Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Greg Crouch, Goleta CA, must be related to my old econ prof from the U there? He was a tough-minded fellow as I recall...
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Inner City: Hilarious.
That's my dad.
Any day you want to have a chat with him (or get a bet down), he can be found nursing a vodka martini in the Elephant Bar between 3:30 and 5:45 p.m.
Or at the Old Town Tavern around noon.
Or at the Breaktime between 6:00 and 7:00
You can take the man out of England, but you can't take England out of the man.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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I knew it had to be your Dad, Greg.
He was an interesting professor back in the days of pre-history when I was there. He'd not suffer fools well as I recall. Calling people out in class for reading the newspaper in the back of a giant lecture hall. He'd certainly be confiscating some I-phones were he still at it, I suspect.
I think I recall seeing him at the elephant bar many many years ago. That has been a long-running tradition. I'll take the Ravens plus the points!
Also must say that your book Enduring Patagonia was very enjoyable.
Best,
David Reid
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Thanks, David. Generally a good idea to take the points, and to pick only one game, the one you think has the best price... watching Dad's "players" through the years has been a abject lesson in the stupidity of man. They're financing my son's college fund, however, so I'm the last person who'll complain.
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Bldrjac
Ice climber
Boulder
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Hi Greg! Pam (Roberts) here! I'm a bit of a stalker on ST, but it's been very good to me since Jack died, so I stay loyal. Hope you are well!!!
Welcome to this odd collection of people! :-)
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ms55401
Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
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enjoyed the book so much I bought it twice (I couldn't find the first one, so I just bought another)
Patagonia virgin here, heading down to Chalten in November with a rope and a rack, no partners, hoping for the best.
also, I think GC wrote about Kichatna Spire a few years ago -- liked that a lot too. So much to climb (or not) in the world ... still
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Greg, just back from the Creek. See you in the Bay Area, we should hatch some plans....just like the old days!
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Jim, I need a new fracking hip! How is it that I'm the one of the two of us with the 70-year old hip?
Hope you had a good time out in the Creek.
55401: So glad to hear you've enjoyed EP. Good luck down there in the coming season.
And PAM! What a thrill. And so sorry about Jack's accident. Such a loss. But so glad I got to climb with him back in the day. We had a couple of great climbs, best of all from my perspective being a trip up The Fang, which was a really big deal to me at the time, just as I was getting a handle on what I might be able to get done. Jack was always very generous to me with his knowledge, which I much appreciated. Hope you're doing okay. That's the aspect of climbing I truly despise. Truly despise.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Feb 10, 2013 - 10:08am PT
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Having a strange climbing and Patagonia related experience here in California this morning -- my 12-year old son Ryan is reading Enduring Patagonia
It's pretty great to see how much he's enjoying it, but it also raises a pretty serious question about what it means to be a parent, and a climber.
Of course I love climbing, and as an individual, it defines who I am as much or more than anything else, and I'd be delighted to teach Ryan to climb -- if it's something he genuinely wants for himself.
But I don't think it's right for me to make him into a climber just because I'm one. The sport is just too damn dangerous, as any deep perusal of these threads makes obvious.
We've done a little gym climbing and have taken a few trips up to Yosemite and Tuolumne, which have been great, and great experiences for Ryan, but I haven't pushed it too hard. We only go when Ryan asks to go, which he hasn't done very often -- just a time or two a year.
If Ryan wants to be a climber, I feel like it should be his decision as much as possible, one that he makes when he's a little older than he is now, when he's grown into more of his own person. This is one passion I really don't feel comfortable pointing him too strongly toward without him wanting it for himself. I have a pretty strong intuition that I shouldn't force feed it to him.
Of course, when the time comes, if he wants to learn, I'm going to be delighted to teach him. And I'm going to want to do it.
I'd also be very interested in hearing from other parents how they've dealt with this issue. To me, it feels like a big one.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 10, 2013 - 10:24am PT
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I'm w/you on this one, Greg. Climbing is my thing, not my kids. They are still sort of little (6,6, and 8), and I take them climbing every few months or so. They go out scrambling and running around in the wilderness all the time, but roped climbing not too often;....usually only when they ask or we are going w/other families who want to take their kids climbing. My kids love computer games, soccer, tennis, basketball, mountain biking, baseball, swimming;...that is their thing. I support those activities more than I support climbing. Climbing is my thing, not theirs. Climbing is a dirty and dangerous sport. I would rather see them surfing and snowboarding too......less likely to get snuffed and they can meet those cute rad surf/snowboard girls;...........(we got to hang out with the dirty camp four girls;....with their bad habits and foul mouths......worked for me, but probably not for them....).....
My son Von, who is handicapped and has CP, was scrambling and bouldering a few days ago in Indian Cove in Joshua Tree Nat. Park......he said, " Dad, will you teach me how to rock climb better. I want to be a good rock climber."....and I said, "Sure, Von....we can do that."......so there you go........
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Feb 10, 2013 - 10:34am PT
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Killer pic, Todd! And very nice to get your thoughts on this, too.
Hope you have fun with Von on the steeps!
Cheers, Greg
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Feb 10, 2013 - 10:35am PT
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Crouch...
Pffft!!!.....
Friggin poser
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 10, 2013 - 06:48pm PT
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Greg...your post is a topic a lot of people here wrestle with. It will get lost attached to this thread, you should consider starting a specific thread for it
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Feb 10, 2013 - 06:57pm PT
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Don't know if I've got the guts to start a thread, Jim... don't you have to be a senior and respected member of the supertopo community to be entrusted with such responsibility?
Not sure I'm qualified to do it.
I'll try and summon the courage to make it happen. ;-)
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