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

Quarantine Reads for the Whole Family

Climbing. Other.
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As I sat down to write my first “quarantine” blog post, I happened to glance back at my most recent blog post prior to this one – all about the climbing goals I had for this year, 2020.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.  So much for that.  Anyway, I haven’t written anything up until now because, to be honest, I just couldn’t summon the motivation to.  But over the past few weeks, I’ve stumbled upon a couple of good books for climbing families that I think are worth sharing sooner rather than later.

The first book I’d like to share is a great choice for families that are curious about climbing, as well as families who are already familiar with the sport and ready to get their kids involved.  Created by veteran climber Olivier Roberge as a way to share the psych with his kiddos, “Tom and Katie’s Climbing Adventures” introduces the basics of several climbing disciplines (gym, sport, bouldering, trad) in an interesting narrative with fun, comic-style graphics.

My first impression was that not only was there a LOT of great logistical information packed into the 75 pages of this book, but that Roberge presented the info in a very kid-friendly, easy to understand way.  The illustrations are very well thought out, and the added visual really helped demonstrate the various concepts being discussed (ie, lead climbing, multi-pitch, etc.)   Both my 10yo and 6yo have enjoyed it immensely, and we’ve read it together countless times over this quarantine time!  I’d say kids as young as 3 or 4 could enjoy it as a readaloud.  As far as independent reading goes, I’d say maybe 3rd grade and up?  It’s the perfect book for a long car ride to the crag, as the graphic novel style picture/text combo lends itself really well to flipping through over and over again, for both older kids as well as non-reader aged kids.

Full disclosure, there was one little thing that came up in our family’s discussion that wasn’t really a big deal, but seems worth mentioning.  There was a situation in the story where one character, Tom, didn’t want to rope up in the gym because he was afraid of heights.  The other character, Katie, ended up “tricking him” onto the wall by pretending that her knot had come undone mid-way up the wall, knowing that Tom would put his fear aside and come to her rescue.  This in turn, made him realize that he actually had nothing to fear the entire time.  (All while the belaying parents winked at each other, apparently being “in” on this plan.)  The chapter closes with Katie basically feeling slightly guilty for tricking her friend, but with an “end justifies to means” sort of attitude overall, since Tom was able to overcome his fear.

While fear is a common emotion in both beginner and veteran climbers, I personally feel like this scenario could have been dealt with in a much better way.  My family loves to joke around just as much as any, however we don’t play around when it comes to safety checks.  A misunderstood joke about knots/belaying/etc could easily lead to someone getting seriously injured or worse.  The good news is that this led to a really good family discussion about the story, as well as some brainstorming about better ways Katie could have encouraged her friend to get out of his comfort zone.  In fact, I’m almost glad it’s in there because I think it’s actually reinforced our family’s understanding on an issue that wouldn’t normally come up in conversation a lot, as my 6yo now wants to discuss the inappropriateness of safety jokes EVERY. SINGLE. TIME we read it lol!

Bottom line, “Tom and Katie’s Climbing Adventures” is a great resource to add to your family’s adventure story collection.  And guess what – I’ve got a great deal to offer you!  Author Olivier Roberge has been kind enough to offer free shipping for all Cragmama readers!  You can use the above link and enter promo code CRAGMAMA when prompted, or simply go here where the discount should already be applied for you.

Additionally, Ashima Shiraishi, one of our family’s favorite young climbing phenom’s, has also written a book!  It’s called “How to Solve a Problem”, and while it’s definitely far less technical and meaty than Tom and Katie’s Climbing Adventures, it’s also worth adding to your library, especially for those with younger readers.  The writing is very descriptive, the illustrations are engaging, and it’s great to see a picture book that features climbing!

And adults, I haven’t forgotten about you!  Kris Hampton of the Power Climbing Company has also just released a book – “The Hard Truth – Simple Ways to Become a Better Climber.”  Right now it’s available for pre-orders via his website, and it will be widely available online on 5/14.  (I wonder if that date was intentional 😉 ).  More full disclosure, I’m still waiting to receive my copy, so I can’t promise it’s not junk.  But as someone who has listened to Kris’s podcast for years as well as actually paid him money for customized training sessions in the past, I can ALMOST guarantee it will be a winner!

