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

Say It Loud! The New Doesn’t Get Old.

New River Gorge. Climbing.
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But I do.  And it sucks.  Not sure why, but this weekend made me feel old.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I twisted my ankle (the one that I used to consider my “bad” ankle until I broke the other one…) just hiking into the crag on Day 1.  Thankfully it seems to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience, along with an annoying,  rainbow-colored reminder that my Earth-Suit ain’t what it used to be.  Or it could possibly be related to the fact that I realized that not one but several of my climbing partners graduated highschool in the late 2000’s, making my glory days as volleyball captain at the tail end of the previous century seem rather archaic.  But regardless of the reasons, I felt like having a small pity party.  However Ill thankfully spare you the mid-life crisis sounding posts because good times were definitely had by all this weekend, despite a few unplanned bumps and mishaps along the way!

Steve on the bouldery start of Stim-o-Stam (5.11c)

Day 1: Butcher’s Branch/Seven-Eleven Wall
Flight of the Gumby (5.9+) – This is the kind of route you wish would go on for 500 more feet.  Perfect position on a striking arete.  If you’re part of the “better safe than early” crowd, it’s well worth taking a number in the constant queue this line sees every weekend.
Scenic Adult (5.11c) –  Speaking of spectacular aretes, this is probably one of the best 5.11’s at the New, or anywhere really.  And at 4 tries (2 tries a month ago, and 2 this weekend), it’s probably the most effort I’ve ever put into a 5.11, so it felt really good to finally tick it off my list, even though despite by best efforts to be efficient, I was still pumped out of my mind at the crux.
Lost Souls (5.12a) – Straightforward, not technical at all…but REACHY!  The crux was two looooong moves between sinker horizontals right in a row, with an endless array of  set-up options for each move.  It took me quite a while to figure out the right  combination of hand and foot beta to make the first move of the two, the second move went a little easier, and I was clean on the upper half.  We’d already decided that Day 2 was going to be our project day, and I didn’t want to get sucked into this route the way I had on Gangsta at the Obed, so I opted to save my guns and move on.  Since this route is my anti-style, I felt pretty good about how well the first run went – another time I think I might be able to refine my beta a lot more and hopefully send it.  

Day 2:  Endless Wall
Freaky Stylee (5.12a) – I was thrilled to be reunited with my freshly resoled Miuras at Water Stone Outdoors the night before, and couldn’t think of a better route to re-break them in on than Freaky Stylee, which was Goal #4 on my Hit List for 2012.  As one of the first routes put up in the gorge back in the day, this old-school line is definitely a full-value test of brains just as much as brawn.  The last bolt on this masterpiece has been the scene of countless screamers, which has earned it the title of “most whipped upon bolt in the gorge” in the most recent guidebook.   For only 5 bolts (and a piece of gear at the beginning and end if you so desire), this line covers quite a lot of real estate.  The climbing is technical rather than powerful, with several hard moves along the way to a well-defined crux at the very top.  Thankfully there are just enough good holds sprinkled throughout to keep the pump at bay.  My first go I took a long time figuring out my sequences but was clean up until the crux…where I absolutely got destroyed.  The second attempt went much better, but that last bolt I mentioned?  Yeah I took that big whip twice in a row.  The major plus is that with a soft catch the falls were completely safe – even though the wall is dead vertical my feet merely tapped the wall lightly.  The downer is that I fell far enough for my stomach to drop like it does when I’m on a roller coaster.  It was hard jugging back up and committing to that crux sequence again knowing the ride you’re gonna take at the slightest error.  

Freaky Stylee, mid-whip...

  

Freaky Stylee - send!

Steve had been working Stim-o-Stam (5.11c) all day, which happens to be right beside Freaky, and we had all talked him into trying one more time after a one-hang.  After watching my hubby leave his heart and soul on the line, and thankfully walk away with an epic redpoint trophy of his hardest route to date, I felt like the pressure was on for me to send – since everyone else had gotten what they’d came for in that area, it would probably be a while before we’d be coming that way again, so it was then or never.  To be honest I wasn’t feeling amazingly confident – there are any number of moves down low where I could easily fall if I lost focus for even a second, including a very committing “fall into” kind of move in the traverse that left me shocked that I was still on every time I did it.  I knew what to do in the crux, but the sequence is freakin hard for me, so even after rehearsing it several times while being lowered, it was still feeling a lot more desperate than I wanted it to feel.  But regardless of the thoughts swirling around in my head, my 3rd go was the  charm.  

