A call to arms

A good friend of mine once said: "There is no such thing as bad conditions, just bad attitudes." I, for one, am sick of spending days inside. I'm sick of waiting for the "perfect" weather to go climbing outside in the winter. I want to strangle the damn woodchuck who saw his shadow today.

This is my call to arms. We who live in New Hampshire should stop being held hostage by this winter. We should climb at Rumney, we should rock climb, no matter what our fickle weather decides to do. I'm not going to take it anymore. Who's with me?

Dude you need to get into ice climbing. Instead of moving there from NY 8 years ago we moved to Colorado. I loved spending winters up there climbing in Huntington!! Although there is much to be said of swimming in the Saco after climbing all day on cathedral or whitehorse and then going back to the campgrounds to chow down on food and beer! Don't like the mosquitos there. They are like small birds!

I'm moving to Portland, ME this June, so I'm bracing myself for the weather. I think taking up ice climbing is gonna be my workaround to the cold problem.

Anyway, yes, go climb. We've had some great days in Denver, but they've all fallen on work days for me. We've still been getting out to practice aid climbing, which is much more plausible in the cold.

Evan

climbing ice will keep you busy and not hating winter, unfortunately it will also keep you broke

Yeah, I've ice climbed, but I'm just not that into it. I'd rather get out on the rock and I refuse to let this climate stop me.

That's right Jay! You tell those ice monkeys to stay on topic! This is a rock climbing thread dangit!!!

Thanks Hank. As per usual, we're on the same wavelength. Now, back on topic!

I hate winter and I want to rock climb.

Jay Knower wrote:Thanks Hank. As per usual, we're on the same wavelength. Now, back on topic! I hate winter and I want to rock climb.

Have you ever checked out the Traprock area in Connecticut? I've climbed there on many a winter day. It should be allot warmer than Rumney.

Robert 560 wrote: Have you ever checked out the Traprock area in Connecticut? I've climbed there on many a winter day. It should be allot warmer than Rumney.

Never been. If I am going to drive that far, I'd probably go to the Gunks, which is great in the winter. How far is it from the Gunks?

Ice monkeys? Hank!! When we gonna climb some ice!!

JR

Jay,
Everytime I see more snow in out future I get very nauseous, I want spring and I want it now! But screw that I am all for climbing in the winter, no more waiting for the perfect day..

Go get 'em Jay!

youtube.com/watch?v=MsmybQK…;feature=related

jack roberts wrote:Hank!! When we gonna climb some ice!!

I traded all my ice gear for a big bag of Hippy Lettuce last Winter..........This weekend is gonna be in the 50s an 60s tho!

Jay, just get a big, radiative gas heater, a stove, and some hot chocolate and hit whatever crags suit your fancy. Climb, go warm up, climb, repeat.

Mike Lane wrote:Go get 'em Jay! youtube.com/watch?v=MsmybQK…;feature=related

So funny. I guess my rant is getting the same kind of response.

matthewWallace wrote:Jay, Everytime I see more snow in out future I get very nauseous, I want spring and I want it now! But screw that I am all for climbing in the winter, no more waiting for the perfect day..

We'll have to get out climbing soon Matt. Glad to hear that you feel my pain...

After twenty years of New England winter rock climbing (during which about half the winters were pretty mild with way more sunny weekends than you might think) This year I finally broke down and bought ice gear. Damn if it isn't kind of fun!

Brian Rhode wrote:This year I finally broke down and bought ice gear. Damn if it isn't kind of fun!

That's not really you talking, merely the Devil speaking from within you!

Not the first time I’ve been seduced by that fun loving bastard, but what the hell, it’s probably not the last, either.

the devil does have a sneaky way of seducing people...

its gonna be 70 for the next two days in red rocks. last saturday i got a sun burn!
my call to arms..... i'm gonna buy some sun block tommorrow.
josh