So with that said, go use some of your stimulus check to support some climbers’ non-climbing endeavors!  And please let me know if you have any other suggestion for a quaran-reading list.  Until then, stay safe and I’ll see you all post lockdown!

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2020 Vision

Climbing. Climbing. Reflections.
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2020 Vision…did you catch my pun?  😉  A little dad joke-ish, but I thought it was fun.  Eyesight jokes aside, however, it’s time for a list of climbing goals for the new year! As always, these goals are subject to change as the rest of the year unfolds.  But looking ahead, this is what I’m aiming for in 2020.

Line of Fire 12c, one of the more popular routes on the Hawsbill 12 wall (Photo Justin Hedrick)

FINISH THE 12 WALL AT HAWKSBILL:  There are 3 routes left unsent for me on the 5.12 wall at Middle Hawksbill, and I would love to finish out the wall.  The first one, Manifest Destiny 12b, is  the only one of these unsent three that I’ve actually been on before.  Though on paper it’s the easiest one on the wall, my previous attempt did not go well.  However, that was almost 4 years ago, and my power and core strength have improved dramatically since then, so I’m hopefully optimistic this time around.  The second one is Appalachian Spring 12c, a mixed route that looks like my favorite style of climbing – slightly overhanging crimps.  The final one will likely be the hardest – Triple Bypass 13a.  Never been on it, and don’t know anyone that has, but I guess there’s one way to find out about it!

STEALTH AND MAGIC 12d – I put 2 solid days in on this sucker last fall, and just when I felt pretty close, weather and holiday travel shut me down.  Looking forward to hopping back on this come spring!

HIT 100 LIFETIME 5.12’s – As it stands right now, I’ve sent 93 5.12’s in the course of my journey as a climber. It breaks down like this (not counting repeats, and rounding a handfull of “slashy” grades up or down accordingly):

12a – 56
12b – 25
12c – 9
12d – 6

I’m hoping that in 2020 I will hit the century mark with 100 5.12 sends!  While this goal isn’t really letter specific, ideally I would love to get those upper 12 numbers both in double digits while I’m at it!

TEN SLEEP 5.13? – We are headed back this summer – and this time we’re driiiiiiiiiiving!!!!!  Well, 75% of us are.  CragDaddy doesn’t have the PTO to make a long drive worth the trip, so to maximize our time, the kids and I are setting out several days early and making our way to Wyoming, where we’ll pick up our favorite partner in climb up at the Casper airport and keep right on rolling in to Ten Sleep.  My goal at Ten Sleep always tends to be more star-chasing than number-chasing, but at this point I’ve done most of the classics in my onsight range, so I’d love to pick something harder and invest several days on it this time around and see how it goes.  On a side note – we’ll be stopping in Nashville, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver – anybody wanna meet up and show us a good time?!?

Ten Sleep Round 4 – ETA August!!!

The Enneagram 1 in me would love to see those goals at 5 rather than 4 just because it looks better that way…but I think these 4 will keep me busy enough this year, so I’d better stop here!  I would love to hear what everyone else is hoping to accomplish this year though.  Please comment below and we can cheer each other on!

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2019 Year in Review

Climbing. Climbing. Reflections.
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Here Comes the Rain 12b, Photo by Bryan Miller

As I sat down to write out my climbing goals for 2020, I realized that despite a lot of personal reflection on my 2019 accomplishments, I never really summed things up on the blog, particularly when it came to projects from this past fall.  Even though I stopped writing here long about the time the weather got good, I actually got out a lot this fall, so there’s lots to catch up on!

One of my main goals for this year was to establish a firmer grip in the 12+ arena, particularly at the New.  Aside from the stray 13 that very much catered to my preferred style, my previous NRG sends up until this year had a definitive ceiling at the 12b mark.  This year I was able to break that barrier at the New, with two 12c sends and one 12d.  I also came pretty close on another 12d before weather and holidays forced a retreat until spring.  While maybe not completely consolidated at NRG 12+ just yet, I definitely feel like I have a little momentum in the right direction, and I’m psyched to bring some newfound confidence into some of the harder NRG classics in 2020.

