Cragmama

Apr 08 2013

Toddlers are multi-tasking eaters…

As my sweet little bundle of joy has moved from the realm of cragBABY to crag-KIDDO, we’ve outgrown many of the logistical issues we used to run into, and replaced them with others…that’s why I’ve been going back and revisiting my Creating a Cragbaby series posts from a couple of years ago and revamping them, toddler style! So if your tyke is just starting to venture into the world of solid foods, you might find the younger version of this post to be more helpful. But for those of you with active, chaotic toddlers with full sets of chompers, read on!

TASTEFULLY SIMPLE: The whole point of food at the crag (or trail, lake, beach, etc) is to refuel. But while I’ve been known to down something less than desirable just to get in some calories, my toddler can’t even be cajoled into one bite of something he doesn’t find extremely appetizing, especially if he’s in the middle of something fun. This doesn’t mean your trail food needs to be fancy. In fact, more basic foods tend to pack easier and travel better anyway. Keep in mind what temperatures you’ll be in and for how long (ie, mayo may not be the best idea in the heat of summer, and some brands of bars get as hard as a rock in the winter). Most of C’s eating tends to be done on the go, so items that require a spoon or even just sitting down don’t work as well.

ALLOW SOME INDULGENCES: If you can’t enjoy junk food when you’re torching calories all day in the Great Outdoors, then when can you? In my opinion, there’s no better time to indulge in sweet treats you might not ordinarily allow your child to partake of. I don’t make a habit of buying candy, but cragging days are perfect opportunities to bring along leftover seasonal candy – cookies from Christmas, lollipops from Valentine’s Day, crème eggs from Easter, etc. Everything in moderation of course – a 5 pound bag of M n M’s is probably a little much, but a homemade rice krispie treat at the end of an active day outside sounds about right.

C munching on nuts and dried berries

DON’T WATCH THE CLOCK: Kids have the remarkable ability to eat when they are hungry, and stop when they are full. Imagine all the health issues we could avoid in our society if we all learned (or rather, never forgot) how to do that! That means that sometimes C has eaten all of his lunch by 10:30…which is fine because he may not ask to eat again until 4. Then there are other times when he literally eats every hour, on the hour, and on those days it’s not entirely uncommon for me to realize that he’s eaten all of his food AND mine when I go reaching into my pack for an afternoon snack! The point is that your child will not starve. If he wants to eat, he’ll eat. If life’s too fun to stop and munch, she’ll run on fumes until she finds a more convenient time to take a break.

GOD MADE DIRT, DIRT DON’T HURT: Here’s a confession that may shock some of my extremely hygienic friends…I DON’T BRING HAND SANITIZER TO THE CRAG!!! (I can hear them now…”I always knew they were dirtbags!”) Actually, I think I do in fact keep some in the top pocket of my pack for emergencies, but I can’t remember the last time I’ve used it. Here’s why (and it’s not because we’re lazy) – Regular old dirt contains a whole host of helpful properties. It actually does a body a lot of good! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to encourage your child to dip his carrot sticks in the mud. But it’s not the end of the world if your child picks a cracker up off the ground and eats it.

PACK IT OUT: A less obvious, but very important aspect of outdoor eating logistics are the containers used to store your food. If you’re bringing food that is not susceptible to being smashed, a large Ziploc bag should do the trick – it can double as a trash bag, and can be reused several times so long as you keep it to “wrapper trash.” A hard container is a must-have for foods that are more delicate, such as fruits or chips, but you’ll have to allow for more pack space. We recently got the opportunity to check out the “Smashbox” from Ecovessel. It provides the best of both worlds – your food stays fresh and smash-free, but collapses when you’re finished. This makes for easy packing at the end of the day, when you’re tired and just want to toss everything haphazardly into your pack! With two different separated compartments, it’s definitely one of the more versatilve options that I’ve seen. It even comes with a spork (it snaps right into the top!) for those days that you are tired of trail food and want to pack something a little more hearty – FYI the spork also makes for a fantastic orange peeler! (Get your own Smashbox here.)

C with our new Smashbox…works just as good at the zoo as it does at the crag!

– Bars: Our top brands are Clif, Larabar, and Bearded Bros. Be wary of choco-coated ones in the summer…

– Cheese: By the string, or by the block – what toddler doesn’t love cheese?!?

