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

The Quest for the Perfect Approach Shoe

Gear Reviews.
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Mine are red instead of blue, but you get the idea…

Just when I was beginning to lose hope that the perfect approach shoe actually existed, along came the Hedgehog GRX XCR (by The North Face) – a perfect balance between comfort and performance! Let me back up.  Until recently, I’m pretty sure that not a climbing trip went by where I didn’t have some sort of complaint about my shoes.  Not my climbing shoes, mind you – I have no qualms about packing in 4 pairs of shoes for 4 different routes but for beginners running shoes are apropos, & because each of my shoes have a specific purpose – I’ve got my technical edgers, my aggressive down-turned shoes for the steeps, my flexible and comfy trad shoes, etc etc etc.  But approach shoes are different – you shouldn’t have to waste pack space on a shoe whose soul (sole?) purpose is to get you to the cliff base comfortably in one piece. Needless to say, my standards were pretty high.  Here’s what I was looking for out of an approach shoe…

  • “East Coast Soles” – my problem with “official” approach shoes, such as the ones made by Five-Ten and La Sportiva, are that they are best-suited for rocky scrambles on desert sandstone and scree-surfing sessions along cliff bases.  East coast approaches aren’t really like that – out here you’re usually hiking through dense, deciduous forest, usually situated on a steep slope.  There is usually some scrambling involved, especially around the base of the cliff, so vibram rubber is key, but a deeper tread is also needed for navigating the narrow rhodo tunnels and steep (and often muddy and slippery) sloping forest trails.
  • Waterproof – Scattered afternoon showers happen…a LOT.  Many times the run-off from the top heads right down the descent gully, making for some wet and wild approaches, especially if there have been several rain days in a row. One of the best aspects of all the four shoes I carry in my bag is that all of them are waterproof and you too can know about them in this excellent Buyers Guide by Allthingswaterproof.com. There is something very liberating about sloshing straight through mud puddles 3 inches deep without even a thought of tiptoeing around, because I know at the end of the day my socks will still be dry (although probably not the best-smelling…)
  • Lightweight – This was the kicker…there are about a million different hiking boot options that have the above specs – but they are hiking BOOTS – big bulky shoes that weigh a ton.  Sure boots are fine in the winter when its really cold and I want the high top for warmth purposes…but in the middle of the heat and humidity hell of July and August, the last thing my feet want are a thick, bulky shoe that will make them sweat even more than they are already.

Comfortable, breathable, AND great traction on the rock

Just three things.  It doesn’t sound like too much to ask.  All I want is a low-profile, sticky rubbered shoe that allows my foot to breathe and stay dry.  But the sticky-soled, waterproof shoes were too bulky.  And all of the lightweight Vibram shoes were breathable but took on water like a sinking ship.  Until finally…along came the Hedgehog!  Its not an approach shoe.  Its not a hiking boot. It’s a (drumroll please….) trail running shoe!  It’s the perfect balance between comfort and performance.

If they made them in Cragbaby’s size, he’d be on his third pair by now!

I’ve put probably close to a hundred miles on them already over the course of the past year, and aside from being slightly dingier in color, they are no worse for the wear, and my feet remain cozy and dry!  The wider forefoot but narrow heels on the Hedgehogs are perfect for my duck feet, and the ergonomically designed footbed keeps me comfy on the hike out after a day of cramming my tootsies into climbing shoes all day.  They aren’t cheap (retail $110), but they are the only approach shoe I need to pack, year round (aside from the few times a year I climb out west, where my Five Tennies still reign supreme!).  As a side note, my husband has a much narrower foot than me, and he’s been really happy with the Merrell Chameleon Ventilator GTX. So if you’re looking for a reliable, multi-purpose shoe for climbing approaches as well as hiking, check out the North Face Hedgehog GTX – on a scale from 1-5, (1 being Chossy, 5 being Classic), I give this shoe 4 Cragmama stars!

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New River Rendezvous Recap

New River Gorge.
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Goofing around at the Bubba City cliff base.

After skipping last year’s ‘Vous b/c Cragbaby was still really new on the scene, we were back this year, this time as a family that was bigger (and I like to think C has made us better…) than before!  The weather was great – the driest trip to the New we’d had in a really long time!  We had a whole posse of friends that met us up there, ran into tons of folks we hadn’t seen in a long time, and of course met lots and lots of new friends!

