mtngrrrl

Great thread! My sprout turns 14 months next week. When did you all get your kids started?? I think it's time for a gym field trip... he hasn't been there since he was a few months old.

I climbed for the first two months of pregnancy, then stopped. My doctor, also a climber, discouraged it. She compared falling to getting into a car accident. You can pick up speed quickly and it's the jolt at the end that's the issue. The jolt can cause the placenta to shear, which would have dire consequences. I actually talked to Lynn Hill about climbing pregnant, and I'm pretty sure she stopped climbing as well. But she got right back to it 28 days post delivery. Dang!! Guess that's why she gets paid the big bucks. Anyway, I decided it wasn't worth it. Climbing would always be there for me, but I wanted to make sure my kid got the benefit of a good start. It wasn't easy to give up climbing, however as a side benefit I do think any residual tendonitis is totally gone. As for harnesses for pregnant women who plan to climb, I would go with full body. On another note, DFA, check back when it's appropriate for your "patient" and ask about breast-feeding and climbing long routes. I just recently realized these were two incompatible goals. [i did ponder pumping on a portaledge.] For anyone who doesn't understand, I have one word for you: engorgement. Sounds sexy and um, ample, but ouch!! It's going to be all baby-friendly roadside climbs for me this year. Now if we can just figure out how to protect his wee head from any potential rockfall... Any tips?

Thanks!! It was tough this fall, giving up what would have been my first trip to the valley. And I thought I would be crying through ski season, too, but not so. It's been interesting to read how some kids take to climbing and others do not. Our hope is that s/he will, but we'll see what happens. There is one little girl I used to watch at the gym who just seemed so happy to be there with her parents. She had joie de vivre like I've never seen. I can hope for that!

We'll be looking for you guys in a year or so. The bun's due to be baked in 5 weeks! Yee haw! I only hope my climbing shoes will still fit.

Thanks for the post. After the last sausage-fest Banff FF in Seattle and the lack of women in the Alpinist, I was wondering if women were doing much of note in the alpine these days. (Lisa Rands climbing E8 or whatever is interesting, but not really the same.) Nothing against the guys who are doing great stuff. It's just nice to be inspired by women, too, sometimes.

I practiced at Marymoor rock in the rain a drizzle of years ago. It worked fine.

When our cats wore out the sisal on their cat-scratching post, I rewrapped it in climbing ropes. They like it OK. I've also made a small rug by looping rope into a flat coil and whip-stitching it together with embroidery thread and a curved needle. It doesn't take very long, and it's easy. You, too, could make a fabulous rope rug! Just PM me for the materials and you could carpet your whole house and your neighbor's too...

Gotta agree with Minx and Dryad on this one. That's exactly what I thought when I started reading this thread. You've already got a rope, so spend the money on a gym membership this winter and become a stronger climber before sinking the cash into gear that you won't be ready to use for a while. Or spend it on gas money to drive your rack-laden partner to the crag. Any good friend / climbing partner would let you try out their rack with the implied notion that if you weld it, drop it or lose it, you'll replace it. Following and building trad TRs are both great ways to learn about gear without the pressure of the sharp end. Trying out other people's gear lets you decide if you like those (damn) curved nuts (that my lame partner bought) or not. For example!

I climbed it. Thought it was plenty fun and not over-bolted. Thanks Leland. I and my Oregonian partner had a great time. I hope a compromise can be reached and that the route remains. Yeah, I do think hundreds of climbers have been up there by now, but anyone who thinks a trail has been "built" hasn't hiked up there. Static Point and Darrington are both fun, too. I recommend all areas, but I recommend packing extra courage for Static Point.

I worked in a climbing gym for two years, and we always taught people that climbing outdoors is different and required more knowledge and training. Most gym climbers aren't eager to get into the backcountry for climbing. Exit 38 is a thrill and Smith is a HUGE deal to most of them. Yes, we see inexperienced people at crags. I was an inexperienced cragger once, long before I ever climbed in a gym. I've also seen plenty of inexperienced people on multi-day backpacking trips, ill-prepared day hikers on Mt. Washington in N.H., uninformed snowshoers in avy territory and bicyclists on the STP who can't change their own flat tire. Maybe the problem is more about store-to-activity transitions, that is, people who get the gear to do X activity, but don't bother to learn anything more about it. Think about REI's ad campaigns in recent years: "Gear you Gotta Have". That one really irked me. It's siren's call to the masses with cash to burn on things they don't even need. As much as people like to bash the Mounties around here (I've done it too), most people take their classes to prepare themselves. It's great that there is a large organization out there that offers some training for people who feel responsible enough to learn something. So to me, a big issue is people who are lazy and don't bother to learn about what they're doing. This trickles down into impact and access issues.

I've taken both sets of parents to Dungeness Spit for a nice beach walk. Can be as long or short as you want to make it; http://www.dungeness.com/refuge/

Thanks for the clarification.

I wouldn't really consider Vesper a "beginner" peak if you do the climbing route (as opposed to the scramble/hike), but it would probably be a great experience if you're with someone who is more experienced. Route-finding can be an issue for the start. As a newbie, you might find the short but steepish glacier crossing and the north face looming above you to be intimidating, though the climb is fun. Plus since the descent is different than the route, you'll have to lead with a pack on, carrying ice axe, crampons and all your other stuff instead of leaving your pack at the bottom and coming back to it. The Tooth, Kangaroo Temple and Ingalls are more like "beginner" alpine routes to me and good routes to cut your teeth on. YMMV. Depends on what you're a beginner at -- climbing technique, gear placement & anchors, route-finding, etc. Have fun!