Andy

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  • "31 Days of Adventure, Day 8: Expand your circle"

    Jan 08, 12

    
    

    It's been a very interesting start to the year. I've been participating in a little exercise called 31 Days of Adventure. You can check it out here. One of the founders of the little project is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter, Amy from Expand Outdoors. I've been doing my best to take each daily prompt to heart and while I haven't posted a tweet every day with how I have participated, it's never been far from my mind.
    
    Today's little adventure is one that I truly took to heart because it's one of the reasons I love climbing. I follow Katie on Twitter and she's pretty awesome. You can check out her blog here as well. Her suggestion for today's adventure is to "Expand Your Circle", basically get to know someone new, or an acquaintance better. When I go to the local crag, I always make it a point to introduce myself to the other climbers there. You might wonder  why I do this. Well, I always leave my ego in the parking lot. I'm still such a novice climber and I have a constant need to learn more. The only way I'm going to do this is to meet new people. Everyone has their own skills and unique perspective and I always learn something. Which brings us to today. I went to Quincy Quarries, my local crag today. Which is pretty incredible since it's January 8th. I got to one of my favorite walls and there was a couple there. Eric and Jill. I immediately went up and introduce myself and began an awesome conversation. They used to be huge climbers but took a few years off because of kids. This was their first time outside in 3 years. Looking at them climb you wouldn't have though that. After climbing with them and having great conversations we left the crag  as new friends and potential future climbing partners!! I encourage everyone to do this. You never know what you might learn.
    
    Peace.
  • "What do you do?"

    Dec 07, 11

    
    

    I was traveling the last couple of days and while sitting waiting for a plane at the airport a man struck up a conversation with me. We made some casual introductions and he asked me the question "What do you do?" and without hesitation I said "I'm a husband and a father". The man I was speaking with gave me a quizzical look and repeated the question again "No, I mean what is it that you do for a living?" Ahh…that's better, and I responded with "I'm a husband, a father and a rock climber!" Again he gave me a puzzled look and started to become slightly agitated by my responses. He asked "Do you make money rock climbing?" I said "Nope". He must have thought I was being a wise-ass. I saw this and immediately responded with "My living is my life and my life is filled with those 3 passions right now. If you asked me what I do to earn a living, I would have told you, but it's certainly not 'my living'" Well, he still didn't get it and walked away frustrated.
    
    
    Now is it me? Am I just wired differently? When you're asked the question, "What do you do?" What's the first thing that comes to mind? 
  • Working Smarter Not Harder

    Nov 18, 11

    
    

    As I lay in bed last night I began to explore all the new aches and pains in my body. With each find I say the same thing to myself. "Wow, haven't used that muscle in a while." With each find, I also find myself becoming more satisfied. I am a rock climber.
    
    I have made lots of climber friends in the twitterverse. Inspiring people like @ginabegin and @stephenweiss from @themostepictrip. Awesome people like @paukku, @eliz_rocks, @climbrunliftmom, @thebionichiker, and the latest @trackingteeny (with whom I climbed with  last weekend). My list of people I want to climb with grows daily. However there are two people I climb with at the Quincy Quarries all the time. Erika and Chris. Both awesome climbers.
    
    Sometimes I question whether or not it's best that I climb with them. They are climbing way above my level. They are always tackling the hardest routes at QQ, and of course I try and follow their lead. Most times flailing and failing. It never shakes my confidence. It only solidifies my determination. But is that a good thing? at what point do I back off and say "no mas" or do I? Erika and Chris are much younger than me, with bodies that probably recover a hell of a lot faster. I guess what I'm saying is that I need to work smarter, not harder.
    
    Blame genetics or society, but growing up as an athlete, I was taught to push the body and play through the pain to win, no matter what the cost. I simply can't play that way anymore. If I want to continue enjoying this new found passion for climbing, I need to be smarter. I guess I need to learn to listen to my body more.
    
    Erika and Chris, I wish I could climb everyday with you guys. You Rock! But not being able to brush my teeth a couple of nights ago after climbing probably means I pushed the body to it's limits.
    
    So what does everyone else have to say? Any tips on listening to your body? Any suggestions on recovery from a hard climb? Any tips on preparing better for a day of hard climbing? I would love to hear from everyone.
    
    Peace.
    
    
  • Carabiners Rock Gym = Awesome!

    Oct 31, 11

    
    

    My son is now officially a teenager. I don't remember being 13. I don't recall anything really special about it. I hope that Jack remembers being 13. I hope he remembers the times I spent with him. Especially the times we spent climbing together. My son has always been the thinker. He loves math and science and has already told us he wants to go to MIT. He's never been a very good athlete. We tried. He played baseball, soccer, basketball. I give him credit for at least trying these, but nothing ever took. This caused him some pain a couple of years ago when he couldn't seem to figure out where he belonged. Most, if not all the boys his age played sports. So, if you didn't play sports you didn't belong. This is what happened to Jack, and it broke my heart.
    
    Two years later, he's found his place and it seems to be on the rock. That's why this year's birthday party was spent at a rock gym called Carabiners in New Bedford, MA. I took Jack and six of his friends climbing this past Friday night. Climbing with Jack is awesome, but taking seven 13 year olds to a climbing gym could prove to be daunting. While there was some chaos, it was pretty manageable thanks to the incredible staff at Carabiners.
    
    

    I've only been to one other rock gym, RockSpot in Dedham, and I've written about it in a previous post. Carabiners set the bar for me though. As soon as we walked in I was blown away by the shear size of the walls. As I examined them closer, I noticed all the variety. Lots of sport and trad climbing. Single and multi-pitch climbs and big walls! From the moment I walked in I knew this place was special. The young girl behind the counter (Ari) was incredibly helpful and friendly and got the kids all setup with their gear. Our package included 2 belayers. Ari would be one of them and a young man named Todd. I can't say enough about these two. They were so awesome with the kids. Very patient and very enthusiastic.
    
    They got the kids warmed up on some short walls. Some of the kids were a little nervous, but Ari and Todd did a great job helping them quell some of those fears. After the warm up, they got us on the big walls. Jack went right after a 60' 5.6, and he did awesome. We had mixed results with the rest of Jack's friends but they all loved it and the time there.
    
    

    I would highly recommend Carabiners. The facility is just amazing, and the staff here is top notch.
    
    As for Jack, he overwhelms me. I can't wait to get on the rock with him again.
    
    Happy Birthday Jack. I love you. Dad.
    
    
    
    
    Carabiners on the web: http://www.carabiners.com/ma_newbedford/home
    Carabiners on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carabiners-Indoor-Climbing/325815322225?ref=ts
    
    
    
  • The Importance of Guides

    Oct 21, 11

    My first ever outdoor climbing experience was with a certified AMGA guide. There's nothing wrong with using books and the inter webs to learn the techniques of climbing. In fact, I've been devouring as much information as I can. However I do believe that there's a tremendous amount of value in hiring a guide as well. I believe There's value whether or not the person doing the hiring is inexperienced (like me), or a professional who climbs the hardest routes. For me, that first climb set the stage for what has become a mild obsession, and I owe it in great part to my experience with our guide. He lead us to the proper crags and kept us safe and taught us some great techniques. I felt like I could place my life into his hands, which in essence is what I did. I'm not saying that everyone should use a guide for every circumstance, but I truly believe that the guiding service plays a crucial role in the furtherance of this sport.
    
    Having said that, the guide who I've spoken about here and in previous posts sent me an email yesterday that went out from the AMGA. It appears that National Parks Access is threatened. Apparently folks are looking to ban guided climbing in 2 National parks, which could set a dangerous precedent for other parks thoughout the country. Below is the full excerpt from the AMGA along with a call to action.
    
    How do you feel? Have you had a good experience with a guide? Let me know in the comments section.
    
    Peace.
    
    
    National Parks Access Threatened – Important Call to Action!
    
    **************Comments DUE Thursday, 10/27********************
    
    We are deeply concerned about the current threat to guiding access in our country’s National Park System. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park wants to completely ban guided climbing, which has a 50-year history in this unique climbing venue. This proposed ban does not only impact this incredible park in Colorado. This is a national threat, which could set a debilitating precedent for guided climbing in National Parks across the country. If you care about preserving wilderness guided climbing access in venues such as Yosemite, Joshua Tree, Rocky Mountain National Park, New River Gorge and other important guiding venues, please read on.
    
    The Black Canyon Backcountry Management Plan wants to ban guiding because “guided climbing does not support the goal for the inner canyon zone of providing a visitor experience that is challenging, self-reliant, and adventurous.” The NPS is making an uncanny argument for why guided climbing is no longer necessary in the Park. Your clients, friends and fellow climbers (who are not guides) need to submit comments to the Park. We have been told that the Park has already heard from guides, and what they really need are comments from the general public and clients.
    
    What can you do now?
    
    1. Email your client list, friends and fellow climbers today urging them to submit a comment by Oct. 27th. Use Facebook, your website, blog and any other communication vehicles to get the word out to your clients.
    
    2. See below for a sample email to your clients, friends and fellow climbers.
    
    It’s in all of our interests to raise awareness and take action on this important issue today. The deadline for comments is Thursday, October 27th. Thank you for supporting the future of the profession in the U.S.
    
