Climbs Well With Others - I SWEAR!

A lot of people who live very near the Shawangunk ridge, who say they used to be obsessed with climbing, tell me they moved here from New York City or elsewhere specifically to allow for more climbing days, but once they had been here a while, they came to the realization that they were actually getting out less! Funny, how what had been an every weekend dedication for those people had morphed into the occasional day out or even, for some, a complete hiatus in climbing.

I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that once you can climb on weekdays, the chaotic weekend energy at the Trapps, or even the Near Trapps, becomes fairly unappealing. If one's dance card was previously filled by other weekenders, the transition to partnering with people during the week may not come as easily as one might have hoped, as well. Too, if one has spurned their old stand-bys in hopes of the quietude of weekday climbing, they are likely to find themselves with no willing ropemates when they DO make that booty call.....

Within this type of scenario, I can see how time could fly by quickly, and one might wake up to realize they hadn't been climbing in days, weeks, or even - gulp – months. Luckily, this hasn't been completely my case, but I have to admit that I didn't climb a single day the week before last, and it wasn't because the temperatures were in the upper 90's, as they had been for much of July.

I'm the type who isn't truly proactive when it comes to inter-relationships, and climbing partnerships are no different. I wait for people to call me, or post a request for partners online without answering any of the requests made by others for the same time! I have great days out with most everyone I have ever climbed with, but don't make the effort to set up another day of climbing. Unconsciously, I fear rejection, just as in other aspects of life, but this post isn't intended to be a psycho-self-analysis and I won't be delving into that realm.

My 2010 season has been a bouquet of sometimes old, sometimes new partners, along with sometimes rosy, sometimes blue days for me. I started climbing in the spring of 2004, and though I have partnered with well over a hundred different people, the dedicated partnership has been fairly elusive for me all along.

Some people thrive on that intimate companionship, and the relationship enables them to push harder at their grade limits, and enjoy a lower level of stress, since the partners know each others quirks, strengths, weaknesses and personalities. Personally, I can't imagine climbing each and every route with the same person, even if it were someone I was in a romantic relationship with. I like the diversity of different experiences even at the expense of continuity and increased stress from unfamiliarity that comes with climbing ala carte. Besides - since we're not getting psychoanalytical - people leave; relationships deteriorate, and even worse, they sometimes die(in non-climbing-related situations, hopefully!). I've seen it happen to others - the significant other, or even just another girlfriend or boyfriend moves on, and suddenly they find themselves touching the void, climbing partner-wise. Death, of course, is entirely different; I intended the previous mention in a jocular way. May those loved ones of anyone reading this piece rest in peace.

Nevertheless, with a variety of partners, one has room for the ebb and flow of life's relationships tide. It's OKAY if the person you want to climb with has some commitment that means they can't get out on a stellar day. The fact that they are getting married, attending a funeral(there's that death sentence fragment again - oh dear!), or spending Fathers/Mothers Day with their children doesn't have to ruin MY day....

Seriously though, a variety of partners means a mixture of experiences. I have people I tramp miles into wilderness for FA's with, partners with whom I swing leads, others I teach the basics of climbing, people visiting from other areas, and even a few top-rope troupes. Some are serious Type A's, others debauched drunkards who'd surely have been sailors had they been born when the high seas were still uncharted. Most fall somewhere in-between; light-hearted, fun people just looking for a good day of climbing. I like the mix-and-matchedness.

So - what has my season been like, now that I am in my fourth month of living within walking distance of the famed Gunks ridge? Both pretty good, and not so great, depending on my perspective in the moment.

As has been my tradition, I started the season in Joshua Tree. This year my trip was a week later than usual; I arrived just as March was thinking of renaming itself April, and enjoyed another marvelous early desert spring. Flowers were not in as much abundance as some previous years(remember, climbing isn't only about climbing), and amazingly enough, even though it was Easter weekend and the park campsites were packed, I snagged the very last available spot in Hidden Valley upon arrival. A good site too - morning sun, an interesting backdrop of rock formations, yucca and other brush.

While still in Las Vegas, I checked my emails and had a message from someone answering my request for partners(which I always post on Jtree trips, even though I have developed a nice group of local friends to climb with). Brenden, who happened to also be from New York, had just arrived in Joshua Tree on a leg of an extended road trip, and had about a week before the rest of his group arrived. We ended up with him sharing my campsite, and he cooked most of the meals with ingredients I supplied. He also played the part of rope-gun extraordinaire, leading Pope's Crack onsight, his first day, and first time ever in Joshua Tree.

I also hooked up with James, Brandt, Sonya and Reilly - all locals to the area - for a day or two of friendship and cragging, and though it wasn't a first ascent, I did follow my new tradition of getting deeply into the further reaches of the park with Todd Gordon, Tucker Tech and others, as we wound our way to the southwest face of North Astrodome and climbed a 5.7 sport-bolted rope-stretcher called Let Your Fleak Flag Fly.

Back in New York City, I had two weeks to prepare my apartment for seven months of being sublet while I moved to what is technically within Gardiner, though I have no actual street address. I am caretaker for a second season, living in and off-the-grid cabin with no plumbing, and loving the quarter mile walk to the well for drinking water, and one mile walk to the cliffs.

Within days of getting here, my friend Peter also arrived, and stayed with me on and off throughout May and June. This was as close to having a significant other as climbing partner as I have ever experienced, though our friendship remained platonic, and I can see how easily one slips into the cocoon-like comfort of such a climbing partnership. Peter was leading 5.8's and 9's, and patiently coaching me as I worked my way up the the routes. The fact that he is absolutely beautiful in body and character was an exquisite perk to which I quickly became accustomed. I could wax on, and oh - how I would like to - but the chapters within that story remain untold, and so I will keep the notes private, at least for now. At any rate, climbing with Peter was so enjoyable that I simply had no desire to link up with internet strangers, and though I made some attempts to get out with old partners in the days when he was away, I was happy enough keeping myself occupied with other activities, waiting to return to the high of climbing with someone I am incredibly attracted to.

But like I wrote earlier - the problem having all one's eggs in one basket(now that could be a double entendre if only I'd taken a bit of effort....) is that people leave. Or die. The good news is that he is alive and well; the bad news that he's gone, though I don't assume forever. He's currently out west, traveling and climbing in the mountain regions out west and California.

But, like so many before me who have fallen prey to the myopic partnership, I found I had unintentionally created distance between myself and several partners I climbed with in the past. It should be noted that none of these partnerships were committed relationships that I dodged, and I did keep in touch throughout the time he was here, inquiring about getting out and expressing hopes to do so. Usually, our schedules simply didn't match up.

Nonetheless, I couldn't help but get a sense of some irritation from a few people who asked what I had been climbing since we'd last talked. That hurt; I am not one who is constantly partnered up with someone, dropping my friends until my heart is broken and needing their emotional glue to help me piece life back together. To be treated as such - even if it was only in my imagination - seemed unfair.

At any rate, once I didn't have Peter to climb with, I realized that I was going to have to start from scratch and build new partnerships, just like I had been doing each season previously. As I said, I have climbed with hundreds of people, even here at the Gunks, but not really developed reliable partnerships with any of them.

Partly, it is due to the fact that our initial day of climbing has generally been due to the fact that one of THEIR regular partners was unavailable; I was the fill-in, and amounted to just one number in their address book of people to call when their preferred partner couldn't climb. But I also have to admit that, for whatever reason, I seem not to have the interpersonal skills required to build sustaining partnerships.

Still, I wanted to climb, of course, and posted partner requests on the climbing forums I frequent, and though I would like to say I redoubled my efforts and reconnecting with previous partners, I fell into my old ways, for the most part, of waiting for their calls and wondering why they weren't forthcoming(though in one case I had made the effort, and we did finally get a nice day out recently). The only "old" climbing partner who I easily fell back into routine with was Whiskey Mike, whom anyone acquainted with Gunks climbing is familiar with.

I did get responses, which is nice. But, oh, how I had forgotten the stumble and bumble of hooking up with new people. Though I was as clear as I could be in stating my skill/experience level and what sorts of partners I looked for, I was immediately besieged with people who had been climbing only in the gym and wanted to try outdoors, and others who "definitely wanted to climb a lot this season," but weren't available when I suggested we set up a day(even when I left the dates to their choice). Complementing those, I had at least three who notes from people were coming to the Gunks on a climbing trip, and seemed excited to partner up. Each of them subsequently canceled their trip; often without bothering to let me know in advance.

Out of about 20 inquiries, so far I have only gotten out climbing with one person from the batch. We have been having some nice days in, where I am leading all the pitches and generally setting the day's agenda. This is good for me, since I have always tended to go along with the flow of my partner to an extent which put the burden of decisions on their lap, and I also tended to decline taking leads, since my level was usually lower than theirs to the point I worried they'd be bored following me.