A lot of times routes almost feel easy once you’ve got them dialed – the moves may still take a lot of effort, but you feel secure and confident, and you know you aren’t going to fall.  But this send wasn’t like that…I felt like I was hanging on by a thread throughout every move of the crux – I even botched my hand sequence and somehow was able to recover.  Looking back I’m not really sure how I managed to hang on.  Actually I do have a theory, but I’m saving it for another post, so I’ll have to leave you hanging on that one for now.  Instead I’ll just end by saying that it feels good to set goals and accomplish them.  Big props to the Crag-Daddoo for his hardest send yet, and thanks to the usual suspects for all the laughs and fun, despite the chaos.

 

 

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Creating a Cragbaby – The Toddler Years

Creating a Cragbaby. Toddlers at the Crag.
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Somehow (overnight it seems) I became the mother of a toddler.  And with that, our crag “issues” have shifted a bit.  No longer am I trying to balance a soft carrier with a baby on the front and a pack full of gear on my back (sigh of relief…).  Instead I’ve got a big boy that’s not quite as big as he thinks he is, who often insists upon hiking in himself, only to discover halfway through that his little legs are, to quote my Maw Maw, “plum wore out.”  He never asks to nurse at the crag anymore, so I don’t have to make sure my climbing tops have easy (and discreet) nursing access, but he feels pretty strongly about drinking like a big boy, which often results in the appearance of rocks, twigs, and other undesirables in an almost full bottle of Gatorade.  Suffice it to say, the challenges of a little guy at the crag have certainly not disappeared – but they have changed.  Last year I did a series of posts which got such a great response it ended up being one of the foundations for this whole website – the Creating a Cragbaby series.  Now that we are in the midst of our third season of craggin’, I thought it might be appropriate to revisit some of those baby-related topics and update them with a big boy twist.  

This time around however, I’d like some of your input!  Here’s a list of older posts on tap for resurrection over the coming weeks.  

6 week old Cragbaby enjoying his first day trip to Pilot Mountain

  

A big boy at the same crag a couple of years later!

See a gaping toddler issue I’m leaving out?  Please leave a comment on what else you’d like to see! 

Making your Cragbaby a Good Car-Baby – With only one nap per day, it’s not so easy to time car rides with naps anymore…
Camping with Infants Under 1 is Fun – And it’s even more fun with a toddler!
Because a Cragbaby’s Gotta Eat – And the main staple is no longer Mommy’s milk.
Always on “Doo-ty” – Some time in the near future, we’ll have to deal with potty training at the crag…heaven help us all.
Weather or Not? – Keeping your tyke cool, warm, or dry takes twice the effort once sitting around looking cute turns into running circles around mom and dad.
Sleepytime Solutions – There may be less sleep to coordinate, but the logistics can be equally frustrating.

Now it’s your turn – what big boy (or girl) topics am I missing?

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RokRok Chalkbags Review

Gear Reviews.
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Want an example of perfect timing?  I was contacted by Leilani Pierson, the beauty and the brains behind RokRok Chalkbags, just a few days before our climbing trip to Tennessee.  She asked if I’d be willing to choose any bag I wanted from her collection of gorgeous, handmade chalkbags, to review here on the site.  Begrudgingly, I said yes.  Just kidding.  Of course I jumped at the chance, especially once I saw how amazing and unique each bag was – I had a really hard time deciding on just one, so I listed a couple of favorites for Leilani to let her choose.  You can imagine my delight when I opened up the package in the mailbox (literally hours before we left), and found not one but TWO beautiful bags staring back at me, one for me and one for Cragbaby, just waiting to be thrown in a pack and carted up the cliff.  

