Climb Philly Part 2: Indoor Skills Lessons and Fun for Intermediate Climbers

In Part 1, we talked about ways to start from scratch in rock climbing. Part 2 of the Climbing Philadelphia series focuses on indoor learning and social climbing experiences for intermediate climbers. Classes are geared toward climbers with experience indoors who need to hone skills, and for folks looking to meet other climbers around Philly. 

Philadelphia Rock Climbing Meet-Up Group - This group, supported by TerraMar Adventures on Meet-up.com, is designed to connect Philadelphia-area climbers. It's how I made the bulk of my climbing friends when I moved to Philly in 2007, and I'm so thankful for all the folks who took the time to get me involved in the group.

TerraMar and the meet-up group after ice climbing last winter!

If you're new to the area and need a gym intro, looking for a climbing partner, or just want to climb with some friendly folks, this group's the ticket. Between Go Vertical evening climbs, trying out other Philly area gyms, and the occasional outdoor climbing trip in the summer, it's a great way to meet fellow rock enthusiasts. The message board is full of folks requesting partners and looking for others to climb outside with. While it's not only reserved for intermediate and advanced climbers, it's certainly preferable that you've got belaying experience for the evening climbs. If you don't, here are some great ideas about how to get started! Outdoor trips are also geared toward all skill levels, and there will even be an occasional guided ice climbing trip. Costs vary, but membership is free! Event length and gear requirements vary. RSVPs required, some events required advance payment.. More info here.

Fighting Gravity Series (Climbing 201), Philly Rock Gyms - This three-night course covers proper body positions for climbing efficiency, dynamic movements, and learning how to use your legs to climb. It's a perfect way to really hone those movement skills, and to understand how to be more efficient on the wall. Climbers can attend all three sessions, or an individual evening to brush up on a specific skill. Then, when you're ready for the next step, take their Fighting Gravity Series: The Next Step (Climbing 202) classes! Costs $80/person for all three sessions, $30/person for a single session. Each session is 1 1/2 hours in length.Reservations required. More info here.

4-Part Climbing Clinic, Go Vertical - This four night course focuses on learning to climb stronger and more efficiently through new techniques and identifying both strengths and weaknesses. The series must be taken in its entirety, as each class builds on what climbers learn and practice in the previous sessions. Sessions cover footwork, bodywork, dealing with overhangs, and drills to practice. Costs $165/person. Each session is 2 hours in length. Reservations required. More info here. 

Local Bouldering Competitions! Bouldering comps can be an amazing way to meet new climbers, hone your skills, and bring out your competitive edge. Even if you're a V0 boulderer, they're a blast. You'll find yourself elbow to elbow with some of the best boulderers out there, and when you're up climbing, they'll be cheering for you. I've found most competitors friendly, helpful, and encouraging. They can be a great ego boost, and seeing how the pros do it always helps. I went to my first one last fall, and it was both confidence building and incredibly fun!

Most bouldering competitions are split into categories for scoring so you can be sure you'll be measured against climbers of similar abilities. The Philly Rock Gyms host a handful of comps throughout the year, including the upcoming Midnight Burn in January.

Climb Philly Part 1: Beginners, Getting Started Indoors

This two-part post focuses on the best ways to get into Philadelphia-area climbing during the off-season. We'd all love to be outside right now, but if you're just getting into the sport, want to hone your skills, or lead climb like a pro and want some serious skills lessons, area gyms have some fantastic options. If you're not based around Philadelphia, odds are your local gym will have similar classes to help you hone your skills indoors.

Part 1 of the Climbing Philadelphia series focuses on indoor climbing classes for absolute beginners. These classes are all geared towards folks who have little to no climbing experience, but are more than ready to learn! All are great options, and each comes with unique features.

on belay at Go Vertical, way back in 2008!

Getting Started Class, Go Vertical - This class is for beginners, and involves 2+ hours of instruction with a Go Vertical instructor. You'll learn climbing basics, the basics of top-rope belaying, and have plenty of time to practice what you've learned. A belay test is still mandatory after the class for self-sufficient climbing, but the class includes two day passes (without gear rental), which makes coming back easy! Costs $65/person. 2 hours in length. Includes gear and 2 additional day passes. 4:1 instructor ratio. Reservations required. More info here.