So - here we are, about mid-season in the Shawangunks(I consider my season here to be from mid-March through mid-November), and where do I stand? I HAVE ticked off a few leads I was anticipating(an onsight of Black Fly, and Fingerlocks or Ceder Box, which I had been on once before, as my singular "mock lead" back in 2005). I've followed Peter on several routes which were challenging for me, and fell off some others(he patiently waited while I prussiked 20 feet of the rope on Ape Call after falling out of the corner into the air and being unable to get back on stance). I have repeated some routes and taken note of the increased ease I had in the leading, and backed off one I previously led(first pitch of Snowpatch), swung leads with Pauline, and perhaps most important to my development, I have been the leader of the day with a new partner.

My current agenda is to continue leading the "under 5's which I previously swung leads on, so I have experienced being on the sharp end for all the pitches, ticking off a few previously led routes, such as Horseman, just to check my progress, and working through the 5.5's I haven't yet lead. Then I'll begin getting on some of the G-rated 5.6's and continue my way upward, as is the tradition in traditional climbing.

I've not yet led some routes rated sub-5.5, such as Sixish and Hawk, and with good reason. I'd have tried Hawk by now, but several people whose opinions I trust have indicated that last year's rockfall has made the route unpalatable, and considering it's reputation as a sandbag, I prefer not to ignore their advise at risk of an "I told you so." With Sixish, I asked Pauline to lead for me the other day, as I wasn't entirely sure where the 5.4 route ran. The route has a well-earned reputation as risky for the unequipped leader, and last year I asked someone to lead it so I could suss the line beforehand. That person went up the G-rated 5.6 variation, which nullified the effort for me, since I specifically wanted the 5.4 section. After following Pauline, I think I'll continue to put off that lead. The first placement area is bomber, with room for as many pieces as one wants to use, but one has to climb with no gear to a height where a fall would certainly cause at least some injury before getting there. The second stance for placement comes at an awkward stand that, if blown, is high enough that the risk of injury is again present. And then a bit of run-out. I have no health insurance, and my life insurance isn't even enough to cover a cremation - good thing I've donated my body to medical science!

Since I mentioned Whiskey Mike before, I should say that I will most certainly continue getting out once in a while with him. I am one of his fill-in partners; someone he will look for when a better match for his abilities isn't available. With Mike, I (try to) follow his leads or top-rope set-ups on 5.9's and 10's, and occasionally he will run up an easier route in order to set the TR.

I'll also hopefully get more days of swinging leads with Pauline, which I'm looking forward to. Now that I realize the added stress of making the day's agenda decisions, I intend to be more proactive in offering suggestions for climbs, and will work to resist my urge to decline on leading my turn. Even though I pride myself in being a competent second who does their share of the work, I just hadn't fully realized the added burden it puts on someone who has to take that on themselves. I have a new-found appreciation for all the people I've climbed with who lead the day.

As well, I am still available, and willing, to climb with new partners and old, and also those visiting the area who might appreciate having a partner who is familiar with the cliffs. In September, I head off to Yosemite for the Facelift again. While I don't climb a LOT during those trips, I'll certainly get out a little bit, and am looking forward to that. Perhaps I can even relax my stringent practice of barely allowing myself a day out, and even get in a long route.

And, soon enough, the Gunks season will begin to wane as November approaches. This is going to be a big transition period for me this year, as I have made the decision NOT to return to New York City, and live as a southwestern nomad for the winter. But that's a whole other subject, and one I am sure I will write about soon.


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How Hard Can Running a Climbing Gym Be?!

....I have no idea, since I have never been in one except to flail away on some routes. What you don't know won't hurt you, the saying goes, but maybe that's not all there is to the story.

I ran across a post on MountainProject.com entitled Rock Gym Pro - Climbing Gym Management Software and have to admit - it never occurred to me that the back end of managing a climbing gym would include aspects different than pretty much any retail business. It seems, I am wrong!

Andy Laakman, who owns the Mountain Project website also runs a rock gym, and he ought to know. He ran into all sorts of troubles, he wrote in the above link, and so he went out and used his extensive experience as a programmer to create a climbing-gym specific program. Now he's putting that software out for other climbing gym operators to use.

Not much of a market....but I figure that he can use all the help we in the climbing community, can give him, in letting gym managers know of this package. So - if you know someone who owns or manages a climbing gym, or is thinking about doing so - send him over to the site Andy's made about that software, which is here. Who knows, it might just be the advantage that tips their MakeItOrBreakIt scale to the MakeIt side!

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I Wanna Go Climbing!

Two weeks in a ROW I am stuck in NYC. For work, of all things. And I am missing out on camping and climbing. Very little consolation the rainy forecasts have been, either, when the thunderstorms came naught to pass....

My assistant asked for last weekend off, and I had to oblige. She rarely asks for time off. But then she changed her mind on Thursday! At 6 o'clock pm. Too late for me to get rides and climbing partners set up. I was not happy. But worse - she then asked if she could have THIS weekend off instead! My holiday weekend?! When I was hoping to catch an early start and make a long weekend for myself!?

It was awful. But I got over it, and fortunately I was not obviously obnoxious about it with my assistant.

Then - my other assistant called, leaving me a message. About "her August schedule." Uh Ohhhhh.....

Now, this one has had no qualms about asking for days off, or to change sessions to suits her own needs. Or saying no to me when I am relying on her to say yes. She had just taken 3 days off a week and a half ago, to boot. I couldn't imagine what she was possibly going to request.

Imagine my surprise, when her need was "to go to Europe at the start of August, for God knows how long," in her words. At least four weeks, and likely more. And somehow, I got the impression she was thinking I would simply fill in for her while she was away, holding her job.

I don't think so. For one thing, I had just booked my flights for my own trip, to Yosemite in the end of September. I'll be volunteering at the Yosemite Facelift cleanup, which is from September 24 - 28th, but am staying for a total of ten days. It will be my first time there, and this will give me a very nice introduction to the place. I know it will be magical.

So, the thought of hoping she would return to NY before my trip, only to have the days draw nearer and nearer with no word from her, was just not acceptable. As if a 4-plus week vacation from a company with 3 people in it would be okay in the first place.... ESPECIALLY when the reason I HAVE employees is so they can do MY work when I go away!

But that wasn't the only thing......

The thing is, I can't tell you. Not just yet. But, when I had the first assistant take two of my weekends from me, it just seemed like it was the straw that broke the camel's back. I had committed to making a change. Clearly, the situation I have constructed for myself just wasn't working. This, I have known for some time.... and it was just so crystal clear at that moment.

I mean, compared to someone who works a 9 to 5 office job, it works really well. But I left the office world because I didn't WANT to be working for the weekend and 2 weeks off a year. So, the upset I had from the upset of my weekend was the final straw and I "made that commitment for change."

Now, it's a very tenuous commitment, as you will find out, eventually(if it comes to pass). The change is contingent on a few items, of which I am not willing to lay out there just yet. You might say "Well, then you haven't fully committed, have you?"

I would reply... "Ohhhhh, yes I have..... But it's a doozy."

Two and a half days upstate each week, and a month each year in Joshua Tree just isn't cutting it. Even the added Yosemite trip is just serving to show me just HOW MUCH I am missing out on... Zion! City of Rocks! The Adirondack, Needles, Acadia, Vedawoo, Wind River, Smith Rocks, El Potrero Chico, Hueco Tanks, Red Rocks, the Flatirons, Squamish, Tennessee Wall, Red River Gorge, New River Gorge, Owens River Gorge....All those gorgeous places I haven't yet been to!

Really. I need to get out more.



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Help support Happiegrrrl in her quest to travel, climb and live an adventurous life(instead of being stuck at home working.....). Visit her online shop, ClimbAddict, for original designs on t-shirts, jackets, caps, stickers and giftware.

Movie Review: "To the Limit"

As if anyone needs to be told this film is worth seeing....

It was good. Really, really good. The cinematography was very well done, with a storyline including subtle references and humorous insinuations. My favorite was a scene in which a group of tourists were being toted around Yosemite with the guide explaining about the crazy climbers on El Cap, and the scene shifts to show the face of one of the Huber brothers as he talks to the other. For one second, I was like "They aren't ON the tourist trailer.....are they?"

The imagery between what is an adrenaline-laced sleep-time climbing nightmare and the nightmares that were reality for the two as they trained and made attempts are blurred in a magical way that drew me, as the viewer, right into the experience. There were some - very gripping moments - to say the least.

There is a lot to see in this film, from the fearsome technical intricacies of speed simu-climbing, to the deep bond of brotherhood that makes such acts possible. The compassion and care-taking between Alex and Thomas is touching and tender in a way that seems almost incomprehensible in juxtaposition to scenes where they channel full-bore testosterone-charged savage forces from within during attempts at the record. Ladies - you will not be disappointed. Neither will you guys....

I made an error in the earlier post I made here, when I wrote about the film running near me in NYC. I had referenced a review in which the critic chastised the Hubers for not respecting an 'old-timer climber'(her phrase) who had done the first rappel off El Cap. I had assumed she was talking about Chongo, and that was incorrect.

The rappers really were old guys.... Who, I don't know, but they compared themselves to the likes of Warren Harding in the daring-do required back in the day.

