Cragmama

Jan 19 2015

Well…almost. Geez, has this been a labor of love. BUT, it’s finally at the printer, which means in just a few short weeks I’ll have a book in hand and can officially call myself a published author! YAY!

Map taken from page 6

While I could go on and on about how much harder this process has been than I thought it would be, and how frustrating all the outside-of-my-control delays have been, here’s the details you really need to know…

WHAT IT IS…

Carolina Rocks: The Piedmont is a comprehensive guide to the 4 major climbing areas in central North Carolina. It covers Moore’s Wall, Pilot Mountain, Crowders Mountain, and Stone Mountain. In addition to detailed route descriptions and photographed topos, each area features history, factoids, current approach beta, and anecdotes from local climbers. There are loads of stories and quotes from both first ascensionists, vignettes featuring local heroes, as well as old school photos that have previously never been published. Sections of cliff that were only briefly mentioned or even skipped over entirely in previous guidebooks are covered in detail – such as the North Face of Stone, Last Wall at Moore’s, and Resurgence areas at Crowders. My goal with this book was to create something that was not only an accurate reference book to have at the crag, but also a good read that will keep the user entertained on long drives to the crag, rainy days, or even as a staple in a collection of bathroom reading (:)).

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE…

Here’s the cover. That babe on the front is Stephanie Alexander (cruising Bombay Groove at Stone) – she’s been climbing for 30+ years and I’d be content to be half as cool as she is when I am her age.

Here’s a sneak preview of a few pages to whet your whistle.

Topo shots from Pilot

FA action shot from Moores Wall

Overview map from Crowders

HOW YOU CAN GET IT…

Even though it is not available to ship out just yet, pre-orders are available now through Earthbound Sports Publishing’s website! All you have to do is go to this link and click the “Buy Now” button at the top right of the screen. And if you do it between now and February 16th you’ll be able to purchase a copy for $31.45, which is 25% off of the retail price of $41.95. Shipping is free!

Once the books are here, copies will be available in local outdoor shops and climbing gyms, as well as online through Amazon and the Earthbound Sports website.

I’ll post updates on social media when we get an exact date for release. But for now I just wanted to get the word out there about the discounted pre-orders!

Petzl MACCHU + BODY = Perfect Climbing Harness for Growing Kids (and GIVEAWAY!)

Gear Reviews.

30 Comments.

Jan 12 2015

It’s been a little over a year since Big C began to “for real” climb on our family outings. While he’s still a little hit or miss in the outdoor realm (sometimes there’s not a suitable route for him to try, other times it’s more fun to dig in the dirt than put his harness on), I’ve made it a point to try and get him to the climbing gym at least once a week. We don’t stay long – usually no more than 45 minutes or so, and that includes gearing up and down, and getting Baby Z situated on her blanket with a great view (and a carabiner in her mouth, usually.)

So when Petzl contacted us wanting to know if Big C wanted to be one of the first kidcrushers to try out their brand new kid’s harness system, you can imagine how excited he was. “Is that harness like yours and Daddy’s, Mommy?” he asked anxiously as he peered over my shoulder to get a look inside the box. When we put it on him, he was all smiles, and couldn’t wait to take it for a test spin.

It only took a quick afternoon sesh at Inner Peaks Climbing Center for me to see that this innovative product was top notch. And although it’s often hard to get wordy gear comparisons out of a 4 and 1/2 year old, Big C seemed to enjoy it. For the record, when I asked what he liked most about the new harness, he thought for a minute before concluding, “I like that it’s orange.” When I asked him whether he liked the new harness better, worse, or the same as his old harness, he quickly responded, “the same.”

However, as the parent who buys gear for this child who never stops growing, there are plenty of other features for me to appreciate. Namely, the versatility. The MACCHU harness is a sit harness, and by itself would be a great option for older children. It’s got all the specs you’d expect out of an adult harness in a pint-sized package. The leg and waist buckles automatically doubleback, and there is a buckle on either side of the waist belt, which keeps everything centered and symmetrical, regardless of how much you have to adjust for size. There are two sturdy gear loops, perfect for the young gun transitioning from toproping, to following, to eventually lead climbing.