ISO-9000 (5.11b)

We rolled in just before dark on Thursday night and were surprised to find our favorite camping area away from the all the hubbub was almost full – thankfully our friends that had arrived an hour before us saved the last available space for us and our giant orange tent (which I heard passers-by commenting on one night, unaware that I was inside laying a sleeping Cragbaby down in the portable crib that takes up the majority of our tent space…)

Steve and John getting ready for Clean Shaved (5.11d) while Cragbaby rests up for the party later!

We headed out pretty early the next day and hit up The Decameron area of Bubba City, which we figured was a decent bet for crowd control, and we’d also never climbed there before.  After some shenanigans figuring out where the correct route was (don’t ask…), we ended up with a great day!  Here’s what we did:

C getting a lesson in cairn-building!

The Decameron (5.10b) – A long, beautiful line with fantastic exposure and views of the river from up top!  (And best of all, I didn’t forget to look!)
ISO 9000 (5.11b)
 Centennial (5.10b)
 Booby Prize (5.10d) – I went up one more bolt than what the guidebook says before traversing right to the shared anchors with Clean Shaved, and this seemed to not only flow a lot better, but also had a lot less swinging potential on a fall.
Clean Shaved (5.11d) – Kind of a two move wonder…but those two moves are really HARD!  Flailing commenced…

Cragbaby getting his very own autographed poster from Chris Sharma!

Saturday was all about Endless Wall, and was by far my favorite day!  We took Cragbaby down the Honeymooner’s Ladders for the first time (look for a blog post on ladders and babies coming up soon!) It was rather less than climactic for C, considering that he was fast asleep in the backpack the entire time…
Muckraker (5.11a) – Not a grade that I usually like to warm-up on, but its one of the easiest sport lines that’s any good, and since its a technical slab, you don’t have to worry about any sort of flash pump from starting out too hard.

Up high on Discombobulated (5.11b)

Discombobulated (5.11b) – For those of you that have been reading for a while, you might remember that this route and I have a bit of a history, and that Goal #3 on my 2011 Hit List was to redpoint this route –  I say “was” because I sent it first go this time!  I had expected it to take at least 1 or 2 tries to work out the heinous crimpy crux right after the first bolt, but even after I made it through feeling really solid, in the back of my mind I was prepared for a heartbreaking whipper pulling the roof 5 feet from the anchors, especially with all the buzzing distractions everywhere (never saw a nest anywhere, but for some reason bees were swarming all over the place!)  After the flail-fest this route put me through a couple of years ago when I was 5 weeks pregnant, I am so happy to send it this time around!

The boys after a manly dinner at Smokey's

Homer Erectus (5.12a) – I’d been on this two other times a couple of years ago, and had always traversed right at the 8th bolt, which keeps the grade at 11b.  This time, however, I decided to try my hand at the direct version, which went at 12a.  I fell a couple of times moving over the bolt, but eventually I was able to link together the sequence and finish out the route.  This brings me to Goal #5 for 2011 – leading a 12a.  So I guess technically I could check that one off too…but somehow it seems like kind of a copout to do so, since this was only a couple of moves of 12a, and its not even the most popular way to do the route…I figure I’ll wait to check that goal off til I can do it with a more legit route.  🙂

A sweet boy cheering on his Daddy on Homer Erectus

On Sunday we decided to check out a new area – Cottontop.  It was a good idea in theory, but what we didn’t know was that the area seeps (big time), so even though it hadn’t rained in days, EVERYTHING was sopping wet.  Unfortunately by the time we had driven out there and hiked in, it was too late to head anywhere else, considering the wide range of abilities within our group as well as the long drive we had ahead of us later on that afternoon.  At first glance, Cottonhead (5.10d) appeared dry, so I headed up.  However the last 3 holds were all but dripping, making it impossible to clip the anchors (but making for some fun rides trying…)  I ended up stick-clipping the anchors so that everyone else could give it a go and we could get our gear back.  Steve did something similar with Bio-Slab (5.7) so at least everybody got to climb something, but it was definitely a shame that we didn’t know what the conditions would be like – we could have climbed on dry rock at any number of other places.  But I guess it wouldn’t be a trip to the New without at least one day of wet rock…

 

 

C and Norbert heading off to find some booth babes.