  

My bag was a dainty, flowery little number that is hand-crocheted in a beautiful maroon color.  It has a large purple flower with a yellow center on the back of it, and the interior is a soft and cushy gray fleece.  It is a little bit smaller than other chalkbags that I have had, but it didn’t really matter for my little girly hands.  However, if I were a guy with big, strapping man hands, I probably would find it too small – but if I had big, strapping man hands I probably wouldn’t be interested in a pink chalkbag with a purple flower on it…One of the first things I noticed was that there was no built-in holder for a brush, which I thought might pose a problem while I was working projects.  However, I quickly discovered that a brush could fit through the crochet-holes of the bag – not only was it just as easy to get the brush in and out, but I found that it actually worked out better because I could attach it anywhere on the bag that I wanted to.

 

Cragbaby’s bag was an adorable blue monkey friend, made out of various materials.  His bag was actually bigger than mine, so although the fun design makes it a logical choice for children, it could easily be used by an adult as well (even ones with big, strapping man hands).  Cragbaby was pretty excited about his new bag, and spent a good bit of the first couple of days of our trip showing everyone his “muh-kee chock ba.”  His favorite part was the little arms and legs (and tail) that flail around with every movement.  At first I figured that although cute as can be, it would be annoying to climb with all of those extra pieces flapping around, but again, Leilani was one step ahead of me.  The appendages are long enough to be tied together, so when your kiddo is ready to get down to business, its easy to secure them tight against the bag.  

Cragbaby’s bag in a motley crew of other RokRok chalkbags!

 Leilani’s bags are all unique, hand-made pieces of art that also happen to function really well as a chalkbag!  Most of her bags range in price from $30-$40 – and as someone who used to sell hand-made patchwork clothing in a former life, I can tell you that this is a fantastic price considering all the hard work and TLC she puts into each bag!  And Leilani does custom orders to! So whether you’ve got an idea swimming around in your head that you’d like to see come to life, or whether you’ve fallen in love with one of her gorgeous premade bags, please check our her etsy store.  Oh yeah, and don’t forget to tell her Cragmama sent you!  

 

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Good Times at The Dump

Climbing. North Carolina.
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Steve sending Voodoo Child (5.11a)

There’s a small collection of bolted lines right off highway 221 coming out of Blowing Rock in Western North Carolina.  It goes by several other names besides The Dump, but regardless of what you call it, conditions were darn near perfect for it this past Saturday.  Most of the climbing there hovers just less than vertical and features very technical and sequential moves on itty bitty holds.  Although the cliff sees sun for the majority of the day, the elevation generally puts it a good 10 degrees cooler than us down here in Charlotte, making for a sweet escape from the heat until long about late July, when heat and humidity are brutal pretty much everywhere.  After last weekend’s temps in the 90’s, I hadn’t expected to see a high of 65 in the forecast until we were well into fall.  But thanks to a random tropical storm that moved through on Friday morning, that’s exactly what we ended up with at The Dump – which added up to not only a chilly morning, but unparalleled friction for this time of year!  

Even though its a solid 2 hour drive, the roadside approach still makes The Dump a great day trip option, although ironically, we haven’t been there since our pre-Cragbaby days (though I’m not really sure why…).  It was fun to show C a new area, as well as rendezvous with some local friends we hadn’t seen in a while.  

Cragbaby apparently dreaming about tornado drills...

We got the day rolling with the “5.10 Wall Trifecta,” and the Crag-Daddoo was psyched to send all three!  Each of these lines have hard, bouldery starts followed by balancy moves up a smattering of decent holds.  A stick-clip is a great idea for all three.
Slymen Hymen (5.10a) – More sophisticated than the name implies…
Vermin (5.10a) – In addition to the crux at the start, this one’s got another little move at the top just to make sure you stay awake.
Voodoo Child (5.11a) – One of my favorite lines for sure.  I’m pretty certain that I’ve climbed this route on every visit to The Dump.  It’s an uber-classic – if you haven’t done it, you should get out there this weekend and hop on it!