But it’s when paired with the BODY chest harness that the MACCHU really starts to shine. Together this harness system creates a full-body setup – a necessary safety precaution for younger children (see this post for an explanation.)

The beauty of the MACCHU + BODY combo is that they are two separate pieces of gear. That means one harness for the full body stage and initial sit harness stage (which could last a few years.) It also means that families with multiple kidcrushers could potentially get away with buying only one harness to share – even if one needs a full body and the other is ready for a sit! The separate pieces also allow for a lot more adjustability with regards to torso length.

Big C has proudly been strutting his (orange) stuff both at the gym as well as the local crags. And soon he won’t be the only one – Petzl has graciously agreed to give away a MACCHU + BODY combo to one lucky reader! Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below – you’ll get one entry for commenting, and additional entries for following along with our adventures via social media. Contest will run through midnight of January 17, when a winner will randomly be chosen and announced via social media. Good luck!

NOTE: The MACCHU + BODY is not available for purchase quite yet, but is scheduled to be released the week of January 27th. Big C received his for free for purposes of this review, but as always, all of my (and his!) opinions are unbiased and honest.

AND ANOTHER THING…For more about full body harnesses, check out my review of the Trango Junior here. For more on Petzl’s line of children’s products , check out my review of the kid’s PICCHU helmet here. For more on finding a balance of family climb time, check out this post.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Family Climbing to End/Start the Year

Climbing. North Carolina.

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Jan 05 2015

The ultimate in curbside climbing!

Last week there were two gorgeous sunny days in a row smack dab in the middle of the week, which amazingly enough fell on days that the Crag-Daddy had off work – New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. And what better way to spend the END of 2014 and the START of 2015 than at the crag with family and friends?

NEW YEAR’S EVE:

We wrapped up 2014 with a day at Rocky Face, which was an outdoor staple for our family during the latter stages of my pregnancy

. For obvious reasons – the routes start less than 50 feet from the parking lot, and there are heated bathrooms! The routes are vertical to slabby (which was very belly-friendly!), there are great kid routes, and the whole area bakes in the sun, which means t-shirts in January! Rocky Face was also Baby Z’s first exposure to outdoor climbing, although until last week we hadn’t been back since her first outdoor climbing experience at 5 weeks old.

Although I’d sampled a lot of the classics last season, it was all done via “preggo-pointing” (ie, toproping, since I had stopped leading by that point in my pregnancy.) Needless to say it was an interesting experience to come back and try everything again on the sharp end sans belly! Mostly, everything just felt way easier than I’d remembered! My tick list for the day was: Flight Time (5.7+), Black Hole (5.10+), Double Roof Ballet (5.11c), Hardman (5.11b), and Quickdraw (5.11-).

Crag-Daddy creeping up the slab of Somebody Get Me a Dew 5.11b

Big C got in on the climbing action, and sailed to the top of his route in fine style (apparently he’s gotten quite strong with all the gym climbing he’s been doing of late!) Lowering off, however, was a completely different story, as he froze up about 20 feet off the ground and didn’t want to let go. We haven’t dealt with a lot of climbing-related fears with him yet, so it took us by surprise, but after a lot of reassurance he was finally on the ground and all was well.

We still had some daylight left after our partners had packed up for the day, so we ended our day with a little bit of “treasure-hunting” (aka geocaching) before driving back.

Big C tackling a 5.5 in the morning (left), and finding a tiny green cache in the fading light (above)

Cruxin on Elastic Rebound Theory (5.11d)

NEW YEAR’s DAY:

After going to bed at 10, then listening to fireworks at midnight with a wide awake baby ready to party, we welcomed 2015 in with a fairly mellow day at Hidden Wall. We all warmed up on the token warm-up link-up, Path to Extinction (5.10a), then moved over to Elastic Rebound Theory (5.11d.) I had never done the original finish, and Steve had never even been on the route at all. The last time I’d been on this line was a steamy day in mid-August…a far cry from ideal Hidden Wall conditions (ie, cold and crisp.) So I was pleasantly surprised at how much easier the crux felt this time around! In fact, I’d say that the sequence rocking over the bulge is one of the coolest at Crowders. There are several finish options for this route, and the one we did follows a traditionally-protected corner (bring at least one half-inch piece!) all the way to the top of the cliff.

