Buy a gym membership and feel like you have to “get your money’s worth.” Set a schedule and climb five days a week on the same problems/routes whether it’s pouring rain and 33 degrees or sunny, 55, and perfect in every way for sending your outdoor project(s). Even better, do this to yourself every day….
Tag: climbing
Scared of Being Scared
Fear is a familiar feeling for climbers. It’s natural. Your instincts are telling you that you’ve greatly increased your chances of dying by hanging yourself 20 to hundreds of feet above the ground and relying on a few nuts and cams or bolts, a rope, a belay device, and another person to keep you from hitting…
The Ultimate Guide to Dry Climbing Snacks
There are many benefits to packing extremely dry snacks for a day of climbing, hiking, or any other type of adventuring that involves cramming food into the bottom of a backpack. First, they won’t get your backpack incredibly sticky or damp when crushed against the rest of your gear, unlike the bananas I too often attempt…
A Letter to Spring
Dear Spring, According to my very colorful assignment book, it is April, and it has been for almost a week. This means that we should be solidly in spring. Easter has come and past, and I’m ready for sunshine, no snow, and more sunshine. So Spring, I’m wondering where you are. I’ve seen a few…
The Hierarchy of Climbing According to…
Originally published March 30, 2015, on coffeetapeibuprofenclimb.blogspot.com.
Peaking Sending
My friends like to joke that they have tons of time till peak sending age: 33. I don’t know where they got this number from, but it got me thinking: When will I peak? And, perhaps more concerning: At what grade? Climbing is one of those sports that seems to have endless possibilities. Depending on…
The Art of Car Camping
According to the calendar, spring is less than a week away. This means the season of car camping is quickly approaching—or, if you don’t mind overnight temperatures in the teens, it is already here. There are many benefits to car camping. First, there is little setup required. There are no tent poles to assemble, stakes…
Sometimes You Just Don’t Climb
This past Sunday I visited Pawtuckaway State Park. It had been a week since my last excursion there, but it felt much longer. My friends intended to go bouldering, braving the inch of ice and foot of snow covering every rock in the park. Normally I’d be psyched, but the idea of not being able…
What You Should Know About Girls and Camping
First of all, yes, girls do camp. Not all females are innately afraid of nature and believe that a Marriott in the woods is camping. Some of us actually enjoy sleeping in tents, even for a week or more at a time. However, before you embark on a camping trip with a girl there are…
Seven Reasons Why Dirtbags are Awesome
They do what the rest of us simply talk about doing: They climb all the time. When was the last time you took a week off to go on a climbing trip? When was the second to last time you took a week off? How many times between those two trips did you talk about…
Should You Go Climbing? A Flowchart Guide to the Weather
Originally published February 28, 2015, on coffeetapeibuprofenclimb.blogspot.com.
Valentine’s Day: What to Get Your Special Climbing Someone
So Valentine’s Day is a week away, and you still aren’t sure what to get your favorite belayer/spotter/partner who means a little bit more to you than just making sure you don’t die falling off your project. I’ve got you. GIFTS FOR HER: She’s awesome. You’ve hiked a few approaches, sent some routes, met up…
Coffee. Tape. Climb. 