This route hits an ethic nerve that I have no intention of getting in the middle of with this post, but for posterity’s sake I’ll sum up the opposing sides.

Moore's Wall, as seen from the drive up

BOLTS R US – These guys feel that this line is attractive to beginner climbers (due to the lower level of difficulty and good protection).  They think that putting a bolted rap station at the ledge would be the most convenient option.

ETHICS POLICE – Almost all of the routes at Moore’s were established with a strict, ground-up ethic that shunned fixed protection of any kind.  They would argue that there is no reason for a bolted station at the ledge, since there are several other viable options – continue to either the top or a couple of other hard-to-find rap stations (that some might also consider to be dubious), or solo unroped down easy, but sometimes exposed 5th class terrain from the ledge for about 80 feet.

The right side of Moore's - Circus Wall, Sentinel Buttress, Fire Wall, Hanging Garden

My humble opinion?  I think both sides make good points.  I don’t like the extra time it takes to continue climbing, but also am not a fan of fall consequences being death on the scramble.  For the record, Manuela and I decided to do the scramble, but protected it by “down-leading.”  (We stayed tied in to the rope, and she belayed me down, and I placed gear along the way.  When I got down, I belayed her as she down-climbed and cleaned the gear).  I’m comfortable with that option, and while it takes longer than rappelling, its a lot faster than the other scenarios.  That being said, if the powers that be decided to put in a bolted station, I probably wouldn’t put up a fight.

But enough about controversy.  The fall color was breath-taking, and taking it all in from the belay atop the Washboard ledge with the lone pine tree for company made the entire trip worth it.  When we got back down we realized that the light on the Fire Wall was absolutely stunning, so we re-shot those pics again.

Those of you who are regular readers may be wondering why there has been no mention of Cragbaby up until this point… That’s because he wasn’t there! Completely unrelated to the guidebook project, Thursday also marked an epic milestone for me – the first time in 19 months that I’ve gone climbing WITHOUT Cragbaby!  My mother-in-law (aka “BeBe”, pronounced “BB”) graciously agreed (without too much arm twisting) to watch Cragbaby at her house all day so that Manuela and I could go about our crag-business.  It was definitely a weird feeling.  First of all, I kept forgetting that C was not in my backpack.  Ironically my personal climbing gear coupled with the trad rack and quick draws probably weighed about the same if not a little more than my usual Cragbaby set-up, but being able to cinch it down to a compact size that could fit snug against my back made a world of difference in how heavy the load felt.  (It also helped that the contents of my pack were not reaching out to try and snatch leaves from nearby branches).

Cragbaby got in some climbing of his own while Mommy was away...

We had hoped to photograph a couple more sections as well as get in a couple more pitches, but by the time we got done with round 2 of pics on the Fire Wall it was approaching 5:00.  Since we were still looking at a 20 minute hike, 40 minute drive back to BeBe’s house and a mommy that was in need of a Cragbaby fix, we brought our day to an early close – but not before getting a great series of shots on the way out outlining the entire cliff line from the road.

I had a happy reunion with C (and his Daddy too, of course!) and we all enjoyed a wonderful salmon dinner a la BeBe that evening.  Since the weather was promising to be nothing but frustrating, we decided to scratch our plans for returning the next day.  Although we didn’t accomplish as much as we had initially intended, we did have a lot of fun, and our weather was more than you could ever have asked for from a north-facing crag in November.  Even though it wasn’t technically a real “climbing day,” it was an interesting experience being away from Cragbaby.  Since C has always gone with us, this was the first time I’d done any multi-pitch in about 2 years (back when I was 5 months pregnant).  I’d forgotten that multi-pitch climbing requires a much different set of muscles than single-pitching.  Had we gotten in more climbing, I’m sure my arms would have been sore from coiling ropes and top-belaying, as opposed to cranking and pulling.

Another tiny detail that I was reminded of was just how amazing the climbing is at Moore’s Wall, since I hadn’t been there since before C came along!  The nature of the climbing there doesn’t lend itself very well to families with young (ie non-climbing) children, since descents for even single-pitch routes usually require all climbers off the ground at one time, leaving nobody at the bottom for little C.  I left on Thursday with a renewed excitement for Moore’s quartzite, and I’m looking forward to getting back there and resurrecting old projects!  As far as the guidebook goes, I am wrapping up first drafts of two of the four areas I will be covering (Pilot and Moore’s).  Since I’ve never done this before its hard to know how to pace myself, but I feel like I’m working on it all the time, so hopefully its fast enough!  (Locals or those who climb in NC often enough to be considered locals, be sure to check out the Carolina Rocks facebook group for the latest discussions, polls, and other such happenings with regards to the new guidebook!)

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The Highlight Reel…

Climbing. Reflections.
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If you’ve ever climbed with our family, then you’ve probably experienced the end of day mental pat on the back otherwise known as The Highlight Reel. It’s a long time tradition that Steve and I established years ago, back when we first started climbing. At first it was just something we talked about with each other on the way home from the crag. We gradually introduced it to our other climbing partners and it just sort of took on a life of its own… Here’s how it works.