While it is definitely true that the Hubers were left unable to comprehend the profundity of the other's experience.... it is a scene that makes the film just that much more wonderful. I can see how a non-climber wouldn't "get it," but...since nobody reading this blog is likely to be in that category, it's safe to say the scene is stellar.

Well worth the nine dollar price of admission, I will most likely see the film again. There were two others in the showing I attended, a guy and his girl. Afterward, as we walked out of the theatre and were exclaiming how great the show was, I asked if they climbed. "A few times," the guy said in what seemed like a serious tone, "but not like those guys do." Perfect.

Though I can't claim to having seen a whole lot of climbing films, I will say that this one is riveting from start to finish with a story line that has perfect continuum. It would make a great date movie, in that there is a back story that non-climbers can follow, plus SO much way-past-the-edge adventure that you will be seen as a hardman by proxy. At least until you explain that you don't do...quite....that sort of thing. So - play down that aspect if you're looking to be getting some while the getting's good.

Anyway - about "To the Limit" - Go! If you are in NYC, you must go, it's as simple as that. If not here, and the film shows near you, don't miss it. Or get it on DVD when it releases. This is not a one-shot view. And I'm not just saying that because they show the boys with bare chests and hair a blazin' for most the film.....

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The Huber Brothers in NYC?!!!

Well....Not exactly.

But their film about speed climbing The Nose, titled "To the Limit," is showing in one of our small theaters, beginning tomorrow, June 13th. Here's the beta:

Showing at: Cinema Village, 12th St., Between 5th Ave and University Place
Showtimes: 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM, 7:20 PM, 9:25 PM
Length of Film: 95 minutes
Tickets: $9.00 - a bargain from the Big Box office current price of $12!

Here's a bit written on the thing, at EmpireMovies.com
"Thomas and Alexander Huber, risk takers in the extreme, rank as two of the best mountain climbers of our time. When the two Huber brothers first set out to break the record in speed climbing at the 'wall of all walls,' the 1,000 foot vertical nose of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park in California, Academy Award winner Pepe Danquart followed them to places never before reached by a film crew.

With breathtaking footage of the mountains of Patagonia and Yosemite National Park, "To the Limit" is a portrait of two competitive brothers who go to the very edge of the possible, both physically and psychologically. Brothers, who ordinarily live separate lives, become like twins when they climb together - as they have since childhood - each driven to search for their own limits.

Alexander Hüber has climbed in the mountains since childhood. At the age of 12 he stood on his first 4,000 meter peak. Born in 1968, he is the more pragmatic of the brothers, and graced with a phenomenal patience. A certified physicist, he is at the same time the analytical planner, the rationalist who pursues his goals with an exceptional single-mindedness. Since 1995, Alexander has been a mountain guide and ski leader. He lives in Traunstein, not far from Thomas.

Thomas Hüber is superficially the opposite of his brother. He took younger brother Alexander on his first climbs. An inspiring dreamer, idealistic and a little chaotic, he has a more open and laissez-faire attitude than Alexander. He plays in a rock band, "Plastic Surgery Disaster," is a mountain guide, and lives with his wife Marion and his sons Elias and Amadeus in Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps.

"To the Limit" completes a trilogy of sports films by Pepe Danquart, which includes "Home Match" (2000) and "Hell on Wheels" (2004).

And, there's a thumbs-down review at BoxOffice.com in which the critic refers to an "old-timer climber" (Chongo) who gets no respect from those bad boys, Alex and Thomas....

I don't know how long the film will be running, but I intend to see it next week, probably at the 1:30 showing on Monday, since it fits in nicely with my schedule of non-work in the afternoons.... I'll come back with a review after I check it out.

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ClimbingWeather.com!

Here's an interesting site - ClimbingWeather.com.

The content you'll find there should be fairly self-evident; weather forecasts for locations of climbing destinations around the United States. What an idea! On my bookmark it goes.

The design layout is very simple and not distracting. Easy to see the navigational aspect of the site and find your way around. The Home pages starts by listing each state in alphabetical order, as a headline. Below each state(which is clickable as a whole) are the various climbing areas they cover, clickable in themselves.

The "State" pages open up with a listing of their respective climbing areas, which are linked, and a general overview of the day's weather at them(Hi/Low and chances of precipitation during the day/night). There's also a Google map with the crags pinpointed and linked for driving directions. Finally, there is a comprehensive overview of the topography and year-round climate variables within the state.

When you navigate to a climbing destination's page, you will see a heading that contains GPS coordinates for the area, and a link to online route databases, such as MountainProject.com.

Next comes the weather report... a six-day general outlook with highs/lows/chance of precip and relative humidity. Some pages include professional and semi-pro quality climbing photos specific to the area(photographers are appropriately credited with hotlinks to their websites or online galleries).

Back to the Home Page, of course you will find an "About Us" and contact information, and a search function. Also, an inspiring climbing "Photo of the Moment," and a list of posts, including videos links, from professional climber's recent accomplishments.

All in all, ClimbingWeather.com seems to be an interesting concept that I hope will flourish. Why not take a look for yourself!


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Major Minor Breakthrough(continued)

(This is a continuation of the previous post, so if you haven't read the first part, you might like to start at the beginning.)

So there we were, David, Irina and I, at the belay of Raunchy, with David looking to get started on the second pitch.....

He glances at the sequence, and mentions the massive fir tree that is directly in front of it. Something about being able to get on without backstepping into the it.

He and Irina are discussing that, and I tell them I've heard about one climb where the tree was used by most people, and that maybe this is it.(Though it was me who'd chosen the route, I had done it blindly, and not taken more than a cursory look at the starting description. So - I didn't know the guidebook specifically said it was "okay to use the tree.").

David gave....the impression....that it was a burly start. Not only that, but gear was nonexistent. For several feet. No, make that several meters! He was very careful and focused in his movement, but made his way easily enough.

Of course, David climbs several grades harder than I do.....

Irina went second, and she started out with the tree giving her a leg up too. But she didn't pop to the wall right away, and found getting there more difficult because of that choice.

Watching these two work so hard, and not having checked the book, I did what I am wont to do... Which is - I look at the rock and read the route choices that I see. I am not a stickler for guidebook guidance, actually, and as of yet I haven't had any problems because of it. I use the guide as a route locater, and then - if I am leading, or discussing the line with the leader, I'll read through and see if what I'm reading follows what I see. But that's about it, and once I'm on the route, I let the rock take me where I want to go(up, mostly).

So....I take a look around. And, I see start variations within a few feet. One consists of an easy way onto the face, with a delicate bit of traversing up and back tot the right. Only the first move is easier - much - than what my partners took, and I simply cannot resist taking the path of least resistance.

Once up and in the thick of it, I am making the same sorts of moves David and Irina did, at the same level of difficulty, but I find myself doing the Shawangunk Shuffle, a beautiful dancing sequence back and forth, stepping up and dipping down, for progress. I'm slightly to the left of their route at times, picking away at lichen to uncover holds, and other sections take me through the same path. I am thrilled with the adventure!

Here I am, ecstatic that I'd been able to send the first pitch which, if you read this story's beginning, was a big accomplishment for me. And now I'm "off the book" and discovering marvelous, beautiful movement within the climb.

Then I come to the overhanging section, about two-thirds of the way through the pitch.....

While I was belaying David, I did watch him as he went through that section. I had to - in case he fell, of course. But I noticed something in the rock, a hold that I felt I'd have chosen in lieu of the one he did. I had made a note of it and was looking forward to seeing what I would do when confronted with the reality.

Irina also chose a different way through the overhang, and in her case, I simply watched to see her progress, believing I would not be going that way; it looked more difficult than David's way, and more difficult than what I had envisioned, too.

As I came up to that section, I saw my hold, and it was as good as I'd expected. But there was something that was causing me issue..... David had placed gear right next to and just atop that yardable jug, and of course it needed to come out before I could step up. I'd have preferred, in a perfect world, the gear to be available for my protection, as I'd be heading in a traversing direction, but if it was too close to the move. I'd be struggling into a stance like a little kid crawling into a bed that had been short-sheeted, if I didn't pop the piece.

So, of course I racked the gear, and watched the rope fall into reposition. Unfortunately, the next gear available hadn't set me up for an easy fall. A clean one - as it turned out - and as you can guess, I say that from experience. But before I took that fall, I still had a sequence to figure out and move through.

Seeing the lay of the rope, I fell into old habit. I knew that, if I came off the route, I'd swing. And depending on where I came off, the swing might....hurt. The jug I'd anticipated now was much less an attractive option as the potential for pain in case of fall increased. I didn't even take a look at the sequence to see how difficult it would be. Instead I began a hand traverse in keeping with the rope's line.

On that traverse, my feet encountered...loose rock. Biiiig, rattling loose stones, seemingly sitting on a ledge like glass bottles on the shelf in a curio cabinet.

That was disconcerting.

David had mentioned loose rock, but I wasn't expecting the extent of what my feet had just....moved.

I didn't want to be there, but more certainly I didn't want to add pressure with my legs to gain altitude. I was...uncomfortable. Quickly, I moved back to a stance where I had feet on solid rock to regroup.