    For more information, visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov
    
    __________________________________________________________________________________
    
    The National Park Service wants to ban guided climbing and prohibit members of the public from being able to climb with a professional guide in one of our country’s most adventurous wilderness climbing areas. This is a national threat, which could set a debilitating precedent for guided climbing access in National Parks across the country. We are requesting your urgent support to help preserve guided climbing access in the Black Canyon as well as in other National Parks the U.S.
    
    Here is how you can help:
    
    Send an email to Ken_Stahlnecker@nps.gov today using the talking points below. Our goal is to have 500 people (who are not guides) contact Ken Stahlnecker opposing the Park’s plan to ban guided climbing in the Black Canyon and urging the Park to preserve guiding climbing access in this unique venue.
    
    Dear Ken Stahlnecker,
    Chief, Resource Stewardship and Science
    National Park Service,
    Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
    
    I am writing to urge you to keep guided climbing access available to the American public. Along with Yosemite National Park and Red Rocks National Conservation Area, the Black Canyon is one of only a few climbing venues in the country offering big wall climbing opportunities. There is often a scarcity of willing and adequate climbing partners to tackle the bold and remote terrain of the Black. Because climbing requires a team of two unless one is free soloing, my options for experiencing this unique wilderness area will be substantially reduced or eliminated altogether if guided climbing is banned in the Inner Canyon Zone.
    
    Having the option to climb with a professional guide is necessary for me to be able to experience the vertical wilderness in the Black Canyon. Partnering with a professional guide will enhance my opportunity for an experience of adventure, challenge and self-reliance. I see no difference between climbing with a professional guide and climbing with a non-guide partner who happens to be stronger or more experienced than me. It is not uncommon for climbing partners to be of varying levels of experience. Climbing successfully in the Black always requires the self-reliance, commitment and personal fortitude of both climbing partners regardless of their varying experience levels.
    
    Thank you for the opportunity to provide my opinion on this important matter.
  • Headpointing and route naming at Tumbledown Mountain

    Oct 13, 11

    
    

    If anybody was reading this post earlier today, you will obviously see some differences now. As it turned out, I reported this inaccurately. The correct term for Ryan's technique was actually headpointing, not redpointing. As a beginner, I was thoroughly confused, so I started researching. It turns out they are similiar, and many times climbers use them interchangeably. For the sake of accuracy, I would prefer to use the terms correctly. Here's some info I gathered to help describe the difference;

    
    

    Redpointing: In sport climbing, the term redpointing refers to free-climbing a route, while lead climbing, after having practiced the route beforehand (either by leading with frequent rests on the rope - for which the term "hangdogging" arose - or by top roping). Many climbers will frequently try to redpoint a route after having failed to onsight or flash it; although occasionally a climber will forego an onsight attempt if they suspect that the route is so difficult that an attempt would be pointless. The term differs from headpoint, in that it is exclusive to sport routes with protection equipment fixed into the rock at regular intervals.

    The English term "redpoint" is derived from the German Rotpunkt (point of red) coined by Kurt Albert in the mid 1970s at Frankenjura. He would paint a red X on a fixed pin that he could avoid using for a foot- or handhold. Once he was able to free climb the entire route, he would put a red dot at the base of the route. In many ways this was the origin of the free climbing movement that led to the development of sport climbing ten years later. - Wikipedia

    Headpointing: The term headpointing was coined in the early 90’s to give a standard to work to. By this time sport climbing was well established and most of Britain’s top climbers were well versed in the art of redpointing a route far too diffi cult for them to on-sight. The process of redpointing begins with the climber first attempting to boulder out all the moves on the route one by one. Once this feat has been accomplished then it is likely the route is possible for this climber who then starts to link sequences of moves, ideally broken into natural sections interspersed by rests. Eventually a situation arises where the climber has the route ‘wired’, is used to climbing long sequences of hard moves and knows what the moves at the end of such a sequence feel like with tired arms. The climber will then start to try and link the whole route together in one long sequence – the final redpoint being the full ascent of the route. 

    In sport climbing this lengthy process occurs under the protection of bolts. Headpointing is simply the art of applying these same skills onto routes without bolts; the time spent bouldering out moves and linking sequences being done from the safety of a top rope. Obviously the final ascent must also deal with placing (or clipping pre-placed) protection but it is important to note that all such protection and the risks associated with a fall from any place have also been determined from top rope; thus giving a strong mental similarity with sport climbing during the act of ‘redpointing’ the headpoint. -Adam Wainwright, Climber Magazine

    
    
    
    I've never redpointed or headpointed before, I've never lead a sport or a trad climb before. I do however have a friend who just redpointed headpointed and named a route up at Tumbledown Mountain in Maine. Ryan Howes was my very first rock climbing instructor. He works for the Atlantic Climbing School up in Maine and he's pretty awesome. He emailed me yesterday with the details of his climb this past weekend and I wanted to share it with you folks.
    
    Ryan and his team set out this past weekend to climb the over-hanging finger crack on the backside of the Tumbledown Boulder - the giant erratic about one-mile in on the loop trail. After some short sessions Ryan head-pointed this climb, all on gear. He says it's Definitely 5.12. Just not sure of the letter grade (a/b).
    
    Ryan placed a two-bolt anchor with black, spray-painted chains so as to keep passing eyes from spotting them. Also, he placed one bolt at the very top of the boulder as a rappel bolt to get to the bolted anchor (very necessary), as the terrain lacks protection options, and is exposed getting to the chains to set up a top rope.
    
    Below is the 10 photo sequence, courtesy of Ryan's friend Dorcas.
    
    The name that was chosen for the route is "Gneiss Little Feet". According the Ryan, the origin goes something like this;
    
    

    The origin of the name Gneiss Little Feet, began after the red-point. Before heading back to the vehicles, Dorcas pointed out a fern called the Poly Pody, meaning "little feet". I thought that might make a good route name, however, Poly Pody sounds a little soft for this particular route. Jerry mentioned Little Feet. Nope. Then he mentioned Little Feat- a good play on words. I liked it! Jerry followed this up with another play on words- and the name holds: Gneiss Little Feat. The crack is full of sharp Quartz and Mica. Hence Gneiss (pronounced nice, not niece).

    
    As I've said in the past, one of the reasons I love climbing is the community and the friendships that you build. It's clear that Ryan has a great set of friends and I would be remiss if I didn't throw Ryan's shout-outs in this post so;
    
    

    Thanks Dorcas for your eye, Ben for your sensitive belay skills, Mac for your good company and support, and Jerry, for pointing this line out to me 10 years ago and for helping me come up with a cool name. - Ryan

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    

    
    
    If anyone is interested, here's a link to the article about headpointing from Climber Magazine:
    http://www.climber.co.uk/categories/articleitem.asp?cate=1&topic=98&item=171
    
    Peace.
  • Unseasonably awesome Boston

    Oct 11, 11

    It was hard to believe that this past weekend was the second weekend of October. You certainly wouldn't have been able to tell by the weather. The temp was in the low 80s during the day, and no humidity. Perfect climbing weather in New England, and we didn't let it go to waste. With our lives so busy, it's a rare that I can squeak out 2 straight days of climbing, but that was what I was able to do this past weekend.
    
    

    Saturday, I decided to try something new and headed out to Hopkinton, Ma. to a place called College Rock. Finding it wasn't too difficult, but you definitely have to know what you're looking for. The rock is huge and it has both a north face and a south face. It's all top rope here, with some bouldering problems at the corners. There's a number of huge fissures in the rock along with a number of overhangs, all of which look like fun. On such a perfect day, I was expecting it to be crowded, but when we got there, we spotted only 3 other climbers. Initially I thought this was great. I can take my time and setup and not feel rushed. What I quickly came to realize was that any other climbers that might have been there, most likely got chased away by the mosquitos. I normally don't have an issue with mosquitos. They tend to ignore me, or if they do bite me, I don't typically have a reaction. Not the case today. There were swarms of mosquitos which made it very difficult to do the top rope setup as well as focus on the climbing.
    
    
    I did manage to get the top rope setup on the south face somewhere between a route called "Spring Vacation" which is a 5.0G and another route called "Send Money" which is a 5.7. I figured Jack could swap between the two for varying difficulty levels. There are no bolts for the top rope here, but there's some great natural anchors with the trees, which are all very solid. Jack got on first and realized that the start for "Send Money" was pretty difficult, so he ended up climbing up the fissure which marks the start of "Spring Vacation" He worked back and forth a few times, but started losing focus because of the mosquitos. About 2/3 of the way up he had to call it quits because he was getting eaten alive. It turned out so was I while I was belaying, and it was beginning to cause enough of a distraction to potentially introduce risk so we decided to call it a day. I do want to get back here, but maybe on a day in late fall, or early spring to avoid the bugs.
    
