After working all night at UPS and getting home at 4:30am, I woke up at 6:30am with Nicole and Ava. We dropped Ava off at her babysitter's house and headed to Round Top Elementary School where Nicole teaches Dance Education. I was asked to come share a hobby at the Hobby Fair so of course I chose Climbing (I thought about including ballet, kayaking, and skateboarding but you only get about a minute with 5-10 children at a time).
Luck Table #13
I set up my table and got ready to go. Some of my favorite highlights are:
"Hey guys this is a Carabiner."
A Carabiner
"What do you think you call a Carabiner that locks?" Blank stares... so I tell them "a Locking Carabiner!"
Locking Carabiner
"What do you think you call a Carabiner that locks automatically?" Blank stares again. I ask,"Any guesses?" No response. "An Auto-Locking Carabiner!"
Auto-Locking Carabiner
I would ask them as they came up to my table, " So what do you guys think I do?"
Answers, "You make stuff!"
"You fly!"
"You go hiking!"
"Mountain Climbing!"
"Kayaking!" (really? I wondered about this child)
"You do things!"
"What do you guys think that bag on the back of my harness is for?"
Answers, "For Snacks"
"Water bottle holder"
"For things"
"I'll give you a hint. See the white stuff around the edges? Gymnasts use it."
Answers, "Grip stuff"
"Chalk"
"Tights" (too funny)
To me children are funny to have a conversation with because sometimes they grasp and understand what you are telling them but some of them don't have a clue... but you give them the benefit of the doubt because they are children right?
It was also Dress Like Your Favorite Book Character Day. Here is Nicole as her favorite book character - Fancy Nancy.
All and all I had a great time but I realized that next time (if there is a next time) I need to come up with something they can do hands on. As soon as I passed around gear they got all excited, they sure do love to touch stuff!
This past weekend I had the wonderful opportunity of taking out a Co-Ed Venture Crew associated with the Boys Scouts of America. I was one of four people guiding the group to a safe fun filled Saturday of climbing at Crowders Mountain State Park in North Carolina.
Venture Crew 312
This was what I considered my Selfless day of climbing. I belayed most of the day but also had the opportunity to show an eager lad a bit of Trad climbing as he followed and cleaned my lead on Caterpillar (5.7). I am always happy to show aspiring climbers a thing or two about one of my passions in life.
Caterpillar (5.7)
When it was all said and done I had met a fella from Austin, Texas that was climbing around the North East while working on the road. I met a couple from Atlanta, Georgia that were climbing with their six year old son and were going to spend another day at Crowders on Sunday. Seeing as I was climbing on Sunday with my family (Nicole and Ava) I decided to invite my new found friends and show them some of the lesser known areas at Crowders.
Venture Crew 312
I also had plans to give a solid go on my project at RED WALL, Fashion(5.12b). I figured I could put up some ropes and let them all get worn out before I got to work. It seems to me that when I plan on doing something, I almost always have to make last minute improvisations.
Ava Crushing!
As we hiked up the front side of Crowders by the Resurgence Walls I had to take note of how tired everyone was becoming. I vetoed my original plan to hike all the way to RED WALL and took a detour to TRUNDLASAURAUS WALL. Their are a hand full of easy climbs if you have the natural anchor know how.
Nicole and Ava
I was suppose to have my Selfish day on Sunday and work on my project and tick some other routes on my ticklist but instead I made the choice, to be selfless instead of selfish. I figured I usually make it out to Crowders every weekend and I wanted to show my new found out-of-town friends a good time. Since the other areas are fairly easy to find I wanted to take them somewhere they would have a hard time finding on their own.
I recently got a message from a friend that proved to me that what I do is worth not be selfish.
Bjarni Magnusson
Hey man,
Couldn't make it to last trip unfortunately because I have moved to San Diego, CA. I want to thank you for inviting me on all these climbing trips and showing me the ropes (pun intended). I really appreciate it man. The world would definitely be a better place if there were more people like you who are willing to show new people how to climb and don't just stick with their group. If you are ever interested in crushing some rocks out in southern CA then hit me up! You'll have a couch to crash on.
Bjarni Magnusson
When I moved to Columbia, South Carolina and had no one to take me out anymore I made the choice to buy gear. I taught myself, with the help of books and advice from others, to lead climb, set up Top-Ropes, Rappel, set-up natural anchors and to do all the things that I had taken advantage of in Idaho. I realized that "You don't know what you have until it's gone."
Don't get me wrong, there were people at Stronghold Athletic Club that I kept bugging about their next trip being scheduled but to this day they are still very selective of who they invite. Some people just don't want to share the experience of ROCKING out with others.
