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

Making your Cragbaby a good “Car-baby”

Creating a Cragbaby.
12 Comments.

Did somebody say road trip?!?

Ah, the family road trip.  There’s nothing like an 8 hour car ride to get your family vacation started on the right foot!  If your climbing family is anything like ours (ie you don’t have an unlimited supply of cash, frequent flyer miles, or world-class climbing in your backyard) you are probably racking up more mileage on your bumper-sticker laden SUV than you’d like to admit.  And all that mileage adds up to a lot of hours in the car together…very close together, maybe even touching, since your tent, camp stove, and climbing pack are taking up the majority of the backseat.  Sitting in rush hour traffic on a Friday afternoon watching the minutes slowly tick by can be painful enough for an adult jonesing for fresh mountain air – add in a young baby/toddler?  You might as well have the whole family committed now because if you’re not careful, it’ll make everyone go crazy. And you start thinking of cars Perth services.

So how do you make all those long cramped, hours in the car manageable?  Firstly see here to find more info where you can sell the old car you still have and buy a new one with the cash you earn as now the family has grown and so should the car.  But if your car only has a few appeasing dents on it, do not sell, and instead take it to a paintless dent repair in Kansas City. The following steps won’t get you there any sooner, but hopefully will help the time fly by faster.

1.  TIMING IS EVERYTHING -Most young children are champion car sleepers, if given the right opportunity.  Try to log most of your car hours for when your little one would naturally be taking a nap.  Hopefully this will give you at least an hour or two to read through the guidebook and pick out a couple of projects for the upcoming weekend.

A dirty Cragbaby snoozing after a long day on the rocks

2.  PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT – Be sure to have a near endless supply of books, toys, snacks, music, and other time-consuming activities freely available.  It’s amazing how long a half cup of Cheerios can last a 1 year old perfecting his pincer grasp!  One fun car ride tradition we established early on was to make personalized books for C, using our own pictures and the pre-made templates from Shutterfly.  He has a “Let’s Go Climbing” book that we always break out on the way to the crag, as well as a “Meet My Family” book that is perfect when we are on the way to see relatives!  Now we have a family tradition that not only has sentimental value, but also gives the C-Monster something to look forward to on a road trip (we only read those books in the  car.)

3.  GO WITH THE FLOW – Throw away the schedule and allow for flexibility on your road trips.  If Cragbaby is sleeping, we sure as heck don’t stop unless we are running on fumes or someone (usually me) is about to wet their pants.  But if he’s awake and getting antsy, we don’t hesitate to stop and let everyone stretch their legs, even if its just in a small patch of green space at a truck stop.

Getting psyched on the way to the crag

 

 

4.  THE BUDDY SYSTEM – Put yourself in your baby’s little wee shoes for a moment.  You’ve been in the car for 30 minutes of grown-up time (which in toddler time is probably closer to 2 hours).  You hear your favorite voices, so you know Mommy and Daddy are nearby, but you’re stuck in the backseat, facing the wrong direction.  Its not surprising that you might get a little cranky back there all by your lonesome!  If your tyke tends to get fussy, try playing musical chairs and sending the non-driver back.  The extra company might just be enough to take the edge off until you get to your final destination.

5.  START EARLY – No matter how you look at it, children and car rides will never be a fantastic combination.  But if introduced early, hopefully they will be able to view the “road” part of trips as a necessary annoyance they must tolerate to get to the “trip” part.

Are we there yet?!?

What secrets do you have for maintaining your sanity on road trips?

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Birthday Bonanza at the New River Gorge!

Climbing. New River Gorge.
13 Comments.

 

Steve getting started on Fantasy 5.8

Its that time of year again where I get older and wiser, which in our family means we fly north to the New River Gorge to celebrate.  In years past we’ve hit Summersville Lake (for the trip report on last year’s bash, click here), but this year we decided to stay in the gorge and climb away from the crowds.  The weather was (for August), spectacular – temps below 90 with decent cloud cover, and the only rain was in  quick passing showers on Sunday afternoon.  Had we been able to lift off that smothering blanket of humidity, conditions would have been darn near perfect, but I guess we still have a few more muggy weeks ahead of us yet.