    Sunday was a different story. Again, it turned out to be a beautiful day. We grabbed our gear and headed back to our local crag, Quincy Quarries. The more I climb there, the more I love it. I convinced my brother in law to start climbing with me as well. I guess I need more adult supervision ;)
    
    

    QQ was packed! no surprise. Most of the big, well known routes were taken, so we headed back into the Little Granite Rail Quarry. There's some awesome beginner climbs in here. I setup my top rope on the "C Wall", on a 5.7 route named "Double Overhang." It's named this for a very clear reason, there's 2 overhangs. There are a couple of variations at the start, and it's REAL tricky. Well, tricky for me at least. As typical for Quincy, the start is also covered in graffiti which makes things slick. There's also some brush near the first overhang that you have to watch out for. Overall it was a great route, with some good challenges.
    
    What a great weekend!!
  • Is your top rope bomb-proof?

    Oct 11, 11

    I am not even close to being any kind of expert in top rope setup, but I've been doing all top rope so far and I find there's a ton of diversity in how people setup their top rope anchors. So far for me, it's all about being "bomb proof." The key to my setup has been the backup system. Quincy Quarries (my local crag) has bolts scattered all over the top. I haven't found any that appear suspect yet, but you never know right? That's why I've been making a habit out of setting up a backup anchor on the available trees that are there. Yesterday for instance, I had a 3 point anchor. 2 Bolts, and a backup on a really strong tree.
    
    
    
    There is one thing that I'm tossing about though and maybe you all can help. Yesterday, I placed locking carabiners directly to the anchor bolts and attached the slings to those locking carabiners, and then 2 more opposite facing locking carabiners of course to attach the rope. I've seen plenty of people attach their slings or webbing directly to the bolts. Not sure if this is incorrect, but I just feel a little safer I guess doing it my way, because some of the bolts were rusty, and I felt the slings might be compromised in some way.
    
    What do you think? Do you attach 'biners to the anchor bolts or attach your slings/webbing to the anchor bolts directly? I would love to hear from you, so please leave your comments below.
  • Learning Top Roping, any good tips?

    Sep 27, 11

    I've defined Top roping in a previous post (http://www.theinspiredclimb.com/2011/09/top-roping-in-quincy-quarries.html), but I didn't talk about my personal experience in setting up a top rope because I hadn't set one up until this past weekend. I am so far from being an expert on this, but I do want to share what I've learned so far.
    
    The first thing I want to say is that as a beginner, I love Top Roping. I'm not comfortable with leading a sport route yet, so top roping affords me the ability to really work and practice on my climbing technique without the added pressure of leading and placing quick draws. Also, the closest crag to me is the Quincy Quarries, which is all top rope, no sport.
    
    
    As you might have read, I recently had an opportunity to climb with @StephenWWeiss and @ginabegin of TheMostEpicTrip. Steve was great about showing me how to do Top Rope setup. I don't necessarily think this replaces a formal class, but that class is pretty expensive, so I may or may not take it. In our time together Steve showed me how to safely rig a top rope, discussed and showed the knots used, and discussed anchor selection and placement. He also sent me a link about "Anchors 101" which is SO informative. I read it through a few times prior to this past weekend to make sure I was comfortable with everything that the article was talking about. After all, my plan was to do my own top rope setup, and my son Jack was going to be on it with me belaying. There was no way in hell I was going to let anything slip, or compromise his safety in anyway, so I studied, practiced my knots and studied some more.
    
    

    The weekend came and Jack and I headed to the local EMS store to purchase rope (60m 10.2 from Sterling), slings and webbing. Sunday we headed to the Quarries. I have this great guide book called "Boston Rocks". The book details the quarries really well, so I had a wall all picked out. What it doesn't detail is where the good anchors are. I got up to the top of the wall and the only good anchors for that particular climb was trees, which would have been fine had I enough webbing or cordlette.
    
    Lesson; I need to purchase more webbing/cordlette in order to properly anchor in the top rope under various conditions.
    
    I went back to the book and found another great route for Jack. It was the "C Wall" and it has some of the best beginner climbing in the quarries. We got over and I hiked to the top while Jack waited for me.
    
    Lesson; after a week of rain, be prepared for the area to be crowded on a Sunday. There were lots of people taking classes.
    
    I hiked up and found some really great bolts on the top of the route that I was looking to put Jack on. I unpacked my gear and got to setting up.
    
    Lesson; Make sure the rope can be easily flaked out. I spent a good 20 mins trying to untangle the rope so that when I threw it over the ledge it wouldn't get hung up.
    
    After the rope was flaked out, I got to setting my webbing into the bolts. This took some time, with a lot of trial and error. There should be a lot of thought put into this setup, specifically around safety. The most challenging part for me was making sure that, in my 2 bolt anchor setup, that each of the slings were of equal length. That way the load would be equalized across both anchors and carabiners. The knots I used were the "Water Knot" or ring bend. I used this to tie the two ends of my webbing together. I also used a "double fisherman's" knot on some cordlette. After testing everything, I felt pretty safe to put Jack on it. Overall, I underestimated the time it would take to do the setup. Hopefully this will improve as I get more experienced.
    
    After hiking down, I got the rope all squared away. I'm really happy I purchased the rope bag as well because it converts out to a tarp. This came in handy because the ground was a little wet and muddy, so the bag/tarp provided good protection for my newly purchased rope.
    
    

    Now for the fun part. Jack and I attached ourselves to the rope and Jack got on the wall. The starts at Quincy are a little challenging because there is a ton of graffiti on the bottoms of the walls. This makes the walls pretty slick. According to the book, Jack climbed a route called "Double Overhang" which is a 5.6 and I was really impressed with him. It took him a while to get through the start but once he did, he climbed like a pro. More importantly my top rope setup worked out perfectly.
    
    
    I would love to hear from you folks out there. What are some good tips for Top Roping?
    
    Here's the link that Steve shared with me on "Anchors 101"
    
    http://www.stephenpratt.net/Anchors/anchors.htm
    
    Peace.
  • Climbing for a cause. A few words with @ginabegin and @StephenWWeiss from TheMostEpicTrip

    Sep 27, 11

    What would I say to a friend or loved one who hatched a crazy scheme to travel 11,000 miles across North America and climb in 36 areas? I guess I might call that person crazy. Stephen Weiss simply said "why not" when his good friend Gina asked him about the plan. That was the birth of TheMostEpicTrip. You might ask why. Gina says it's to "Dream big and live bigger." The goal of the trip is to inspire people to live extraordinarily and to support AccessFund objectives and initiatives of conservation and education
    
    
    TheMostEpicTrip is now in the fourth month of their sixth (maybe seven) month journey across North America, and most recently they visited the NorthEast. I was lucky enough to spend a little bit of time with them as they passed through. We climbed and shared some really great moments together and they were gracious enough to answer some of my most burning questions.
    
    **One caveat here is that these questions have been asked in the middle of their trip, so they asked me to let you folks know that their opinions could change once the trip is done...but they might not.
    
    First off, let me welcome you to Boston.
    
    Gina: Thanks again for having us, letting us meet your family and having us over for dinner & climbing of course. It was a great stop for the trip!
    
    So guys, How did you come up with the idea for TheMostEpicTrip?
    
    Gina: My friend, Jennalyn, who is a wife and a mother to two young kids (2 and 4 at the time) is the one who inspired me. I was in Joshua Tree at the end of October last year when I happened to run into her. I had no idea she was there or what she was doing. While climbing together, I discovered that she and her husband had sold their things, including a house, and were planning on moving from climbing area to climbing area until they were broke, then settling down just until they could earn enough money to do it again. The kids seemed well adjusted and they both were loving life from a tent. I figured if a mom of two could do it, why not a single girl? Soon after Steve and I were talking and I mentioned Jennalyn and how I wished I could do something similar. He said, "Why not?" It grew rapidly from there. I think within an hour, we had pretty much settled that it was a done deal.
    
    Steve: Wish it came from me.  It was one of Gina's schemes to do something cool.  Like Gina just said, She met a couple while climbing in Moab who lived out of a van with 2 kids.  Crazy, right?!  It sounded pretty "out there" to do with 2 kids but I give them props for doing it.  Gina said it would be cool to do something similar, and I said "well let's do it then".  I think Gina was shocked that I reacted like that because she DEFINITELY did not believe me.  I just had moved to Utah from Ohio about 5 months before, so at that point, doing something exactly opposite of what my parents would like me to do was a comfortable feeling. (For the record my parents support everything I do.  Just sometimes would rather have me choose a different path.  Love is still there though!) That was December when Gina had mentioned the idea, we left in July, and now are 3 months in.  Time flies!
    
    So When did you get started in climbing?
    
    Gina: The year I moved to Utah. I took a class at school because I didn't know anyone and I was from Florida, so I hadn't really seen anyone climbing except in movies. Because of the class, I met a lot of great climbing buddies who kept me going after the semester was over. We'd go climbing after class and take weekend climbing trips to Southern Utah. I realized I really enjoyed the climbing community and environment, so it stuck with me.
    
    Steve: It was junior year of college and I had a buddy known as "Phil" who is in the army.  The army trained him in knots, rappelling, and rescue.  Because of this, he always wanted to go rappelling.  I decided on a random Saturday, where I normally went drinking my night away like a typical college student, instead to go with him.  I have always been interested in anything that could get my adrenaline going.  After a day of rappelling I asked him to set up a top rope system to climb on.  He had the knowledge to do it, we tried it, and got up maybe 5 feet on a wall in Hocking Hills, Ohio.  I type this today and I wonder why THAT got us hooked, but it did.  After that, we got the gear and started hitting the gym (Vertical Adventures) in Columbus, Ohio learning all the tricks of the trade from the gym owner.  Then later, learned of Red River Gorge, Kentucky; lead some climbs there and the rest is "history".
    