I am quite the opposite. I started a Columbia Outdoor Rock Climbing Club by the name of "Belayed Gratification and Palmetto Pebble Wrestlers" in order to share my climbing experiences with others. Passing on my passion of climbing to others that are eager to learn is very gratifying to me. I love to see people's 'light bulbs' turn on when they climb and receive feedback.
One Rope, Two Routes.
I balance climbing hard and guiding 'newbies' so that I can have the best of both worlds. I figure that the more people I teach, the more climbing partners I have to choose from when I need someone to play with on the mountains. Also, I know what it is like to be the one wanting to learn with no one willing to take the time to teach me.
I also love the challenge of taking on a big group of people of all different levels and trying to get them all worn out by the end of our climbing session. I've been on outdoor trips where you do more waiting than climbing and that can definitely be a put off to climbing with parties of ten and up. I try to have knowledge of big group areas so that I can put multiple ropes up on Top Rope or up to two routes per rope. This way you have the 'Indoor Gym' feel to climbing outside.
Some disagree with this method because you take up most of a climbing area, but I make sure to inform people wanting to get on the routes with our ropes that we are willing to share.
Leading Fashion (5.12b)
The next time you see someone in the gym that is an eager beginner and wants to learn, take the time to 'pay it forward' and ask them to join you on your next climbing excursion. You never know what new friends you will make. Think back to when you first started climbing and wanted to 'learn the ropes'.
It's our responsibility as advanced climbers to give back to the sport by teaching less knowledgeable climbers how to safely have an awesome time climbing outside. I know from experience that there are a lot of wrong ways of doing things but if you don't stop and take the time to offer guidance then things won't change.
Stoked after the send.
Not every adventure needs to be all about sending the hardest. If you take the time to teach, help a someone in need of assistance, or take a day off of crushing in order to give someone else a day of crushing at their level then I can assure you that you will feel just as good as sending that elusive Project.
Who knows, maybe you'll get as lucky as I did last Sunday and get the opportunity to give others a day of awesome climbing AND also send your Project. On a side note, as I was mid-crux of Fashion (5.12b) I was reminded to have a little fun. I don't know if you have ever watch Yo Gabba Gabba! but my daughter was ready to go so Nicole was distracting her with Netflix on the phone. This is what I got to enjoy as I crushed.
Caroline Stallworth making quick work of Opinionated.
So I don't know about most of you but I myself do not like to fall! It is my weakness, and has always been. I've read Arno Ilgner's book the Rock Warriors Way and have had some practice in the gym. Not enough apparently because I still dread the idea of the FALL.
I warmed up by leading Opinionated(5.9+), Onsighting/Free Soloing Red Wall Chimney(5.3) to take pictures of my lady friends climbing Opinionated. The Gimp(5.10d) and Master Beta(5.10c) were the next leads to go down before Fashion(5.12b). After a clean attempt of Fashion (5.12b) on Top Rope, I lowered down to the crux of the climb not satisfied with my beta. After deciding for a little hand swapping here and there I felt I was ready. Turns out that thinking you got things dialed and that you aren't going to fall isn't always enough.
Unnecessary heel hook on The Gimp
As I climbed to the second bolt on Fashion(5.12b) I readied myself for the meat of the climb. A few controlled breaths and I was moving through the crux... until I froze mentally. I couldn't move and I was tensing up. My belayer could tell and she tried to calm me. I stupidly just threw for the good crimp and then came my embarrassing high pitch Mexican yell. Some like to refer to it as a girl scream but I feel it doesn't do the ladies justice. Besides, it's not my fault I was born with the genetics to give a good Mariachi yell. !ARRIBA!
Rosemary Jeanne Carnes styles Opinionated .
I fell a good distance but I was fine to say the least. Unfortunately, I should have prepared my belay for the worst. My poor belayer's leg got scrapped up from skidding a short distance towards the first bolt (we anchored her in for the second and third attempt). It was good falling experience that had me shaken up. I pulled the rope and went for the second attempt but couldn't manage to snag the Redpoint. Being fatigued and mentally shaken, I gave out much sooner than the first time.
Caroline Stallworth takes a moment to exhale on The Gimp (5.10d)
I hung out by the second bolt trying to figure out a new plan of attack. With my energy sapped I knew the Redpoint was not likely. I calmed myself and tried to come up with a new plan of attack. I threw out all the beta I had worked and decided to stand up and cross into the next hold. It flowed smooth through my body like clockwork and I felt slightly silly for not thinking of this beta before hand. My tunnel vision had me wanting to use the awesome side-pull that I never even needed.