Our first day was spent at the Fantasy Roof area at Endless Wall, where we found a great balance of moderate gear routes and long, technical sport routes.  Our usual Endless Wall adventures range from Fern Point to Snake Buttress, so hiking this far down was entirely new terrain for us.  Here’s how the day went:

Bennett down low on Aesthetica 5.11c

 

 

 

Day 1 ~
Fantasy 5.8 – This route was worth every star given in the guidebook!  The first 15 feet or so were a little awkward, but once I got over the roof and in the crack, I had 70 feet of hand jamming goodness and perfect gear stances awaiting me.  I stopped at the first pitch and set up a TR for the rest of the crew.
Aesthetica 5.11c – This beautiful line certainly lived up to its name, although I thought it felt pretty stout for 11c.  Once you hit the crux, its game on for the next 20 feet or so – technical high steppin’, and 3 looooong and reachy moves to jugs.  Then comes a good stance to get rid of your pump, which is good since the top is filled with balancy crimpers between rather generously spaced bolts.  I wasn’t exactly sure where the anchors were my first time up, so (just between you and me) I placed some gear above the last bolt…
Black and Tan 5.10a – Another route deserving of its classic status!  The opening moves were balancy, and the first gear placements were higher than I was hoping for, but the rest of the route had good stances, and gear right where I wanted it.  I’m not sure whether the route was exciting, or whether it just felt a little spicy for me because I’m not used to pushing myself on trad.  Either way, this was definitely my most difficult trad onsight to date so I was pretty proud of myself for hanging on even when my feet were cursing at me from the inside of my not-quite-broken-in-yet new Muiras.

Starting the long, reachy crux sequence on Aesthetica 5.11c

Aesthetica 5.11c – The draws were up so I decided to have another run at this one.  I still fell at the crux, but I was able to work out some new beta that will greatly increase my redpoint odds next time around.
Bonemaster Gear Fling 5.11c – This pit stop right beside the ladders on the way out is hardly worth mentioning. It started off fun – a couple of hard moves down low led to fun, balancy moves on slopey flakes…then the holds ran out, and so did the bolts, so I bailed.

One of the highlights of the day was watching Cragbaby try his best to send the Honeymooner’s Ladders before we hiked out.  He crushed it all the way to the 7th rung completely on his own strength (along with solid technique of course…).  He just kept going and going until finally I had to lift him off because I couldn’t reach any higher to spot him.

Sunday we headed over to Kaymoor, where the Pockets of Resistance Saga continued.
Sand in My Crack 5.7 – I put up this little trad line on the Rico Suave Buttress for some of our posse to play around on, and I must say it was rather enjoyable – a casual laybacking romp up an arching crack system – good gear, good climbing, and would stay dry during a monsoon.  If you happen to be in the vicinity and have your rack with you, be sure to hop on it.
Pockets of Resistance 5.12a – I should actually be listing this 5 times because that’s how many redpoint attempts I had – each starting out strong and optimistic, and each coming up heartbreakingly short at the anchors.

Practicing his rope coiling skills

Just some background – One of my original goals for 2011 was to lead a 12a and finish it, thinking i would find something that seemed within eventual redpoint reach and voila!  I could adopt a long term project.  Pockets had been recommended to me by several folks as a great first 12a, and it suited my climbing style, so a few weeks ago I went for it.  I hung at all but the first bolt, but was shocked that I completed it without too much trouble.  It didn’t feel right crossing that goal off my list when the route actually felt sendable, so I decided it was worth trying for the redpoint the next time I made it out there.