    Outside of Boston, what's the best climbing area you've been to?
    
    Gina: I like how you qualified that with "outside of Boston" ;) I would pick Exit 38 near Seattle, with bouldering on Bellingham's beach a close second, just for the experience. Exit 38 was not only absolutely beautiful (hard not to be pretty in the Northwest) but the rock was perfect. Just the right amount of grip and so many different grades that you could go from your first days on the rock to being an experienced climber- all in one place. Plus there are different climbing techniques that need to be used here: balance, strength, technique.
    
    Steve: This truly is a tough question.  I loved bouldering in Leavenworth, WA and the sport climbing in Smith Rock, Oregon was challenging, but I would say so far, that my favorite place to climb has to be City of Rocks/Castle Rocks.  Our first stop, funny how that works!  Many great climbs there on that granite up there in Idaho.  Favorite climb would have to be Colossus (5.10c) that contained two roofs with big pumpy moves leaving you exposed on a few of the moves.  I am not the best technical climber, so any climbs with big moves are my favorite!  Also another favorite climb on the trip was there as well on O-Spire, Sloppy Seconds (5.10a).  It's a beautiful, exposed route on a big ole spire.  Oh and a great multi-pitch that I have no record or name of.  Sorry!  It was a 2 pitch 5.8, I believe, that topped out at perfect platform for having lunch on and watching the tops of raptors go by.
    
    I'm sure you've met tons of interesting people including me of course, so who was the most interesting person that you've met on your trip so far?
    
    Gina: I think it was Juan in Smith Rock. He was turning 30 on the day we met him and was celebrating by doing 30 lead climbs that day. He (and his crew- which included his girlfriend, a few buddies who were filming and photographing the day's events) woke up at 4:30 that morning and was on the rock by 5:30. We first met him as he was part way through his day and we were just starting ours (10:30 a.m.). He still had so much energy and at that time had already done about 18 climbs, all rated above 5.10 and up to 5.12. We saw him again later when we were both done with the day's climbs. He had successfully finished 30 lead climbs and was still full of energy. We were invited to fish tacos and german chocolate cake back at their campsite later that evening- he was planning an all-nighter to celebrate.
    
    Steve: So besides Andy of course, I loved meeting Nic.  Nic is a new climbing guide in Smith Rock.  The thing about Nic that I love is that he is a recent high school graduate doing one of the coolest summer jobs ever.  I thought it was amazing that he took advantage of his talents and did something really memorable with his life.  If I were him, in Ohio, I would have never even thought about doing something like that.  I would otherwise, go back to my city job being a garbage man, roadkill pickup, street maintenance, etc.  I think its great that a young kid thought outside of the box.
    
    Do you guys have any favorite bouldering areas from the trip so far?
    
    Gina: Bellingham Beach. There weren't many challenges other than the tides, but I really enjoyed the scene. It was my first experience with having climbing shoes near water other than the river going through Big Cottonwood canyon. Being by the ocean and bouldering just felt so... simple. No harnesses, no rope, just the pure essence of climbing and the natural elements- sun, surf, and even a little rain. If you're looking for more than just a great experience (maybe some challenging problems), I'd head to Rumney again. The Pound Town is an amazing place with boulders as tall as houses and access that is just as easy as approaching a front door. Just beware of mosquitoes.
    
    Steve: Leavenworth, Washington. Many, many, many options there when it comes to variety of problems, ratings, and the amount of areas.  The best part of this area; easy approaches.  You can park the car and within a minute be at a boulder...but don't call me a lazy climber.
    
    I know you have been focused primarily on sport climbing so do you have any favorite sport climbing areas from the trip?
    
    Gina: Other than Exit 38, I enjoyed Smith Rock after I learned how to stay on the rock there (one of the biggest learning curves we've had). There are so many sport climbs here- I think more than any other area we've visited- which just makes the day so easy as you now everything can be climbed without lugging around trad gear. Plus, every climb I tried tested my abilities. It's dusty and dry, though, so it kinda detracts from the climbing for me. I know that's girly, but I'm a girl.
    
    Steve: Besides City of Rocks/Castle Rocks I really loved Exit 38, BUT I love Red River Gorge more.  I started climbing in the Red so it holds a special place in my heart. The Red is an incredible place!  Great pumpy routes on badass sandstone cliffs.  Some of the most overhanging, toughest routes are located here.  Plus, the Red has got Miguel's Pizza Shop.  Best pizza after a climb. It can just get really hot & humid when you are there in, say, August.
    
    I know you guys were well prepared for the trip but is there any piece of equipment that you wish you had?
    
    Gina: Another crash pad! One is just not enough for a lot of the problems we want to do. Also, steady internet connection so we can keep updated.
    
    
    Steve: Yeah another crash pad would make things very nice, but we have everything we could possibly need. Well, maybe a dog to keep us company.  Not really gear but you know.
    
    When I plan trips I tend to underestimate or overestimate certain things. Is there anything on the trip that you underestimated?
    
    Gina: The pressure of learning a new place each time we move. It can be overwhelming to try to find free camping or just camping in general as well as the climbing areas, many of which are remote or little known by locals. We receive lots of tips from people in different areas and we try to follow up with many of them so we can catch the best of different regions, but many of these are near impossible to find without that same local going with you. In fact, sometimes even locals can lead you on a wild goose chase, as happened in Pennsylvania. It's frustrating while in the situation, but sometimes there is a good story that comes along with it. And then again, it's still frustrating.
    
    Steve: How much fun it is to travel this much, the amount of awesome people we would meet, the beautiful (& very different) scenery, how much all canned meat tastes the same (not a good thing), how many younger people are living dream lives or at least summers, and how many innovative ideas are out there to make living in a truck or van better.  Oh and probably underestimated how much it would rain.
    
    Overestimated?
    
    Gina: The cost of living in a car. I thought it would be much more expensive with gas, camping and fuel, but so far we're doing okay. We have to be very careful about what we spend, but we've gotten into a routine that keeps us pretty near budget, sometimes under. Neither of us have jobs lined up when we get back to "real" life, so it's a relief to know that we're not going to be absolutely broke by the time we get back- nearly, but not absolutely.
    
    Steve: The route we have taken has been interesting throughout this trip.  I planned it all in the beginning and we were following it well until we went up to Alaska.  Then the "plans" basically went out the window.  We are heading in the same direction as plans but we started out with 11,000 miles, 19 states, 2 provinces, 36 climbing areas, 1200 climbing hours; but now is 14,000 miles, 42 states, four provinces, 36 climbing areas and approximately 1,200 climbing hours.  So, we added 3,000 miles, 23 states, 2 provinces, and I don't know how many climbing areas now.  We will just have to wait and see.
    
    What about technology? I know one of the plans for the trip was to keep all of your fans and followers updated. That seems to be quite the challenge…
    
    Gina: I miss technology but only sometimes and mostly just for keeping the site updated. We were planning lots of great things for the site, but didn't count on being so far from internet reception in many of the places we've climbed, so we haven't had the chance to keep up with the site. Hopefully, now that we're on the east coast we'll have more opportunity for that as McD's is everywhere out here.
    
    Steve: I sort of miss being connected to the Internet. Technology in general, not really.  The lack of internet makes work rather difficult considering it is blogging and posting  video/pictures.  I don't really miss technology, even though I thought I would.  A refrigerator would be nice but that's it really.  Luke warm water can get redundant pretty fast.
    
    Climbing is inherently dangerous, have either of you been seriously hurt?
    
    Gina: Not during the trip (hi Mom!), but previous to it, while training for all this climbing, I fractured my shin while climbing in St. George. I kept climbing, not knowing what I had done. But wow. It hurt.
    
    Steve: Not seriously, but too many small injuries to count.  Blood blisters, broken finger nails, skin abrasions on my fingertips, blisters on my heels, scraped knees and elbows, and worst of all, torn pants. My feet smell really bad, too, and I can't figure out how to stop the smell.
    
    Gina, are Steve's feet really that bad?
    
    Gina: Yes they are
    
    What about dangerous situations?
    
    Gina: Every day. Either the hikes are sketchy, the camping is (like camping off the side of the road here in the east with a nuclear power plant 1/2 mile away and trains running through the area on the opposite side of the road. Oh yeah, and redneck pickup trucks racing by all hours of the night. Turns out we were camped right by a local mini-dump site.) or the climbing is rated so differently that the lead becomes challenging and we have to bail (as happened in City of Rocks where many of the ratings are older and therefore harder).  We try to stay on the conservative side of climbing. This trip isn't to prove our climbing prowess, it's simply to explore the continent's climbing areas and culture and enjoy the great outdoors.
    
    Steve: Yes, We're climbers.  Isn't it an adherent risk?  I always love reading those disclaimers on all of the gear.
    
