Cragmama

Oct 26 2015

Geared out and ready to hike!

A couple of months ago I was contacted by STONZwear about reviewing some of their awesome footwear for the kiddos. They said they wanted the review done by the end of October…which in many areas of the country would be easy, but was potentially problematic here in the South. While the weather can definitely get cold by then, we are more often than not still sporting short sleeves well past Halloween. So when I saw the weekend forecast a couple of weeks ago, I was psyched for the chance to try out the newest kicks for the crag-kiddos on our adventure to the New River Gorge.

Our family has a history with STONZ – in 2013 we partnered with them for a series of reviews (here, here, and here.) So I went in to this venture expecting to be impressed, and I was not disappointed. Here’s what we tried out, and here are our honest, unbiased thoughts about each piece.

FOR THE CRAGBOY:

Big C got to try out some Winter Bootz, advertised as being for “extreme cold weather.” While our testing conditions may not have been considered “extreme,” it was still below freezing (in the morning, anyway!), which counts as cold in my (Southern) book. Big C’s feet were kept cozy warm all day, and the boots seemed very comfortable. At times he can be pretty picky about what he wears, and I was relieved to find that he liked these so much he wore them to school the first day he tried them on (on a 60 degree day no less!) In fact, here’s a sum-up of some ACTUAL quotes within the first 5 minutes of wearing them: “Look how much faster I can run in these!” “These are my Jedi Boots!” “Do I look like President Business in these?!?”

The only downside is that all that warmth and coziness means a little extra weight. We hiked A LOT that weekend, and by the end of it, my ordinarily strong hiker was dragging a little bit. That being said, these boots are pretty versatile – perfect for jumping in the leaves on a crisp, autumn day, as well as frolicking around in fresh snowfall (hopefully we’ll get a chance to try them out in the latter in a couple of months!)

FOR THE CRAGGIRL:

Although she’s going on 2, Baby Zu still has munchkin feet, so we opted for a pair of booties for her. My favorite part about these was (once again) their versatility. They can be worn in pretty much any combination you want – over bare feet, socks, slippers, shoes, or just by themselves. The addition of the Linerz adds a comfy warm layer – upping the cozy factor for sure! Baby Zu’s favorite part was the owl, and “Hoo-hoo!” seemed to be the sound of the day.

Baby Zu also received some Mittz to try out. The Mittz come in 2 sizes. Infant Mittz feature one “hole” for the entire hand, which makes getting them on and off a breeze. The size range is large – 0-2, so one pair will last multiple seasons. The Youth Mittz are a regular mitten, with one hole for the thumb, and another for the rest of the fingers. Big C has a pair of those (reviewed here), and they have held up great!

Winter gear is so hard to buy here in the South…it only gets REALLY cold for a small portion of the year, so it’s hard to justify all that expense for such quickly-growing hands and feet. But in my opinion, if you want your children to enjoy the wonders of winter, you’ve got to keep them warm! Stonz offers great options that are a little more versatile than most, and their durability is top-notch, which means they’ll last a lot longer than your child will be in them, making perfect hand-me-downs. We’ll be reviewing some more winter gear in the coming weeks/months, so stay tuned for more good options for cold weather!

Sweet kiddos

NRG Round 1: Endless (Not Sendless) Wall

Climbing. New River Gorge.

3 Comments.

Oct 21 2015

Techman 12c

After a month of unseasonably wet and humid conditions, we were starting to think fall climbing season would never get here. But this past weekend was about as good as it gets, condition-wise. The air was cold and crisp, but the rock was still warm – one of those magical times where you can climb pretty much wherever you want, without having to chase sun or shade. In other words, any excuses for not sending are your own fault!

Now when it comes to climbing grades at the New River Gorge, there can be some inconsistency, but the general consensus is that routes at Endless Wall are full value. There are very few “gimme’s”, and the technical lines almost always feature a combination of the following: long lock-offs, tiny (and often incredibly high) footholds, heinous crimps, and amazing exposure and position. The sport routes tend to be bolted with a good lead head in mind – you may not have as many as you want, but usually they are right where you need them (however, botching your beta often means a pretty big ride.)

