New and Experienced climbers over 50 #22

going to have to break out the skis this afternoon. 

I am enjoying some best of pictures. This was one of my favorite routes because it just went on and on – – and also because Nelson lied to me about the grade. I thought it was a 5.9 and so I proceeded up as though it were a moderate route.  In fact it was a 10c but by the time I figured that out I was pretty far along. Really fun and pretty intense.  The Official Route of the 1984 Olympics.  

put the vani away for the winter. 

1st snow

first ski

Alan Rubin wrote:

Hi Gabe, I second Ward's ID of those 2 routes, but am not sure of what you mean by the 'slab a few 100 feet right of where you walk in'. I think you mean the Pooh Buttress area, though the grades you mention don't 'fit'. PM me and I can give you more information.   Alan

Ward of course nailed it.
I still think GO meant Pooh Buttress although there are six sport routes. Altho I can never remember all the names, I feel like they are scattered between .7 and .10+.
The one .10 is "Wise Old Owl". Alan can tell you all about it! :)
Good outing.  Alan and I did five routes at Sunbowl and the rain arrived.  So we retreated to Hadley gym and did 10 to 15 more.  A pretty full day.

Ward Smith wrote:

How old is your daughter Gabe?   Mine is 11 and it sounds like they have a similar outlook on climbing.

 Cuttlefish is the name of the 11, Octopus Balls the bouldery 12.

My daughter is five.  She is actually quite good at climbing (for her age), but I think she thinks she's bad at it because she compares herself to grownups.  Also she gets scared when she gets a couple body lengths off the ground, and she thinks that's bad.  

Yes. Thanks for the ID on those climbs.  Alan, sorry for the confusion about the other wall.  All I know is that it is two outcroppings to the right of the main buttress when you come in.  The easiest routes on it were on the left, progressively harder as you went right.  

Speaking of fathers and daughters, I saw Eric and his (grown) daughter there.  I used to run into them every time I went to Main cliff at Rumney. Started to think they lived there!  Nice to chat with him a bit.  Also climbing near us was Linda (the Lamb kids mom).  Sure would be interesting to chat with both her and Eric about raising kids with climbing, because they obviously seem to have both hit a sweet spot of encouragement but not overdoing it.

GO

So the trip report today is that Mitch jumared up the 250! foot static rope and found that a mouse had chewed 2/3 of the way through the rope just below the anchor,  Yikes!

Ward, yikes indeed!!!

Ward Smith wrote:

So the trip report today is that Mitch jumared up the 250! foot static rope and found that a mouse had chewed 2/3 of the way through the rope just below the anchor,  Yikes!

You need to pepper spray the top of those ropes in places like that. I knew one climber who got killed and two other who had very close calls that exact same way. The damn rodents go for the smell and salt your skin leaves on the rope when you tie knots.

I'm happy for your friend, that he was okay. 

Ward Smith wrote:

So the trip report today is that Mitch jumared up the 250! foot static rope and found that a mouse had chewed 2/3 of the way through the rope just below the anchor,  Yikes!

Close call!  Hope the rest of the FA goes off without incident or more close calls.

GabeO wrote:

My daughter is five.  She is actually quite good at climbing (for her age), but I think she thinks she's bad at it because she compares herself to grownups.  Also she gets scared when she gets a couple body lengths off the ground, and she thinks that's bad.  

Yes. Thanks for the ID on those climbs.  Alan, sorry for the confusion about the other wall.  All I know is that it is two outcroppings to the right of the main buttress when you come in.  The easiest routes on it were on the left, progressively harder as you went right.  

Speaking of fathers and daughters, I saw Eric and his (grown) daughter there.  I used to run into them every time I went to Main cliff at Rumney. Started to think they lived there!  Nice to chat with him a bit.  Also climbing near us was Linda (the Lamb kids mom).  Sure would be interesting to chat with both her and Eric about raising kids with climbing, because they obviously seem to have both hit a sweet spot of encouragement but not overdoing it.

GO

Hey Gabe,

Those routes on the Pooh Buttress L to R are Ying, Rad, Wise Old Owl and Tigger Takes a Tumble.  I think.  Ask Al.  Progressively more difficult the further right you go.  That day was so humid they all felt hard.

In terms of kids and climbing I don't really have any profound words of wisdom.  I have been successful (depending on how you measure success)  with 2.5 out of 4 (the 0.5 one is much more interested in long distance hiking and 4th class scrambling - think Colorado or the Sierras - she is the equivalent of a 5.13 hiker with some if the high routes she has patched together).  My son - well..just beyond anything I could have imagined.  And a different daughter (the one you saw at Farley) is way better now then I ever was at pure sport and gym.  Basically I just threw them on the wall (exposed them to it) and saw what stuck.  I will say that they were all somewhat luke warm about climbing until the connected with their own peers that were doing it.  I will also say that their climbing successes are relatively modest compared to what they have done with the "grown up" parts of their lives.  They won't be 40+ year old has bins  living in broken down vans.