Intro to Climbing Class, Philly Rock Gyms - Also for beginners, PRG instructors teach basic rope skills, knot tying, and basic movements. The class lasts three hours. A belay test is mandatory after the class for self-sufficient climbing. Costs $42/person. 3 hours in length. Includes gear. Reservations required. More info here.

Deluxe Intro to Climbing Pack, Philly Rock Gyms - A longer version of the Intro to Climbing class, complete with an extra hour of small group instruction and two return visit day passes with equipment rental. Costs $75/person. 3 hours in length. Includes gear. Reservations required. More info here.

Basic Climbing Class, Doylestown Rock Gym - A four week class, one session per week, focused on helping new climbers become completely self sufficient in the gym. The class focuses on belay skills, climbing technique, and safety.  Costs $50/person. 6 hours in length. Reservations required. More info here.

Local outdoor adventure group TerraMar Adventures will also, on occasion, offer a chance for Philly area folks to get together and learn as a group. TerraMar guides work with local gyms to set up group climbing events that are beginner-friendly. They're also a great way to meet like-minded outdoorsy folks! Keep your eye on the event calendar here and here.

Of course, one of the best ways to get try a new sport is to, ahem, ask your friends if they'd be willing to take you under their wing for a day! Climbers are, in my experience, a unique breed. If you know someone who climbs, and aren't ready to fork over the dough for a lesson on your first trip to the gym, enlist the help of a climbing friend. Most, if not all, will be more than willing to help! And a climbing lesson can also make the perfect holiday gift. Give the gift of a new experience!

A Thank-You Note to Great Belayers Everywhere

Dear Great Belayers Everywhere,


Aleya, a Great Belayer, @ Rumney.

You don't get enough recognition for what you do, or how important it is. Save free soloists and full time boulderers, there's little any of us would be be able to do without you. And for that, I'm grateful.

Thank you for knowing what to say and when to say it. Some climbers need words of encouragement shouted up to them while others don't want to hear a thing. It's a delicate balance, and you've got it down to a science. It might have taken some coaching, but you listened, and that's the mark of a Great Belayer. Better still, thank you for giving me a big hug on the ground when I've done something you know is a big deal to me, whether I'll admit it or not.

Along the same line, thank you for giving me beta when I need it, and keeping quiet when I don't. It's difficult not to shout advice when the sequence is so obvious from the ground. The Great Belayers are those who take the time to understand their partner, which means knowing when to shout out advice and when to let us work it out ourselves. Some of us want beta while we're climbing, some want to know what we could do to better when we're back on the ground, and some don't want any help at all. Us climbers can be difficult; we're all different, and we all have our way of doing things. Thank you for knowing what I need.

I might roll my eyes when you check that I've properly tied my figure-8 knot, even though I've done it a million times. I might get a little defensive when you make me re-tie it if it doesn't look 100% clean and neat. But thank you for making sure I don't make a silly mistake that could get me seriously injured. Because of you, I'm able to rope up, start climbing, and know that part of the system is functioning as it should. I can forget about it and climb. Thank you for keeping the communication lines open while I'm climbing; we all know how important that is. As tedious as it might be to go through the sequence of commands, there's a reason they exists in the first place.

Thank you for being patient when it takes me 45 minutes to get through a route. Belaying for someone working on a project can be so frustrating, especially when I'm up there hanging on the rope trying to figure out what to do next. I try not to cross the line between working a sequence and hang-dogging. I know I flirt with that line. Thank you for refraining from giving me a hard time, unless I really deserve it.

Thank you, Great Belayers, for making it possible for people like Chris Sharma to work ground-breaking routes for months on end. Thank you for keeping my idols safe while they bring the sport of climbing to new levels, and give me things to reach for.

Without you, none of it would be possible. Thank you for being you, and perhaps someday, if I haven't already, I'll get to return the favor.

Lots of love,
Katie

Philly Crags: Climbing at High Rocks, Ralph Stover State Park

Hanging out on Far Face Direct, 5.8

High Rocks State Park is a relatively popular climbing area an hour north of Philadelphia near Ralph Stover State Park. I visited High Rocks for the first time in August, and was so excited to find a new climbing area full of opportunities. High Rocks boasts cliffs ranging from 40 to 100 feet high (some two pitch climbs) overlooking a beautiful gorge and plenty of routes for climbers of all skill levels.