Wall Drug 12c

A more general goal of mine for 2019 was to shop around for some harder projects – ie something that might take more than a few days worth of investment.  I enjoy picking one route and sticking to it for a day or two, but then I tend to assume it’s out of my pay grade and move on if I still can’t do all the moves after a weekend’s worth of work.  After looking back over the course of 2019, once again I’m not sure I can say I crushed this goal by any means, but I certainly put myself in positions where I could BE crushed way more than I’m accustomed to!  The result of that was that I have a small handful of projects that very well could be in the long term hopper for next year, the most likely candidates being those on local rock – Black and Blue Velvet (Pilot Mountain) and Pigs in Zen (The Dump), both 13a.

Something cool that just sort of happened without being a pre-meditated goal was that I placed more gear this fall than I had in a good long while.  This is entirely due to my 9 year old turning into a legit climber seemingly overnight.  Many times the best routes grade-wise for him that were also near our projects also happened to be gear lines.  While I’m not ready to set any specific trad goals for 2020, I wouldn’t mind seeing this back-into-trad trend continue!

As far as number specific goals, I didn’t really have many specifics in mind for this year, although midway through the fall I realized I was close to an “Around the Horn 5.12 Trifecta.” Despite a lot of concentrated effort in November, I ended up being just ONE route short of sending 3 of each, 12a through 12d, over the course of the year.  Here’s how that broke down.

Starry 12a (The Meadow)
Captain Fuk 12a (Hidden Valley)
Team Machine 12a (New River Gorge)
Blackbeard 12b (Hidden Valley)
Arrowhead Arete 12b (Hidden Valley)
Here Comes the Rain 12b (The Dump)
Green Envy 12c (New River Gorge)
Wall Drug 12c (New River Gorge)
Not Too Keen 12c/d (The Dump)
Bosnian Vacation 12d (New River Gorge)
Tweakend 12d (Hawksbill Mt.)

If I just look on paper at the 8a scores, this past year was at best par with the last several years, at worst, 200 points lower than other years.  Because we focused on staying in project mode most of the year, we tended towards areas we new well, which decreased my onsight opportunities dramatically.  Also there are no 13’s, despite ticking 2 back at the tail end of 2017.

Cruxin’ out on Bosnian Vacation 12d

But when I looked back at my climbing log, I saw that my overall sends from 2019 were actually a good bit higher than in 2018 – 70 versus 55!  So despite the fact that this year was dubbed more of a “quality OVER quantity” sort of year, I’m also psyched about the “QUANTITY of quality” projects I was able to put down!  While I would like to give training hard in the gym all the credit, I think just as much of it boiled down to putting consistent time in at the same crags, and not being afraid to get on something hard and stick with it.

Now that I’ve thoroughly dissected 2019 for me, I’d love to hear from you – don’t be afraid to spray!  What did you accomplish – climbing or otherwise – during 2019?  Be on the lookout for a 2020 vision post next week!

 

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Tweakend for the Weekend

Climbing. North Carolina.
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Mega lock-off mid-crux.

“Mommy, what’s ‘bolt to bolting’ mean?” my 9 year old son asked me.  I hadn’t realized he had been listening to my conversation.  I was lounging at the base of the cliff, trying to summon the energy to give my project one last go before hiking out.  I was exhausted.  It had been a roller coaster of a day, hiking in to find ourselves in the midst of a foggy, misty drizzle that had made our slab warm-up a lot more exciting than we’d wanted.  Surprisingly enough, however, conditions on the 12 wall were primo.  The routes were steep enough to be out of the drizzle, and the warm rock kept the condensation at bay, leaving crisp, dry rock.  At this particular moment, I’d just finished falling off the very last hard move for the 2nd time that day.  A few weeks ago, I’d fallen off that same spot 3 times in one day, and I was pretty certain the final battle of the day would end the same way.  So certain, in fact, that while CragDaddy was cleaning the route next door, I seriously considered asking him to take down my draws as well on his way down.