    I do a lot of driving for my job, but I don't think I would ever consider driving across North America like you guys are doing, simply because driving can be pretty stressful at times. What makes the driving easier for you?
    
    Gina: GPS. ha ha ha Ummm... I actually like driving. Previous to this trip, I'd driven back and forth over the United States 7 times, many times by myself. I enjoy the time I have to think and see the world rushing by, but slowly enough that I can pick up pieces of what life is like in different regions, which you can't do from a plane. I like getting out and talking to people in different areas and learning about their lives. Maybe that's what keeps it from being stressful. =)
    
    Steve: I enjoy listening to smooth jazz on long drives.  That keeps my mind really clear.  Kidding. GPS helps and avoiding traffic, which sometimes can be impossible in places like NY, Boston, Chicago, and Seattle. Driving at night is really nice and stress-free.  Especially when its 1am with no traffic at all. Finding a place to camp before we get there makes driving stress free as well because otherwise that is on my mind ALL THE TIME.
    
    So guys, when do you plan on finishing up?
    
    Gina: Octember.
    
    Steve: When the ski season starts!!!!
    
    As you know, my blog is called theInspiredClimb and the two of you are truly my inspiration (cue the Peter Cetera music). What or who has inspired the two of you?
    
    Gina: God. Every day. I wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for the world He created. He really did a good job.
    
    Steve: I never realized how many people inspire me until this trip.  No technology gives you lots of thinking time.  I have many, but there are two main ones. My dad.  Growing up in a poor family, even though he claims everybody was poor back then, he managed to make a pretty badass life for himself being a Lieutenant in the Army during Vietnam, later traveling basically the whole country, being a high up in our countries treasury (haha don't hate), and marrying my mom. My mom.  Growing up in a very traditional Italian family, it was frowned upon to leave family even if it is only an hour and a half away.  She was a renegade though and moved to Cleveland.  She now controls buying operations in a small company, can cook the best spaghetti (no contest), and still manages to parent me 1600 miles away.  Also, she married a pretty badass dude. They inspired me to travel and I think accidentally started my adrenaline junkie side.  They inspire me everyday to do something great with my life.
    
    Finally, is there anything else that you would like to let the readers know?
    
    Gina: We'd love for them to join us on Facebook so they can let us know their favorite climbing areas in the region they live. Each place has special qualities and reasons the locals love it and we enjoy learning those reasons and climbing with people so we can hear their stories and just share the love of climbing. And just our various sites (See below for links)
    
    Steve: We love connecting with people all the time and love inside, local info so please feel free to ever drop opinions on areas.
    
    

    A huge thank you to Gina and Steve for taking some time out of their trip to answer my questions. I want to wish them well in the rest of their journey. Hopefully I can climb with them again.
    
    Below is all the information about TheMostEpicTrip. Drop by and check out what they are doing.
    
    Twitter: @TheMostEpicTrip
    Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheMostEpicTrip
    WebSite: http://www.themostepictrip.com/
    
    and of course, Gina and Steve couldn't do this without the tremendous support of their sponsors: http://www.themostepictrip.com/sponsors/
  • Why I don't care about class ratings right now

    Sep 27, 11

    The class rating system used in rock climbing is an interesting one. The ratings generally measure how difficult a particular route is. It's still unclear to me how that rating is applied, and who rates it, but suffice it to say, ratings exist and I have encountered the system in my limited time climbing. You basically have 6 class ratings (1-6) with Class 1 being "walking" and Class 6 being "Rock so sheer or hold-less that ascent by using hands and feet is impossible."
    
    
    Maybe this is just me being naive, but when I've approached a rock face, I don't immediately try and figure out the difficulty. I've looked at it and said, "hmm, that could be fun" or "yikes that looks scary". I guess to me as a beginner, knowing the rating of a particular route inhibits me in some way. If for instance I walk up and know that a particular route is rated a 5.12, I might dismiss it immediately without even giving it a go. I'm not saying I could climb a 5.12 necessarily, but as a beginner, the numbers intimidate me. If on the other hand I walk up and either watch someone climb a route or look at it and say to myself "let's try that, it looks interesting" then I might find myself more free to explore and be relaxed on a route. I guess it's all about expectations. For right now, I'm frankly not interested in the ratings. I will climb regardless.
    
    As I read more and more about the sport and begin following various people, I find it really interesting that some people actually keep a tick list of how many 5.xx's they do or want to do. I don't necessarily want to be that kind of climber. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with it. I mean it's good to have goals, and to push your limits, right? However, I've decided that my goals are different, at least for now. One of those goals is to have my own tick list not of ratings but of people I want to climb with. For me it's not about climbing a 5.14a, it's about climbing with a friend and sharing the experience regardless of the rating. Maybe that will change. Maybe someday I will want to put together a list of routes and ratings I want to climb, and collect those, but for now, I'd rather collect friends.
    
    Here's my goal list:
    
    @StephenWWeiss
    @ginabegin
    @paukku
    @eliz_rocks
    @semi_rad
    @k8tlevy
    @Whitneyio
    @rockgrrl
    @climbrunliftmom
    
    Peace.
  • Top-Roping in Quincy Quarries

    Sep 27, 11

    Top-rope climbing (or Top-roping) is a style in climbing in which a rope, used for the climber's safety, runs from a belayer at the foot of a route through one or more carabiners connected to an anchor system at the top of the route and back down to the climber, usually attaching to the climber by means of a harness. Assuming that the route is predominantly bottom-to-top; that the anchor holds; and that the belayer pays attention, the top-rope climber generally will not fall more than a short distance and can thus safely attempt even the most difficult routes. Most top-rope anchors can be reached through non-technical means, such as by hiking or scrambling to the top of the cliff. -Wikipedia
    

    This describes the quarries to a tee. What an amazing place and only a short distance from my house.
    
    If you've been reading my posts you know that I've been climbing for only a short time, in fact I've only climbed outdoors twice before this. Everyone local that I talked to over the last couple of months asked me the same question "Have you climbed Quincy?" My answer has been no until now. With my good friends Gina and Steve from TheMostEpicTrip coming into town, I thought it would be a great opportunity. I had no idea what to expect, and I was actually worried that they might be bored and find it unchallenging. Well, it turns out to be exactly the opposite. They were supposed to be here for 1 day and they ended up staying for 4, and climbing the quarries everyday!
    
    With well over 20 faces to climb, it provided us with lots of different looks. I'll leave all the technical descriptions to folks like Gina and Steve who know much better than myself, but it is quite a site when you walk in. The most remarkable sight is all the graffiti. Now, some of you may think that it's bad, and it's unfortunate, but I think it adds a lot of character to the place. Setting up top-rope is pretty easy but you might find yourself distracted with the perfect view of the city of Boston from the top.
    
    Because it's all top-rope here, Steve and Gina were able to let loose a little and have some fun. They are awesome climbers! That's not just my novice opinion, other climbers at the quarries were pretty impressed as well. I learned so much from their little time here. Most importantly, Steve showed me top-rope setup which is gonna be huge for me moving forward. With Quincy being just 20 minutes from my house, I plan to top-rope there a lot!
    
    After climbing this weekend, I had Gina and Steve over to the house for a big pasta dinner and some homemade chocolate chips cookies. We had a chance to relax and talk about the trip. My next post will include an interview with TheMostEpicTrip, with the answers to my most burning questions.
    
    

    Thanks again to Gina and Steve for making the stop here in Boston. It was so awesome meeting and climbing with them. You guys are one of the reasons why I climb. The memories will be cherished.
    
    Remember…"You don't choose a life, you live a life"
    
    Here's some links for you folks to check out:
    
    The video review of Quincy from TheMostEpicTrip: http://www.themostepictrip.com/2011/bostons-quincy-quarries-video-review/
    
    A short blog post from Steve about Quincy:  http://www.themostepictrip.com/2011/the-diamond-in-the-rough/
    
    More info about the Quincy Quarries from The Mountain Project: http://www.mountainproject.com/v/quincy-quarries/105908121
    
    Peace.
  • Is there anything you know now that you wish you knew when you started climbing?

    Sep 27, 11

    During the past month I have been devouring as much information about climbing as I can stand. The information is readily available via the interwebs of course, and I've been reading a book called "How To Rock Climb" by John Long. This is a great book with lot of detailed information covering pretty much every topic. Nothing of course beats being out there and learning through experience. It's with that thought in mind that I decided to post a question to some of the awesome climbers that I've become acquainted with through the twitterverse. The answers below are all great and extremely helpful to me as I grow into the sport. Thank you all for your thoughtful responses. You are all the best!
    
    
    

    @eliz_rocks: http://elizclimbs.blogspot.com
    "There are so many, haha! I would say... climb slowly and deliberately to begin, and feet, feet, feet!
    
    The more I climb the more I realize that good technique is centered around feet and body position rather than arms and hands. I got lucky and paired up with some supportive, enthusiastic climbers right away. They taught me a lot!"
    
    
    

    @rockgrrl: http://www.rockgrrl.com
    1. Balance & feet, think about placement
    2. Use extended arms, if you don't you will tire them out
    3. have fun!
    
