Category Archives: Climbing

Posts about…you guessed it – climbing! Trip reports, anecdotes, and musings about my favorite recreational pasttime.

The 2016 Craggin’ Classic

Sep 21 2016

It’s the middle of September, and that means it’s time for two things – migrating north for the Craggin’ Classic at the New River Gorge…and my kids getting sick. Last year, it was a mysterious fever for Little Zu. This year, it was a tummy bug that left its mark on several family members before heading elsewhere…but that’s probably all you need to know about that. Anyway, by the time the event was underway, everyone was (mostly) okay, and our logistical plans (always the crux when climbing with kids) went off without a hitch. The kids and I had headed…Read the rest of this entry →

The Fort Bragg Spartan Race

Sep 14 2016

It all started earlier this summer with the new NBC TV show “Ultimate Spartan Challenge.” My ninja warrior wanna-be son was all about it from the minute he saw it. Add to that the fact that we actually knew a few of the competitors…and his mind just exploded week after week. He began “training” everywhere – in our backyard, on the playground, at the crag, insisting that he was going to be a Spartan when he grew up (and that he was going to be on the Ninja team, because first he was going to be the next American Ninja Warrior.)…Read the rest of this entry →

New River Gorge: It’s Fall Ya’ll!

Sep 07 2016

I’m baaaaaaaack! (In case you haven’t been missing me, this is the longest stretch of blog silence I’ve ever had since the dawning of “Cragmama” back in 2011!) With weather too hot for climbing, and revving up our homeschooling again for the year, there has been too little to write about in not enough time anyway, so everything just went on the backburner. But now that Zu (no longer Baby Girl Zu!) is at preschool a couple mornings a week, and fall adventures are upon us (!), I’ve got plenty to write about, and hopefully juuuust enough time to do…Read the rest of this entry →

Gluttons for Punishment at the New River Gorge

Jul 26 2016

Contrary to what most of my non-climbing friends assume, summertime is NOT ideal climbing weather. In fact, when it comes to actual climbing conditions, heat + humidity is a pretty miserable combination. And if we’re being honest, this formula applies to more than just climbing. This time of year in the South is pretty much only good for activities involving cold beverages and water. That being said, every now and then we forget what it feels like to smother ourselves in a wet oven, and we go out climbing anyway. Without fail it always ends in a sweaty, stinky mess,…Read the rest of this entry →

Spring Climbing Grand Finale…and Time for a Break!

Jun 21 2016

If you’ve been hanging around this blog for a while, you may be aware that our family generally takes a break from climbing twice a year, during the “off season.” I put that in quotes for the term off season because here in the Southeast, it’s actually pretty easy to climb year round, so long as you chase sun/shade effectively. In fact, some of my best climbing days have been on a sunny winter day, or a cool cloudy day in late summer. But generally speaking, prime conditions for climbing on a rope tend to happen during spring and fall. That means…Read the rest of this entry →

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