–PBJ: You can’t go wrong with a good ole PBJ, or one of its many derivatives from the nut butter of your choice.

– Fresh Fruit: Apples get the prize for most packable AND least mess. Oranges pack well, but have some wet wipes handy! If you’ve got a hard container like the Smashbox, your world opens up a lot: bananas, and blueberries, and mangos, oh my!

-Dried Fruit: No mess, and won’t go bad!

– Nuts: Either by themselves, or paired in a trail mix with dried fruit and/or chocolate. Cashews are a favorite in our household (and macadamian…but only when they are on sale!)

Squeezies: Most toddlers are suckers for pureed fruit/veggie pouches (pun intended ;;) ). There are numerous disposable brands, or make your own using the reusable ones from Squooshi (review here)

Obviously every family is different with a wide variety of dietary needs, so this is certainly not a one size fits all list! What foods has YOUR family found success with for your outdoor adventures?

Indoor Climbing vs. Outdoor Climbing

Climbing.

13 Comments.

Apr 03 2013

“I finally sent that green route in the lead cave!” I announce to the fam gleefully over dinner. After a few rounds of high-fives and “cheers” (C’s favorite dinner pastime of late), I proceed to re-enact my crux beta over my plate of chicken, while Steve nods in understanding and C spills his water accidentally on purpose. This conversation is actually not unlike the ones we have after a day outside cranking on real rock, either on the hike out or with our climbing partners over an outrageous amount of food. Both contain elements of challenge, perseverance, and hopefully success every now and then. But the funny thing is that the difficulty grades we are talking about are VASTLY different, depending on whether we are having an INDOOR conversation or an OUTDOOR one.

I think most of the time people assume that gym climbing is a lot easier than climbing outdoors on real rock. The routes are shorter, your path is obviously laid out with brightly colored tape, handholds aren’t as sharp, and footholds aren’t as small. It’s also a lot less scary – plush padding below every boulder problem, bolts 4 feet apart, not to mention scores of pre-rigged topropes. But oddly enough, I have always been able to climb significantly harder outdoors than in, and so has my hubby. When I first started climbing, it used to frustrate me – it didn’t make any sense to me how one grade could be a warm-up in one circumstance and a project in another. But after a few years of experience and (hopefully) maturity, I now find it rather hilarious. I’m sure the Inner Peaks staff probably think we’re full of malarkey when they ask us what routes we’re working on at the local crag….and then proceed to watch us flail on their lines that are listed as NUMBER GRADES easier! The reverse can also be quite entertaining – sending something outdoors without too much trouble while the young guns from the gym struggle…

This might be fun…

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one of those elitists that snub their noses at all who enjoy pulling on plastic. If I have to workout indoors, I can’t think of a better place I’d want to be! Not to mention that logging a few focused hours in a climbing gym every week is a great way to get strong. But long ago I made peace with the fact that my climbing heart belonged outside rather than in, and it showed…

Part of it comes down to logistics. Indoors, cruxes are often planned in such a way as to force certain sequences, which may or may not be conducive to my body type. As a small female, I rely heavily on intermediate hand holds, footholds, and smears, which often don’t exist on a colorfully taped gym route. Outdoors, the movement is far more organic – very rarely is there only ONE way to do a particular series of moves.

Some of it comes down to style. When I’m in the gym, my focus is generally on strengthening my weaknesses, therefore I spend most of my time on stuff I usually suck at – namely steep routes with big moves. Contrast that with real rock, where I’m generally climbing a wider range of terrain in a day – often packed into one climb.

Recently however, I’ve realized that there’s another piece to the puzzle that I’ve discounted for a long time – desire. I think sometimes I don’t succeed at the gym simply because I don’t want it bad enough. When I’m making progress on a project outdoors, I catch myself daydreaming about it throughout the week, trying to commit every minute detail of the movement into my memory vault. The personal connection with my climbing partners and my surroundings provides a holistic experience that the confines of a gym can’t ever hope to offer. The nervous but confident excitement of a redpoint run, or the exhilarating plunge into the unknown on a hard onsight attempt – those feelings could never be duplicated over plastic. When I’m on real rock, I’m willing to fight for it (and sometimes NEED to if I want my gear back!) In the gym…not so much. Not much lost by just lowering to the ground and leaving your rope at the front counter.

…but THIS is way better!