Big C’s favorite part of the day was swinging across the base from the Elastic anchor. He took several turns, before we pulled the rope on each person’s burn on the route. Baby Z spent most of the day eating homemade Larabars, which is a recent (and super yummy!) addition to our family’s trail food repertoire – if you’re interested in our recipes stay tuned, there will be an upcoming post soon!

Hopefully the weather was cooperating where you were and your family was able to get outside and spend some quality time together – feel free to comment below how you rang in the New Year!!!

Climbing Goals for 2015

Climbing. Climbing. Reflections.

7 Comments.

Jan 05 2015

Now that our family of 4 has settled into a new “normal,” it’s tempting to try and make up for lost time with a mile long tick list for 2015. But I still want to make sure my life stays balanced. Family climbing time involves FAMILY first, CLIMBING second. That means that when it comes to planning climbing trips, there are far more logistics to consider than my own tick list. That being said, here’s what I personally would be delighted to accomplish in 2015.

Since we almost always climb as a party of 5+, (mom, dad, 2 kids, and 1 or more extra partners,) often the hardest part of projecting a particular climb is the actual logistics – ie, being able to get in enough attempts on a route in reasonable conditions. Always climbing in a group means we climb wherever the consensus says, which may or may not be my first choice. Then, I’m lucky if I get in 5 pitches in a single day of climbing. Four is probably closer to average (and that includes at least one warm-up.) So that leaves me 2 or 3 burns on my goal each day…and if it doesn’t go down in a day, I’m at the mercy of my partners as to when I get another crack at it.

It sounds complicated, but lucky for us, the areas we frequent have plenty of good climbing to go around, at a wide variety of levels, so the logistics are rarely a problem. That being said, I’m always hesitant to get my heart set on a lot of specific climbs when there’s a deadline involved (ie, 2015.) If my list was just a straight list of climbs, I’d likely get to the end of the year without even attempting half of the routes listed, all while sending a bunch of random stuff that I hadn’t included on the list.

So what I prefer to do is choose a few broader goals that could be achieved on any number of routes at various crags we frequent. That way I’ve always got something to work on wherever we go, even if it wasn’t a route I was originally gunning for. So here’s my unspecific “tick list,” in random order…

“Big” Trip.

We haven’t gone on a “big” climbing trip (ie, one requiring an airplane or more than 8 hours in a car) since our SoDak/Wyo adventure of summer 2012. We’ve been itching to get back out west since, well, since the day we got back from Ten Sleep, and this year we’re hoping to make it happen. Destination is still up in the air, as it’s contingent on important logistics like finding climbing partners, but high on the list are Utah, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, and maybe even Horseshoe Canyon Ranch, AK. And on that note…any takers?

Family shot in Ten Sleep Canyon, WY in 2012

Going “Out of Style” in the 5.12 range.

At this point I’ve got almost 20 5.12’s under my belt (17 to be exact, but who’s counting ;)). However, while there is a wide variety of climbing areas represented, my ticks all share a common thread – most of the climbing hovers back and forth across the vertical line. Some are slabby, some are dead vertical, and some are gently overhanging. Others climb an arete, tiptoe up a slab, or maybe even pull one short roof. But NONE of them feature guns blazing, aggro-powered pump fests. This year I would love to tick at least one 5.12 on severely overhanging terrain. Good candidates that fit the bill would be Narcissus (5.12a), which I’ve been on once several years ago, and Psychowrangler (5.12a), which I got on once last fall.

Getting into the business on Psychowrangler 5.12a

Keeping “In Style” with Harder 5.12’s.

When it comes to routes that suit my strengths, I think I’m consolidated enough in the lower 12 range to start setting my sights a little bit higher. Currently I’ve only got one .12c to my name (the direct start to Fashion, a local Crowders Mountain classic), but I’m hoping to change that this year. I surprised myself last fall by one-hanging two .12c’s (Hard Rock Cafe at Hawksbill and Techman at the New River Gorge), but was unfortunately not able to get back to finish them up before it got too cold (those logistics again…) This year I’d like to snag a couple of sends in the 5.12c/d range.