Cragbaby crushing on the ladders

Anyway, this time around it took me a few tries to work out my beta for the hard move down low – a powerful right hand cross over into a slot on high, bad feet.  Once I got that dialed, I was consistently getting to the crux efficiently, where I would then fight hard for it and fail, rest briefly, and then power through the crux move at the first go after the one hang.  My crux beta is solely dependent on a less than .1% margin of error in how I set my right foot on the high divot that is so horrible it hardly deserves to be called a hold.    The problem is that coming in to that sequence from the ground up (how cruel that it happens to be the very last move to the anchors!)  has me so pumped that nicking the exact right spot on that divot with my slightly shaky appendages makes the move seem completely desperate.  After even just a 10 second rest, I can nail it 90% of the time.  I tried 3 times before getting way-laid by a passing shower.  Not to be deterred however, I jumped back on it an hour later for two more tries, although by the last try I was so exhausted that I flailed my way up, falling at stupid places that had never been a problem before.  I even took a whipper while making the last clip, which is always never fun.

Bennett and C chillaxin’ at camp

Am I disappointed?  Nah.  Of course I wish I could have sent it, but I figure the longer and harder I work for it, the better it’ll feel when it finally does go!  I could sit around wallowing around in thoughts of what I couldn’t do, but nobody likes a Debbie Downer, so I thought it would be better to focus on reflections of what I could do…

1.  “Wired” is an understatement.  I’ve got every hold on this route memorized.  If I can get out there again before I forget it all, I should be able to crank my way right up to the crux again, without wasting any extra gas on the moves down low.

Almost at the crux on Pockets of Resistance 5.12a

2.  I’m proud of myself for giving it so many tries and for not giving up until my body gave out.  This is definitely the most work I’ve ever put into a route in such a short amount of time.

3.  I can’t forget that the original goal was to just get to the top on lead…which I did 5 times within a matter of hours.  The send is really just the icing on the cake.

So when is the next attempt?  To be honest, I don’t know.  There is so much amazing climbing to be had at the New, but unfortunately Pockets is in an area without a lot of moderate lines (sure, Rico is fantastic, but every trip?), which is what the majority of my usual climbing partners are interested in, so it doesn’t feel right dragging everybody else out there just so that I can work that one line.  I would like to hop on it again this fall –  perhaps the cooler, crisper conditions will allow me enough reserves in the tank to paste that blasted foot to the wall (or perhaps I need to abandon that sinking ship and find a different way to do the crux).  Regardless, I have no doubt that 12a will come when its ready.  In the mean time, I’m just gonna keep enjoying life on the rocks with my two favorite boys.

I heart these guys!

 Thanks again to Manuela Eilert, my favorite climbing photographer, for capturing all the action for us!  If you want to check out some more of her pics (along with the very few decent ones we managed to get), click here to view the gallery.

 

 

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Creating a Cragbaby: Camping with Infants Under One is Fun!

Creating a Cragbaby. Camping.
28 Comments.

A sweet Cragbaby waking up after spending his first night al fresco

Ever since I came up with the idea for the “Creating a Cragbaby” series, I knew I would need to do a post on camping how-to’s since its such a big part of climbing trips, but for some reason or another I never got around to it.  As Cragbaby is getting older, however, I’m realizing that we are fast approaching a different “phase” of camping – helpful tips that worked initially are no longer needed, while we’ve had to find solutions for new situations that never crossed our minds during the early months, and it not just about how to find the best inflatable tents.

So I figured I better go ahead and do this post before our helpful tricks and tips about camping with an infant get lost in a sea of toddler issues.  I also figure that this won’t be the last time we have to switch gears and do things differently, so expect a similar post about camping with a toddler long about the time C is ready to start preschool…(Yikes!  Preschool!)  But for now, here’s some answers to some of the important questions you might have about camping with an infant, whether your goal is a multi-day climbing trip or just a family night out in the woods.

A happy morning at Grayson Highlands State Park, VA

WHEN:

Home is where the heart is. A newborn has no concept of home as the address thats on their birth certificate.  Keep in mind that your bundle of joy spent 9 months floating around in a cushy, state-of-the-art mobile unit – so the idea of spending a night outside of the more recent 4-walled space that YOU call home won’t be nearly as unfamiliar and terrifying as one might first assume.  To a newborn, home is where the mommy is.  So that means it doens’t matter whether you are pacing the halls at 1 am jiggling and sh-sh-sh-ing a screaming banshee or whether you are snuggling together out under the stars listening to the crickets and cicadas.  As long as your little one feels your presence, everything should be a-okay.