    
    
    

    @climbrunliftmom: http://climbrunliftmom.blogspot.com/
    "Things I wish I knew then that I know now about climbing:
    
    I would be as addictive and expensive as drugs (only healthier, but still deadly, lol)! Have you seen the price of a single cam (and you need way more than 1)?
    
    It's just as much of a mental game as it is physical, if not moreso. I started climbing mainly just as a "workout" (before I became consumed with and fell in love with the climber culture). Top Roping was never much of a mental challenge (except when TR'ing something way above my level), but as soon as I took the sharp end... Whoa! You want me to go how many feet ABOVE the last draw/piece? Even though I was physically there, it took a long time of leading super easy routes before I could lead at my limit. And once I started trad climbing, the self doubt totally took over "Was that last piece ok?" "Will it hold my weight if I fall?" "Why didn't I stick to sport climbing?". And I'm still at the point where I'm not comfortable leading trad at my ability level, and I'm ok with that. It'll come with more time and experience.
    
    Having a good partner is a necessity! In the beginning, I would climb with anyone and everyone just so I could climb as much as I could. Looking back, that probably wasn't the smartest and I'm sure I got lucky that there wasn't any accidents. Your partner is literally holding your life in their hands while they are belaying you. That's not a job for just anyone. Having a trust worthy partner can mean the difference between a fun, safe climb or not so much...
    
    I wish I knew what kind of person climbing would turn me into. I would've started much sooner if I knew that it would help mold me into a stronger, more independent woman.
    
    One thing I was lucky to know when I started that others may not be so lucky to know:
    
    There's more to climbing than just hopping on a rope and lacing up your shoes. I really had no clue what rock climbing was about until I took a climbing PE class at college, I thought it was just Cliffhanger type movie stuff. I had fantastic instructors that taught us everything from knots to falling correctly to the Yosemite decimal system to local ethics. My college has an amazing outdoor program that offered classes on self rescue, mountaineering, aid climbing, etc. as well as having amazing climbing trips under the guidance of much more experienced climbers. Through these opportunities, I gained a ton of knowledge and experience that has became invaluable."
    
    
    

    @Whitneyio: http://bradleysadventures.wordpress.com
    "Advice for climbing.... I'd say most importantly have fun! Secondly learn about safety.
    
    More than anything I wish I would have learned to climb when I was a kid but there are no rocks in FL so I didn't know. I kind of wish I would have started leading earlier on instead of building such a big hype around it.
    
    Have fun! If you know the safety stuff (especially for outside) just climbing is the best way to learn!
    
    Oh one more piece of advice. Often when people 1st start climbing they try to muscle there way up the climb, use your feet!"
    
    

    @StephenWWeiss: http://mountainenthusiast.com and http://www.themostepictrip.com
    "Flexibility/balance is key more than strength.  You need strength, but strength alone will only get you so far where flexibility/balance will allow you to progress much farther.
    
    I think I would have liked to learn traditional climbing before sport.  Sport climbing is fairly easy to pick up with a few "struggles" to learning. Trad on the other hand is very sketchy in my opinion but if I didn't know any better maybe I wouldn't be as scared to learn it.  There are so many ole timers who grew up with only trad climbing because that's all they had, so it was either that or nothing.
    
    If you really want to get better at climbing you have to devote serious time to it.  As soon as you take a break from it for more than 2 weeks, you are screwed with what you gained in the last month.
    
    It depends on your goals as well.  If your in it to just have fun, then don't worry about ratings too much.  I think you might find yourself wanting more  though, and that's where the training part comes in."
    
    

    @ginabegin: http://ginabegin.com and http://www.themostepictrip.com
    "let's see... Well for starters, I wish I had done the order of things a little differently. I would have started with bouldering so that I would have been able to do lead climbs a little earlier in my climbing "career".  Bouldering is great with getting you over your fear of falling; it also helps train you to not have as many falls because you are holding on for dear life ;).  You just develop different muscles that are more like lead climbing, which is different from following (being top-roped). When you are top-roped, you know you have a rope and a person making sure you don't fall too far. You consciously know you aren't facing any great danger. If I had started with bouldering, I would have learned to climb more cautiously, rely less on the rope and make more efficient moves. I am trying now to train myself into a boulderer's way of thinking.
    
    I would have spent more time learning trad(itional) climbing. As with bouldering, this way of climbing makes you rely more on your own skills and less on the safety of the rope. I did do some trad climbing in the early days of my climbing hobby, but when friends who had the gear moved away, I was left with sport climbing. It's a care-free way to climb (relatively), but it also doesn't do much for training your mind to be efficient and sure of each move.
    
    I would have then moved into sport climbing. ;)
    
    Now, with regards to just sport climbing, I did it the right way to start with: I learned how to set up anchors when needed, how to rappel, etc., but I didn't get it drilled in or use it often enough to retain the mechanics of those things. So now I am going back and learning all that over again as I climb multi-pitch routes and get into harder climbing areas. I gotta admit, it's kinda frightening to go back and learn all that when you are on harder routes. It's much better to get it drilled in and used to it as you are learning everything else so that it just becomes second nature as you progress. Everything sort of flows together that way. You're not necessarily learning anything new, your just learning how to climb as a complete package. The way I learned is more similar to piecemeal learning, which I think ups the anxiety of learning. Doing it all at once is the way to go.
    
    Get your own equipment and don't rely on others. If you have it, you're more likely to go and to get comfortable with using the equipment. If you have your own rope and draws, you can go at any time (as long as you have a belayer, of course).  You will be more likely to be the one to set up the routes, as well, which means you'll get into leading more quickly and will progress more quickly as well. This is a general statement; each person is different, but I feel this would have been the case with me. Instead, I was so focused on spending my money on new ski gear, that I just relied on friends who had all the climbing gear and let them take me out climbing. They were happy to have someone belay and I was just happy to climb. But I eventually realized that I would be a much better climber if I had my own gear and used it regularly. Not only a better climber, but also more knowledgeable about the sport. "
    
    If you don't follow the above people on twitter, you need to follow them today!
    
    So what do you think? Are you a climber and is there anything YOU wish you knew when you started? if so, feel free to leave your comments, tips or advice below. It's much appreciated.
    
    Peace.
  • Don't step on the rope Andy!

    Sep 27, 11

    
    I finally picked up my rock shoes (5.10 Coyotes) this weekend and I was itching to try them out on the rock. Today looked perfect. I broke open my guidebook, "Boston Rocks", and went to page 92. This begins the description of Hammond Pond. I've been told that it's a favorite crag for beginners, and supposedly has some great bouldering. I thought it might be a good first place to go to break in the shoes. I also wanted to scout out the location for when TheMosEpicTrip swings on through.
    
    
    

    Lower Wall - Hammond Pond

    My plan was to just go bouldering. I don't own any quickdraws, ropes, or cams, so my climbing is limited unless I go with someone who has the gear. That was fine though, like I said I was going more to scope things out and get a feel for the shoes. I packed the car, grabbed Jack and we headed out.
    
    Hammand Pond is in Chestnut Hill. A beautiful area just outside of Boston. In fact it was only 6 miles from the condo, so it was a perfect quick trip. I was a little confused on the directions listed in the guidebook. There are 2 shopping areas, the Chestnut Hill Mall, and the Chestnut Hill Shopping center. It turns out that you want to be at the latter not the former. I misread things and ended up circling the Chestnut Hill Mall parking lot a couple of times. Jack picked up the guide book and immediately spotted where I went wrong, and he let me know it...sheesh.
    
    We pulled into the parking lot and parked right near the fire road entrance to the Hammond Pond Preserve. As we got out of the car, there was another father and son gearing up to climb, and I immediately went over and struck up a conversation with them. I told them we were headed to the bouldering area and that maybe we would see them later.
    
    The Alcove: This is the bouldering area at Hammond Pond. There's lots of puddingstone rock here which is really interesting. Jack and I found a spot, put on the shoes and chalk bag and started eying some of the routes. Most of the ones we saw looked pretty daunting. There are some V7's and higher here, but we were able to find some good beginner routes and practiced some technique.
    
    Lower Wall: After bouldering, we made our way down to scope out some of the walls. We stopped at the first one on the left called lower Wall. It's a good beginner wall, and looks like a great place to learn Top Roping, which I need to do soon. The father and son I mentioned earlier were there and the son was climbing the wall while the dad was belaying. Jack and I stopped and watched the climb. He did great, especially since he was only 7! I really wished I started climbing when I was young. Jack and I walked up and conversed with them some more. Brie, the dad, asked me if we had our harnesses with us, and I said yes. He offered to share his rope with us! I love the rock climbing community…
    
    We grabbed our harnesses and got our gear on. Now it was time for me to show off how much of a beginner I really am. First, it took me 3 tries to get our harnesses on correctly…ugh, and if that wasn't enough I stepped on Brie's rope that was on a tarp on the ground. He quickly gave me a short lesson in rope care. Don't step on the rope, because that grinds rock fragments, perhaps even glass particles that were on our shoes, into the rope, where they'll eventually cut the fibers. Lesson learned.
    
