OK, if you can do two pull-ups from a dead hang, please have the kindness not to be throwing out challenges to pull-up contests at the FaceLift. No need to embarrass anyone, eh?
Grin. MH, I don't have a competitive bone in my body. My frustration with the chin-ups is that I seem to be going in the reverse in the strength department.
Cognitively, I get the legs before arms idea (true in many other sports, your power comes from the ground and big muscles tire less easily than the finer ones), but I seem to have an issue with sticking to the rock unless I use my shoulders/arms. The blood drains right out of 'em and I'm back to where I started. Figured the chin-ups would help my arms adapt to reduced circulation. My completely uneducated guess is that I'm doing something back a&&wards...no doubt I'll get schooled but good in Sept., eh? ;D
Haven't found anyone to climb with yet in the Boston area, alas, hope springs eternal...
Haven't found anyone to climb with yet in the Boston area, alas, hope springs eternal...
Have you tried Mountainproject.com? Try posting a "looking for a climbing partner" in the Eastern States section. I know there is a website that focuses more on that area but can't remember the name right now.
You should have no problem finding partners, especially if there is an indoor facility in your area.
Hey, thanks, Prod! Will check the site out. For now, just taking advantage of free climbing on the wall at the local REI. ")
Still don't get why my legs refuse to listen, but I suspect it's a reptile brain thing -- just haven't climbed enough to override the natural instinct to cling to the rock like a life ring. lol
Actually them reptiles got it down; hold on loosely but never wrestle with 46.
Hey, speaking of holding on loosely, who put the harness on the munchkin?
Good thing she still has a foot on the ground.
Just back from OR. Only stopped in for a few hours today but still got to chat with Jello, the Kloeberdanz Kid, Hot Henry, ElCap Pirate, and lots of other people who apparently, judging by their reactions, have never seen a zombie gun with a tactical scribe.
So Lila, you don't need to be able to fire off chin ups to get a few of these good folks to take you up a couple of 5.6s between your duties at the Face-off.
my son's mother was adopted in Santa Barbara and was never able to find out who were her birth parents, so i have some understanding of the feelings involved
Python Ron... ") Really glad to hear you had what sounds like an excellent visit (nothing like raising a few eyebrows, eh?!). And you are spot on that the Muppet's harness wasn't fully tightened down -- this was actually intentional because she didn't like the harness much at all (the rope even less) -- and I wanted her first experience to be a positive one. My only goal was to get her excited about the prospect of scrambling around on the rocks. Guess it worked, because the first question out of her mouth this morning was: "Can we go look for little rocks today, Mum?" Practically knocked me flat. How lucky can one person be?
Tom C.: Thanks very much for the warm welcome. Really enjoying your thread on intention and awareness.
Just a quick note to say thanks so much for all of your encouragement and support, without which I would still very much be invisibly alone on this journey. Instead, during the last six months you've shown me how very connected indeed, we all are, and for this I am ever grateful.
I'm all packed for the Facelift (a first, not being much of a planner - lol), and am so excited to see Yosemite and to take part in such an amazing volunteer effort. Also planning to attend the Oakdale Climbers Festival in October, so if I don't see you at the Facelift, I hope to see you there.
You are packed already????!!!!! That's impressive. I am just in the early stages of thinking about thinking about planning to pack. Ha ha!
Agree that you need not worry about pullups, the legs are where most of the action is at and while that may be counterintuitive at first, it becomes natural with experience.
Love that name... Audrey is my daughter's name! :-)
Got more pix?? I KNOW she's been dyin' to go climbing, tho she'll probably get some good chances at Facelift and beyond, if someone will watch her little one. I, for one, will volunteer for that one tho the little one may have other ideas!
Perhaps we can arrange for her to not only meet some of her father's friends, but also to climb one of her father's routes. We'll figure something out.
Right Side of the Footstool seem fitting, located a few hundred yards east of the beginning of The Nose. She'd probably like the setting with The Nose rising above and out of sight! And her Muppet could watch from the talus.
More challenging and less accessible are East Arete of Penny Pinnacle and Arrowhead Arete.
That was more fun than any human being should ever be allowed!!!!!
The afterglow is still burning (in my heart and the many howling muscles I never knew I had) and I am so grateful for Ben's incredible patience and excellent teaching. The views of the Camden area were absolutely spectacular...and the fresh Maine air...it will be tough to beat what was a perfect day.
Here are a few shots courtesy of a friend of mine from Germany I hadn't seen in over 20 years -- thank you, Thi!!!
Credit: LilaBiene
Credit: LilaBiene
Credit: LilaBiene
Edit: The muppet is staying home this year -- it will be more fun for her next year, I think. ")
No desert towers or overwhelming monolithic massifs here, just the classic NE experience.
Lichen, thought-provoking face climbing, small gear to clean, views of the ocean.
Call and response of a rope team, the pleasure of topping out, the mechanics of belaying and rapping.
Like a fish to water, she was.
First look.
She covets. Studying the lead rack.
"El Cap's only a little bit taller than our cliff."
Belay duty.
Mantling, and a second pitch of really nice .7 climbing.
Mid-cliff to top.
Coming down.
Another couple of pitches followed, although we were too far removed at that point to get any photos. Tell Thi 'nice pics', Audrey! Belay-seat Ledge makes a good photo/napping spot.
So here, now.
Don't go spoiling her with sporto bolted routes, endless cracks, chalked-to-hell obvious holds, and the rest of that nonsense. We'd like that she come back and visit us occasionally.
Let us know!