The area is so popular because of the ease of setting topropes; a loop trail connects the top of the cliffs to the bottom with bolts and trees as solid anchor spots. It also means great photo opportunities! Taking shots from above is significantly better (and more flattering) than the obligatory butt shots. There are a handful of well protected mid-grade trad routes and plenty of hard, overhanging toprope routes for expert climbers. Our guidebook has over 100 named routes in it - enough to keep anyone busy for a while.

INSIDER TIP - After spending the day at High Rocks, take E. Dark Hollow Road to Route 32 and cross a narrow steel deck bridge over the Delaware into Frenchtown, NJ for drinks and eats. My favorite is The Bridge Cafe, right on the water, and be sure to try the spinach cakes. If they're closed, Galasso's Pizzeria is a great option too. Don't get the pizza, everything else they make is too good to waste dinner on pizza!

Dan working Phone Booth, 5.10a.

On this trip to High Rocks, Dan and I met up with friends Justin, Kristin and Patrick for a day of hard toproping. The sun beats down on the cliffs all day, and it seemed the end of another oppressively hot southeastern Pennsylvania summer was in sight this weekend. The weather was perfect. After descending from the parking lot on Tory Road to the base of the cliffs, we encountered a typical scene along the Practice Face - a giant group of new climbers receiving group instruction. It's generally accepted that climbing in the Practice Face (most climbs rated in the 5.2-5.6 range) on the weekends isn't an option, as guided groups seem to take over. But there's plenty of climbing to go around!

Our group set up three topropes, one each on Obnoxious Partner, Phone Booth, and Far Face. We shared our ropes with other climbers throughout the day, as we'd taken over three fantastic, classic walls. Dan started out on Phone Booth (5.10a) after receiving beta from a pair of guys who'd run up and down it for training. They were more than glad to help us with route-finding. Patrick had a great go at it afterward, and I got on it later in the day with Patrick at the belay. It's a strenuous, sustained, burly climb, and I made it halfway up before popping off and taking a giant swing, whizzing past a tree. Patrick said what he liked most about the route was how falling on TR felt like falling on lead with the giant swing.

Dan and Kristen also managed ascents of Obnoxious Partner (5.8+ that feels like a 5.10), a classic High Rocks route with great hand jams. I spent a good bit of climbing time on the Far Face linking Far Face (5.7) and Far Face Direct (5.8+). Face climbing felt like the most fun, which I'm sure has something to do with the first item on this list, and those routes were the most enjoyable of the day for me. They were relatively straightforward, and if you get bored on Far Face, there are places for dynos and all sorts of dynamic fun as Patrick and Dan found out.

Patrick on a variation of Far Face (5.8+). Photo by Dan H.

On my first trip to High Rocks in August, Dan and I spent our day on Chain Reaction Buttress. I really enjoyed No Self Control (5.6) and linking it with Games Without Frontiers (5.9+). Dan worked out some variation of Beautiful Loser (5.10a). All three were great climbs. I'll definitely add Obnoxious Partner and Phone Booth, both High Rocks classics, on to my list of projects. The list seems to be growing...

Until next time, climb on, and Happy Send-tember! Stay tuned for my review of the Petzl Elia Women's Climbing Helmet, and a big thanks to Pemba Serves for the opportunity to test it out!

What Happens When You Take Three Months Off From Rock Climbing

Whether intentional or not, I took a break from climbing this summer. Trips to the gym were few and far between in June. I didn't climb at all in July or August. The most recent formal Philadelphia Rock Climbing Meet-up Group event I set up was back in May. Weekends were spent hiking, backpacking, and visiting family. Weeknights were spent training, or recovering from training, for Rainier. And honestly, it was all just fine with me. Now that I've started getting back into it, I'm discovering exactly what happens when you take three months off. 

Those climbing muscles get a little weaker. But they can get stronger again. Rock climbing is, in good part, an anaerobic sport requiring strength and endurance in very specific areas. You need to use those muscles to keep them strong. Even with a day or two a week of upper body lifting, I didn't do a great job of maintaining my back strength. And my forearms? Forget it. The only workout they'd been getting was periodically opening and closing my Nalgene. I was pretty darn sore after my first day back at Go Vertical last week. It was expected, and felt great! It was my body's way of gently reminding me of the muscles I'd been neglecting.