Our family has certainly come a long way from Cragbaby’s first camping experience (which ironically was exactly one year ago this week!)  Steve and I were both in awe of how well he did the entire weekend!  I was afraid that the loud party atmosphere was gonna be pretty hard on such a little guy by Day 3, but C not only slept through all the music, shouting, and car horns literally right outside of the tent EVERY night (which is more than I can say for myself!) but also proved wrong everyone who says babies ruin a good party!  Even Maura from Water Stone Outdoors told me that “No one had had more fun this weekend than that baby!”

C showing Steve and Tori the rules of Cornhole

I must admit that part of me had been afraid that a Rendezvous with a little one meant missing out on a lot of the usual fun, but when I look back on it, Cragbaby fit right in… By day he hiked, climbed on rocks, and fiddled with gear, and by night he danced, flirted, clapped, and celebrated til he dropped from pure exhaustion – just like Mommy and Daddy!  I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that the apple didn’t fall that far from the tree – and it probably goes without saying that all three of us are looking forward to doing the whole thing again next year!

 

A quick breakfast before heading out on the last day

Oh yeah – and of course thanks as always to Manuela for capturing so many great memories of the weekend on camera, as well as John Wilson. (I must have been having too much fun, because I hardly even took the camera out…) As usual there were way too many good pics to include all of them on the blog, so if you wanna see more, head on over to the photo gallery.

 

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Sentimental Snapshots: Happy Campers!

Sentimental Snapshots.
8 Comments.

This week marks the anniversary of Cragbaby’s first camping adventure, we got the camper at Shoppok! He had just turned 10 weeks old, and we spent three days and three nights climbing and camping at the New River Gorge, West Virginia.  (To read about that particular adventure, click here).  In some ways it seems like that experience was forever ago, and in other ways, it seems like its hardly been a month or so ago that C was that small!  Just like most things concerning parenting, there is a learning curve when it comes to babies in the wild, and we certainly made our fair share of mistakes along the way (and still do!)  I went back and counted it up, and best I can figure, in C’s first 14 months of life, he spent 26 days sleeping out under the stars (or thunderclouds…depending on the night).

The first of many family camping photos!

These weekend excursions haven’t always been the easiest – of course some nights were better than others. But overall, our family has made some amazing memories together that I wouldn’t trade for the world! What about you – do you remember your first camping trip? Or what other special family trips do you look back on and smile?

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Don’t Forget to Look Out!

Climbing.
11 Comments.

Stopping to absorb the Artistry on a day-hike in Yellowstone National Park

 

I’m a little better about it now, but when I first started climbing outdoors, I was notorious for climbing to the top of a route, getting lowered down, and then proceed to hear every person that climbed after me rave about the spectacular view they had when they turned around to take in the gorgeous views of the world around them.  I would tell myself as I was tying in and putting my shoes on, “Make sure you look out this time,” and invariably, it would not come to my mind again until I was back on the ground untying my knot and taking my shoes off again.  I can’t begin to tell you how many times my husband has yelled, “Don’t forget to look!” during my climb.  (Thankfully, he is both sensitive and smart enough not to time his yelling appropriately…)

The view from one of the upper pitches on Supernova (5.11a) in El Potrero Chico, Mexico

It’s not that I’m afraid to take my eyes off the rock and look out.  As soon as Steve yells up to me, I immediately turn and get an indescribable rush of beauty and wonder.  It’s just that I get so caught up with what I’m doing, that I forget to look around and see what else is going on around me. I feel like that’s how life is sometimes.  We get so inundated at work or so involved in a project of some sort, that we forget to stop and see what else is going on – to “stop and smell the roses,” as the old cliché goes.

The times that I forget to look out and just come right down – does that mean my whole day is ruined, that my climbing experience is somehow tainted?  No, of course not.  I move on to the next route and continue to have a fun day.  But can I ever get back that split second moment of child-like awe that I would have had if I would have remembered to turn around and look at the 360 degree panorama of the Blue Ridge mountains in full fall color?

Taking a break halfway up Deidre (5.8) in Squamish, British Columbia to bask in the surrounding beauty!