But hey, nothing is better for ego management in the long-term than getting served a big fat slice of humble pie on a weekly basis! Whether I’m sending or flailing, whether I’m indoors or outdoors, I’m still having fun, which is the most important thing, both for me personally as well as the example I’m hoping to set for my son. And if I was afforded the chance to choose which one I was better at, I would undoubtedly leave things the way they are. I like training in a gym, but I love climbing outside with my family. For me the sole purpose of indoor climbing is to get better at outdoor climbing. And so long as I’ve got plenty of routes/problems that I can use for that purpose, you won’t catch me complaining about sandbagged grades or any other petty things that so often fill up the feedback box at indoor gyms. (But as much as I love the Inner Peaks staff…if you’re reading this – the white 5.10 with the full dyno is NOT 5.10…just sayin’ 😉 )

All jokes aside, where do YOU fall on the gym/real rock continuum? On a Cragmama facebook poll a few weeks ago I asked a similar question, and was pleased to see that Steve and I weren’t the only weirdos that climbed better outdoors than in. There were also several more factors brought up in discussion, most of which I didn’t have time to address in this post – such as leading vs toproping grades, sport vs trad grades, etc. It may not be rocket science or bringing about world peace, but it is fun to discuss, so please feel free to chime in below with your take!

Spring Egg-stravaganza at Crowders Mountain!

No Comments.

Apr 01 2013

“Go Daddy go!”

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted a trip report. That’s because it’s been just under a month since I’ve climbed outdoors. Between cold and wet weather, a little guy’s birthday, and a (hopefully minor) knee injury, our weekends of late have been occupied with activities other than climbing. So when the stars aligned just right last Saturday, our whole household was psyched! For me, the tick list was non-existent. My main goal was to test the knee out on some local rock before galavanting off to the Red River Gorge later in the week. Oh yeah, and I wanted to do a climber’s style Easter Egg Hunt with the crag-kiddo!

The hubster may have put in some well-spent time on his current project (and although he walked away empty-handed I’m confident it’ll go down on his next attempt!), but my day was pretty laidback. The knee got pretty tired pretty fast from hiking as soon as any significant weight was added (aka 35 pound toddler), but felt totally fine while climbing. After warming up on the Rawlhide Wall, we enjoyed a beautiful spring afternoon at Red Wall.

Despite watching Steve get so close on his project (Welcome to Crowders, 5.12a), and my friend Hansen nab his second 5.11b (Desperately Seeking Juggage, 5.11b), my highlight of the day was by far the Egg Hunt. After perfecting his egg-collecting skills at preschool last Thursday, C was primed and ready to go. In fact, it was difficult for everyone else to keep him distracted long enough for me to hide the eggs. The first few were scattered along the ground in typical egg hunt fashion – hiding in rock nooks and crannies, holes in logs, crooks of trees, etc. But then we found a 10 x 10 section of rock that was littered with juggy pockets – the perfect place for a crag-kiddo to have a vertical egg-finding adventure!

Egg Hunt, climber style!

“I found a shiny one!”

The giggling started as soon as the first egg was found hiding in a pile of sticks, but C actually squealed with delight when he rounded the corner and saw a dozen eggs peeking out of all those pockets! I must have stuffed those eggs in those pockets at least 10 times over the course of the afternoon. Each time he filled his basket, C insisted upon hiding the eggs from us…which in reality meant just dumping them in a pile along the trail. Clearly he doubted our egg-finding abilities, because as soon as he announced he was ready, he would take us by the hand and literally lead us straight to the eggs (“THERE’S those eggies Mommy!”).

As a side note, if you’re thinking that C’s outfit of choice looks an awful like jammies…you’re RIGHT! He got some special Thomas the Train birthday jammies last week, and he has kept them on 24/7 ever since (though I have managed to at least wash them twice). Although we get a few funny looks in the grocery store and at the park, he’s happy so I’m happy. I figure there are plenty more important issues to draw a line in the sand over, and clothing choices aren’t one of them…but that’s a whole different post.

Anyway, good times were had by all, and it was nice to be able to get out and enjoy spring, especially considering the freakishly cold weather we’d been having (I was starting to think those wacky warm temps we’d had in January were all we were going to get for “spring”!) What about in everyone else’s neck of the woods – did you manage to climb, hike, bike, run, __________ (insert your activity of choice here) this weekend?

Running for Rock Climbers: Interval Training

Training.