The first few routes feel a bit weird. But muscle memory lasts a long time. I walked in to Go Vertical and noticed one of my projects, a long, balancy face climb requiring a high-step every other move with lots of finger pockets, was still there. Phew! I walked to another wall and I clipped in to warm up on a nice, gentle 5.6. The first half of the route felt strange. I was making rookie mistakes - not keeping the weight on my legs, over-gripping, spending a lot of time "dancing" on holds, etc. After a few more easy-before-the-hiatus routes, I felt normal again. But it'll be a few more weeks before I'm ready for the project!

First day outside in ages, Ralph Stover. Sept 2010.

There may be a step or two, or five, backwards in the fear-conquering department. Climbing, being up high, and falling from up high scares the crap out of me. This is nothing new. As much as I hate to admit it, exposing myself to my fears is the best way to begin accepting them and not letting them get in the way. Exposure and desensitization. The problem with an extended hiatus is time away from the fears. They multiply like bunnies, grow quickly, and before I know it I've got a big ball of bunny terror in the pit of my stomach. At least the ball is smaller than it was before I started the exposure-desensitization routine, right?

Climbing buddies will still invite you to climb, even if you can't. And when you come back, they'll be there, and you'll be ecstatic to see them. I sent way too many "no" replies to outing invitations this summer from the various groups within the Philly climbing community. I missed a lot, without a doubt. But walking in to the gym and seeing familiar faces was wonderful. I'm grateful for their presence and for the fact that they kept inviting me along!

You have a chance to rekindle, renew, even reinvent your relationship with climbing. I promised myself I'd work to develop a healthier relationship with the sport after the Mt. Rainier trip. Climbing and I have our ups and downs, our silent arguments, and our bad days. Such is life. But a lot of things continued to eat away at our relationship, and I want to work on them.

First, I resolved to stop putting so much pressure on myself. No pressure to push my physical and mental limits every day, unless it's fun. Climb because it's fun. Reasonable expectations are key.

Second, I resolved to climb for me. I have trouble separating my expectations from others', and climbing is no different. Do I climb because I want to, or because I feel like I have to? I've been an organizer for the Philadelphia Rock Climbing Meet-up Group for two years. It's been a great way to meet other Philly area climbers, introduce new people to the sport, and to hang out with some incredible folks. Many of them are my go-to friends for local outdoor climbs, and I wouldn't trade the group for anything. But organizing got to be more stressful than it was fun, and I finally admitted I needed to take a step back. Saying that out loud felt so, so good.

Third, I resolved to practice letting go, both literally (exposure and desensitization!) and figuratively. I want to learn to let go of my fear of falling and of failure. There's  no reason to worry about not being good enough when I'm doing something I love because I love doing it. It's a lot easier to go with the flow when the flow looks more like a gently meandering stream than a rushing river full of giant boulders and whirlpools.

If you've ever taken a break from a sport or other endeavor you loved, what did you learn? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Climb Hard, Fall Safely! Tips from the PRG

I get a monthly newsletter from the Philadelphia Rock Gyms (PRG), and thought a piece of this month's newsletter was definitely worth sharing. I went bouldering at PRG Oaks on Monday night, still itching to climb after the Earth Treks Roc Comp, and tweaked my ankle falling in between two pads. It was a reminder that we've really got to be careful out there! My ankle's 100% better now, luckily, but it could've been a lot worse! So, read on for tips on how to fall safely in bouldering.

Bouldering 102 - Climb Hard, Fall Safely!
From the Philadelphia Rock Gyms Newsletter #2.5, May 2010
In every other sport where safe landings are important--martial arts, gymnastics, sky-diving--athletes consider falling to be a skill and spend the requisite number of training hours practicing their landings. Every sport, it seems, except bouldering.

For a variety of reasons, many boulderers seem to have an attitude of, "Practice? We don't need no stinking practice!" when it comes to taking falls, assuming, perhaps, that falls are such a natural thing that anyone will adopt the proper attitude as a matter of course, landing nice and safe from fall one.

Sadly, the number of ankle and wrist injuries I have witnessed over the years would indicate that this assumption is faulty. So, today we will discuss some of the elements involved in falling safely from your favorite boulder problems. Well, in fact we are going to start with spotting, but it will all make sense in the end...