Random Classics I’ve Always Wanted to do.

There are several routes that I’ve had my eye on for a really long time, but for one logistical reason or another, have never gotten a chance to do. This year I would love to mow down some of the following must-do classics…

Satisfaction Guaranteed 5.11a (Summersville Lake)
Amarillo Sunset 5.11b (Red River Gorge)
Disturbance 5.11d (New River Gorge)
Toxic Hueco 5.11d (Meadow River)
Twinkie 5.12a (Red River Gorge)
Mercy the Huff 5.12b (Red River Gorge)
Orange Juice 5.12c (Red River Gorge)

So that’s my current plan, although like most things in my life these days, everything is subject to change! And honestly, the goal I’m holding tightest to is to just spend as much time as possible with these folks…

Now it’s your turn – don’t be shy. What do you REALLY want to achieve this year? Post it here for everyone else to see – the more people that know about it, the more accountability you’ll have for actually putting the work in!

Climbing Hit List for 2014 – Year in Review

Climbing. Climbing. Reflections.

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Dec 30 2014

The early days with Baby Z…

Considering that I was a large and in charge, 30+ weeks along pregnant mama last year at this time, my climbing goals for the year were pretty low key. I wanted to find that balance between motivating myself and overwhelming myself! Anyway, I ended up choosing 3 broad goals that seemed doable with a little bit of work and committment. Here’s how I fared…

1. ESTABLISH A TRAINING ROUTINE

It took some trial and error, and those first few months we were all flying by the seat of our pants, but at nearly 10 months postpartum, our family feels pretty established in our new gym routine. Hubby hits the gym on the way home from work on Tuesday/Thursday, then we all eat together when he gets home. Next it’s playtime/bath/bedtime routines for the kiddos, and then I hit the gym for the “late shift,” as we refer to it. Most weekends we’re climbing outside, but if not, it’s pretty easy for us to either take turns on Saturday, or alternate Saturday/Sunday. Though we only have to 1.5 hours training time for each midweek session, we’ve stayed consistent and learned how to be super efficient. The only drawback is that we never get to climb together, although we sometimes get a chance to sneak out together while the grandparents are visiting.

2. CLIMB OUTDOORS AS A FAMILY OF FOUR

Out of my 3 climbing goals for the year, this is the one I am most pleased to have accomplished. When I looked back at the number of days we’ve spent craggin’ since Baby Z’s arrival 10 months ago, I realized that we’d spent an entire month’s worth of days out climbing as a family! We managed to hit 10 different climbing areas as a party of 4, and spent 15 nights in a tent together. While all of those numbers (especially camping) are a lower than our typical years, I am very encouraged that we were able to get out as much as we did – because after all, it will only get easier from here!

A recent family photo opp at the Rumbling Bald boulderfield

3. SEND 5.12

I was pretty hesitant to include a “number goal” this year, for obvious reasons. I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself, not knowing what I would feel like postpartum, or whether we’d be able to get our logistics together to even get out on real rock enough to make something like 5.12 happen. But I figured I’d at least be able to link together a redpoint on a 5.12 that I’d previously sent – I’d be familiar with the beta and have the mental confidence that I’d done it once before. So I was delighted to get not only my “repeat” send at 7 months postpartum (Last Glitch Effort, 5.12a, trip report here), but also to nab my first new tick at the same grade a couple of weeks later (Steady Eddie, 5.12a, trip report here.) It took a few months to start feeling strong again (and sometimes I still feel like my core strength is not back to where it was), but in a lot of ways I feel like I’m climbing stronger than I ever have. I have gotten really close on several projects that I just ran out of good weather for, so I’ve had no trouble finding routes to add to my list for 2015.

Steady Eddy 5.12a, at The Dump, NC

Next week’s post will be all about what I’m hoping for in 2015, but until then, now’s the chance to brag on yourself – what goals did YOU accomplish this past year? Don’t hold back – lay ’em all out here so we can cyber cheer!

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

Exciting Announcement – The Guidebook is Finally Ready!!!