Nick- so you found a shed!? Looks cold but nice. We are having our usual frigid winter weather. Long sleeves and pants required at Stoney.Worked “Amphitheater” a sub V of some sort.

Good to know everyone is having a good time, except for the chewed rope!!!! Scary shit.

Lori I hope you get some sun, it’s good for you.

All this talk of daughters and climbing makes me nostalgic. So many good times with mine. She's a HS senior now and about to head off to college, probably on the E. Coast. 

Eric - thanks for sharing your experience with your kids, that's helpful.

Lori - good luck.  Hope you turn the corner soon.

Andrew, thanks for sharing those pics, really special.

GO

Eric Engberg wrote:

.  Basically I just threw them on the wall (exposed them to it) and saw what stuck.  I will say that they were all somewhat luke warm about climbing until the connected with their own peers that were doing it.  I will also say that their climbing successes are relatively modest compared to what they have done with the "grown up" parts of their lives.  They won't be 40+ year old has bins  living in broken down vans.

Hey bub, that's called livin' the dream or to some vansion folk it's known as can't find a mechanic.

I'm also the parent who just exposed the kid to it from a young age, always making sure she had a book, food and somewhere to chill. She almost always wants to go climbing now, even without friends involved. Of course all I want out of the deal is a rope gun some day

 Maquinna M.  "Of course all I want out of the deal is a rope gun some day". Eric ended up with 2, me with zero.

My wife and I felt it important to expose our daughter to a variety of opportunities and experiences. She enjoyed climbing while very young, but then followed other paths--positive ones, which is all that matters.

Todd Berlier wrote:

seeing your daughter leaning into that hug has me crying my eyes out at work in joy! 

Thanks. That was a great trip. It was about 6 months after COVID started and we took a late-summer/early fall trip out to J-tree with our friend Lucky. He's the one responsible for the obscene spread of food in front of us. The other great memory from that trip was my kid and I were sleeping outside on camp cots. Just as we were about to fall asleep my cot totally shredded underneath me (sun rot) and I dropped 18 inches straight onto the ground. Bella and I both nearly died laughing. 

Alan Rubin wrote:

 Maquinna M.  "Of course all I want out of the deal is a rope gun some day". Eric ended up with 2, me with zero.

My wife and I felt it important to expose our daughter to a variety of opportunities and experiences. She enjoyed climbing while very young, but then followed other paths--positive ones, which is all that matters.

Same with my daughter, who is a professional touring musician (keyboards and backup vocals primarily and strings occasionally).  Along the way, she did some climbing, gymnastics, and basketball, but music was her first love from an early age.  She still loves to hike and has a wonderful eye for photographs. As with Alan, we tried opening various doors, but left it up to her which ones she went through.

Now that I'm starting to maybe need a rope gun, I realize we did it all wrong, but it is too late, she's launched and flying high.

Eric Engberg wrote:

I will also say that their climbing successes are relatively modest compared to what they have done with the "grown up" parts of their lives.  They won't be 40+ year old has bins  living in broken down vans.

All three of your kids whom I have interacted with are definitely great adults with a string of varied and admirable achievements.
Does Zeb agree with your "climbing successes are relatively modest" assessment? I know he is a math whiz, great teacher and all, but his climbing resume is pretty awesome. Maybe not in daddy's eyes? :)

Had a visitor to the pastures behind my house, yesterday! She was there again this morning. Just her, and she doesn't act skittish at all, so I'm guessing she's a wild turkey being raised by someone, who flew the coop.

Love all those good looking rocks upstream, some, even look maybeish for old ladies to dink around on!

Meanwhile....

Still just hanging out. Doing....nuthin. Fossilizing.

H.

It is great reading about ya’ll kids! I wish I had known about this when my kids are growing up. I woke up to an Instagram picture of Jeremy Schoenborn this morning but geez… Does he know how lucky he is? This tall lanky guy who lives to be outdoors and climb, with a smile that goes from ear to ear and a deep enthusiasm for life. His parents knew what they were doing. Each of those kids is out living large. His brother is trying to be a pro surfer. Maybe he will and maybe he won’t but he’s having a hell of a lot of fun. I know those kids will find a career or college when it’s time. Or they can waste away with video games and depression which we see so often. So glad you parents are offering your kids such a variety of life giving activities and passions.