Spotting 0.1: Know your climber!
In steep bouldering, the spotter's primary job is to protect the climber's head, neck and back. In this, the spotter--like a belayer--enters into an implicit contract with his climber. The spotter agrees to do everything within her power to keep the climber out of the hospital. In return, the climber agrees not to do something silly, like jam his index finger into his spotter's eye socket. Unfortunately, it is here where the spotter/climber relationship often breaks down before it has fairly begun.

I'll say it: Most boulderers don't know how to fall. Take, for example, Billy, your average 185 lb, ex-body-builder who has recently taken up the "extreme" sport of bouldering. On a bright, Sunday afternoon in the Gunks, Billy thrutches up the steep, opening moves of the Gill Egg, only to get a little sketched, as usual, on the dyno at the lip. Placing both feet on the lower boulder, he pumps his legs a few times, getting psyched. A small crowd has gathered around Billy, drawn by his punctuated wheezing, breath whistling through clenched teeth as though he were about to give birth to the mother of all throws. Then he launches for the finishing jug...and comes up short. Not so short that he misses the hold, but short enough that the longer he holds on, the further he'll be going into the woods when he peels. Not the kind to give up and take a fall--or anything else--gracefully, Billy cranks like a disease on that last hold, letting his feet sweep out an arc of black, sticky pain to anyone within their reach.

One person within reach is Darryl, Billy's faithful partner. Darryl, a competent spotter, is dutifully watching his climber's hips, ready for the catch at any instant. As a result, he is not watching the instep of Billy's size 13 Moccasym as it comes whistling over his right shoulder, ready to slam into Darryl's left temple and tear off his head, lofting it high over the Carriage Road. Billy, oblivious to his spotter's predicament, gets his last glimpse of Darryl's face as it rolls to a stop a few feet to the right of the crash pad. Right where, an instant later, Billy does a face plant.

A bit graphic, perhaps, but it illustrates one of the biggest problems in bouldering. Most spotters are more concerned about getting kicked in the head than they are about giving a good spot. Climbers must be aware that their flailing habits--whether it be hands or feet--have a great impact on the quality of spot they get. As a result, practicing safe falling will not only reduce your injury rate, it will reduce it for your partners as well!

Safe Falls: Practicing Relaxation
In a perfect world, all climbers would pass out an instant after popping off and collapse peacefully to their pads like little piles of moist seaweed. Which brings me to my first postulate: It is not what we do during a fall that is most important; rather, it is what we don't do. Climbing falls are not always predictable. In cases, there is a very narrow window of time to determine how best to take the fall. During this window, climbers can react in quite natural ways, which, nonetheless can easily lead to injury. Here are some of the most common "don'ts":

Don't tense up.
The first thing that all climbers must learn is to relax during a fall. A tense body will transfer more force to the point of impact-in bouldering that is most likely to be your feet, or the base of your spine! A relaxed body is better able to spread the impact force over a larger area.

Don't try to stop your fall with your hands.
I am amazed at how many climber's first reaction during a fall is to put their hands down. Your arms and wrists were not designed to take that kind of weight. In addition, a bent wrist is easier to break.

Don't try to stay standing up.
Perhaps the single biggest mistake boulderers make. Trying too hard to keep your balance can result in over-compensating, generally to the rear. These leads to "back-pedaling" into whatever bodies or objects happen to be behind you. If you can stay standing up easily, fine. If, however, you feel that you may fall over-do it! Better the ground that you know, than the tree that you don't.

Don't try to "control" the fall.
This concept shows up in many ways-pushing away from the wall with hands or feet, grabbing holds on the way down to stop or "slow" the fall, even trying to aim for the pad. Basically, in a battle between you and gravity, gravity will win. Actions intended to overtly control a fall, almost invariably lead to disaster-pushing away from the wall will send you flying into the lockers, grabbing holds will lead to hurt fingers and hands (not to mention face plants), aiming for the pad after an unexpected fall will probably land you on your spotter's head.

Don't climb beyond your fall tolerance (maximum deck clearance)
A climbers fall tolerance can be simply defined as the height from which they are comfortable falling. I chose the word comfortable on purpose, as opposed to safe. In bouldering there are no completely safe falls--people have broken ankles and wrists from falls as low as two feet--it is important not to have the illusion that we can judge, in a black and white manner, the difference between a "safe" fall and its implied counter-part, an "un-safe" fall.