    Back to climbing…I got jack on the wall first, with me belaying. This wall is a sport climb, no quickdraws or cams were used. The top rope was attached to anchors with a fairly long sling at the top. Jack did so good. He ran into a number of problems and he worked them all out for himself without any guidance. He made it all the way up, about 35 feet, and rappelled down. Brie then asked me if I wanted to climb, and I said yes, as long as he was willing to belay me. We got setup and I got on the rock. I started out on the route Jack had picked, and Brie told me that was too easy for me and had me go a different route. The route was still fairly easy, and it gave me a great opportunity to focus on my technique. I made it up and down without any issues.
    
    According to the guide, Jack climbed a combination of "Old Tree", a 5.2G and "Half and Half", a 5.4G. Looks like I did the "Half and Half".
    
    This was a great day, with some unexpected climbing. I want to thank Brie for allowing us to join him and his son for a short period and for allowing us to use his rope.
    
    Peace.
  • The fullness of climbing

    Sep 27, 11

    
    

    Adventure isn't defined by success or by how far you travel from home. The allure is only part exploration, part movement, part beauty. The fullness of climbing lies in friendships.
    

    I read this tonight in Alpinist Magazine, and it struck me that this may be one of the reasons why I'm so attracted to this sport. While solo climbing is out there, it doesn't really appeal to me. As I continue on my journey, I find myself becoming more and more attracted to the sport, which I feel is a direct reflection of the other people I see pursuing this sport with passion. The one theme that seems to come up again and again is the theme of friendship and partnership, and that my friends is pretty cool.
    
    
    Peace.
    
    
  • First climbing gear ordered!

    Sep 27, 11

    I'm pretty excited, I ordered my first ever climbing gear package this past weekend!  I don't want to have to rent gear everytime I want to go climbing, so it makes perfect sense to own. Since I'm a beginner, and have no clue what to look for in a harness, I turned for some advice from a couple of climbing friends (Gina and Steve). They both suggested that I go try them on and get a good feel for how they fit. That's exactly what I did this weekend. I went to both REI and EMS and tried on a whole bunch of harnesses. After seeing how they all fit, then weighing that against the cost, I settled on a gym and crag package from Mammut.
    
    
    

    The package includes the harness, a chalk bag and belt, chalk ball, Fuse belay device and a Element HMS screw gate carabiner. I think it will be a great starter package for me. The best part of all this was the value. First, it was "Tax-Free" weekend in MA. Second, the price at the store for this package was $85.00, but I went onto EMS online, and got the same package on sale for $59.50!  It's being shipped and I should have it later this week.
    
    Once I begin using it, I'll provide a review. Next up...shoes...
    
    Peace.
  • My Rock Spot Do-Over

    Sep 27, 11

    I wasn't going to let my first attempt at indoor climbing dissuade me from going again so, I went back to Rock Spot Climbing Gym in Boston last night.
    
    If you want to read about the first attempt, it's in this post: http://www.theinspiredclimb.com/2011/07/first-experiencenot-goodlessons-learned.html
    
    Here are my observations from last night:
    
    
    Observation #1: Great customer service builds great customer loyalty.
    I want to talk a bit about Rock Spot, and specifically about Kat Waterhouse. After I wrote about my first experience, Kat contacted me. She's one of the folks who run Rock Spot, and she's pretty awesome. She showed concern that I didn't enjoy my first time at the gym and that I had a bad experience. She also offered to comp me the next visit.  I wasn't blaming Rock Spot for my experience, but because she's so passionate about the gym and about the sport, she wanted to make sure that I continued on. This spoke volumes to me about the Gym, the people who work there and the sport in general. Again, reaffirming my decision to get into the sport.
    
    Observation #2: If you don't use it you lose it
    It's been a month since I last went rock climbing, and I forgot how to belay. Luckily, Kat came to the rescue. Not only did she comp me the night, but she also threw in a belay lesson at no cost! I really needed this refresher, and besides, I had never belayed in the gym before. I had a great lesson with Vitya and spent the next hour belaying.
    
    Observation #3: This is more of a question to the readers…Do you wear gloves when belaying?
    After belaying for an hour, I got a nasty blister between my thumb and index finger. Is this normal? should I be wearing gloves when belaying? or does proper technique prevent this? Of course it could just be that I have to build up calluses just like when I play my guitar. Any preference out there? gloves or no gloves?
    
    Observation #4: The gym is great for practicing technique
    As I said in an earlier post, I've been reading a book on Rock climbing and I'm on a chapter that talks about certain techniques with your feet and hands. Well, I wanted to try a few of them out to see if I could take what I read and apply it to the wall. I first focused on smearing, but it didn't seem to really make a difference at the gym with the holds the way they were. I ended up edging most of the time. Is that normal at a gym? I also really focused on my breathing and keeping my weight centered above my legs. This seemed to make a huge difference in how I felt after the climb. I didn't feel as spent as I did the first time. Finally, I practiced backstepping, which was interesting. It took me a while to figure this out and find some good places to practice it, but once I did, I found it to be very useful. I can see how this will be invaluable when I'm out on the rock. With the counterpressure on my legs, I was able to free up any pressure on my arms and hands. It was pretty cool, but I only got it right once. I'll keep working on this one.
    
    Observation #5: I want to keep doing this
    I don't know what it is about this sport, but every time I go, I leave with a feeling of excitement about going again. I've played all kinds of sports, I've done all kinds of outdoor activities, and never have I wanted to pursue those like I want to pursue this. I can't wait to go again.
    
    Please, please check out Rock Spot Climbing, they are great!
    
    next post…buying gear…stay tuned.
    
    Peace.
  • Stepping way out of my comfort zone

    Sep 27, 11

    
    

    Lately I've been looking for ways to step out of my comfort zone and explore and challenge myself. Rock climbing is one of those ways, and why I started this blog. This past weekend I decided to step way out of my comfort zone and go SkyDiving.

    
    
    To be honest with you, I never had any particular desire to jump out of an airplane, so when a buddy of mine asked me earlier this year, I said sure why not, without really giving it a second thought. I was actually feeling pretty good leading up to it, in fact kind of excited. Saturday came and we drove up to Pepperell, MA. The day was partly cloudy, with a small breeze. Good day for a jump I guess.
    
    I was actually ok until we were at 12,000 feet and they opened the door. My instructor and I stood up and got to the edge. That's when every bone in my body started screaming "are you nuts?!" Then I heard my instructor say "1...2...3.." and we went. The hardest part was leaving the plane, but once I was in a freefall, it was awesome. No sensation of falling, it was more of a sensation of flying which was pretty cool. after about 60 seconds of freefall, we deployed the chute. That was pretty amazing as well. First thing my instructor asks me was if I liked roller coasters. I said yes, and he immediately tugged on the chute and we went in to an incredible banking turn. 4 minutes later we were on the ground.
    
    I guess the point of my story is to encourage everyone to step out of their comfort zone. It doesn't have to be this far out, but I can promise you that you will have a very rewarding feeling when you do.
    
    Peace.
  • Face climbing? huh?

    Sep 27, 11

    Now that I've begun this journey, I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I go out again. I purchased a book called "How To Rock Climb" by John Long. I read some of the reviews before purchasing and it seemed like a good place to start. I'm not that far into the book yet, but it's been a really good read so far. His descriptions of the various tools and techniques are easily understood.
    
    
    I did just get to a chapter titled "Face Climbing Skills", which of course I read as "Face Planting Skills". Before starting the chapter, I truly had no idea what it meant. Remember, I'm just a beginner here. As I began to read though, it all clicked, and I want to share with you a quote from the chapter that I thought was very important, and something I will absolutely need to practice if I'm going to get any good.
    
    

    "...Strive to breathe easily, stand up straight, stay in balance, and keep your weight over your feet."

    
    Easy concept right? This however is going to be one skill that I will truly need to master I think. What do you think?
    
    Peace.
  • How the hell do you get that rope up there?

    Sep 27, 11

    We were up in Maine on vacation 2 weeks ago and for people who love the outdoors, Maine is like a playground. There's so much great hiking, biking, paddling and climbing.
    
    I spent many hours in the kayak and did some hiking but I wanted to feed my desire for rock climbing. As I was thumbing through the pages of a local magazine I stumbled across an ad for climbing. I was stoked! The place was called The Atlantic Climbing School (http://www.climbacadia.com/). They had 2 locations; Acadia National Park up in Bar Harbor (about a 2 hour drive from where we were) or Camden which was only 20 minutes. Sweet! I gave them a ring and got one of the founders of the school, Pete Fasoldt, on the phone. Super nice guy, and hooked us up with a 4 hour beginners class.
    
    
    

    Barret's Cove - Camden, ME

    Friday couldn't come quick enough. We met our guide on Rt. 52 in Camden, right next to Lake Megunticook. As we looked to our right at the turn out, I could see the rock face that we would be climbing. It looked pretty intimidating to say the least. At this point I was thinking that maybe I should have done a few more indoor trips before I tackled something like this, but I forged ahead.
    
    Let me talk about how awesome our guide was. His name was Ryan Howes. Absolutely brilliant. Very laid back, extremely knowledgable about climbing and the terrain. Just an all around great person to have for your very first outdoor climbing experience. I really lucked out here. He came prepared with all the gear, and a tremendous amount of patience.
    