With all that in mind, it’s no wonder that Endless Wall is often referred to as “Sendless Wall.” But I love it (usually), and most of my proudest sends have happened there. So with what was quite possibly the best conditions of the year so far, we headed north to West Virginia on Friday night with an Endless agenda.

Saturday morning was a little chaotic due to Bridge Day shenanigans (when hundreds of adrenaline-junkies hurl themselves off the bridge while thousands of onlookers flock to view the carnage.) We had to drive the “long way” around, which actually only ended up being about 15-20 minutes out of the way – well worth it to be able to enjoy a warm bed on the South side of the bridge.

Big C dominating the Honeymooner Ladders on the way out!

My objective for the first day was Techman 12c. It’s an okay route, but certainly not a classic. To be honest, the crux traverse is hard in a “not fun” way – it’s sharp, abrasive, reachy, and most of the holds are held together with glue. But it shares anchors (and an upper crux) with Freaky Stylee 12a, so I started working on it back when CragDaddy was working on Freaky. Since then I’ve managed a 2-hang, but I was hopeful that Saturday would be the day to piece it all together and nab my first NRG 12c.

I warmed up by pulling through the crux, climbing the more moderate sections of the route, then rehearsing the crux moves on the lower. A couple of the reach moves are a little low percentage for me because I’m so over-extended, but I got them dialed in better than I ever had before. My first redpoint attempt of the day got off to a good start – I made it through the heinous crux traverse, but was unable to latch the deadpoint move that came directly after. The next time it was my turn, however, I botched the crux, again and again, then botched the deadpoint move (again and again.) My skin was feeling pretty raw so I took a nice long break. Unfortunately that didn’t seem to help. I tried two more times and was never able to make it through the traverse without falling.

I was pretty discouraged with the lack of progress…but the icing on the frustration cake was when one by one everyone else sent. CragDaddy even had an epic battle with the route, almost falling off several times but managing to fight through, which earned him his first ever 12c! I of course was proud of him…but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting just a little.

Crux time on Hellbound for Glory 12a

The next day my confidence (and psych) was pretty low. Although Endless Wall has always been one of my favorite places to climb, I’ve found myself in somewhat of a love/hate relationship with it of late. While it definitely makes me a better climber when I go to other areas, I get really tired of all the reaches. It’s really frustrating to struggle hard on moves that my taller climbing partners easily reach past. I realize that being shorter definitely has its advantages on some routes…but not the ones at Endless Wall (or anywhere at the New, really!)

But enough whining, back to the climbing. Day 2 we found ourselves at Central Endless. I took a lovely lap up Strike a Scowl 10a, which in my opinion offers the best view of the gorge. My friends already had a rope up on Hellbound for Glory 12a…which looked terrifying, so I opted to tackle it next on toprope.

I could have done without the heady, zig-zagging start (traverse 10 feet left, then 10 feet right, step left onto the face, then traverse left 10 feet more.) But once the route kind of “got going” it was great – technical moves that were surprisingly pumpy, but with pretty good rest stances. The upper half was a typical Endless slab, with a stay awake move just before going for the anchors.

My toprope run went surprisingly smoothly. However I wasn’t sure I’d be able to commit to the moves right before the 3rd bolt (a fall there would be a pretty nasty pendulum), so I toproped it again. Turns out I’d somehow missed a gigantic rail that made the moves I was worried about significantly easier. I not only climbed that section clean, but the entire rest of the route, earning me the dreaded “toprope send.” Oops, guess I should’ve led it. Now I had to do the whole zig-zaggy start again (which ironically felt a lot less sketchy on lead.) Third go was a charm, and gave me my 7th Endless Wall 5.12. It wasn’t the tick I’d been planning on walking away with, but a worthy line nonetheless, and I’ll take it for sure.

Despite the emotional ups and downs, there’s no place I’d rather be this time of year than the New River Gorge. Combine family, friends, and epic climbing conditions and it’s hard to go wrong…and I can’t wait to do it again this weekend!

Red River Gorge: Rocktoberfest 2015

Climbing. Red River Gorge.

8 Comments.

Oct 14 2015

Every time our family makes one of our biannual pilgrimages to the Red, we always vow to spend more time there the following year…but somehow we never manage to drive past the New more than twice. (That being said…2016 is the year!) But what we lack in quantity we usually make up for in quality, and this year’s Rocktoberfest weekend was no different.