But, comfort level is something that you have constant access to, and which directly affects your ability to relax into a fall. Moreover, comfort level is not merely dependent on height. Difficulty, landing zone, steepness, conditions, all these and more will go into how comfortable you feel risking any kind of fall.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it is a good start. Which brings us to the "do's".

Do RELAX!
On the ground, this seems obvious. But, on the wall, generally in unexpected falls, the body's natural reaction is to tense up. Bad idea.

Do know when to let go.
Sending your project is a proud accomplishment, but is it worth a broken ankle? Many of the worst falls I have seen have come as a result of a climber holding on well beyond the point at which he has a chance of staying on the problem. These sorts of situations often result in a "hands first" fall, where the hands pop before the feet. These can be dangerous falls, because it takes longer for the feet to come under the hips, and can result in climbers turning at weird angles. In cases where landings are relatively safe, flat and padded, this sort of pop may be reasonably casual. But, if the landing is bad, holding on with everything you have could result in a poor fall and a busted something or other.

Do PRACTICE!
Practice helps eliminate uncertainty which leads to a higher comfort level. If you are more comfortable falling, you will be more relaxed, hence safer...Q.E.D. Indoor climbing provides a more cotrolled environment and better padding. As a result it is a great place to practice falling in different ways, from different heights, etc. Don't wait for your first highball or landing covered in talus to find out how you will react if you slip off. Check your pads and get comfortable in the air at the gym. Your wrists and ankles will thank you for it.

Sandstone Boulders and Rainier Training

I spent this weekend out at Hunter Rocks in Central PA, one of the most incredible bouldering spots I've been to. It's a little piece of heaven in the form of gritty sandstone in the middle of Amish country; a well-kept secret, and with good reason. There's a history of access issues, which stems from a good portion of the climbable rock being located on private land. I felt lucky to have veteran Hunters climber Brandon, a friend from the gym, suggest a trip there and invite us along.

Three of us drove out Friday night, arriving at the state forest campsite after 11pm. Dan and I had been in a bit of a rush packing, and I was convinced we'd forget something important. Turns out we'd forgotten the fuel bottle to my MSR stove, and Brandon generously let us use his for the weekend. If he hadn't, we'd have spent the weekend staring longingly at all we brought that needed to be cooked. While we set up camp, I understood why Brandon was so excited to get there. The absolute remoteness of the place was incredible, and beautiful.

We set out for the main climbing area just after 10am Saturday and I couldn't believe the quality of the rock. Enormous mounds of sandstone, weathered by wind and rain, perfectly formed for bouldering, were everywhere. Weathering left little pockets, cracks, and holes in the sandstone, and we spent the morning making up as many lines as we could. Given the access issues, the area isn't well named and guides are few and far between. But sometimes, making up lines is half the fun! The rest of our group arrived midday, and the afternoon absolutely flew by. We took a short food break back at the campsite, then moved on to the other area at Hunters - Power Cut.

Power Cut is aptly named; the boulders are situated at the top of a long hill where a strip of trees had been shaved off to make room for power lines. We found what we thought was a V0, according to Brandon's printed guide, but it turned out what we picked was significantly tougher. We spent the rest of the day working it - a beautiful overhanging arete with little finger pockets, heel hooks, and some of the grittiest most unfriendly rock I've climbed on. Dan and our friend Carlos affectionately named it Morla's Nose. I gave it a few good tries, but had a lot more fun watching the rest of the group's success on it!

All in all, it was an amazing day. I topped out on some easy, but incredibly high problems that resulted in my experiencing the same scared-to-death feeling I get while leading, which made me feel great, and spent time with some great other climber folk from the gym.

I woke up Sunday morning with the nagging feeling that despite how great the rock climbing had been, I needed to start buckling down and training for mountain climbing. With four months left until the Rainier Summit for Someone climb, I primarily have two fears. (1) I won't be in good enough shape, and (2) that I'll have trouble with altitude. Only one of those things is completely in my control, and I've got to make sure I'm in the best shape I can be. I have a training plan and the resources to act on it, I just have to...act on it! So instead of strapping the crash pad to my back and heading to Power Cut with Brandon and Dan, I loaded up my pack, grabbed Dan's Garmin, and set out on a 5.3 mile 2 hour "hike."