That’s where the “bolt to bolt” conversation started.  See, I’d figured out some different beta at the end of my last go.  The difference was subtle, involving angling my lower body into somewhat of a drop-knee position rather than turned out and toe’d in.  I’d tried similar beta my very first day on the route, back in June, but it hadn’t worked.  But on this day, conditions were a lot better, and I was able to get much more locked in on the left hand crimper I was using to make the toss to the hold I kept coming up short on.  So on a whim, I’d tried it again at the end of this previous attempt, desperately grasping to find something, ANYTHING, that would make this stopper move higher percentage for me.  It made the move feel maybe 10% easier.  Not only did it extend my reach, but CragDaddy and I hypothesized that it kept me tighter to the wall without having to rely solely on my core to keep me in.

I had lowered with intent to try it one more time, but as I said now that I was down, lounging on the rock, with CragDaddy within easy reach of my anchors, I was having second thoughts.  I felt good about the new beta, but also felt like it was probably too little too late.  Despite the fact that I had the rest of the route totally dialed, the moves were still super hard both on the body as well as the skin, and just the thought of doing it all again was exhausted, even after laying around at the base of the cliff for the past hour.  Temps were dropping, and that cloud forest vibe was starting to get old (and cold!)

Opening moves…your skin will thank you for moving quickly here.

CragDaddy reasoned that we were all the way down there (it’s a brutal hike, especially with the kids), the draws were in, and we had plenty of time.  He was right; I owed it to myself to try it one more time.  Even knowing it most likely would NOT end with a send, practicing the new beta would be extremely helpful to have in my muscle memory bank for our next trip out.   My mind knew this, but my body was rebelling.  I compromised by suggesting that I just go bolt to bolt – no need to get mentally and physically “up” again, but my body would get the aforementioned training benefits.

When I explained this in response to my son’s question, he just nodded and went back to reading his book.  But my answer must have been weighing on him, b/c several minutes later he spoke up again.  “Mommy, I don’t want you to bolt to bolt.  I want you to try and send it.”  Thinking this could be a good parenting opportunity to reinforce the “progress, not perfection” mantra to my highly perfectionistic son, I reiterated how satisfied I was with the baby steps I’d made towards my goal by finding the new beta, and working out some better rest stances earlier that same day.  I told him that despite the lack of a send, I could still call the day a success.

He wasn’t buying it.  “But you have new beta.  If you try really hard with the new beta you can send it.  I know you can.”   He looked so sincere.  And he made a good point – all those nuggets of wisdom I’d just told him would still be absolutely true if I tried again and failed.  I had nothing to lose, right?

So, inspired by my son’s faith in me, I tied in again and tried to ignore my tired shoulders and nearly shredded fingertips.  The opening sequence went fast, I’ve done it so many times I could probably do it blindfolded at this point.  I settled myself at the rest, then launched into the first crux, aka the Tall Person Crux.  This sequence I also had dialed, and had executed it perfectly all day…but this time I rushed a hand placement and wound up out of sequence so I quickly downclimbed back to the rest.  Resettle.  Go again, this time according to plan.  I clipped the next bolt, took a couple of precarious shakes and launched into the Short Person Crux.  My nemesis move was at the end of this sequence, a non-move for literally every one else I’d ever seen on the route.  The static reach off jug feet to a great edge for them is a precarious, off-balance deadpoint off bad feet for me.  But I couldn’t focus on that.  Getting to that massive edge was the only thing keeping me from the victory run to the chains.

First (unsuccessful) send attempt of the day this past weekend. Alex Blum making the cameo appearance in the mist. 😉

I executed the same crux beta I’d done so many times before.  Got my left foot up, and kicked my right foot out to the tiny divot I’d been edging on before, but this time, turned my hips and dropped the knee, trying to keep as much body tension as I could.  I threw the hail mary, and latched the hold!  I couldn’t believe I was still on the wall!  After a rather ungraceful match of my hands, I took off to the top, hollering down for CragDaddy to stay with me because that 4th burn exhaustion was keeping the moderate finish from feeling as easy as it usually did.  The finish hold had gotten progressively wetter throughout the day, but thankfully it was so big it didn’t matter.  Chains were clipped, and I let out a whoop that probably could have been heard on the other side of the Linville Gorge!