The jug step up would have been much safer(for anyone under me!), but it just was no longer viable to me, because I was on auto-pilot and not analyzing my situation clearly. And so I continued on, to make the move I'd seen Irina pull.

Arriving at the section I knew was the meat, I could tell the sequence was going to rely on strength and power, my least developed climbing abilities. But, I went for it. What else could I do? Unfortunately, I wasn't fully in control. I hadn't truly committed to hucking the thing, and as my weight came onto my right arm, I knew I was off my balance. Maybe my right leg was even in air - not sure, but I knew at that moment that I needed an incredible bit of force to propel myself through the move.

I gave it what I had, but I didn't have enough, and off I came.

That was dissapointing, of course, but at least I fell straight down, landing in clean air. Just a few feet below the overhang..... Too far to get back on the route without lowering down to a stance. GRRRRR.

Not that I didn't try, of course, to swing into the face. I did. It was fruitless and I admitted the fact, asking to lower a few feet. Which brought me right to those friggin' loose pieces. Nice.....

I was unhappy.

But I got myself back in line for another attempt. And promptly failed.

Mad at myself for not making the clean move in the first attempt, I decided to prussik and get the hell out of there. I didn't want to waste my partner's time...right back into my old thinking mode.

Unfortunately, something was causing me some fear issues with the prusiking, and I didn't want to stand tall on the leg loop! Actually, what had happened was I made the first step up and was off balance. I fell. Which was a little scary, waiting for that looped accessory cord to catch on the rope..... The damage was done; I didn't want it to happen again, and so I began high-stepping into the foot loop, bending at the knee and sitting on my leg to weight the friction knot.

That gave me an incredibly reduced length available in moving the upper prussik cord. I think I was getting about four to six inches instead of the couple of feet I would have if I was standing on my foot instead of sitting on bent leg.

The added effort was quickly tiring, and after three or four repeats, I looked to check the slack between the prussik knots and my tie in point. It was barely even perceptable! And I had...a way...to go.

That sucked. And I was tired. The adrenaline rush I'd gotten from the original fall, compounded with the second, and more intense, jolt on the prussik, had zapped me. I looked up at my partners, saw the sympathy in their faces and felt I'd let them down.

Then I looked down. And saw the belay we'd been at, directly below.....

The decision was mine. I could continue the prusik - and move my butt - get back on the rock and finish the route. Or lower back to the belay and wait for them, since they'd be coming to it on the rap descent anyway.

To me it seemed a non-choice. I'd fallen off the route; my game had ended. Why draw things out? I lowered.

A strange mixture of feelings swelled within me as David sent me to the ledge below. On the one hand, I'd taken the most efficient choice. They were finished and waiting for me at the top, and I'd been unable to make the climb clean. On the other hand, I was aware that I had given up. Old school says "lower," but I don't think I know anyone who really follows that ethic anymore. I certainly don't climb with them.

The one consolation I came up with during those moments was that, since I'd surrendered at my point of failure, instead of forcing my way through, it would allow me a fresh chance at another time to do the last part of the route with no preview. That has to be worth something.

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Major Minor Breakthrough

This weekend I cruised, albeit slowly and with trepidation, the start of Raunchy(Gunks, 5.8). For a lot of people who know the route, the response to that sentence would be a variation of "....And?", but for anyone who knows me, the response is probably much more enthusiastic.

You see - I seem to have a commitment problem. Or fear of failure, or success, issues. Or something! For much of my climbing path, I've consistently found myself giving up before even trying whenever I come to a place where I can't fully guarantee success.

It wasn't always like that... Well, that's not true. It has been always like that. I recall my first time on real rock(with maybe 10 gym days under my harness) and coming to a mantle sequence. I stopped and sort of went into suspended animation. The guide, who I'd had some conflict with because he thought I was too know-it-allish for a newly minted gymbie, said "So...in the gym, when you come to a tough spot, do you wait for the guys to stop and encourage you?"

He was implying that I was an attention-seeker, I am pretty sure, waiting for all eyes to adore me...

Well...that stung. It really, really did. But how could I explain how utterly opposite the reality was; that when I needed to struggle, or to analyze, or to attempt and then regroup, that what I most desired was to be completely invisible to everyone? That words of encouragement were more apt to shut me down further than to motivate me?

But that was, and often still is, the case. It's an aspect, so far as I can figure, of the PTSD I live with. The feeling of being in a vulnerable place, with others aware of my predicament, sends shock waves through my system. Fight or flight.

I always chose flight. It was the option that included an outcome I could control. In climbing, my version of flight amounts to failing and asking to lower off.

That same guide mentioned above, was partnered with a real old schooler. They were both excellent teachers, but the older one had softened his edge over the years and was more aware of things going on. These guys worked together taking adjudicated kids on wilderness tours; not the "tough love/bootcamp" approach, but to develop teamwork skills and to show them that the world had more to offer than an urban life of crime.

Anyway - the older guy, whose name escapes me, told us that in climbing we would be confronted with our life issues. Our weaknesses, our fears, our defense mechanisms, out ignorance and naivety.

He was certainly correct. At least that's been my experience.

Climbing and the inherent lifestyle has shown me a lot of my insecurities, down to the simplest aspect of fear of being left without(a tent space in a group setting, a climbing partner, a decent belay).

But back to Raunchy.....

I was partnered with my friends Irina and David for the day, with David as the ropegun. As we walked the carriage road, Irina suggested we get on the climb "Columbia." Which we did. It was a nice, enjoyable route, which I didn't have much trouble with until the last move, which entails an overly high step and rockover onto one foot.

I balked.

Couldn't guarantee that move.... And I was peeved especially because right over to the right, just the other side of a tree, was climbing so easy I could have done it unroped.

But the rope wasn't on that side of the tree..... I always choose the path of least resistance and gave David some guff for taking the more difficult line just because he could. He countered, saying the rope drag would have been increased by taking the route I was pointing to. Grrrrr.

After suggesting I might swing the rope over the (15-20 foot tall) tree, and David agreeing, probably just to get me moving somewhere, I realized I was being a wanker. I decided to try the route as my partners had gone, and....made it. Surprised myself, too.

We rapped to the cliff base and David decided he'd like to lead Hyjeck's Horror, which - he did. Then he set a toprope and I lowered him so Irina and I could have a go.

I'd attempted the route(on TR) once early this season, with my friend Diane, and couldn't commit to the step up move onto the little edge about 10 feet up. Fairly certain I'd be watching a rerun, I found myself in the same place, doing the same thing. Or, not doing, actually.... I simply wouldn't commit, even with a steady belayer that I knew wouldn't let me hit the ground.

Irina made the climb and I tried again, only to find myself refusing at the same place. Of course, after I got off, untied my shoes and started to pack up for the next route, I started in with the excuses and through them, began to see(as usual) where I'd foiled myself....

David told me that it's my turn to pick a climb, since he and Irina had chosen the other two. I tried to get out of it, and I know why - I don't want to be the one who makes a bad choice that others have to contend with. For a person who is frequently told I exude confidence, I find it odd that I undermine myself and worry about inconveniencing others so often.

I flipped through the guidebook as we are gathering our gear and snacking, looking for something nearby that would be of a level to challenge David on lead and be something off the three-star beaten path for Irina, who likes to climb onsight. As for myself, I am just hoping to go along for the ride and enjoy myself. I always do - even when I don't climb well.

The routes nearby weren't fitting the above criteria, but finally I come across Raunchy, which I have never heard a word about. But, it has two stars, and so I figure it's probably not going to be a disappointment.

Reading the route description, I note the phrase "thin, bouldery start," and think "Well, it's probably like Classic; a move or two and then a safe stance"....

David accepts the decision, though not with overt enthusiasm, and as we continue to talk, I try to come up with another option...in case(doubting myself). I mention Higher Stannard, and that excites him. He says he doesn't think he's ever actually led the route, which surprises me. So, we get moving and head in that direction, along the base of the cliff.

Not far from Hyjecks, David stops and says "Here's raunchy. What do you think?"

I look at the route - and am.....dismayed. The start is a replay of Hyjeck's Horror. On steroids. I can't even SEE the sequence. Of course, I'm standing 10 feet away, but...still. "Thin" is accurate. The first possible protection is 20 feet off the ground, too.

David gears up, and I tell him I'll spot him until he hits the stance for pro. He tells me he has slipped off the route once before and accepts my offer, reminding me not to try to catch him if it happens, but to push him forward. He casts off and I watch, believing there's no way I can pull the moves, and feeling upset with myself thinking I'll be giving up and sitting the climb out as my partners continue to the second pitch.

Though he doesn't seem in danger of coming off, he doesn't make the climbing look easy, either. That I can plainly see, and I'm glad when he's reached the first, bomber, protection point.

Irina goes second, and she gets the sequence too, but not without working hard for it. I make a pointed effort not to watch her for beta. I didn't notice David's choices either, since I was watching him as a spotter. Even though I don't believe I can make the route, I still have my standards. Beta is a form of lowering the climb's difficulty to me. I like onsight climbing too, and piecing together the puzzle is is my favorite part of the game.