Bennett's sendage scars from Unwritten Law

After my frustrations on Gangsta at the Obed last weekend, I was feeling a little jaded about the 5.12 realm, thinking that maybe I needed to back off of the hard stuff for a little while in favor of consolidating myself a little more in the 5.11+ range.  But the little bit that was in that range at The Dump was wet until late afternoon, so I was forced to channel my “efforts” on the 5.12 wall.  The verdict?  While focusing on climbing only slabby/vertical terrain can certainly cause you to lose gun-power on overhanging pump fests, the opposite doesn’t seem to be true – serving a stint on the steeps doesn’t mean your technique goes out the door…

Last Glitch Effort (5.12a) – YAY!  So psyched that a lack of confidence didn’t talk me down from this one!  Due to some bad fall potential near the 1st and 2nd bolts, it was strongly suggested that I toprope it first.  My friend Caleb was kind enough to rap down and not only hang the draws, but also tick a lot of the holds – so by the time I tied in, it was pretty much gift-wrapped for me.  There are multiple cruxes on this route, and with multiple ways to do each one.  The holds are miniscule, but 99% of them are very positive.  The movement is neither powerful nor reachy, but intricate footwork is a must – even doing the right sequence but in the wrong order can be a fatal error (well…fatal for your send attempt, anyway).  My toprope run went shockingly well – I was clean through the first crux, one-hung the middle crux because I went the wrong way, and got through the upper crux using beta that apparently avoided the signature move on the route.  After a short break I pulled the rope to give it a go on the sharp end.  I got a little flustered and more pumped than I had wanted to be trying to reach the 2nd clip, so I went ahead and came down to regroup.  A few minutes later I got back on, and sent the route with by far the least amount of effort any 5.12 has taken thus far!  My beta felt smooth and solid, and I only made one small mistake with my footwork that I was thankfully able to recover from.  
Fry Cleaned (5.11d) – Earlier in the morning this route had been wet at the top (which is unfortunately where the business is), but by late afternoon it had dried out.  My prior experience with this route had been many years ago, when it was well out of my league, and I’m pretty certain I didn’t do the top moves of my own accord.  This time was a much better match-up, but it’ll have to wait for another time before I can tick it.  I took a pretty good whipper trying to hang the last draw, at which point I noticed my stomach was growling (probably since every time I sat down to eat something all day Cragbaby wanted to “share”).  I saw that my watch said 6:00 and from that point on I was way more psyched on post-climbing fun at the Mellow Mushroom than on taking that fall again.  Next time.  🙂

Celebrating our sends at The 'Shroom!

Clearly we were way too busy crushing to worry about simple things like taking pictures, so I apologize for the lack of crushing documentation.  We actually forgot the camera, so the only photos I got were when I remembered to take my iPhone out.  Unfortunately during my Last Glitch Efforts my phone was stuck in the Crag-Daddoo’s back pocket – another next time!  

 

 

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Athleta Allotments: Summer Threads Review

Gear Reviews.
8 Comments.

With the weather heating up (seriously 100+ heat index before June?!?), I figured some of my female readers might be on the lookout for some summer threads that will keep you feeling (and looking) cool!  I’ve been putting my new Athleta gear to the test over the past few weeks, which culminated in a sandstone-filled sauna in Tennessee a few weekends ago.  I’m happy to report that most of it passed with flying colors!  Here’s a quick sum-up of the clothing items I received as well as my honest and un-biased thoughts about the summer collection.  Again, my apologies to the guys for the estrogen-heavy post – but you could use it as an excuse to pick up some cute workout wear for your woman!

Cranking at the New River Gorge with the Zipline Tank and Dipper Pants

ZIP LINE TANK:  This is a great tank.  Open in the back for unrestricted movement without  compromising support, and a scoop neck front that is flattering without worry of flashing my belayer.  I like how the tank is long enough that it lays flat under a harness without riding up.  

CRITERIUM TOP:  This is one of my favorite tops from Athleta so far.  I loved the beautiful and feminine design on the front/sides.  It fits like a glove and is supportive enough to run in.  There are stash pockets on the back that are perfect for holding an iPod during my runs, but lay flat when not in use.  

STRIDE TOP:  This is a close second to the Criterium top, and actually might be a little more versatile.  The fabric is called “meryl skinLife fabric.”  It hugs the body and wicks like a baselayer, but is pretty enough that you’ll want to wear it alone.  Again, I liked that the length was long enough to not ride up in a harness.  The “razzle purple” a beautiful shade of deep purple/maroon.  I climbed in this top multiple days in 90 degree weather and though I myself didn’t smell like a rose, the top didn’t seem to absorb any climbing funk.