After a hopefully long and fun-filled day at the crag, each person reflects on the day and comes up with two distinct highlights, a personal highlight, and a spectator highlight. Highlights are then shared with the group either on the hike out, over dinner, or my personal favorite, by the fire back at camp.

Relishing the day's highlights back at camp after a day of sending out at Little Clear Creek, TN, this past Labor Day.

PERSONAL HIGHLIGHT: Your personal highlight is what you are most proud of yourself for achieving that day. It could be anything from getting up the nerve to lead an intimidating route, toproping a difficult route without falls, or even something as specific as making a particular move on the rock – whatever accomplishment makes you puff up a little bit on the inside.

SPECTATOR HIGHLIGHT: This one is where things get really fun (and sometimes out of hand, depending on the crew :)). Your spectator highlight is your favorite thing that you saw someone else do during the day. Again, there are any number of examples – watching someone send a project, seeing someone struggle on a difficult section but not give up, etc.

A not so obvious, but certainly key aspect of The Highlight Reel is that highlights are not always climbing related…some of my most memorable Spectator Highlights involve something funny that Cragbaby did, or some ridiculously funny mishap along the trail.

Although its admittedly a bit on the dorky side, the Highlight Reel is really just a fun way to generate comraderie amongst your climbing partners. Our entourage often consists of folks with a wide range of skill levels and climbing goals, and sharing our highlight reel is a great way for everyone to come together at the end of the day and celebrate successes of all types. I see it as an opportunity to not only foster positive discussion, but also provide a little more insight as to what makes your fellow climbers tick.  So the next time your hanging out by the fire recapping the days adventures, don’t be afraid to show some love to the folks that kept you off the ground all day!

Can I get a shout out from any other Highlight Reel fans out there?  Any other folks do something similar with their climbing crew?

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5 Reasons for Families to Get Active – and some scary statistics!

Parenting. Reflections.
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It seems as though I’ve been on a family kick recently with my Green Hour posts, both immediate and extended family.  Ironically, however, I have also had a lot of conversations recently with parents of children who would rather stay inside and watch other people play sports than actually get outdoors and do something active themselves.  In addition to being just plain sad, I also found this both disturbing and odd, especially considering how many nature resources and sports programs are available for kids of all ages these days.  It prompted me to research a little further…

It seems like everyone in our culture in this day and age is always busy, whether its working, making appointments, running errands, paying bills, cooking dinner.  A lot of people don’t have time (or don’t MAKE time, rather) to get outside and get active, so it’s no wonder our health statistics as a nation are dismal at best.  Though we as Americans are free from the majority of infectious diseases and illnesses that run rampant in poorer, less-developed countries, we are anything but the picture of health.  Did you know that 2 out of 3 Americans are overweight or obese?  Three out of four Americans don’t even meet basic recommendations of activity level, and 1 out of 4 adults lives a completely sedentary lifestyle.  And this epidemic is not just affecting adults – obesity rates in children has more than quadrupled in the past 30 years!

My little treehugger...

If everyone in this country took even baby steps towards an active and healthy lifestyle, the world would quite literally be a different place.  But rather than teaching our children to have fun running around outside, we’re teaching them to sit on the couch and play video games.  Not that I’m against video games – to call myself a master at Super Mario Bros would be too humble…and in more recent times I’ve been known to kick my fair share of Rock Band booty as well.  Everything in moderation, right?  So how do we find that balance – because let’s face it, life does get in the way, especially during the busy seasons.

The short answer?  To steal from Nike – JUST DO IT!  Ok read this first, but then GET OFF THE COUCH!!!  Go outside.  Do something (anything!) active as a family.  Whether its a bike ride, a walk around the neighborhood, or playing hide and seek in the backyard, spend some quality “action” time together.  And if the scary statistics above weren’t motivation enough, here’s more reasons why you should…

1.  QUALITY TIME – Working out as a family is a great way to catch up on the day’s activities.  Our family likes to take a spin around the neighborhood with the jogging stroller on days we aren’t at the climbing gym – it not only gives us an opportunity to recap to each other about our day, but also makes the run go by faster since we’re talking through it.

2.  TIME SAVER – If we all go together on a jog or a bike ride, it takes about 45 minutes to an hour.  That’s a lot less time than it would take for us to take turns watching C while the other parent drove to the gym and rushed through a workout.  Not only will working out together prove to be a timesaver, but it will also free up more time in the evening for family time.

3.  GOOD ROLE MODELS – Kids by nature are active and into everything.  But older children can be tempted to get lazy and stay inside just like adults, especially if they see mom and dad laying around on the couch.  How can you expect your child to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle – practice what you preach, and let them SEE you doing it!

4.  IT’S GOOD FOR YOU – The benefits of consistent, regular physical activity are certainly no secret.  Active people are healthier and happier than their couch-potato counterparts.

5.  IT’S GOOD FOR EVERYONE – Exercise is not just good for adults.  According to the CDC, children over the age of 6 should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity every day.

Regardless of how you squeeze it into your routine, you are doing your family a big favor when you make time to enjoy the outdoors together, by setting your child up for a lifetime of healthy living and appreciation of the natural world.  What are some ways that you teach your kids the value of getting off the couch?

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