    First things, first...signing of the classic waiver form, so if I crack my head, I can't blame ACS. It was funny though, unlike most waiver forms, that I typically sign after merely skimming, this one I read pretty thoroughly. After signing, we got into our harnesses and tried on some shoes. Thank God the shoes fit pretty well. Ryan then went through all the gear that he was bringing up with him, which was very cool. The engineer in me was studying each piece, marveling at the engineering and wondering how much money I was going to have to plunk down to suport my upcoming gear junkie habit.
    
    Once we had all our gear, Ryan led us up the path to the beginning of the ascent on the rock. What was really cool about this whole experience was that Ryan took the time to carefully explain everything, including the types of terrain that we would be encountering, the history of the area and the ecology. I was very impressed. We even got into a discussion about the Access Fund (http://www.accessfund.org/) and how Ryan received a grant a few years ago to help restore some of the climbs and paths. Very cool stuff.
    
    So, onto climbing. The first thing we got was a lesson in knots and general rope handling. We practiced the knots a number of times until Ryan felt comfortable that we knew them. The next thing I got was my very first belay lesson. It looks pretty easy, but there are definitely nuances with this skill, especially if I were to climb with different people.
    
    Now that I had the belaying down, it was time for Ryan to put himself in my hands...uh oh...I asked him if he was sure about this, and he said yes, and off he went. Something I learned is, that apparently someone needs to go first to bring the rope up, which I believe is called top roping. I guess I thought the ropes just magically appeared, or maybe I was expecting Ryan to take out a "batarang" to get the ropes connected.
    
    Anywho, I watched him climb up the rock and I was actually pretty nervous until he placed his first safety anchor in.  He continued all the way up to the top, as I fed more and more rope to him. Once he had the rope secured at the top and through all the safety anchors, it was time for him to come back down and see if his belay lesson took. Thankfully, I did ok. I really give the gear most of the credit here though. It made it pretty easy.
    
    

    So, first up was my son. After another refresher in knot tying, we got Jack on the rope and I decided to let Ryan belay him. Just felt more comfortable, this being the first time and all. I believe we started on something called Becky-Joy, which is a 5.5 I believe. Jack was a little timid at the start but then settled in and started climbing like a little monkey. He made it all the way up, listening to Ryan the whole way. He did so great and I'm very proud of him. He came down just as well, placing the rope back into the anchors like he's done this a million times before. It was pretty cool to watch.
    
    I was next up, and like Jack, I was very timid at the start. No idea really what to do. Again, Ryan was great, giving me tips along the way, but mostly he watched and analyzed the way I was climbing. I made it to the top without restarting and felt exhausted, but extremely happy with what I just did.
    
    The great thing about where we were climbing was that it afforded us a number of routes without having to take the rope from the top. The next couple of routes were actually better than the first. They were about the same difficulty but they allowed Ryan to help us with some of the varying techniques that climbers use for certain situations. One of the climbs I was really able to focus much more on my balance and my breathing, which were key.
    
    The final climb was not really a climb, it was an epic fail, but something to aspire to. One of the routes is called "Old Stud", it's a 5.10a. For a beginner like me, it looked impossible, and it was. I was able to climb about 4 feet and that was it, completely stuck. Oh well, maybe next time.
    
    I really couldn't have asked for a better first outdoor climbing experience. The weather was perfect, the terrain was exactly what I was looking for and the guide was awesome. I can't wait to get out there again.
    
    Here's a list of all the routes available where we were, courtesy of rockclimbing.com (http://bit.ly/nxmTKG)
    
    Peace.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

    
    
  • First Experience...not good...lessons learned

    Sep 27, 11

    As I was sifting through my emails one morning last month, I ran across a Groupon for a place called "Rock Spot Climbing." The coupon was for 5 visits to the indoor climbing gym, for 2 people, for $25.00. I thought it was a steal. This was my perfect opportunity to jump into the sport.
    
    

    Because of my schedule, I couldn't find any time to get there until the following Sunday, so that's when I made the trip. It turns out that the location is actually pretty good. Only about a 25 minute drive from the house. We arrived at the gym in the early afternoon, on a rainy Sunday.
    
    
    That was my first mistake. A rainy Sunday, meant people were in the gym and not outdoors. The second thing I realized was that the gym is located next to a gymnastics place. What this means is that sometimes Rock Spot gets the overflow of kids looking for something to do. This was that kind of day. We walked in and it was packed! Mostly with young kids. Don't get me wrong, I love kids, but when they are getting in the way of me learning and enjoying myself, then I have trouble.
    
    I decided to be positive and push forward. I signed the standard release forms and they gave me the gear.  Now, I'm new to this whole thing, and the gear is pretty self explanatory, but I would have appreciated a few moments of the young man's time, who sat behind the desk, to give me a quick intro to what he just handed me. I'm sure I could have asked someone else there, but at this point I was feeling a little intimidated. So, I put on the gear (shoes and harness) as best as I could figure and went out to the floor.
    
    

    The Hump? - Rock Spot Gym

    I have never set foot in a rock gym before, so while I was pretty amazed and intimidated by what I saw, it is most likely routine to some people who might be reading this. The gym was spread out pretty well. One side of the gym was dedicated to bouldering, ranging from easy to what I would consider extremely difficult. I actually sat on a bench for about 10 minutes just watching people boulder. It was actually very cool. Some people would sit on the mat staring at a section of boulder for 15 minutes before starting an ascent. I can only assume they were planning their route, or trying to figure out a complex problem. Others would jump right into it. Some would fall, others would climb over. It was fascinating watching everyone. There was this one man who was in his mid 50's I would say, who climbed with so little effort. Amazing to watch. Great balance, hardly any physical exertion displayed, and climbing over like it was nothing. Something to aspire to I guess.
    
    After watching the bouldering, I looked around at the other parts to the gym. The rest of the place was made up of rock walls. I can only assume each wall was a different difficulty level with it's own set of problems. There were ropes at all walls, and some of the walls had Auto-Belay devices. I set my eyes on the walls with the auto-belay system, because I had no idea how to belay and had no available partner that could belay with me.
    
    So many things to learn. I walked up to a wall and noticed colored tape all over it, with writing that said things like 5.9c. I had no clue what either of these things meant until I had a chat with my good friend Steve (@stephenWWeiss). I connected my harness to the auto-belay and started up the wall. Because I had no idea about the colored tape or difficulty levels, I basically just grabbed a hold of the blocks that were in front of me. I must have looked like a complete fool, but I don't care. I actually made it to the top, which was pretty exciting for me, but it leads me to another thing that I learned this first time. I learned that I don't like auto-belay systems. Now, I don't know if it was the way I used it, or not but when I leaned back and let go of the wall, I thought I was going to fall. The "pucker effect" was in full force. The auto-belay caught and I was lowered slowly after that, but I'm not sure if I'll trust the devices again. If anyone would care to comment on their experience with such devices, I would love to hear.
    
    Because of the crowd, I was only able to get in 2 climbs. I spent the rest of the time on the boulders, which was fun and interesting. I tried to watch and learn from what other people were doing, but because most of the people there were kids, the choices were few and far between.
    
    Overall, the experience wasn't great. However, I learned a few important things and I had some fun. It certainly didn't deter me from continuing on. I want to make it clear that Rock Spot looks like a great gym and I'll be going back there soon. I just won't be going back on a rainy Sunday.
    
    Rock Spot Gym: http://www.rockspotclimbing.com/index.html
    Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/RockSpotClimb
    
    Peace.
  • Thanks for the inspiration!

    Sep 27, 11

    Yosemite Rock Face - image by mixotto

    This is my very first post to this blog, and it has to be one filled with thank you's. 6 months ago, I knew nothing about Rock Climbing. Today, I know one thing, that it's something I want to do, and this space will hopefully be used to showcase my "rad" climbing skills one day. Until then, you're gonna have to put up with posts from an extreme novice.
    
    
    Why have I decided to start rock climbing? The journey begins strangely enough on twitter. I'm not sure who followed who first, but following ensued between myself and a young lady in Utah named Gina Bégin(@ginabegin). Great gal, and someone you should all follow. Her passion for all things outdoors, especially skiing and climbing is infectious. She introduced me to her friend, a pretty cool dude named Stephen Weiss (@stephenWWeiss). Again, someone who is so passionate about the outdoors and climbing. After following them for a while and chatting with them, I began to realize that I wanted to experience the same kinds of things they were blogging about. So that's what I'm setting out to do. My friends are all looking at me like I've lost my mind, and maybe I have, we'll see.
    
    So, HUGE thank you's to both Gina and Steve for the inspiration. Here's a bunch of links if anyone is interested. If you do nothing else, check out TheMostEpicTrip. Gina and Steve are on a most incredible and epic journey through North America right now, raising awareness for the AccessFund. Support them if you can.
    
    Gina's blog: www.ginabegin.com
    Steve's blog: www.mountainenthusiast.com
    TheMostEpicTrip: www.themostepictrip.com
    FaceBook: www.facebook.com/TheMostEpicTrip
    
    I'll finish the post with what Steve likes to finish his emails to me with...
    
    Climb on brotha!
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