New and Experienced Climbers over 50 #5

Lori Milas wrote: Just to resume discussion of something integral to climbing... these are porcupettes ie. baby porcupines.  Not for soup or stew.

Been saving this for just the right moment......it's a "porcupine tree"

Cute little hedgehogs

John Barritt wrote:

Been saving this for just the right moment......it's a "porcupine tree"

This California girl was sure that porcupines did not live in or climb trees.  I'm pretty sure any tree porcupines have been airbrushed into the picture.  I sorta thought they burrowed.

But then... this is kind of similar to when mountain lions were reported along my hiking trail, and in fact one female jogger was mauled and killed by a mountain lion... so I was keeping a paranoid watch for them, on the ground.  One day a hunter pointed up into a tree where I was passing... "That's where your mountain lion sleeps."   UP.    

I have been feeling kinda bummed about having to take a full week off from wall climbing... just two weeks before a Josh trip.  It's suddenly a big job to read the full two required books and learn 10+ knots... just for the 2 day class.  Then there's also lots of other days just to climb.  

Bob's first chapter is on Face Climbing and slab... and that's when I realized... this is mostly what I do in Josh. (slab and cracks)  My efforts can go there instead of overhangs at the gym.  

I have the jitters over these climbs.  They require nerves of steel.  Composure.  I'll remember to bring a toothbrush this time for my shoes.  I'm going to try to remember to chill... CALM DOWN.   And for the next few weeks at PW, to work on the slab walls.  

Thinking about Astrodome.  Maybe.  (Peter Croft, Solid Gold, Astrodome)  I haven't looked up Solid Gold... book says "5.10"... it looks like a 5.10+++ ...

Solid Gold

I've got three mountain lion stories, a howling female in heat circled my treestand last year. Never saw her but the sound of a "13 year old girl" screaming in the woods moving around where you're sitting will make the hair on your neck stand up.

 Solid gold climbing. is small crimping  there is a 30 foot run out at the end of the first pitch but not that big a deal,  figures on a landscape climbing is not that hard, cool position much exposure.

Jeffrey Constine wrote:  Solid gold climbing. is small crimping  there is a 30 foot run out at the end of the first pitch but not that big a deal,  figures on a landscape climbing is not that hard, cool position much exposure.

Good. Come climb it with me. I could use your help.   

Lori Milas wrote: Just to resume discussion of something integral to climbing... these are porcupettes ie. baby porcupines.  Not for soup or stew.

... on second thought - I'll refrain 

John Barritt wrote: I've got three mountain lion stories, a howling female in heat circled my treestand last year. Never saw her but the sound of a "13 year old girl" screaming in the woods moving around where you're sitting will make the hair on your neck stand up.

I can relate.   

Lori Milas wrote:

I can relate.   

Things you don't want to hear in the woods

Red Rock just 3 weeks away.  I am so stoked to get us dug out and on the road.

Dallas R wrote: Red Rock just 3 weeks away.  I am so stoked to get us dug out and on the road.

Red Rock looks pretty similar to that today. But won't in 3 weeks!

Lori Milas wrote: Just to resume discussion of something integral to climbing... these are porcupettes ie. baby porcupines.  Not for soup or stew.

Really? You fair dinkum? How lovely! 

Funny. The other day I posted a rather depressing thing about losing my mojo and today I did 17 laps on top rope of my favourite climb, 'Extra G, grade 21 (5.10?, 5.11? in your lingo) which in my equal PB. I do laps of this almost every second or third Saturday morning. Sets went 2, 3, 4, 8, all sets of back to back climbs no rest between climbs. Enough time for my partner to do 2 laps. The last set of eight was hard, the max I've done in a set back to back before was 7. Pyrimiding up rather than down is really great for endurance I reckon...
The picture is of me leading it a few months ago.
BTW (and sorry for what's turned out to be a long post), I was talking today about the fact that I'm using the term "that doesn't cut the mustard" a lot lately. I just like saying that at the moment. Do you guys know that saying? I think maybe it's English, as in a common saying in England but maybe not known everywhere. Anyway I was saying it probs stemmed from the idea that something was far from adequate. Like "that doesn't even cut the mustard" in other words mustard is so soft and easy to cut and I'm saying the standard or value of that thing or action or even one's effort can be liked to a knife that could not even cut the mustard.  It's hard to explain, maybe you can google the term. So today as I was trying my last lap, Mark was shouting up, "Come on!" Cut the mustard!" I'm going to start using that a lot when I encourage people on climbs... I think it'll really take off as a new climbing thing to say.
Then I started thinking," is that what were you guys talking about with the mustard packet convo before???
I'm not explaining this well am?
EDIT. just looked it up and it's an American term

Dallas R wrote: Red Rock just 3 weeks away.  I am so stoked to get us dug out and on the road.

What are you digging out? A caravan? What's that a picture of? I don't know how you guys cope with that weather! 

Carl Schneider wrote: Funny. The other day I posted a rather depressing thing about losing my mojo and today I did 17 laps on top rope of my favourite climb, 'Extra G, grade 21 (5.10?, 5.11? in your lingo) which in my equal PB. I do laps of this almost every second or third Saturday morning. Sets went 2, 3, 4, 8, all sets of back to back climbs no rest between climbs. Enough time for my partner to do 2 laps. The last set of eight was hard, the max I've done in a set back to back before was 7. Pyrimiding up rather than down is really great for endurance I reckon...
The picture is of me leading it a few months ago.
BTW (and sorry for what's turned out to be a long post), I was talking today about the fact that I'm using the term "that doesn't cut the mustard" a lot lately. I just like saying that at the moment. Do you guys know that saying? I think maybe it's English, as in a common saying in England but maybe not known everywhere. Anyway I was saying it probs stemmed from the idea that something was far from adequate. Like "that doesn't even cut the mustard" in other words mustard is so soft and easy to cut and I'm saying the standard or value of that thing or action or even one's effort can be liked to a knife that could not even cut the mustard.  It's hard to explain, maybe you can google the term. So today as I was trying my last lap, Mark was shouting up, "Come on!" Cut the mustard!" I'm going to start using that a lot when I encourage people on climbs... I think it'll really take off as a new climbing thing to say.
Then I started thinking," is that what were you guys talking about with the mustard packet convo before???
I'm not explaining this well am?
EDIT. just looked it up and it's an American term

Carl, I'm pretty sure all this would be much easier for you if you'd just start using the YDS...

Au  System Is easy 25 is 12a French 7a+ is 12a The Uk  system is ?

Carl Schneider wrote:  Like "that doesn't even cut the mustard" in other words mustard is so soft and easy to cut and I'm saying the standard or value of that thing or action or even one's effort can be liked to a knife that could not even cut the mustard.  It's hard to explain, maybe you can google the term. So today as I was trying my last lap, Mark was shouting up, "Come on!" Cut the mustard!" I'm going to start using that a lot when I encourage people on climbs... I think it'll really take off as a new climbing thing to say.
Then I started thinking," is that what were you guys talking about with the mustard packet convo before???

This one's a nail biter. 

Carl Schneider wrote:

What are you digging out? A caravan? What's that a picture of? I don't know how you guys cope with that weather! 

That's the side of our little camper.  We are glampbaggers and eco-tourists.  Fuzzy slippers and a good attitude are the best way to cope with cold weather.

Carl Schneider wrote:

Really? You fair dinkum? How lovely! 

Carl, here's a two-fer.  Take the lovely critters, grab a mustard packet and two slices of bread.  All your answers are contained therein.