We rolled into town Thursday night with just enough light to make camp, which we set up at the very back corner of the property, as far away from the event shenanigans as possible! On Friday we split time between Driveby Crag and The Gallery. Ordinarily crag-hopping isn’t all that easy with little ones involved, but everything at PMRP is so close together that it wasn’t a big deal.

Atypical for the Red, classic all day long! Random Precision 11b.

My goal for the weekend was to grab one 5.12 send amidst the festival chaos and my duties with Trango. So after a quick warm-up on Make a Wish 10b, I hopped on Check Your Grip 12a. I did not have high expectations – our climbing plans had gotten rained out the last two weekends, and all that bouldering I’d been doing in the gym to get ready for the (rained out) Hound Ears Bouldering Comp isn’t exactly the best prep for fighting through that RRG pump. My first attempt was even more dismal than I thought it would be. Apparently the lack of outdoor climbing rusted up my mental game as well. There are two sections on the route that are somewhat generously spaced between bolts – a thin, crimpy section, and a burly, sloper section. I could commit to one, but not the other (and if you know anything about me at all you can probably figure out which was which.) I then expended A LOT of energy stick-clipping my way through…then proceeded to make the moves first try.

Trango phase draws double as necklaces if you weren’t aware.

In hindsight it was all pretty silly. While stick-clipping through a hard section definitely has it’s place, it’s not for when the fall is totally clean and you haven’t even given the moves a good try even once! Afterwards I was pretty frustrated with myself for letting irrational fear get the better of me, but I guess we’ve all been there.

By this point it was time to rendezvous with the rest of Team Trango over at The Gallery for some photos. While we waited for Random Precision 11b to open up, I hopped on DaVinci’s Left Ear 10b, a fun little romp that was good for the head. By the time I started up Random Precision, I felt great. It probably helped that this classic technical route would have been a lot more at home at the New than at the Red. But regardless, it was awesome, and if you find yourself at PMRP you should definitely hop on it!

I was glad I got on it when I did, as the the thunder roared and the skies opened up shortly after I’d gotten off. The slab was soaked within a few minutes, but it’s overhanging neighbor to the left (Different Strokes 11c) remained dry as a bone. This movement on this short, pumptastic route was pretty unique – lots of sidepulling through huecos and sloping pockets. My forearms were exploding by the top, but I managed to hold on for the onsight.

Oops, nothing good up there! Different Strokes 11c

By this point it was time to head back and get our booth set up for the weekend. The festival kicked off with a showing of Reel Rock 10 Friday evening, and then continued over at Miguel’s the next morning with shoe demos, coffee, and cinnamon buns the size of your face. Traffic at the table was good and we got a lot of shoes on feet, but by mid-morning we were all ready to climb. We went back to Driveby, where it was all about redemption for me! I warmed up on Whipstocking 11a (which is the very definition of fun!), then turned my sights back to Check Your Grip. On my first attempt of the day my goal was to get to the chains without a stick-clip, which fortunately I was able to do without any trouble this time around. No falls, but I hung just before and just after where I’d chickened out before, so I wasn’t sure how the upper sections would feel with the pump clock ticking.

With the head issues out of the way, it was time for a redpoint burn. I left the ground knowing I was going to either send or whip, and thankfully it was the former! The pump was building, for sure, but manageable. The rattly kneebar at the top helped seal the deal (FYI if you are tall, the kneebar lets you go hands-free, so definitely don’t pass it up!)

I wrapped up my day on Spirit Fingers 11c, which climbs very similar to Whipstocking, but with a hard crux right off the ledge.

Evening festivities were fun as always – highlights included food trucks (the buffalo chicken dip grilled cheese from Minton’s was AH-mazing!), crate-stacking, bluegrass, and giving a Rock Prodigy Forge Hangboard to the person who hung the longest on the 2-finger pockets. Unfortunately for us (and our neighbors), Baby Zu decided she’d rather scream than sleep for a large portion of the night. I exited the tent the next morning afraid to make eye contact, but thankfully no one seemed too perturbed.