One of my favorite things about being outside in a place like the Rothrock State Forest is the solitude. Granted, we ran into people all weekend, but I still really enjoy feeling as though I'm completely by myself once in a while. The approach to Power Cut turned out to be perfect for solitude, and for Rainier training. I lost track of how many times I did the approach, but reached my requisite 1400' of elevation gain for the weekend.* In the process, I tried to be as mindful and self-aware as possible, recognizing where my mind wandered and keeping negative thoughts in check. I firmly believe anything that tests my mental reserves, including climbing, will help prepare me for Rainier. By setting a goal of 1400' elevation gain, and breaking it down into ascents and descents of the approach, it made the whole process much easier to manage mentally.

Sunday, just like Saturday, was exactly what I needed. I knew I'd have felt guilty all day if I'd skipped my hike and bouldered instead, feeling as though Saturday's climbing was successful. Staying in balance, and listening to what my body's telling me I need to focus more time on is critical. I recognize that Rainier's going to be incredibly difficult, and that I need to shift my focus to doing everything I can to prepare. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of the hike, and walked up to find Brandon and Dan exhausted from a second day of bouldering. We left with cuts, scrapes, red fingertips, and smiles. I can't wait to go back!

*At this point in my training plan, I'm supposed to, at minimum, hike once a week for 2+ hours with a 20 pound pack and gain 1400' in elevation. That's in addition to three cardio sessions and three days of lifting each week. Training plan comes from this DVD.

Self Sufficient Climbing at Livesy Rock

Life's been pretty hectic since Dan and I got back from the #jtreetweetup. We both had extra busy work weeks; mine involved trips to Baltimore and Ithaca, both of which were fantastic. We woke up Saturday morning with the itch to climb outside, our two main choices being Birdsboro and Livesy Rock. Birdsboro was the location of my first sport lead day, indoor or outdoor, and I have a special affinity for the area as a result. But it's an hour away, and we only have six quickdraws between us. By the time we made it out of the house around lunchtime, our chosen destination was Livesy Rock.

Livesy Rock is located within the Wissahickon region of Fairmount Park in Philadelphia, just a short drive or bike ride from the city. The Wissahickon is, in my opinion, the most amazing part of Philadelphia, and the reason I first started to feel at home here. It's an incredible little refuge, and so close to the hustle and bustle of the city. As far as I've found, there are no guides or maps of routes on the main wall or the nearby bouldering area. The main wall does, however, have a dozen bolted anchor points on top, which are accessible via a short hike up the back side of the wall.

We set our first toprope up over a mostly vertical section of the wall. The rock itself is really quite remarkable, and boasts a number of really neat features. I'm almost entirely sure the rock we climbed is schist with a little bit of quartzite, which flakes off all over the place, but is generally very solid. The rock looks rippled, and the ripples have broken apart to create little crimps, jugs and a few little cracks. The first most obvious line wasn't too difficult, likely around a 5.6, and we created routes from there by adding new holds and taking holds we'd previously used out of our list of options, just to make things interesting. We might've gotten up to a 5.9, but I'm not quite sure.

We set up the second toprope on a different set of bolts on an overhanging section of the wall. The most challenging part of the day was equalizing the anchors, seeing as some of the bolt placements didn't lend themselves to easily placed equalized systems. We had to use slings of all different lengths, but it was certainly good practice! Dan set the second and more difficult one, and had to reset it again before it was perfect. The overhanging climbs were great, and we only had enough time and energy for a few before packing up and heading out.

Dan reminded me after we'd finished cleaning the anchors and started the hike to the car that it was the first time we'd had a completely self-sufficient day of outdoor climbing. (Bouldering aside). This was a big deal, and something that had completely slipped my mind. One of the greatest things about the #jtreetweetup was being around so many experienced, fearless climbers and learning from their skills and confidence. For the first time, we were able to set up our own toprope climbs, keep each other safe, and have a great time doing it.

I know the only way we all become better climbers is through learning and sharing knowledge, and I welcome the chance to climb with people like the #jtreetweetup folks who know a lot more than I do. But the self sufficiency and confidence in my skills is something I'm constantly working toward in climbing, and in life, I suppose. Knowing Dan and I can go out and climb on our own with our own gear safely, and have a good time is really important, and was a really big deal to me. He was incredibly diligent, careful, and meticulous in anchor setting and belaying, and I was able to place complete trust in our system as a result. Being self sufficient is pretty awesome!