That sure is a lot of gear for such a little guy…

No prior experience with the boogieman.  It’s way too early for common childhood fears of the dark, boogieman, or monsters under the bed.  Waiting til your child is at the ripe age of being too scared to get up and go to the bathroom by himself in the middle of the night is NOT the ideal time to introduce sleeping outside in a tent – “Oh yeah, Junior, and if you need to go during the night, just pee in the woods over there by that large shadowy monster rock…”

Bottom Line – Babies are very adaptable and the changes in routine will probably be harder on you than it will be on them.  In my opinion, there’s no time like the present!  The sooner you get him or her out and exposed to new situations, the more equipped they will be to deal with change in the coming months.  After several successful all day outings with Cragbaby, we took the plunge and did our first camp out when C was 10 weeks old.

Who was that shrieking monster terrorizing the campground last night? This guy’ll never tell…

 

WHERE:

Start with baby steps. (no pun intended…)  Now is not the time for that 50 mile trek into the backcountry that you’ve always wanted to do.  Remember that your main goal is to have some quality family time out in nature. Just make sure to go camping in an RV and also to keep your RV powered, as you will most definitely require it while you are camping with a baby. Your little one for sure won’t remember it, and depending on how sleep-deprived your family is at this point, the details might be fuzzy for you too, so there is no need for your destination to be exotic.  Our first family camping trip was car camping at the New River Gorge.  So we equipped ourselves with the best camping flashlight, sleeping bags/tents, a ton of food and headed into the wilderness mid-week to avoid crowds so just in case C screamed all night we could hopefully make a fast getaway the next day.  Steve and I made an agreement on the way up to not be disappointed or frustrated with C if he wasn’t ready yet and we had to bail (little did we know he would take to camping like a sport climber to a stick clip! )  Our first experience was heaven sent and just what our family needed to rejuvenate our spirits.  My fears of C keeping the entire campground awake with blood-curdling screams faded away when he ended up sleeping even better than he did at home.  We ended up staying 3 nights instead of 2, and got in 3 fabulous days of climbing.  It was the perfect way to celebrate Cragbaby’s 10 week birthday! Are you thinking of a camping trip with your kids? This checklist at www.campingconsole.com will give you a clear idea about how to do it right.

Have a dry run. If you are really worried about how the night is going to go in the tent, you can always have a dry run in your backyard.  It might make a spectacle for your neighbors, but if you’re family is anything like my family, they probably already think you’re a little weird anyway, so you have nothing to lose?  If you’re night on the lawn ends up a disaster, you can always cry uncle and head back inside.

Up and at ’em, its climb time!

“10 more minutes mom…”

HOW:

Catch your Zzz’s. – The number one question we got back in the early weeks of camping with Cragbaby was “Where does he sleep?”  The answer always was, it depends.  The first few times we let C drift off to dreamland in his portable swing.  Then we realized that more often than not C would konk out in the carseat on the way to the campground, or on the way back from dinner after a long day of climbing.  On those blissful days, we would simply place the carseat along with its snoozing occupant right in the tent.  When he woke up to nurse, he would just join me in my sleeping bag until morning.  That being said, we were a co-sleeping family for at least part of the night for a lot of the first year, so that seemed normal to us, but if the idea of a family snuggle patch doesn’t appeal to you, its also easy to bring a pack and play.  We exchanged the car seat/swing for a pack n play at some point towards the end of the first year, but we still usually end up enjoying some early morning cuddles .

Don’t forget to regulate. Body temperature, that is.  We lucked out with timing – since C was born on the first day of spring we didn’t need to worry about excess heat or extreme cold.  Do keep in mind, however that very young infants cannot regulate their body temperature as well as we can, so they will need extra layers even on mild-weather nights.

1 year old Cragbaby is Daddy’s little helper

Travel in herds. Choose a few loyal, understanding friends that will still talk to you the next day if your sweet pea by day turns into a tentman terror by night.  Not only will the extra set(s) of hands be a welcome help, but everyone knows camping is a social activity!