It’s the same with life – we can easily go through it focused on what is right in front of us, never turning around to see what’s going on behind us or out of the corner of our eye, but if that’s all we ever do, we will be missing out.  Maybe not missing out on some gigantic life changing event (although sometimes that may very well be the case), but missing out on the sweet smell of honeysuckle 5 feet off the path, a great conversation with a friend over coffee, or even watching your cat sleep in a precarious position on a shelf, wondering how on earth that could ever be considered comfortable.  So the next time you think of it, stop and look out.  You just never know what your missing if you don’t!  Anyone else feel this way?  When’s the last time you stopped to enjoy a small piece of beauty and wonder?

Spectacular sunset a little closer to home - from the top of Moore's Wall in NC

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Hidden Projects

North Carolina.
10 Comments.

Cragbaby making sure my ATC is in good working order while Daddy gets started on Top That Direct (5.10b)

After a long week of working our tails off unpacking boxes, moving furniture, hanging pictures, and organizing shelves and drawers, we decided to reward ourselves with some climb time at the crag on Sunday afternoon.  One of my favorite parts about our new location is that we now have a local crag that is actually “local,” instead of 2 hours away!  So Sunday morning we got up leisurely, headed to church dressed in our climbing clothes (which by the way I also love – a church without dress codes…), and then were out at the crag by 1130 or so.  We met our friend Bennett at the Hidden Wall, a small sport crag way off the beaten track at Crowder’s Mountain.  Probably 99% of folks climbing at Crowders are out at the Main area, battling the sun, mosquitoes, and poison ivy patches amongst throngs of hikers, gawkers, and meetup groups – not that the Main Area doesn’t have its own charm.  We certainly had a spectacular day the last time we went (you can read about it here).  But for a quick afternoon fix, we needed the road less travelled by.

Bennett hanging draws on Slabster's Lament (5.12b)

Enter Hidden Wall – a steep, shady, secluded area that most folks don’t seem to know about , even though the majority of the routes are listed in the NC Select Guidebook.  Hidden Wall is on the other side of the park from the Main Area, so it has different parking (and a much milder approach!).  Except for a few token warm-ups, most of the routes there are harder 5.11’s and 5.12’s.  There are even a couple of 5.13’s.  The climbing is stout – burly, sometimes awkward sequences on sharp rock, often involving tenuous clipping stances.  Not the kinda place you’d want to take your local boy scout troop.

Cragbaby concentrating on foot placement (notice the rope he's pulling up with his right hand...)

Here’s what we did:
Top That Direct (5.10b) – Good warm-up for the wall…also my only onsight of the day…
Slabster’s Lament (5.12b) – When Bennett hung the draws bolt to bolt, it became obvious that there were two cruxes – clipping the last bolt, and clipping the anchors, so I decided I felt more comfortable following rather than leading.  The bottom section was really enjoyable moves on thin feet and good pockets, but it was quite a burle-fest moving past the steep, giant, sloping flake towards the finishing pockets.  I struggled my way through, the hardest part being getting back on the wall each time I peeled off, but eventually I made my way to the top.  I think I did all the moves, but there were a couple of times that I had some toprope assistance…
Freuhlein (5.11a) – Took several tries to figure out how to grunt my way up and over the awkward roof on holds that seem like they’re all facing the wrong way.  Now that I know the beta, I think next time I won’t have any trouble.
The Whining (5.11d) – The hardest thing I’ve led to date, so it’s not surprising that I got shut down on a super long move at the crux.  I was slapping all around the next tick mark, but just couldn’t get the right combination of oomph and reach to make it there.  Bennett gave it a go after me, and found an intermediate hold that I might be able to use another time – he made it a couple of moves farther, but couldn’t make the next clip, so we bailed off of the leaver biner we’d snagged off of Slabster earlier.

One move away from being shut down...

I definitely wouldn’t say that the climbing at Hidden Wall caters to what Steve and I are good at – but I think climbing there will definitely make us stronger.  I love that the area seems so remote, and that the base is nice and flat with plenty of safe room for Cragbaby to explore.  I’m not used to a “projecting” type of mindset (usually I like to get as many climbs in as I can during the day, rather than work the same thing over and over).  But since we now have local rock that is so close, this seems like the perfect place to find some long-term projects.  To be honest, I left the crag feeling a little dejected and licking my wounds about all the exhaustive flailing I did.  But after an Oreo Frosty and a hilarious round of peek-a-boo in the car with Cragbaby, followed by a nice warm bath, I feel satisfied by my efforts and motivated to come back in a few weeks!

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