Category Archives: Climbing

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

First Experience Craggin’ as a Family of 4!

Apr 09 2014

When it comes to new babies, it seems like the topic du jour always involves developmental milestones. Is she sleeping through the night yet? When did he start walking? And, have you started with solid foods yet? But I like to think that each family has their own unique milestones to achieve as they grow and develop within a changing family dynamic. For us, one of those milestones is “first outdoor climbing trip.” With Big C, that happened at 6 weeks, on a bluebird spring day at Pilot Mountain. Since Baby Z was born in the same month (this not…Read the rest of this entry →

Slab Climbing Lessons – Both Literal and Metaphorical…

Feb 24 2014

Ah, slab climbing. Levitating your body up a lower-angled section of rock while relying almost entirely upon the friction created between the rock and the rubber on your climbing shoes – actual holds are few and far between, and after a hard day of slabbin’ it’s your calves that are sore rather than your guns. Most people either love it or hate it, but regardless of which side of the spectrum you fall in, everyone can usually agree that there’s no better teacher for learning to trust your feet. As for me, though I don’t want a steady diet of…Read the rest of this entry →

Pregnancy Workouts for Rock Climbers

Feb 13 2014

Although many women are capable of climbing all the way through their pregnancy, I’ll give a million dollars to the one who didn’t have to change her routine in at least some way (that was an exaggeration by the way…there’s not a giveaway widget at the end of this post 😉 ). Climbing while pregnant takes on a totally different mindset and end goal than pre-preggo crushing. The following is a list of workout ideas geared toward climbers that will hopefully keep not just a mama-to-be strong, happy, and healthy, but also increase the likelihood that the bun in…Read the rest of this entry →

Rocky Face Park (Again…This Time 35 Weeks Preggo)

Feb 03 2014

It was Rocky Face, Round 4 for our family this past weekend. This little quarry crag has become our local hangout of late. Even though it’s a farther drive than other local crags, the zero approach factor is quite appealing at this point in my pregnancy. Add that to the fact that it bakes in the sun and even has routes easy enough for my 3 year old to enjoy, and it’s the perfect winter destination for our family right now! After one trip to get our bearings, and another two trips to tick off the classics on the…Read the rest of this entry →

Sauratown Mountain Access Day! (34 Weeks Pregnant)

Jan 26 2014

Anyone who’s climbing journey has survived multiple life phases (career changes, marriage, kids, etc.) probably has fond recollections of their first “home crag.” Each visit was filled with onsight potential, and you actually NEEDED the newest edition guidebook, rather than just buying it because it’s good bathroom reading. Some of us still climb at our first local crag, with a familiarity and sense of hometown pride that is obvious to everyone – even if you can’t climb “the testpiece,” you know just about everyone who has and exactly how each one’s beta differs from the next. Others have moved on…Read the rest of this entry →

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