WHY:

I think a better question is “Why not?”  Camping as a newly expanded family is a great opportunity to bond with each other, as well as a great learning experience for your child (and you too!)   Studies have shown that children that are given frequent doses of the outdoors are smarter, healthier, and happier than their stuck-indoors-behind-a-TV-screen counterparts.

Bottom Line – Don’t be afraid to get the whole family out there. Explore, get dirty, relax, stare at the stars, build a campfire – your wee one will enjoy camping for the same reasons you do.  The first few times will probably have some bumps in the road, but the best memories always do.  Those rare tales of logistical perfection are not the ones that are told and retold into classics around the campfire.

When did you first take your little one camping?  Feel free to share a funny story or add a tip!

 

 

 

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The Good, The Bad, The Ugly…and a new Facebook Group.

North Carolina.
5 Comments.

Our original weekend plans included a climbing trip to Boone, but unfortunately Mother Nature had other plans.  With all of our family travels and such it had been almost a month since we’d gotten outdoors climbing, so we were definitely itching to get out.  But because the forecast was so sketch, we ended up just staying in town and climbing locally at Hidden Wall.  Considering the weather reports from friends in other parts of the state, it seems like it was the better choice, although conditions were still mediocre at best. Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly…

THE GOOD:
– NO RAIN – The storms evidently pass fairly close to us, since the skies darkened and looked a bit ominous at times, but Crowder’s may in fact have been the only dry rock in the state today, so we definitely chose the right destination.
– GUIDEBOOK WORK – I got to scout out some of the more obscure areas past all of the routes that are in the current guidebook.
– NEW FRIENDS – Shared the wall with some fun local folk we hadn’t met before

THE BAD:
– 90% HUMIDITY – Even though it didn’t rain, we still ended up wet and gross.  Add in the summer heat, and you’ve got a recipe for an oppressive tropical sauna.

THE UGLY:
– FLAIL FEST – I did not climb well at all.  Although I did get a little farther on my project, I’m still getting shut down at a really reachy section.  I also struggled on a route that I had previously flashed. In fact our whole crew seemed weak and less than motivated after a while.  I’m sure the weather had nothing to do with it…

I guess since the GOOD outweighed everything else we can still call the trip a success, but I’m putting in my request to the weatherman right now for cooler temps and dry weather this coming weekend at the New for my annual birthday pilgrimmage.  There wasn’t really anything worth writing about or taking pictures of in terms of a trip report, but what is worth mentioning is a call for pictures.

Ah, the Piedmont - spectacular climbing when the weather isn't so "tropical-esque" (This shot was taken on a cool fall evening from atop Moore's Wall, with Pilot Mt. in the background)

Though writing on the guidebook is well underway, I haven’t done anything yet with pictures.  While I’m planning on tackling most of the cliff layout and route pictures this winter when all the leaves are down, its always a good time for action shots.  And as cool as my climbing posse is, I figured that most readers will want to see pictures of more than just my crew at the crag.  So, if you are an NC climber with high quality images (from Moore’s Wall, Pilot, Stone, or Crowder’s Mountains) that you would like to be considered for use in the upcoming guidebook, please contact me or post them to the Carolina Rocks: The Piedmont facebook group.

I’m planning to use the facebook group not only as a way to get some great local pictures, but also as a venue for providing updates on the progress of the guidebook.  I’m hoping to get feedback from NC climbers on what they most want to see in a guidebook, as well as try to gain some consensus on difficulty and/or star ratings.  So if you are interested in up to date information on the progress of the guide, please join!

 

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Exposure On and Off the Rock

Climbing. Reflections.
12 Comments.

In looking for relevant posts to use while out of town, I stumbled across this post I did a couple of years ago on exposure.  Even though I ended up not using it while I was in Michigan, I felt like it still applied, so I tweaked it a little, and voila!

Exposure is a commonly used term in rock climbing that might not be familiar to those outside of the sport. I found an online dictionary that defined it as “being in a situation in which you are very aware that you are high off the ground.” In other words, standing on a large summit that is capped by lots of soil and very tall, thick trees would not be considered as exposed as a 3 foot wide pinnacle several hundred feet off the deck. A steep route traversing across a narrow ridge would be more exposed than a route that meanders up a low-angle slab.