8 Comments.

Mar 27 2013

I’ve said numerous times that I am a climber, not a runner. Admittedly, I enjoy that predictable rhythm that comes from pounding the pavement on a crisp, sunny day. However, running simply gives me something healthy to do for my physical and mental health on days that I’m not climbing. So while I’m not one of those obligatory anti-runners looking at their watch every other step until they can cross “cardio” off of their daily to-do list, I do occasionally find myself in the doldrums of monotony somewhere around mile 2 (especially on beautiful spring days where I’d rather be climbing!) What helps me through these trips down Boredom Lane is Interval Training.

Interval Training: Alternating short, high intensity bursts of effort with slower, active recovery phases in a single workout.

Not only does it give you something to “do” while running to pass the time, intervals may even improve your climbing! By working both the aerobic (low intensity) and anaerobic (high intensity) energy-producing systems, your body will become more efficient at managing lactic acid build-up. And if you’ve ever been pumped out of your mind on a redpoint attempt, your forearms are already quite familiar with the role lactic acid can play in rock climbing. Also, if you’re trying to shed some poundage so you can crush on the steeps this spring, high intensity intervals burn significantly more calories than slow, continuous exercise.

Adding interval workouts to your running regimen is easy. There are 4 variables to consider – intensity and duration of the working interval, duration of the recovery interval, and repetitions for each interval. Here’s a few practical options that can be adapted for runners of varying abilities…

RUN/WALK: For new runners, this is a great way to build endurance. You will log a lot more quantity as well as quality “running minutes” training this way than you would by simply running as far as you can til exhaustion. Gradually increase your run time and decrease your walk time until you are able to run for the entire duration of your workout.

TIMED SPRINTS: Once you can run for 30 minutes or more without stopping, you’re ready for some sprints. Plug in some specifics to the variables listed above, and get ready to sweat! Track progress by measuring the number of minutes spent at maximum effort. For example, sprinting 30 seconds out of every 90 seconds in a 30 minute run means you end up with a whopping 10 minutes of work at full speed – not too shabby!

DISTANCE SPRINTS: Similar to Timed Sprints, only you’re running for a pre-determined distance instead of length of time. Aim for a certain percentage of your total distance to be at maximal effort. For example, give yourself one mile in which to sprint 3 tenths – some intervals could be one tenth long, and some could be less, but at the end of a 5 mile run, you will have run 1.5 miles at top speed!

LANDMARK SPRINTS: This one is for the right-brained folk among you that don’t want to be slave to a stopwatch. Pick some sort of landmark (mailboxes are EXCELLENT for this, telephone poles are great too!), and alternate between sprinting and running at sub-max. For example, sprint past 5 mailboxes, then jog past 3, etc. The best way to track progress is by looking at your ending time – as you get better and faster, you should cover the same distance in less time.

Start substituting one of your regular runs per week with an interval workout and I guarantee you will see gains in your fitness. Plus, with all that sprinting you won’t have a chance to get bored! However, if you’re like me, one of the more enjoyable parts about running is that I CAN let my mind wander, so don’t feel like every workout has to include high intensity work to be successful. Any other runners out there who enjoy interval training? Feel free to share your typical workout strategy…

The Best of the Best from Trango (and GIVEAWAY!)

Gear Reviews.

35 Comments.

Mar 25 2013

Brand loyalty starts early…

This week marks one year that I’ve been signed on as an athlete for Trango Extraordinary Climbing Gear, and I must say it’s been a delightful ride! I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to represent Trango and their affiliates (such as Stonewear Designs and Tenaya) at numerous festivals and demos, provide feedback on products still in the testing phase, as well as meet some really great people. Oh yeah, and I also got loads of free gear along the way too! And though I’ve enjoyed pretty much all of the gear I’ve received from Trango, a few products in particular have found their way into the “favorites” category. So it seemed fitting to celebrate me and Trango’s one-year anniversary with a “Best of the Best,” list. In other words, if you can only buy one piece of gear from Trango this year, I would strongly recommend it be one of these 5 items. So here’s the “best of the best,” in no particular order…(And it hopefully goes without saying that this best of the best list is my unbiased opinion, despite the fact that I did not pay for any of this gear.)