CragDaddy starting the Check Your Grip 12a send train in his Tenaya Iati’s

Day 3 was a short one, as we had a long drive ahead of us, and still had to make a stop to pick up Big C (who’d been living it up with the grandparents all weekend.) We met some friends out at Eastern Sky Bridge, where I warmed up on yet another fantastic line – Super Dario 11a. I then tied in to Soul Ram 12b. What an amazing line! In the interest of time (and the number of times my friend had called for the stick clip), I opted to toprope it. The line was outrageously good – a bouldery start to gain a relentless face filled with crimps and rounded edges for 80 feet. Another atypical RRG climb, this time with a rather sandbagged reputation, I was pleased with how it went on my first go. None of the moves are that hard, but the climbing is very sustained, with bad clipping stances and big runouts for the first several bolts. I hung a lot down low, but made every sequence first try with the except of a long move to a pocket about halfway up. Once through that section, the moves are still the same difficulty, but there are just enough good holds sprinkled into the mix to get good rests, and I was able to do the last half of the route clean.

It’s times like these that I wish we lived closer! Soul Ram is definitely doable for me if I could just get back up there! Oh well…it’s written in pen on our tick list for next spring (along with Orange Juice 12c, Mercy the Huff 12b, Iniquity 12b, and a whole bunch of other classic lines!)

Who else was at Rocktoberfest? What were your highlights? (And who’s in for a spring break trip in 2016?!?)

Kindergarten and Bike Commuting

Biking.

2 Comments.

Sep 28 2015

The end of this week means our family has survived the first month of kindergarten…which, if you’ve been there, done that, you already know is no small feat! To be honest, I had completely underestimated how much of an adjustment it would require for the WHOLE family, not just Big C. But after a rocky start and a few bumps in the road along the way, we’ve settled into a new routine that makes everyone happy (most of the time.)

Gearing up for a Thursday morning commute.

And ironically enough, what’s helped our morning routine out the most has been a bike commute! Over the summer I’d had high hopes of perhaps doing a once-a-week bike to school day once fall arrived. After all, back in the pre-Baby Zu preschool days, I would regularly take Big C to school in the bike trailer. But after the chaos of the first couple of Kindergarten days, I was hesitant to add yet another complication to an already hectic morning. But I’m so glad we decided to try it anyway – turns out a morning ride is just what we need to start our day out on a stress-free note?!?

By car, the elementary school is 4 miles away, along busy streets with lots of stoplights. Combined with a carpool line that stretches for what feels like a mile, our door to door time via car is around 30 minutes. And in that 30 minutes there is a lot of stopping, going, nervous clock watching, navigating traffic, whining children, etc…culminating with a haphazard dropoff that always feels hurried, no matter how early we arrive.

Contrast that scenario with our experience on the bike. By bike, the elementary school is a mere 1.5 miles away. (There’s a permanent wooden barricade at the back of our neighborhood that prevents thru traffic between us and the neighborhood across from the school. Cars can’t go through, but bikes can easily fit.) The busy streets are replaced by a mile of quiet neighborhood roads, and the frequent stoplights are replaced by a handful of cheery children at a bus stop and the occasional dog walker. Aside from one short hill, it’s a pretty easy ride, even for 5 year old legs. We spend the whole time talking and laughing, and can gradually transition from being at home to being at school. There is one fairly busy road crossing at the 1 mile mark, but it’s close enough to the school that cars are slowing down, and will often stop and let us cross. Even if no one stops, we’ve never had to wait more than a couple of minutes for the traffic to clear. The last half mile is sidewalked, and spits us out at the back entrance of the school, which means we can bike right up to the door. No worries about holding up a line behind us, Big C can gather his things at his own pace, say good bye, and leisurely head to class. If Baby Zu was taking a long time at breakfast (usually the case), I can toss her blueberries in a bowl and she can eat along the way.

Here’s Big C’s bike rigged for the return trip…and FIVE deer we spotted from the school parking lot!

Depending on the day, there are three different combinations we use, all of which are far preferable than getting out into the main road fray.

Option 1: Big C on a bike, Baby Zu in a trailer, Mommy on a bike. This is great if I have other workout plans later in the day (or just don’t feel like running). Door to door, it takes exactly ONE minute longer than traveling by car.