It was a happy, albeit treacherously wet, hike out.  By the time we reached the car, the misty drizzle had turned into a legit rain.  To be honest, I’m still amazed the route had remained even climbable all day, let alone climbable in the best conditions I’d seen on the route thus far!  But good climbing conditions don’t always make for good photo conditions, as all of the best places for photos were pretty wet, not to mention the terrible visibility.  That said, we did manage to get some pretty good footage back in July, and CragDaddy was nice enough to compile a little video for me as a souvenir.  I hesitated to share it, as the perfectionist in me sees how sloppy my earlier attempts were. (my son gets it honest…)  I also wish I’d had the successful crux beta recorded.  But it does capture the essence of this route, which in my opinion, could possibly be the best one on the wall.  Here’s the link to the You Tube video if you’re interested!

If you are from the Southeast and you dig slightly overhanging crimps with some old school NC bolting, you should make a date with Middle Hawksbill this Saturday.  I promise you won’t be disappointed.  Tweakend as well as any of the routes on the 12 wall would make a worthy opponent.  As for me, I’ll be back there at some point to finish out the wall….but right now I’ve only got eyes for the New!!!!

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Best Hidden Valley Sport Climbs 5.11 and Up

Climbing. Hidden Valley, VA. Travel Beta.
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Time for the final round of Hidden Valley recommendations – this time for 5.11 and up.  And guess what – fall sending is almost here!  So if you are in the market for some good projects, this list might be a good place to start.  While the moderate routes can get quite crowded on good weather weekends, you’ll find that the queues drastically decrease as the grades increase.

In the steeps of Blues Brothers 12a (Photo Bryan Miller)

Roadkill 11a

GREAT “FIRST OF THE GRADE” CANDIDATES

ROADKILL 11a – A little pumpy, but straightforward, and you get a good rest once you pull the roof.
GRISTLE 12a – I know lots of folks who claim Gristle as a first 5.12….but I also know someone very near and dear to my heart that has dozens of 12’s under his belt that hasn’t been able to do it yet (not to call you out CragDaddy, just making a PSA.)  If you know how to heel/toe cam and have decent lock off strength, this one might be a good candidate for your first 12.  But if you are super tall and that heel/toe cam just doesn’t quite lock in, know that you’re in good company!
USDA 12a – If Gristle isn’t working for you, try out it’s neighbor to the right.  No moves as hard as the crux on Gristle, but the climbing as a whole is a little more sustained.  Multiple roofs, but multiple rests, especially if you aren’t super tall and can get “squatty.”
RAINY SATURDAY 12a – This one is going to be low-hanging fruit for the boulderers.  A powerful sequence right off the ground leads to 60+ feet of climbing that is no harder than 10a.  Two things worth noting –  the boulder problem will definitely feel harder if you are short, and there are a couple of chossy sections up high, so tread lightly.
FLEDGLING 12b – I know the guidebook gives it 12b, but if you know how to use your feet it’s a lot easier than some of the other 12a’s, certainly less powerful.  Plus it was a first ever 12 for a friend of mine.  And it’s an awesome route!
NEVER SEEN A MAN BEAT THE SNAKE BEFORE 12b – This climb is more weird than it is hard.  Once you figure out the beta it’s not that hard to put together.

Steve crimping through Meatballs 5.12a/b (Photo Bryan Miller)

CragDaddy cuttin’ loose on Mating Season 11d

MUST-DO’s

POCKET FULL OF RATTLEBUGS 11a Definitely the best of it’s grade, this route is in the runnings for best route at Hidden Valley.  Lots of variety – pockets, finger locks, power, commitment – if you climb 5.11 do NOT skip this route!
PRIME TIME PLAYERS 11b – This one never sees any action, but it should!  Mostly easier climbing, with a little power move in the middle and some thin moves at the finish.
GODZILLA 11b – This is listed in the guidebook as a route that “stays dry,” if you end at the first set of anchors, which keeps the route 11b (13a if you go out the roof.)  We went down to do it over a Memorial Day weekend after a week filled flooding rains and it was soaking wet.  Go figure.  To be fair however, routes we had never seen wet before were waterfalls that weekend, so my guess is that under normal rain circumstances, it would probably be fine.  That said, I’ve never done it, but I know plenty who have and say it’s as good as it looks!
GREAT WHITE 11b/c – This is Oregon Trail 10c’s older brother.  Pumpy goodness, with a crux that is not-so-obvious from the ground, but you’ll know it when you’re in it.
CHERRY CORDULES 11c – We discovered this hidden gem while working Death by Chocolate 12d.  It’s a great warm-up for harder climbs, and a super fun route in its own right.  Fair warning the opening moves are a little weird, and while it’s not required, a little gear to supplement to the ledge might not be a bad idea.
KESTREL 11c – This route features super fun technical face climbing.  If you are looking to do some of the harder routes on the wall, this one is a better warm-up than THIN SHELLS 10d, despite the grade difference.  While the moves are harder, the holds are a little less tweaky.
MATING SEASON 11b OR 11d – Looking for a short, techy 11b with most of the business at the bottom?  Stop at the rainy day anchors.  Want to add a side of pump to your 5.11?  Keep going out the roof to the top of the cliff.  Note: be careful in the roof as there is some friable rock.  My first send attempt was foiled by a broken hold.