CINCH. For a lot of climbers, the Cinch is their first introduction to Trango. This innovative product probably gets the prize for “most talked about” piece of gear at the crag. It’s simple in design, easy to use, and feeds smoothly on a wide variety of rope sizes. I posted a review on it last summer, and referred to it as “A Belayer’s Best Friend.” I like it so much better than any other belay device I’ve ever used that between my husband and I we each have one for the crag, and one for the gym, as we don’t ever want to get caught without it!

TENAYA:
No longer are the La Sportiva Miuras my go to shoe on projects. In fact, they aren’t even in my climbing pack anymore. They’re stuffed in a box in the garage, while my 3 pairs of Tenayas proudly assume the on deck position in my pack. Finding the optimal balance between performance and comfort, these shoes are designed to crush your project at the local crag one day, without killing your feet at the top of pitch 8 the next day. I have 3 pairs and use them all pretty much equally – Tatankas for the steeps, Masais for vertical faces, and Ras for everything in between! For a detailed run down of my thoughts on each shoe, check out the review I wrote last fall.

CHOCKSTONES: When my hubby and I went out to Red Rocks this past November, I think I led 2 pitches in a row on nothing but chockstones. And on that same trip the Crag-Daddoo managed to finagle a chockstone into a wily constriction that none of his BD Stoppers would fit in! These guys fit everywhere! The curved design gives you more versatility in placements, and the stability groove hugs bumps and other imperfections in the rock, wrapping around them for an extremely secure fit. These nuts utilize an alternating color system (gray and orange) that eliminates the need to fiddle with gear, so that you can find the piece you need when you need it.

Smooth QD’s and Tatankas in Ten Sleep, WY this past summer

Off-label usage of the Smooth’s…

SPLITTER CAMS. These little babies are very cool. If I’m climbing over gear, you can bet I’m gonna carry up all 5. The direct-offset cam alignment combines the stability of a 4-camming unit with the narrow head of a 3-camming unit. This translates to extra peace of mind in shallow, tight placements. I’ve never tried it, but they are even fully rated when hung off a single pair of lobes (cue scary music!) Because of the opposing lobes, it’s impossible to over-retract them, decreasing your odds of getting your gear stuck. The doubled slings provide an extra clip in point, and save a lot of weight since you don’t have to drag up a bunch of extra slings. The only con I found was that the Splitter Cam’s range is smaller than other small cams, so there’s not as much overlap between pieces. But that certainly doesn’t make them difficult to place. In fact, on a recent project the .5 Splitter fit much better than the same size equivalent my friend was using…So if you’re looking to add to your rack, or are starting from scratch, be sure to check out the Splitters! (I would also recommend the Flex Cams, which offer solid protection, and feature the same alternating color system as the chockstones!)

SMOOTH QUICKDRAWS. With a Cragbaby in tow, weight makes a big difference, which means that we often end up leaving the trad rack at home in favor of a handful of quickdraws, so this is probably the piece of gear I’ve gotten the most mileage out of at the crag. And I must say that these draws are top-notch. The action is smooth, the dogbone is sturdy and won’t twist, and you can purchase them with any solid/wire gate combination. I use a straight gate solid for the hanger, and a bent gate solid for the rope end, and was pleasantly surprised at how lightweight that set-up was. The only drawback is that they only come in one length, but that hasn’t proved to be a big deal. It’s easy to connect two together to extend a clip at the sport crag, and for gear routes I generally carry a hodge podge of sling lengths anyway, so it’s a non-issue there too. I liked this piece of gear so much that it was the first product I chose to review for Trango, so for the longer version, click here.

The 0.5 Splitter Cam in action!

I’m sure I’m not the only one who has put this gear to the test – if you’re a fan (or even if you’re not!) of any of these products, please comment below and let me know what you think! One lucky commenter will be randomly chosen to win a 5-pack of Smooth Quickdraws! (You can also gain multiple entries by liking Cragmama and/or Trango on facebook, just let me know that in the comment threads as well!) Winners will be chosen on Saturday, March 30, at midnight EST. Meanwhile, I’d like to publicly send a big thank you to Trango for supporting me and my climbing endeavors this past year. I’m looking forward to another great year…and it’s worth noting that Cragbaby has already taken command of one of my team shirts, and is anxious to know when Trango will start taking applications again 😉

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

Good Eats for Toddlers at the Crag

Indoor Climbing vs. Outdoor Climbing

Spring Egg-stravaganza at Crowders Mountain!

Running for Rock Climbers: Interval Training

The Best of the Best from Trango (and GIVEAWAY!)