After Irina is safely onto the upper portion of the pitch, I begin to look at the route's start. The internal dialog, telling me where I will probably fall, has begun, but at that point, I recalled a different conversation I'd had with myself as I fixed breakfast earlier that morning.

I'd told myself that, when I came to a difficult part, I was not going to give up; I was going to focus my energy and work through the thing.

And so, as I looked at the thin, slablike face ahead of me, I took note of the divets, crimps and rough patches I could smear on. I heard a voice inside say "David did it, and so did Irina. Others have done this route too. So can I."

I specifically hunted the various points of contact, and told myself "They're big enough. They'll hold me. They're thin, but the pieces are all there; I see the sequence, and I will commit to it."

When I started up, I was challenged as soon as my second foot stepped the ground. But I landed myself, and had good balance. I was on the climb.

I recall that I began to feel the familiar feelings, of vulnerability, insecurity, and the worst of all - that I would waste my partner's time.

This is a very persistent problem for me, and one that takes a big toll. Others will hangdog up climbs, and I'll belay them patiently, but I can't turn the table. I cling to the old school "fall, get lowered off" credo, but it's not an ethic I'm adhering too. Something inside tells me I don't have the right to take more than the smallest share of whatever's being served up.

On lead, this doesn't tend to happen, but that's probably because I am honestly in survival mode. It's one place where I will take what I need, though I take care not to get on routes that have a high potential for risk. But I do know that, in times when I have been struggling to commit, and my belayer voiced impatience, my anger surfaced immediately.

Following or on toprope, though, and these issues are there.

Anyway, there I was. Four points of contact, a decision as to what to do next to be made, and voices telling me I probably can't do it so I should just blow the sequence with a half-hearted attempt.

But then, as I said, I recalled my earlier self-instruction and promise. "NO," I heard myself tell me. "THERE is the foothold. You SAW it on the ground, and you KNOW it is good. TAKE IT."

I did, and I made it! Shifting my weight onto that foot, a sensation of pride coursed through my body at the same time. Solidity! My brain and my body were in unison.

Then I had to make the next move..... The fearful body memories began to bubble again, and I consciously shut them down. "Look! Where's the move? Find it and commit to it.," I commanded myself. I did.

I was making progress, and a hideous crimper I'd spied from below was the hold I needed next. "Dime-edged" like Bachar tends to say, I heard somewhere in myself. "But, it's more like a quarter...I wonder if that is technically dime-edg...." I silenced that dialog, and reminded myself that hundred of people had been able to pull down with only that bit of rock, and so could I. I committed, squeezed down, bounced up, and....made it.

I was actually elated when I got through that one, because that had been a "no way" hold when I first saw it. And yet - it held me just fine. I have never in my life gone off something that thin, and the paradox of such a small edge having such an ability to assist me was a pretty amazing revelation. I knew other people made use of such holds, but I didn't think I would be able to.

Once I got to the section of the climb where I could fully rest, I gave myself the time to enjoy my success, and I even took more time than a minimal "I did it" would require. In fact, I took so much time that I think my partners were ready to tell me to get a move on.....

The crux of the pitch lay ahead, and it gave me a challenge too. I moved a little higher than I should have, where a move upward would be 5.9(as per the guidebook). I knew I was supposed to move left, but I couldn't figure it out, and that sucked. Then David made a comment about going lower, and...well, it was what it was. It was correct, of course. Whether I'd have stepped down on my own, or fallen off trying something else, I will never know. But the step over left was no gimme at any rate; I earned the reward I felt in successfully navigating through that section.

What an incredible sense of accomplishment I felt, when I gained the belay. I'd honestly not believed I would get ten feet off the ground before I'd stepped off it.

Pitch two was an interesting experience too, and if I had made it all the way through, I think my partners would have had to cork my mouth in order to get a word in edgewise the rest of the day. Lucky for them I fell off at the overhang.

Too be continued......


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Ersatz Climbing

Everyone I know who's a climbing addict has times when they're jonesing and can't get a fix. Work, lovelife, family obligations, overuse injuries(let's not jinx it by mentioning the 'other' kind)..... These things get in the way; for the dirtbag livin' it up on the road, and even the sponsored ones. I am no different.

So, when I'm not on the cliffs, I sometimes need a substitute. For some people, the gym fills the need. It did for me, when I first started climbing, but presently my schedule and cash flow allows for no plastic pulling. I haven't been to a gym in six months, and I think it was at least a year's hiatus between that and the time before. And.....well - a gym line is to real rock as a blow-up doll is to a real man. It just doesn't do it(I'd make the girl doll analogy but I have the feeling any guy reading this would...disagree.).

For me, the sub's been through reading. I discovered the climbing forum nearly immediately after my first day climbing, and have been in a co-dependant relationship ever since. It can get ugly, but there are such good times in between...

As any forum junkie discovers - after a while it can become bland and repetitive, similar topics, reincarnated over and over. At least on
some sites....

And then there's the glossies - Climbing, Rock & Ice, Gripped, Climb, Urban Climber.... And, of course, there's Alpinist, though this book defies being lumped with others; it's high quality stuff. When those fail the general outdoors journals like Outside, National Geographic Explorer, Backpacker.... And as things get dry in town, I'll turn to Outdoor Photographer and other rags that have some relation to my adventure hobbies.

I have used all these dru...products, to scratch the itch. Nothing hits like a road trip, but sometimes the road gets less traveled. You know what I mean?

Climbing books? If you think you're better than the ADHD-addled magazine mooch, you're in denali. Ummmm...was that a fruedian slip, or was I just trying to be funny? But what I meant was - it's all the same. Getting straight. Because to the climbing junkie, life seems somehow less lifelike when too much time's elapsed between our last run.

I've run the gamut, and one thing that proves to me I need help(in the form of more climbing, dammit!) is that I recently purchased a laptop computer. My desktop is in rehab(a long term program, I fear, and he may not survive), and I made this decision so I could use it on the road, to blog...D'ya think my blog is just another outlet for my compulsion??? But! The thing is....when I got the laptop, when I realized the newer technology meant it has a dvd player, my first thought was "climbing videos!"

Yeah....I'm a sick one. And perhaps you identify. But if you're reading this far and thinking "I'm not like that. I don't (fill in the blank).", I can tell you it's not the quantity; it's the quality, and what it does to your life. If you just spent the last five minutes of your time here...maybe it's time you took Step One. Yes - admit you are powerless and get out there and get on it! Learn to live with your addiction. It's the easier, softer way.

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No Climbing For YOU(I mean, for me)!.....

How could I have said no? My client, who rarely goes away, asked a month ago if I could do a dog sit for her blind Cairn Terrier, Cali. I knew it would mean a weekend stuck in the city - away from my Gunks home away from home - and no climbing. But I heard that stupid little voice ("Be a good girl, Terrie") reminding me how lucky I was, with my luxe dirt lifestyle(definition to come at some point in a future post), and how well I understood the need to get away. What sort of person would it make me, in denying another that luxury?

So - while you all are out there being weekend warriors, taking road trips or out living the life - I'll be here waiting. Waiting for next weekend, for my next road trip(Halloween SushiFest in the desert!) waiting for April First of next year, when - if all goes to plan(plans that haven't even been laid yet) - things will be changing on this Sucks In The City Grrrl's life.

Ahhhh...pre-reminiscing.....I'll just keep that in my head for now. But, I suppose, with the fall season started, it's time to look at the already-been-had part of this season(which is what's propelling me to take actions to change, as you'll see....).

2007 marks only my 4th year climbing, but I've been lucky. Being self-employed has, at times, given me a lot of freedom to travel and take extended weekends. But this year, it seemed like it stalled out on me.

Returning from my spring trip out west, I found myself in yet another micro-financial crisis(I say micro, because the amounts involved were a pittance compared to what many others would require to feel the squeeze. But when one lives on a cash basis, relying on zero credit, the reality of one's cash flow is a little more clear). At the same time, my newly hired assistant bailed after having worked with me for only a month. With the summer slowdown coming, I knew it would be impossible to hire a new person (But now fall is here - Craigslist Want Ads - here I come!).

So I was stuck doing the weekday work(thank you Nicole, my weekend assitant!). Which meant I finished my work week at 3pm on Friday, and had to be back for Monday....grrrrr. In comparison to last year, when I had my van and could drive whenever I wanted, and was taking off Thursday night or Friday whenever, and could come back some time on Monday....well, you do this math. The answer to the equation is "2007 season = Sucks!"

Well.....not really. I mean, I have been upstate nearly every single weekend since May(late start this year due to weather). I think I missed 3 weekends in total.

Alas - my most regular climber partners were AWL(Absent WITH Leave). One was in Europe for the summer, and the other was tending to her newborn baby. Having been out of the "blind day" partner loop, I found it difficult to locate partners to climb with, and found myself taking plenty of hikes instead. It was so bad that I even considered creating a faux username ar rc.com and pretending I was a newly arrived to the area woman..... Don't laugh! When I started climbing, each time I posted for a partner, I had scores of replies, from guys who had tons of experience(and appreciative of them all, I remain, for through them I learned climbing ethics).

