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Rad

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Posts posted by Rad

    To Tape or Not to Tape?

    in Rock Climbing Forum

    Posted

    I was bouldering at the UW wall and 'The Coach' who uses about a roll per hand was telling me about his latest plan to bike to the Sierras and climb this and that when a young woman came up and asked if we had any tape to spare. I had just run out that day and I apologized and said as much. Without skipping a beat the coach turned his head and barked 'NO!' The poor girl slinked away probably thinking we were both assholes.

     

    Coach from the UW outdoor wall? Is that guy still around? He might be the reason earphones were invented.

    Parents have to learn to ski?

    in Kids

    Posted

    When my youngest was 2.75 we put him in a ski lesson at Whistler. He bonked and fell asleep face down ON the magic carpet. A year later he was having fun and starting to wedge and turns and stops. The older two really didn't start weekly lessons until 4/5 and that seemed to work well.

     

    I snowboard and all three kids are starting out skiing. We ride together and it's fine.

     

    I agree with Gene and Curt that the recipe for success is to #1 make it fun for them and let them stop when it's not, and #2 get some professional instruction if you can afford it.

    [TR] Burkett Needle - East Arête "Repeat Offender" (FA) 9/11/2011

    in Alaska

    Posted

    Wow, normally I'm pretty far on left on the tree-hugger scale, but I find myself bristling at some of the objections here. How many of the heli-haters have been to Waddington? Should we shut that down too? What about flying to Spain or Thailand or Chaimonix for climbing vacations? Best to bicycle to the gym and call it good, I guess. :rolleyes:

     

    I'm contemplating a similar style and wrestle with all the carbon concerns mentioned. As much as I might like to spend a month schwacking through the brush and sitting in a tent on a rainy glacier drinking scotch with a bunch of stinky dudes hoping a weather window will open, it just doesn't square with my other obligations. So smash and grab sounds a hell of a lot better than sitting on the couch. And yes, maybe I should take extra steps before and after a trip to reduce my footprint in other ways. sickie

     

    Regarding the self-promotion, John is clearly stoked about his adventures and shares that energy. I think that's great. His trip sponsors may even require some degree of promotion. Either way, maybe he'll inspire others to push their own limits, or maybe take steps to reduce their carbon footprints. Surely that's better than going and not telling the world what an amazing wilderness we have in BC that should be protected.

     

    On a lighter note:

     

    Zac Hoyt whom I've met a few times flew in to snag the first winter ascent of the Devils Thumb a few years ago and fell into a crevesse on his hike out to the sea (he thought he'd save some money hiking out instead of getting picked up). As a result a large, helicopter assisted rescue ensued.

     

    So maybe he got the heli ride out for free then! :fahq:

    Stoke from a "regular dude" who climbed V15

    in Rock Climbing Forum

    Posted

    Regular dude climbs V15

     

    His comments capture the essence of climbing stoke/obsession for me: choose an objective a little beyond your perceived limits and go for it!

     

    "I am well aware that this ascent is nothing 'special' for the world, not even for the climbing world. Boulder problems that hard are being flashed these days, but this ascent showed me again, no matter what grade you are climbing, that if you really, really want to do something hard or over your limit, then don't put your head in the sand. Stand up and go for it.

     

    You may you have to fight hard with yourself—to think, dream, and literally live it, but that experience is something you can't buy anywhere and there is no number to express it. Even if you are not a 'wonderkid,' even if you are not a climbing-pro and have to deal with daily work; you can climb pretty crazy stuff. "

    Exit 38 Deception wall voluntary bird closure

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    I came across the nest a couple of weeks ago. It is located just above the top chains of The Overture an 11a on the Upper Right part of Deception Wall. This route barely gets any traffic despite its four star rating because of the difficult approach, and tricky moves at the start. Its not a big loss to have this route off limits for a couple of months.

     

    IMHO Overture deserves the four stars it gets. One can start from the trestle, lead to the top, and lower back to the trestle with a single 60. Unlike many other routes in the area, it's not soft for the grade and is intimidating to see and climb. The reward for pulling over the final roof is memorable, or was for me.

    Sport Climbing Near Washington

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Approximate driving times from Seattle:

     

    X32 - 35 minutes

    X38 - 40 minutes

    Index - 75 minutes

    Erie - 100 minutes

    Nason - 100 minutes

    Leavenworth - 2 hrs.

    New Halem - 2.5 hrs

    Vantage - 2.5 hrs

    Fossil - 3 hrs?

    Mazama 3+ hours.

    Spokane - 5 hrs?

    Smith - 6 hrs?

     

    Finally, a big part of the fun is meeting local climbers and finding out what they like best. They can help you put together a tick list that will keep you busy and psyched. You can meet folks on this board, and even in this thread who are probably willing to take you on a tour of their favorite areas. Enjoy!

     

    And when you meet locals you can connect with those that have racks to do some of the great routes of the NW, including Davis Holland Loving Arms. Outer Space. The Grand Wall at Squamish. And many, many others in the mountains and elsewhere.

     

    Sport Climbing Near Washington

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Fossil rock, Erie, Rosario Beach haven't been mentioned.

     

    Bottom line: there is TONS of sport climbing within a few hours of Seattle. Try as many areas as you can. Also, you didn't mention whether you're looking for 5.7, 5.10, or 5.13. This may substantially affect your decisions.

     

    Exit 32/38 have a lot of sport climbing, although I'm not sure I would characterize it as quality.

     

    Then you haven't found the great lines yet. There are hundreds of routes at a wide range of grades, and the best rival the best at any other WA area. X38 has many crags, each with a different character, so definitely don't extrapolate from one to others. Conversely, there are some crappy routes at every area.

    How much protein?

    in Fitness and Nutrition Forum

    Posted

    I'm curious to see what John and other knowledgable people have to say. As a tip from a cyclist cousin, I started Whey supplements a few years ago and it over time it had an impact. I'm probably in the 1.3 to 1.5 range and am not keeping close tabs.

     

    As John mentioned, diet is only one of many factors affecting performance. Don't neglect the others. If rock is your preferred medium, I suggest you read Goddard and Neumann's Performance Rock Climbing. They do an excellent job of explaining and illustrating the principles about how to improve technique, mental/psychological elements, and strength (power, endurance, anaerobic, aerobic). Staying healthy and injury-free is an art and science as well.

    04.07.12 Accident at Exit 38

    in Climber's Board

    Posted

    Sad to hear. Hope all is well and that she heals quickly. Kudos to the response teams.

     

    Many far side crags have significant belayer/climber communication challenges due to wind and noise from the freeway. If it's the 10c I'm thinking of, you can't see your belayer either. Always agree on a plan before you leave the ground.

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