Steve demonstrating exposure...

Steve demonstrating the exposure that Seneca is famous for...

A great example of one of these routes is “Gunsight to South Peak Direct.” The route’s difficulty rating is 5.4/5.5, which for those of you not familiar with climbing grades, means that it is a very easy – probably easier than climbing a ladder… However, this route has been referred to in some circles as “the scariest 5.4 on the planet.” Now, even to beginner climbers, the terms “scary” and “5.4” aren’t generally used in the same sentence. This route is also given a “G” rating (as opposed to PG-13, R, X), which means that there are plenty of opportunities for the lead climber to place protective gear (such as stoppers and camming units) into cracks and other features of the rock along the way to keep everyone safe in the instance of a fall.

Getting started on Gunsight to South Peak (Direct Variation)

Getting started on Gunsight to South Peak (Direct Variation)

Exposure typically intensifies a route. I have a few climber friends that are afraid of heights (ironic, huh?) and they usually tend to avoid routes that involve a high amount of exposure. When I think about exposure, the crag that immediately comes to mind is Seneca Rocks, West Virginia, an area reknowned for its levels of exposure, even on the easiest of routes.

So the moves are not complex, no technique required really, and any experienced climber should have no problem with placing the gear – so what makes this route so scary? EXPOSURE. It climbs up a very narrow arete to a summit ridge that is only a few feet wide in places. On either side of you is about 900 feet of air. Even though nothing about the route is difficult physically, you’ve got to flex some mental muscles to keep yourself focused.

Exposure seems to make everything seem a little more “real.” Hopefully every climber knows that their sport is one in which certain mistakes are not allowed. If I fail to clip into my anchor or tie my knot correctly, a fall could very likely result in serious injury or death. When I am hanging out at a nice restful stance, feeling secure on low-angle rock that is shielded from the sun and wind by trees, the consequences are the same as balancing atop tiny pinnacle. However, the giant ledge somehow FEELS safer. Even though I can look into the horizon and can tell that I am up quite high, when I look straight down at my feet, I still see dirt. When climbing at areas like Seneca, more times than not when I look down to find my next foothold, I see nothing but air – the exposure brings everything to a new level of awareness – it’s an in your face, stomach-dropping, can’t get it out of my head kind of awareness.

Steve securely swimming in a sea of slab on Deidre (5.8) in Squamish, British Columbia

Steve securely swimming in a sea of slab on Deidre (5.8) in Squamish, British Columbia

I think this concept of exposure can also apply to life off the rock. Its easy to get stuck in a rut, going thru the motions on some low-angle slab – feeling safe and secure in the routines of life. Its much more comfortable living there than being vulnerable on the steep, overhanging, “risky” walls. But, in reality, is the slab really that much safer? Are the exposed, steep parts of our lives really that much riskier? How often have you been living in a ho-hum, “safe” mindset one day only to have your world turned upside down the next – a lost job, the death of a loved one, an injury, etc.

The journey of life is a risky undertaking no matter who you are or what your occupation and hobbies might be. The bottom line is that storms will happen in our lives at one time or another. I’m not saying that we should live in fear of what lies around the next corner, just noting that thinking we can keep ourselves immune from any type of hardship actually leaves us with a false sense of control. So we can tiptoe through life, avoiding any exposure and taking the route that “seems” safer – live life in a bubble, only associating with those who look and think like we do, content wearing glasses of ignorance at what is going on in the world around us, and never let anyone see our weaknesses. Or, we could choose to embrace the exposure – get out of our comfort zones, try something different and new, and perhaps show a little bit of vulnerability and humility every now and then.

Enjoying the view from the exposed South Peak Summit at Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

Enjoying the view from the exposed South Peak Summit at Seneca Rocks, West Virginia back in 2009

As the saying goes, “Its a great big world out there.” Living life on the steep side, being exposed and vulnerable to others, isn’t any more dangerous than hanging out on low-angled rock where it feels like there are no risks. Don’t be afraid of the exposure – live your life with your eyes wide open and embrace the rawness of living.

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