Rosemary Jeanne Carnes on Master Beta (5.10c)
I chose to let go of my Redpoint desires for the day and let it come to me on my next trip (hopefully this upcoming Sunday 11-13-2011). It will be the third weekend trip that I've dedicated to dialing this bad boy and if I happen to get the Redpoint for Fashion(5.12b) I'm going to attempt Fashion Direct which used to be the easier (5.11d) starting variation but due to a hold breaking it has come to a consensus that it may be a (5.12c/d) start into the (5.12b) crux of Fashion. Basically, it is two boulder problems stacked on each other with a meager rest in between. Sounds like my cup of tea!
Caroline Stallworth takes in the view on Master Beta (5.10c)
Good luck to all you crushers working on your projects. Maybe one day we will attain that 'Baller Status'. Until next climb!
My aspirations are to finish climbing everything under 5.10 at Crowders Mountain State Park by the end of this year. At this point it isn't going to happen because I've been hired to dance in two different ballet productions of 'The Nutcracker'. One with Orangburg Civic Ballet in Orangburg, Sought Carolina and the other with Griffin Ballet Theater in Griffin, Georgia.
I'm finding it hard because a lot of the "easier" routes are kept traditional or Trad, meaning that you have to place your own gear for protection. Not a lot of people climb these Trad lines (literally lines or cracks because they accept climbing gear easily) therefore a lot of these lines still have a lot of loose, brittle, sharp, rock. I've recently learned that a lot of these routes may have been done Top-Rope. The ethic, 'rules', or 'guide lines' in the earlier years wasn't as developed so they didn't pay attention to aided First Ascent, top-roped First Ascent, etc...
The high traffic Top-Rope areas have been 'cleaned-off' so to speak due to rubber shoes, boy scout troops and easy access to bolted anchors.
A traditional climber must be well versed not only in gear placement but also in anchor building because most of the trad climbs do not contain bolted anchors. An anchor assembled from gear or near by boulders must be arranged.
What I've discovered over the course of my attempt to climb these "easier" routes is that the climbing is straight forward but the 'head games' play a more active role. When you fall due to a hold breaking off the wall, your 'trust' in the rock changes a bit.
Since my fall on Middle Finger (5.7) due to a hold breaking, I've been placing gear closer together, testing rock holds more thoroughly to the point of almost wearing myself out, and I am more hesitant to put my full weight on any solid looking holds.
I'm also finding that the climbing community puts more emphasis on 'hard' routes. Not much respect is gained from climbing a multitude of 'easier' routes. I feel that much can be said for the experience gained from easier routes, especially Traditional routes.
I myself have climbed a handful of 5.12 routes with only one being a mixed route (requires some gear but has some bolts for protection). Although these 'harder' routes were challenging, they were straight forward with the protection - clip a quickdraw into a bolt hanger and then clip your rope into the quickdraw. On a traditional route you have to find your protection with in the wall and place the gear or choose to not place gear in order to minimize your pump/muscle burn.
I am wondering if I should just give up on my project and follow the climbing community trend. That would require getting on nothing lower than (5.10). Then maybe people wouldn't give me a puzzled look when I tell them that I am trying to climb everything at Crowders under (5.10).
Just to test my theory, I am now going to work backwards on my goals. I'm going to climb the hardest first and work my way down to the mentally hard 'easy' traditional routes, I need the mental break from the choss.
With that said, I started working Fashion Direct (5.12b) at Crowders Mountain State Park on top rope. Thanks to Robert Hutchins for the tall man beta that helped me with my short man beta. Once I send this on lead I'm going to keep doing it for training and then I'm going for the Onsight of Welcome to Crowders (5.12a) and TKO (5.12a). Even if I don't get the onsight for these 12's I'll be happy with working them and checking them off the tick list.
A lot of people that know me personally know that I train for onsighting. Several have told me that I may be hurting my experience because I won't hop on everything in sight. I want to save some routes for the onsight because I feel like anyone can send anything with a little hard work, but once you get on a route that feeling of not knowing goes away and some of the mental experience diminishes. I'm picky about this because unfortunately I have to drive two hours to the nearest crag. I would hate to lose all that valuable (to me) onsight experience.
I want to end with asking you what you value more? Hard numbers? Developing your experience with easy routes? What motivates you? Should we all work hard routes, carry stick clips, veto valuable experience that develops mental strength? Am I the only silly one that wants to do it like the old days and work my experience 'pyramid' from the ground up? Anyway, thanks for reading.
"Water bottle holder"