Add to the mix that I dedicate Sundays to trail work. Though my time available at the cliffs has decreased this year, there's just no way I would think of giving this up. I know this season has been an anomoly, and that change is on the way.

So......this year has been a low-impact climbing season for me. I have led only a handful of routes this year and the only "first" that I achieved was taking a lead fall onto a nut (P1 crux of Frog's Head).

In comparison to moments like the lead I took on Bitchy Virgin, this was fairly a non-event.

So - autumn is here - and I have been besieged with so many request for partners that I can't fit them all in. I've got to make up for lost time! I still lead 5.5, still find myself deferring to others when they want to lead, and still give the world's most patient belay while wondering why it's sometimes not reciprocated....

Let's hope the rest of this year brings me many pitches to climb, good leads, and an improvement in making sure I take my share in partnerships.

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Gunks Fall Season Has Arrived!

The e-connection of my computer's still funked, but at least now I have exhauseted all hope of doing a self-fix..... Resignedly, I'm packing the thing up and taking it to the shop this afternoon, where I'm expecting to receive a diagnosis of "fried modem" or something similar.

In the interim..... Despite a slow start on Saturday(morning climbing called on account of rain), the day did an about-face around 10am and a splendid "feels like autumn" day stepped forth. Though it had been raining steadily since late night Friday, the cliffs hadn't even gotten wet. Must have been the direction and angle the precip dripped. Nature had thrown a curve ball in the team's favor and the backside of the Trapps got a nice watering, while the front side stayed cool and dry to the touch. Climb on!

Plenty of people out there, too. Teddy couldn't move ten paces without someone from his fan club stopping to say hello and shake his paw.

I flailed lightly before slipping into the void of "the move" on Shockley's Ceiling. Luckily, I brannish a pair of prussiks like a cowboy does his pistols. Embarrassing - but true.

Still, it was a good day, and later we headed into town for the John Bragg slideshow - first entertainment event of the season. Beautiful pictures, incredible scenery, fun stories - If you missed it, you missed a good one.

The event was in support of the Gunks Climber's Coalition Rescue Fund, and $800 was raised.

Perhpas even more valuable.... was the announcement updating us on the status at the Rosendale Water Works.

If you don't know, this is an area that came into the spotlight a short while back; bouldering has been going on there, to climb what is allegedly(I've never been, nor spoeken to anyone with firsthand knowledge) world class third class..... Word was spreading and whispers of access issues arose in the mix.

Something had to be done....

The GCC has been working with the Mohonk Preserve and Open Space Institute on acquiring this land, and a Letter of Understanding was signed last week. So far as I have seen, the Open Space Institute gets things done, and if all goes as hoped....the Gunks 2008 season will be seeing an incredible new venue for serious bouldering.

I like to boulder, and even though I climb less than V0, can't wait to see how this pans out. Hopefully, many of the area boulderers will be interested in stewardship for this new locale, and will avail themselves of the considerable amount of work that will go into developing and maintaining the space. The Rosendale Water Works will be part of the Mohonk Preserve, which excels in educating preservation ethics, so the place should become a crowning gem in the US bouldering scene.

In other news - when I recently spoke with guidebook author Dick Williams about his progress on the lates edition(updated guidebook to the Near Trapps), he said the writing had been completed!

This was no small task, as the man personally (re)climbed most of the existing routes in order to insure as accurate a book as can be made, while putting in many new routes at the same time. (We joke, a while back, that when he'd written in the earlier guide not to bother with sections of the cliffs duew to loose and dangerous conditions, that he was actually trying to deflect interest because he hadn't been able to snag all the FA's he'd been eyeing!)

Of course, parts of the Nears ARe known to have loose, chossy sections and Williams, in his climbing research, safely trundled rocks that were ready to roll as he came across them. This made for slower progress with his book work, but it's of incredible benefit to our climbing community, and something most of us will never even be aware of. Thanks Dick!

The book has been(or is soon to be) handed to an associate who will put it into Quark for editing, and Dick is going through his picture collections to decide which photographs wil be included in the new guide. He expects the book to be available in stores early next year, in time for the spring season of 2008.

Though many will lament the sure to be expected production that might aptly be called "Gumbys at the Gunks" to quickly run through the Nears, the publication will certainly be a most welcome one by the majority. Not only will many existing routes that have not been included in previous editions come to light, but also variations and linkups, along with new lines put up since the last edition. As happened with the release of the Trapps guide a few years ago, the Gunks will suddenly seem bigger, as people explore lines they'd previously been walking past unawares.

I also heard that the Adopt-A-Crag Skytop CleanUp, which I mentioned a few posts back, went very well despite a rainy day start. Volunteers filled five large bags of trash, the majority of which consisted of plastic water bottles left in situ by hotel guests and day-hikers visiting the property. One need only think about this in juxtaposition to an average Peterskill CleanUp day to comprehend the difference in mindset between those committed to the area(such as climbers and dedictaed hikers) and the person for whom a daytrip to the outdoors is their adventure of the year.

Keep in mind that the next Adopt-A-Crag event will be on October 20th. This is a great way to meet others from the area, give a little back, and get involved.

As well, the New Paltz Film Festival takes place on Saturday, October 6th. There are plenty of events the whole weekend too. Kick off the weekend on Friday night with a slideshow at the Mohonk Preserve Visitor Center. There's a bagel breakfast and climbing clinics on Saturday at the Trapps, the Film Festival that evening, and another slideshow (or film?) at Rock and Snow on Sunday night.


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Road Trip Pre-TR

Busy, busy, busy...I have photos to edit, catalog, email, and post for the Goddesses on the Rocks event I talked about here.

So, instead of making an all-inclusive "here's what happened" report, I'm breaking it down into segments.

The plan was to Amtrak to Boston, where my friend Cheryl would pick me up. We'd stay the night at her place(a very nice little arts& crafts-y bungalow she's got, though I'm not sure if technically it's a bungalow. But I love built-ins and simple, beautiful wood trim, and the place had the original in place.). The next morning, we'd pick up person #3 from he airport, head to a campsite near North Conway, and get in a day of climbing on Friday.

Then, the Goddesses event for the weekend. And, as you may recall, I had no plan as to my transportation back....but obviously, it has worked out, and I am back home, being bombarded with the anxieties and troubles of city-living in the age of advanced technology. yesterday, my AOL service was FUBAR - that should be in 96-point type, by the way - yesterday. SO messed up that I spent more than 6 hours in attempts to diagnose/repair, with less than 15 minutes of that involving human tech support(an epic unto itself, but luckily I saw the route would not go early on, and bailed before committing past the first few moves..... GRRRR).

The train ride - This was stylee mass transport, in my book. I had a few options. Take the Acela, which is supposedly that ultrafast ride.... But at twice the cost, with only a half an hour shaved off in transit time, I felt it was a rip-off, and declined. Maybe there is something I missed that makes it worthwhile....I couldn't say.

They also offered an upgrade from coach class to business on Amtrak. Now, I consider myself a luxe dirtbag, so I automatically rejected the "upgrade" without even checking the price.

Locally, I'm used to taking Metro North to the Gunks, with my dog. I get the stink-eye if I take a seat(they're for 2-leggeds only, apparently) and so I ride in the open section for baggage and bikes, using my cooler for a seat, with Teddy curled around me somewhere nearby. simply having a SEAT is an upgrade for me, so I didn't think I'd mind the coach class train ride.

Well - Let me tell you something! I don't know what business class Amtrak offers, but Coach service has butt width seats and leg room enough for the biggest touron venturing cross country. Plush, clean better than any airline seats, in my experience. I settled in comfortably, and the only distasteful item was that the guy across the aisle was yammering into his cel phone for he entire first hour of the trip. Funnily, his big, oft-repeated topic was how "so and so" suffered from narcissistic personality disorder....

Finally, he got off the phone, and soon after got off the train, and I was left to the quiet of my inner thoughts while I watched the northeast corridor glide past as the sun headed round the horizon.

The drive up next morning, from Boston to New Hampshire, was a highway cruise, but since it was my first trip in the area, I was very happy enjoying the changing scenery as we entered mountainous ranges. Very pretty land, and as we drove the smaller roads the next few days, I saw many wonderful old homes, barns and outbuildings. Another few weeks and the foliage color-shift will make such a trip one to relish.

We camped at Covered Bridge campsite in the White Mountain National Forest.. The campground seems nice, I think, though I don't know what other options are available in the area. It had large, quasi-secluded sites that were clean(in fact, it appears someone comes in with a rake in-between tenants), fresh, cold water that comes from a hand pump down the road(there's something to be said for manual labor in exchange for subsistence). Best of all - there are huge logs set across the roadways, at about 8 feet off ground level, thus stopping any RV or monster-tired truck in their tracks.