Option 2: Big C on a bike, Baby Zu in a stroller, Mommy jogging. The above mentioned benefits of the commute, PLUS I get in a 3 mile run! Depending on which route I take back, it takes 5-10 minutes longer than the car way.

Option 3: Big C on a bike, Daddy on a bike. On Thursdays Steve works from home and his schedule is pretty flexible, so this has been a great opportunity for some father/son time mid-week.

LOGISTICS:
We only commute one way, since Baby Zu usually doesn’t wake up from her nap until just after 3, and school gets out at 315. Amazingly enough, the bus will have him home by 330, so that’s a no brainer for the afternoon. However, that means I’ve got to somehow get his bike back home in the mornings. Thanks to my engineering husband, we’ve figured out a way to strap Big C’s bike onto the handle of the trailer/stroller (we use the Chariot Chinook, which converts between the two ridiculously easily, reviewed here.) There’s no problem too big for bungee cords, right?!? Although it’s not a big deal if I’m on the bike, it felt pretty beast mode the first few times I was jogging with the stroller. But every day it got a little easier, and by now I’m pretty used to the extra weight.

With all the nice weather we’ve been having, our typical week has involved driving to school on Mondays (when everyone is feeling tired and lazy after the weekend’s adventures), and biking to school the rest of the week. We may change our tune (or at least our clothing options!) once the weather turns cold, but I’m hoping to be able to keep our routine going through the majority of the fall.

Aside from the positive emotional impact our commuting has had on our mornings as a family, the benefits may very well be extending into the classroom. Recent studies have shown that children who walk or bike to school have improved concentration/focus than their driven/bussed counterparts. Regardless, I feel good about being able to give Big C some time to be active before he has to sit down in a classroom all day.

Does anyone else bike/walk to school with their kiddos? I would love to hear how other families work through the logistics!

NRG Craggin’ Classic

New River Gorge. Climbing.

4 Comments.

Sep 23 2015

Last weekend was the first official weekend of fall, and for climbers in the Southeast, that means it’s time for the Craggin’ Classic at the New River Gorge! This NRG event is actually just one of a series of climbing festivals held across the country each fall. The Craggin’ Classic Series (organized by the American Alpine Club), is a chance for climbers from all over to get together and play around on world class rock, all in the name of community, education, stewardship, and fundraising.

This was my 2nd time working this event for Trango/Tenaya (first time was back in 2012), and my first weekend long event since the 2013 Rendezvous back in the pre-Baby Z days. Event weekends for me are always a chaotic blur of pure craziness. As a climber, working these events is always a blast. I mean, my job is to go to a great climbing destination, hang out and talk gear with all sorts of awesome folks, and usually walk away with some amazing photos of me doing what I love (courtesy of Dan Brayack) – seriously, what’s not to love about all of that?!? But as a mom, these events also bring a whole lot of behind-the-scenes stress, usually surrounding mundane, but important, family logistics.

My favorite shot of the weekend – finishing up P2 of The Prowesse 5.9R

Fortunately Steve and I have learned a lot from past events and are able to sort through most issues before they arise. We’d secured extra climbing partners so that Steve and the kids could do their own thing while I was off galavanting around with Trango, and managed to find a crag that was suitable both for Trango’s photo goals as well as Steve and his “village” – which meant I could hike back and forth to check in with Baby Z a couple times during the day to nurse. A friend of mine even let me borrow his car for the day (which could actually end up being it’s own separate post entitled, “Dirt Road Adventures with a Stick Shift and No Power Steering,” but I’ll leave that for another day.) Somehow, though, despite our best-laid plans, it seems like there’s always an unforeseen glitch that sends everything into a tailspin. This time around it involved the poorly-timed eruption of 2 canine teeth and a mysterious fever, both of which turned Baby Z into a clingy hot mess that wanted to be attached to mommy 24/7.

Brenna working her way up P1.