Stride Top and Kickbooty Bermudas at Lilly Bluff

MUSCLE UP TANK:  I liked this shirt because it had a pretty pattern on the back, but I didn’t like the fit – it was too baggy, and not long enough, so it looked a little awkward in a harness.

OASIS BERMUDA:  These shorts looked like they’d be a good balance between cute and comfy, but I ended up returning them.  The fit was good, and they certainly were comfortable, but I thought the stretchy Pilayo material made the cargo pockets stick out and look a little weird.  I exchanged them for the Kickbooty Bermudas…

KICKBOOTY BERMUDA SHORTS:   I’m not sure why I didn’t try these before, considering how much I love the pants version.  These shorts are fantastic!  The length is great for climbing, and the wicking Pilayo fabric is comfortable enough to wear everyday, but durable enough to take a beating on the rock.  

BETTONA BERMUDA SHORTS:  These shorts are similar to the Kickbooty’s, with a few key differences.  The fabric is the same, but the Bettonas have a slimmer fit and a little bit more “decoration” – back/side pockets, side slits on the legs.  They are very comfortable, and perfect for wearing around town all day, then heading straight to an afternoon workout session.

DIPPER SHORTS:  I love the Utility Stretch fabric Athleta used for these shorts.  Not too thick, but very, very durable.  They are perfect for climbing/hiking, and I love that they come in lots of fun colors instead of the standard black, navy blue, and brown (I got “hot tamale” 🙂 ).

Dipper Shorts taking on a project at Pilot Mountain

DIPPER PANT:  Since I loved the shorts so much I opted to snag a pair of the pants as well.  Same great fabric, same great color options, but I was surprised that the fit was not the same -the same size in the pants seemed to be about a size bigger in the waist than the shorts.  Nothing a belt couldn’t fix however – these pants quickly moved to the front of the climbing pants drawer.

TEMPO HEATHER SEAMLESS BRA:  Okay, okay, so I know I said last time that the Sprint Seamless Bra was the best sports bra I’d ever had, but now I’m not so sure because this one is pretty darn close…What I like about it is that its not as bulky looking – it does the job but has a soft, feminine look (one that doesn’t include a uni-boob.)  The straps are adjustable, making for a more personalized fit, and the color choices are fun.

BATHING SUITS…Okay so I haven’t ordered any bathingsuits this year (yet).  But that’s because the 2 that I purchased 2 years ago (well before I joined up with Team Athleta!) are still almost as good as new!  Although I will probably end up picking up at least one before I head to the beach in August, that review might be a little late for you ladies that are in the market for a cute suit now!  The great thing about Athleta bathingsuits is that they function like a perfomance, athletic type suit, but look like a cute, strappy bikini! (or tankini, or one-piece, whatever suits your fancy…)  They are great for people who actually like to use their bathingsuit for something other than lying around on a sandy towel (I was always a little too A.D.D for that anyway).  They cover up the essentials, but not so much that I have ridiculous tan lines when I wear a V-neck shirt.  

Tempo Seamless Bra

  

Criterium Top

All in all, I’d have to say that my summer allotments were even better than my spring ones!  In my spring review I mentioned that there were some sizing inconsistencies.  This time around I was delighted that I didn’t have to exchange as many items.  I’m assuming it’s because I’ve gotten a feel for what fits my body the best, which would probably have happened faster had there been a local store.  It’s too bad there’s not an Athleta store in Charlotte, although it was just recently announced that there will be one opening at Southpoints Mall in Durham in the near future (so Triangle peeps, start saving your pennies now!)  The next best thing to a store however, is a friendly customer service call center who not only keeps the return/exchange process running smoothly, but is also very patient while I’m reading out my item numbers amidst a very loud background of Cragbaby singing the ABC’s.  Are these clothes cheap?  Certainly not.  But I’ve come to learn in my old age that you really do get what you pay for.  I would much rather have a few high-quality pieces of workout wear in my wardrobe that I’m confident in using day in and day out, than dozens of cheap substitutes that may or may not get holes on Day 3 of a climbing trip (hypothetically speaking, of course ;))  

 

 

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