I used to strongly identify as a sport climber. Routes had magical things called footholds and a grading system that started at a friendly 5.5, which made me feel significantly better about sending 5.10c than I did about sending V1 when the bouldering scale starts at V0. I also associated bouldering with snow-covered, footless Pawtuckaway State Park, where I spent…
Tag: bouldering
YouTube Movie Night: The Best Short Climbing Films (thus far) of 2017
The beauty of Reel Rock is in its variety and quality. The tour brings audiences a collection of the top climbing and adventure films from the past year. Each video is long enough to tell a complete story, but short enough that one’s attention never waivers. In two hours, viewers travel around the world, watching athletes…
10 Reasons Why I’d Love to “Magically” Improve My Climbing
Most days I wish I was better at climbing. Even on the days I happen to send, I often secretly wish I was topping out something harder, not just for the V points or glory, but because breaking into V8 and 5.13 would allow me to send–or at least productively hang-dog–so many amazing routes. Now you might…
To the Women’s Climbing Community: A Note of Support, Encouragement, and Challenge
“Hi, I’m Jess,” she said before gliding her way up my project. Thirty-five seconds later she was smiling down from the topout. “The heel-hook beta is the way to go,” she shouted down to me. She was right. Her beta was amazing, her hair was flowing, and her technique was flawless. Why didn’t I get her…
The Ten Commandments of Bouldering
I. Thou shalt never use thy knees to top out. IIa. Thou shalt wait at least 7 minutes between attempts. IIb. Thou shalt also brush each hold thoroughly before each attempt. III. Thou shalt do anything and everything to climb during perfect temps, including hiking through snowdrifts and climbing by headlamp. IV. Thou shalt not consider anything…
Chocolate: The Secret to Making Everyone on Your Climbing Trip Love You (And So Much More)
Most people I know, including myself, are chocolate-lovers in some form or another. I love dark chocolate: the higher the percentage of coco and more sea salt the better. Others prefer creamy milk, nut-infused, ultra-sweet white or berry-filled bars. With so many delicious flavors, inexpensive options and colorful, inviting packages, why not start bringing a bar…
The Climbers’ “Turkey Trot”
Thanksgiving is just 10 days away, and you know what that means: Food, family, friends, football and people running pre-pie-binge 5Ks. As climbers, we could join the other non-runners, huffing and puffing for 3.1 miles, or we could sneak in a little fun, competitive climbing before succumbing to the mythical turkey coma instead. Ideally, you’re…
Horseshoe Canyon Ranch: Tips for Enjoying Arkansas’s Dude Ranch Climbing Resort
Feel good grades, short approaches, hundreds of routes 5.5 to 5.14a, onsite camping and abundant “wildlife”: Horseshoe Canyon Ranch (HCR) is a resort crag.* I’ve never before see so many sandstone chicken heads in one location, neither have I ever before had to wrestle my granola out of a horse’s mouth while taking a lunch…
Way Too Easy Maple Coconut Climbing Scones
It’s certainly convenient to snag a few coffee shop (or gas station…) baked goods on the way to the crag and/or boulder field for a delicious mid-day energy boost. But for those looking to save money and enjoy a just-as-tasty but healthier option, baking these simple homemade scones is the way to go. Not only are they incredibly quick and…
Pulling Plastic in Berlin: The Best Indoor and “Outdoor” Climbing in the City
Berlin isn’t known for its fantastic highballs, limestone tufas, splitter hand cracks, or really any other type of outdoor climbing beyond a bit of illegal buildering. There isn’t any good climbing directly outside of the city either. The Frankenjura is over four hours away by car, the Alps are a 10-hour bus ride south, and…
Product Review: ClimbOn to Sooth Your Stinging Skin and Ease Your Mind About Tomorrow’s Climbing
I have wimpy skin. An hour and a half in the gym and I’m desperately looking for crimps to avoid worsening the jug-rash blisters I acquired warming up. After roughly four Pawtuckaway boulder problems–three if I’m in Blaire Woods or stupidly decide, once again, to repeat the sit-start to the crimp problem–and my fingertips are…
Explaining Climbing to Your Mother
My mother is fantastic. She has always been incredibly supportive of my fondness for scaling rocks, even when she didn’t understand quite what I was doing. She bought me my first pair of shoes, my first chalk bag, and my first harness for my 19th birthday without knowing anything more than that I’d joined the…
Coffee. Tape. Climb. 