But in sickness and in health, this show had to go on, so on Friday afternoon we dutifully headed north in a van loaded down with kids, climbing gear, and demo shoes. After a feverish night of enduro-nursing and restlessness, I headed to the AAC Campground for shoe demos while Steve and the kiddos headed to Endless Wall with our “village.” I met up with them mid-morning and warmed up on The Upheaval 5.9, a great slab route that deservedly gets tons of traffic. I was psyched to watch my boy dominate Totally Clips 5.8…well, maybe “dominate” is a stretch, but he did get to the top pretty quickly, where he lingered at the anchors for several minutes enjoying the view. Upon reaching the ground, he proudly announced that he “used two quickdraws as holds because it was easier.” I have no idea where he’s seen that before because neither Steve nor I have EVER done that (that’s written in sarcastic font in case you couldn’t tell.) With everything going on, we unfortunately didn’t get a picture of it, but I’m pretty certain he’d be up for doing it again next time.

Girl power 🙂

Around lunch I got the call to meet my Trango peeps back down at Fern Point for a photo session on The Prowess 5.9 R. I’ve only done a handful of the trad lines at Endless Wall, so I was psyched to try it (although admittedly a little anxious about the “R” part.) The route actually begins on Freaky Stylee 5.12a and traverses across Stim-o-Stam 5.11c to the blunt arete. This initial section is the part that warrants the R rating – the climbing is pretty easy, but gear is sparse, and difficult to protect for both the leader as well as the second. (I guess one alternative would be to boulder up through the Stim-o-Stam start – a little less sketchy for your second, but also much harder moves.) Once around the corner, the route tiptoes up the slab to the Stim-o-Stam anchors. We split the route into two pitches so that Dan could get some “girl power” shots for Trango’s sister company, Stonewear Designs. The finish was easier (5.6 ish) and marvelously exposed. The only thing that could have made the view any more gorgeous would have been a backdrop of fall color!

Big C driving his cars over his “NRG Bridge”

After Brenna and I tromped barefoot across the top to the ladders and back down to our stuff (read: bring your hiking shoes!), we all headed over to Diamond Point, where I was able to reunite with the fam. Baby Zu seemed to be feeling better than she had the night before, but was still not interested in doing much besides snuggling. We played pass the baby while all taking turns on Fine Motor Control 12a. This line is often overlooked, but actually has a lot of nice, varied movement all the way to the top. (Don’t forget to bring a brush, there were a few sections that were pretty dirty.) The business is powerful, bouldery, and right off the ground until the 3rd bolt. The rest of the climbing backs off some as the bolts get farther and farther apart, and culminates with one final stay awake move several feet above the last bolt. My first time up I got pummeled. The moves down low are all really long, and it took a lot of creativity (and trial and error) for me to make the reaches. I also may or may not have called for the stick clip at the top due to an inability to commit to the 5.10 finishing move. My second go went far better – a one-hang, with my only fall coming at the end of the boulder problem start. Not a send, but a good note to end the day on.

New favorite crag-tivity – Generric legos from the Target dollar bin!

The evening festivities involved a dyno comp, hangboard contest, and general merriment and shenanigans. By evening Baby Zu was feeling a bit better, and I was able to enjoy myself guilt-free once the kiddos were off to bed (thanks to the CragDaddy for holding down the fort!)

The next morning brought iffy looking weather, but a happy Baby Zu that was firing on all cylinders once again. Aside from trying to fit the Trango tent in my van later on that day, I had no other “work” duties, so we headed back to Endless Wall again. And this time, after warming up on Euronation (10b version), Fine Motor Control went down without a fight. Must’ve been a combination of cooler temps and lower stress levels; my beta felt rock solid the whole way up. I like to use Kratom, most people considered Kratom to be opiates like other drugs such as cannabis or cocaine. This made the purchase and marketing of Kratom illegal in most countries and states in the world, you could try these out however, with the recent discovery that Kratom is more like the coffee tree and that it has many benefits to the body.

We didn’t crawl into bed until late Sunday night…too late for a school night (yes, we have to worry about that now!) But a slightly more chaotic than usual Monday morning was definitely a fair trade-off for our first family adventure of the fall. Many thanks to Trango for being so flexible with the Lineberry family circus, and thanks to Dan Brayack for letting me post his awesome pictures up here! And a thousand and one thanks to the village of friends that helped us get through the weekend unscathed!

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

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

Winter Footwear for Kids (from STONZ)