Apparently, we were pegged as undesirables from the get-go by the campsite host though... Within a few minutes of our choosing a site and unpacking, he drove up in his golf cart and told us to slow it down in our driving. When we returned from our climbing session in the early evening, a form-letter list of Rules to be Broken was tacked under an item on the picnic table. I'd tented on foliage, it seems, although what I'd actually staked my claim on was the same surface that covered the rest of the tent area(gravel). It did have a carpet of dried leaves, but I honestly wasn't anywhere near putting up on the forest dirt ground. Ahh well... I am not one to piss off the guy in charge of my accommodations. So, I quickly moved my tent.

We then set out to begin our evening meal, and as we were doing so, a car that happened to be the same make and model as ours came careening down the road(that means they were going a little faster than the posted fast-idle posted speed limit). As I saw them pass our site, I told the girls "Watch - we're going to get blamed for that one!"

Sure enough! The host came Barney-Fifing down the road in hot pursuit! Off course, he'd had to get off his chair, call his wife/deputy and into the golf cart beforehand, so it was a few minutes later that he screeched to a halt in front of our site.....

I called out an apology for my tent, but was cut off with an officious "I TOLD you not to drive so fast in here!"

Well! My site mates weren't having any bully bullying them around, and they let him have it! Cheryl EVEN pointed her finger at him while declaring "That wasn't us!"

Luckily, she deflected the situation by explaining the look-alike vehicle and adding something like "We get into enough trouble on our own without having someone else's trouble added!"

He laughed at that one and that was the last we saw of the sheriff while we were in his town....

Climbing - Cheryl took us to a lesser-known crag to climb that day, so as not to lessen our experience with the Goddesses event if we'd be going to Cathedral or Whitehorse Ledges the next few days. She chose a slab area called Lost Horizons, which was just a short ride away from our camp area.

The hike in was...vigorous. At least it was for me... The heat and humidity added a level of exertion, but nobody else in the group(we'd met up with some others of Cheryl's friends) suffered as I did.

I don't know what happened, but after a few minutes, I was having some difficulty in my hike. I had stupidly left my full rack in my pack, not wanting to leave it in the car, which was parked along a busy-enough roadway. I fell back to the rear, and later took a short rest. Continuing on, I felt overheated again in another few minutes and had to stop.

By that point, we were a few minutes away from the crag, and Cheryl(enduro-woman, as you'll see in the photos below) had already gotten there, dropped her pack and returned. She offered to take the rope I was carrying, and I gave no resistance.

I decided to take it easy for the rest of the approach, no matter that everyone else was moving more quickly. But then, a steep section came up, and I found myself feeling a little light-headed. I sat down on a log, thinking it would be a short rest and suddenly I was accosted with a full on attack of dizziness and nausea.

Wow! It was bad. I truly thought I was going to pass out and throw up. So, I put my head down between my knees and waited as wave after wave rolled through my body.

Not sure what was causing the thing, I came up with the idea that I must have had my first menopausal hot flash, and when I tried that excuse out on the others(most of whom had already been there/done that) they didn't buy it..... But, they were good-natured about me and my excuse for physical unfitness. It WAS, I will admit, "that time" of the month, and it was generally agreed upon that the humidity, the semi-stiff approach, my pack weight, and the iron loss probably was what did it. Kindly, the "maybe a few sit-ups once in a while" suggestion was not offered as a remedy for repeat occurrences....

So - I survived, though I didn't feel so great, and was careful to be safe once we began climbing. The crag is a slab that rises into routes that range from 5.4 to about 5.8(so far as I know). The trail at the base is simply a footpath where rock meats dirt, and the angle of the slope continues downward, so any trips or stumbles mean down you go, only to be stopped by the forest of trees.

We climbed about 5 routes, with everyone getting a shot on all if they desired. The easiest routes were simply walk-ups, where no real route-finding is required other than the obvious(Go upwards). But the first bolts were up there, and then there were some run-out sections.

I chose to lead a route that was purported to be 5.6, a grade I'd stand by. And that first 25 feet of slab definitely did keep me on my toes(well, actually not, for I pasted as much rubber as I could get). The thought of coming off, and the awareness that the fall wasn't simply to the cliffside trail but onward and into the woods.... made for a sporty feel.

The first bolt passed and I breathed my relief sigh and continued onward. I don't recall feeling any worry about runout on the route, and the climbing was not too difficult(I lead Gunks 5.5). But the anchor! Oh my.....

I have heard of suspect anchors, but this one was definitely a runner for the title of Miss Manky Anchor. Not bolted, by the way. It consisted of a natural bridge-like bit of rock, with a shallow tunnel under it. The width of the bridge was maybe 8 inches or so, but the rock quality was pure, disintegrating as you watch, choss. It had the consistency of sandcastle material with some pebbles added for texture.

At any rate, the climbing was fun; I do like slab. And the route did require some skill in finding the best path, plus it had two crux-y spots(the first before the first bolt).

Still - I nicknamed this crag the "Green Acres Crag." It seemed every route had something....."off" about it. My lead was the awful anchor. There was a route that appeared to have a HUGE run out with groundfall potential from 60 feet up. It was an illusion....The missing bolt was actually in situ. It just happened to be several feet off the natural course of the route.

Another line had anchors placed at a point where a 60-meter rope meant the belayer had to climb 15 feet off deck(easy 5th class moves) to gain the belay stance. It WAS a nice little dish, although the space was tight for leader/belayer to start out on. Nowhere to anchor the belayer, so the leader had best not come off....

And it seemed that someone had made some effort to clear the slabby face of years of lichen. Except the clear spots tended to be in between where the bolts were placed! The routes tended to go straight through grainy lichen patches, making the routes feel as if peppered with a little local spice.

At any rate, it was a fun day, out climbing with a group of women in a quiet setting. We saw no other people while we were there.

As we drove back to camp, Cheryl stopped just after passing through the campground's namesake covered bridge. She wanted to show us what she called a Party Trick. Now, before you peruse the pictures, I should mention that earlier in the day we had been talking about training regimes (Of which, I volunteered I had none).

Cheryl, on the other hand..... did tell us that one of her endurance exercises includes doing repetitions of pull-ups to exhaustion. The thing is to do 5 pull-ups in a minute, and repeat each minute until incapable. So, you do 5 and then have the "rest" of the minute to rest.... Next mintue, same thing. Supposedly......one starts out with lots of rest time, which lessens as the reps build up.

Cheryl does this for.....45 minutes.


....I know.


So - the party trick consists of climbing, hand over hand, up this iron guyline, and then exiting through the pretty window on the bridge.








She did it in one shot, taking probably about 10 seconds, fully locked off the entire way.


What a sicko!


ADENDUM: 9/14 - I just remembered.... When I climbed with this hardwoamn the first time, it was in JTree on April of this year. She had told me that the day before she and some other chicks had gone to the legendary Gunsmoke to do some bouldering.....

She, having never been there before, and being newish to rock climbing, looked at the traverse(from the overhanging end) and....seeing no feet.... had one of the others boost her to the holds. And she proceeded to CAMPUS the traverse fully to the corner. Clean. Onsite.

ummm...yeah.
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Road Trip!(Just a Quickie)

I'll be disconnected for the next coupla daze, on a short climbing trip. It's about damned time. My last trip was way back in the end of April, for the Supertopo SushiFest.

This time, I'm headed up to Boston where I'll meet up with a climber I met ON that April trip! We're going to Sterling Rope's
"Goddesses on the Rocks" women's climbing workshop, up at North Conway, NH.

This will be my first time in that area, and I'm looking forward to seeing the place. We will head up a day before the event and get a day of climbing in. Sport climbing...if I understand correctly. Do you think I'll succumb, or will I stick to my traditional roots! I dunno, but I'm looking for fun and pretty sure I'll find it.

My friend will be participating at the event, and I am volunteering. I'll be a go-for to whichever group leader I get tagged up with; looks like I will have either Intro to Climbing or Beginner Trad. Either way, it will be a great chance to encourage women to get out there and get at it.

My friend has another person coming for a few extra days, and....I am not sure how I'm getting back home....since I have to travel on Monday, and they are staying in the area. Well.....I'm sure it will somehow work out that someone from the GotR event is headed south....right?

The next Goddesses event is September 29-30, at the New River Gorge. Info on the link earlier in this post. I can tell you these events are fun and a great way to network with other women climbers. And an easy way to get to see a new climbing area!

See you next week!

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Wanna Go To SkyTop(and Not Pay the Ginormous Fees)?

Everyone knows that climbing at Skytop has been unsanctioned (or off-limits, if you don't know what that means....) since the mid-nineties. Well, maybe not everyone, but at least most locals and people who've visited the place. Or have considered coming. Or might in the future, or have talked to someone who thought about coming.... Might as well be everyone!

And most of THOSE people people are aware that the start of the 2007 climbing season saw a hallamrk in history, where Skytop became officially available to the...masses....again.

Well, at least the masses who could afford a two-night's stay at the Mohonk Mountain House and a guide fee "adjusted slightly upward," to defray the costs of coordinating guests with the activity, I suppose.

Jealous? Wishing YOU had the guts to just sneak in and reach for the Skytops routes? I THOUGHT so!