Gristle 12a

CragDaddy on USDA 12a

FLAVORED WITH MEAT 12a – If you like thin face climbing, this one was made for you!  Plus, it’s always fun to do the “cover route” on a guidebook.
BLUES BROTHERS 12a – The best 12a at Hidden Valley?  Just may be!  Definitely the most varied – little bit of crack climbing, little bit of steep jug hauling, little bit of crimpy face climbing culminating with a committing mantel.  It all adds up to a lot of fun!
YABUISHA 12a – This one is pretty hard for the grade – rumor has it a jug undercling broke at the finish.  In my opinion that heartbreak finish bumps this one up a letter.  But regardless of grade, it’s technical face climbing at it’s absolute finest!  Do it!!!
MEATBALLS 5.12a/b – Short but sweet little face climb.  Note: If climbing with small kids, this route starts up on a ledge that you probably wouldn’t want the whole family to join you on, so not a great choice if you don’t have extra adults for kid-watching back-up on the ground.
CAPTAIN FUK 12a – One of two awesome 12’s on the Right Side’s Ship Rock area.  If you are into burly gym routes, this is the one you should choose, though there will still be enough thin (and sharp!) face climbing to make you earn it!
BLACK BEARD 12b – The other of Ship Rock’s treasures.  This one is all about technique and endurance.  No hard moves for the grade….but can you hang on til the finish?
DDT 12b – Another technical testpiece on the Falcon Wall, this one will require a little bit of power with your technique.  Highly recommended!

Death by Chocolate 12d

CONEHEADS #2 12c – Awesome, full-value line.  Requires some power and finesse, as well as a cool head at the finish.  FYI the fall at the anchors is big but totally clean – ask me how I know 😉  More on that one here.  Worth noting is that there is a just as good, but slightly easier link-up by climbing the initial crack of Coneheads #2, then heading right to the upper face of Coneheads #1, finishing on the right side of the conehead feature.  More on that one here.
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE 12d – Though not my hardest send on paper, this one might be my proudest.  It’s a gorgeous line that stays dry in a downpour and never has any traffic.  Short, technical and powerful, I won’t recount the entire saga here (but it’s here if you want it.)  But I will say this – you might wanna save it for good conditions!

Looking for 5.13’s and harder?  There’s plenty to do there, but neither CragDaddy nor myself have a ton of experience at that level.  I will say though, that both of our first 13’s were sent at Hidden Valley – RODENT’S LAMENT 13b for me, and SPURS SLAB 13a for CragDaddy.  The former is a one move wonder (for a more detailed look at that climb, check out this post), and the latter involves a slab dyno, then a ledge and a finish up the ever popular Spurs 10c.  My guess is that both of them would be considered good first of the grade candidates for others as well.

There are a few notable routes that get a lot of stars but we haven’t tried yet.  Hopefully we’ll get a chance to get on them soon, and when we do, I’ll be sure to update this post.  (If you’ve tried ’em, please let me know how they are!)

OPOSSUM TONGUES IN ASPIC 12c
THE CARNIVORE 12d
BOTULISM 13a
RIVETED JEANS 13b

But until then, you should have plenty to keep you busy from this list!  Also, don’t miss this other posts in this series.

CRAG PROFILES:  Hidden VALLEY
Best Sport Climbs at Hidden Valley – 5.10 and Under

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