Well - here's your chance.... Read the bulletin below, and sign up now!*
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On Sept 15th and Oct 20th, 2007 Two Adopt-A-Crag Days Scheduled

Note: This text was directly lifted from the Gunks Climbers Coalition site.

The Gunks Climbers' Coalition, in cooperation with the Mohonk Mountain House, is pleased to announce that our first Adopt-a-Crag event this year will take place at Skytop on Saturday, September 15, from 9 AM to 1 PM. We are seeking twelve volunteers on a first-register, first-served basis (the number is limited by insurance restrictions) to collect litter in the talus apron around the crag. Send an email to: GCC@gunksclimbers.org to register for this event. More details will be provided once your registration is completed.

In cooperation with Minnewaska State Park Preserve, we will also be holding a second Adopt-a-Crag day of trail maintenance and micro-trash removal at Peter's Kill on Saturday, October 20. Click here for more information.

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* I didn't specifically say, in this post's title, that you could climb. Just asked if you wanted to go!

I know, I know....You may be mad at me for "making" you read this post, all just to announce an opportunity to volunteer with your fellow climbers. I'm sneaky that way.

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Work In Progress

Nearly anyone who's been a visitor to the Gunks in the last several years recognizes the location in the picture above. It's the "Bunny Slope!" Located in the Trapps, this steep section abuts the rock wall as you come into the Uberfall area.

It's not actually part of the cliff, as it consists of a mixture of loose rocks and dirt. Corralled by a low fence of Gunks conglomerate laid down by volunteers on a National Trails Day in the 1990's, the slope is anchored in place by a few small trees and partially buried boulders. It's not really talus, nor is it woodland. The Bunny Slope inhabits a sort of netherworld between rock and (carriage) road.

I've only been a preserve member for the last four seasons, but I've passed this spot hundreds of times. As for the natural beauty that dominates the preserve, this spot seems a bit of an apparition. Because the slope is very fragile, even the smallest amount of interaction with humans(a child allowed to scramble on it, a dog left to dig for buried treasure, or a belayer with a less than average level of common sense), the majority of the section is roped off with accessory cord, and hung with a sign that advises "Slope Restoration in Progress," reminding us to stay off.

I assumed that the timeline for this particular restoration process was to be measured in generations, if not centuries. Being that the ethic of the Mohonk Preserve is to allow the land to regenerate to a pre-industrial era state, I just thought that over time - lots of time - the idea was that silt would wash down from the enormous off-width fissure behind the Herdie Gerdie block, eventually creating..... well, something more attractive than what we see above, at least.

Not to be so! In fact, the revolution has already begun. Volunteers who work on trail maintenance in the climbing areas of the preserve have spent the last few Sundays preparing for major restoration of the Bunny Slope.

A little over a month ago, we began harvesting rocks form the talus slope to the west of the area. Most of these have already been used though, in the creation of a "patio-type" surface at the base of the Herdie Gerdie Block, which was phase I in this project - to preserve, protect and highlight an area what is tantamount to the "Gateway to the Gunks."

Some might think that this is all simply an unneeded "beautification project;" even unethical, since the preserve looks to recreate an environment reminiscent of the early 19th century. But they would be incorrect in that supposition. The layer of rock actually serves to protect the fastly-eroding slope that fronts that highly-trafficked spot.

As you can see in the photo someone is just starting up "Nurdy Gerdie"(a/k/a "Dogs in Heat," a 5.10+(crack around the corner is off-route) face climb. That, and the two more popular routes on that short bit of rock easily see more than a dozen ascents on an average weekend day in season, frequently groups of three or more, including posses of families and other bystanders. People scamper over that short slope, set out picnics, kick at the dirt out of bored habit as they lock off their hang-dogging partner.....

In short, the area sees a tremendous amount of abuse, which is only increasing as gym climbers not yet (or never to be) experienced with placing gear on lead flock to the easily accessible top-roping climbs of the Gunks.

It wouldn't be so much of a problem had a few poor old trees not had the foresight to realize how much the neighborhood would change when they set down roots before most of us were saplings.....

Root damage.

It's an aspect of conservation that even the most conscientious of us may be unaware of. You see - when we tread over a tree's root system, we wear off miniscule bits of the protective layer that is utterly necessary to insure the health and natural life-span of that tree. Over time, any tree with exposed roots (which is a prevalent feature in the Shawangunks area) will suffer due to this loss of "skin." With extreme abuse, the tree simply cannot survive.

The Herdie Gerdie block is partially popular because it offers shade from a hot summer's sun. That shade comes from the few trees growing in the vicinity. Trees that see such a tremendous amount of irritation to their roots that they surely can't stay healthy if the trauma were to continue.

To counteract this problem, volunteers placed rocks within the spaces of the labyrinth of roots. Building up a sub-floor that allows for proper drainage(for built-up moisture would rot the roots and kill them even more readily than being trammeled), the "patio" protects the tree roots while at the same time also provides climbers a safer platform to work from. No more tripping over intertwining roots as belayers shift stances. Climbers coming off from a low level won't risk an ankle-breaking impact by hitting an uneven surface.

After completing that work, we went out in search of more rocks to use in our reclamation project of the Bunny Slope. Last Sunday, we spent an entire morning trundling from the lower talus slope in the vicinity of the "Stairmaster," or East Trapps Connector Trail, as it is officially know as.

As most people know, trundling rock is a BIG no-no at the Gunks. It's dangerous too, as impact from even an incredibly small rock coming from above can be fatal.

And that's just for innocent bystanders! Imagine standing in the talus field, amidst a herd of heavy smallish boulders(Gunks Conglomerate, the local breed of rock) weight 155 pounds per cubic foot). Each rock rests upon the one below it, sometimes solidly. Sometimes very precariously. Sometimes the top rock anchors the ones below.... Move one - and you have potentially upset the masses. Move the WRONG one, and the herd stampedes!

I was well aware of this aspect of talus-picking, as I got my on-the-job. I didn't want my tombstone epitaph to read "Trampled While Trundling." Even one of those bulls on the run would have snapped my leg like a tiny twig if it had cut loose. The fact that the rocks crash against each other, emitting a smell very much like that of explosives, also helps put everything in perspective.

In fact, I DID have a close call at the day's start, when a rock reoriented itself and landed on my pinky. I hadn't even touched it; simple vibration from....somewhere... seemingly launched the motion, and it made a minor adjustment. The pain was severe, and I really was worried about what I'd find when I removed my workglove. The rock had been only about the size of a Honeydew melon(which meant it weighed somewhere around 20 pounds), but I half-expected to see a mangled and bloody fingertip. I was very relieved to see just a red bruise.

In case you wonder why I mention all this - it's to apprise anyone not aware of the inherent danger. Do NOT try this at home(if your home away from home is an area where rocks hang out).

One unintended benefit of the trundling is that one intentional avalanche opened up a beautiful vista in the lower talus field we were working in. Al, a longtime trail crew volunteer, had nudged two small rocks(by trail crew standards, though the rocks weighed about 70 pounds each), and the shift set in motion a rock slide that brought down a great cache of sizable rock. We'll gather and use them for the retaining walls we create on Bunny Slope.

If you happen by the Connector Trail in the next few days, you may notice the pile. They sit at the talus base about 20 feet west of the wooden trail marker sign. You would recognize them because they seem to have been attacked my a Tick Marking Maniac! White chalk-like scars, about three to four inches long, seemingly point to many of the corners on these rocks. The pile has the appearance of a natural rockslide, which it was, even though started with a helping hand.

Bring your eyes upward to the large multiple-trunked tree that grows about 40 feet up from the carriage road, and notice the wonderful rock ledge the tree is growing from. It almost has the appearance of a sculpted oriental garden...on a grand scale, of course.

Another benefit that came of Al's slide was the displacement of "a few good men;" boulders that are going to be the cornerstones of our project. By moving two melon-sized rocks, the cascade let loose about 50 others, which in turn allowed the downward march of some hefty hunks of the Gunks. These rocks a BIG - probably weighing close to a thousand pounds and the size of dorm refrigerators. Earlier this week, Dick Williams, who leads the trail crew, worked with another preserve volunteer, on the removal and transportation of these boulders. They are to be brought down to our work-site in the jaws of a bull-dozer type machine.

You'll see the smaller rocks we have gathered already at the work area; we've plied them on the edge of the carriage road, near but not impeding, at the starts of Bunny, Retribution, Bo Solution and Nosedive. This rock pile consists of an estimated eight tons of rock! Thanks to ranger Bob Elsinger, who assisted in loading his Preserve tuck and hauling them to the destination. Eight times. The pickup had a load limit of one ton before the bed began to bottom out, and so back and forth we went. This constituted about 3 1/2 to 4 hours of steady work.

So - If weather permits, and enough volunteers arrive, we will begin placing these rocks on Sunday. This is going to be hard labor, and strong people are needed to do the job. If you've been wondering about how you can give back in a place that has given you so much, this might be your opportunity! We meet atop the Steel Bridge at 9am.

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