88. Things I think are neat
7 years ago
Monday, August 2, 2010
Last of the Rumney Stuff
Krissy - portrait
FAKE - Note : there are clothes behind that towel!
Bug
North Conway
North Conway
North Conway
Boule on the Kancamangus
Cooking on the Kanc.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Rumney, NH
Rumney Vacation Recap from the Hammock
The past week in New Hampshire has been a good one. Since Friday June 25th, the weather has been pretty good, only one rain day. Here is a quick recap of what we've been up to.
Day 1 (Sat.June 26): Did a bit of bouldering at the Pound. K almost flashed Whales Tale (v4).
Day 2: Climbed in Rumney. Krissy started the morning off with a send of her project Pretzel Logic. It began to pour rain early afternoon so we headed down to Monster wall where we met up with a couple New Brunswickers, Mark MacDonald and Jill Hidgins. Ben worked Dr. No and Parallel Universe while Mark worked a very wet Cosmic Monsters and Stone Monkey. Once it cleared, we all headed up to Waimai and Bonsai where Ben worked Suburban Surfer (falling off the last move) and Mark and Jill climbed Waimai. Krissy ticked off Peer Pressure on her 2nd ever attempt (stoked!). Finished off the day with a swim.
Day 3: Rain day.
Day 4:We climbed a ton in Rumney. We were the first ones in and the last ones out! We were there for a total of 12 hours.
Day 5: Krissy fell off the last move on Social Outcast and flashed Centerpiece. Ben finally figured out the move that had been stumping him on Dr No, He linked it in two halves. Left feeling very tired and hungry, our skin and muscles wrecked. Headed “home” to shower. While Krissy was standing by the shower with her hair wrapped in a towel, a chipmunk or squirrel had jumped up and banked off of Krissy's towel head and onto a tree. It was pretty hilarious.
Day 6: Happy Canada Day! We took a rest day to celebrate with espresso's and hot showers (at Attitash). While there a very kind man working at the reception offered Krissy his cell phone to call her nanny in Canada! His name was Tony. Thanks Attitash Tony! Krissy's phone call got interrupted by 2 cubs and a giant mama bear digging through all the dumpsters.
Day 7: Rumney. Krissy sent Social Outcast and sorta worked Techno Surfing and Get er Done. Ben fell off of the last move of Dr. No five times!!! Shut down on that one, but he did sent Orangahang over at Orange Crush and set his sights on Predator which means, time for a new, longer rope.
Day 8: Rest day. Saw a moose and bought a rope that just went on sale...40% off. We took that as a sign.
Day 9: Ben sent Dr. No AND Suburban Surfer back to back! Met up with Alex, a super strong climber and beta machine from Quebec. Super cool dude.
Today began Krissy's slump.
Day 10: And then the heat came... 95F. Despite the heat, we climbed as much as our bodies would let us. Highlights of the day include Ben falling on the last move on both Flesh for Lulu (5.12a) and Hope for Movements (5.12d). They were both his onsight attempts. Also important to note that on Hope for Movements, the new rope, sore weak hands and a fly were all giving Krissy and her grigri a very hard time at some very critical points in the climb (sorry Ben). The locals were still quite impressed with his climbing.
Now we are hoping for the temperatures to go down and for Krissy to get out of her slump.
Later!
K & B.
The past week in New Hampshire has been a good one. Since Friday June 25th, the weather has been pretty good, only one rain day. Here is a quick recap of what we've been up to.
Day 1 (Sat.June 26): Did a bit of bouldering at the Pound. K almost flashed Whales Tale (v4).
Day 2: Climbed in Rumney. Krissy started the morning off with a send of her project Pretzel Logic. It began to pour rain early afternoon so we headed down to Monster wall where we met up with a couple New Brunswickers, Mark MacDonald and Jill Hidgins. Ben worked Dr. No and Parallel Universe while Mark worked a very wet Cosmic Monsters and Stone Monkey. Once it cleared, we all headed up to Waimai and Bonsai where Ben worked Suburban Surfer (falling off the last move) and Mark and Jill climbed Waimai. Krissy ticked off Peer Pressure on her 2nd ever attempt (stoked!). Finished off the day with a swim.
Day 3: Rain day.
Day 4:We climbed a ton in Rumney. We were the first ones in and the last ones out! We were there for a total of 12 hours.
Day 5: Krissy fell off the last move on Social Outcast and flashed Centerpiece. Ben finally figured out the move that had been stumping him on Dr No, He linked it in two halves. Left feeling very tired and hungry, our skin and muscles wrecked. Headed “home” to shower. While Krissy was standing by the shower with her hair wrapped in a towel, a chipmunk or squirrel had jumped up and banked off of Krissy's towel head and onto a tree. It was pretty hilarious.
Day 6: Happy Canada Day! We took a rest day to celebrate with espresso's and hot showers (at Attitash). While there a very kind man working at the reception offered Krissy his cell phone to call her nanny in Canada! His name was Tony. Thanks Attitash Tony! Krissy's phone call got interrupted by 2 cubs and a giant mama bear digging through all the dumpsters.
Day 7: Rumney. Krissy sent Social Outcast and sorta worked Techno Surfing and Get er Done. Ben fell off of the last move of Dr. No five times!!! Shut down on that one, but he did sent Orangahang over at Orange Crush and set his sights on Predator which means, time for a new, longer rope.
Day 8: Rest day. Saw a moose and bought a rope that just went on sale...40% off. We took that as a sign.
Day 9: Ben sent Dr. No AND Suburban Surfer back to back! Met up with Alex, a super strong climber and beta machine from Quebec. Super cool dude.
Today began Krissy's slump.
Day 10: And then the heat came... 95F. Despite the heat, we climbed as much as our bodies would let us. Highlights of the day include Ben falling on the last move on both Flesh for Lulu (5.12a) and Hope for Movements (5.12d). They were both his onsight attempts. Also important to note that on Hope for Movements, the new rope, sore weak hands and a fly were all giving Krissy and her grigri a very hard time at some very critical points in the climb (sorry Ben). The locals were still quite impressed with his climbing.
Now we are hoping for the temperatures to go down and for Krissy to get out of her slump.
Later!
K & B.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Commitment
Why sleep in a tent when you could be home in your own bed?
Why take a "shower" in a freezing river instead of a warm water at home?
Why climb in the heat, the rain, and the humidity?
I can't really answer.
There is no crowd cheering you on - just your belayer.
There is no reward on top - just another project around the corner.
There is no money to be made - just spent.
There is no fame - just person climbing a piece of rock.
So, why then?
There are friendships to be made - that strange connection all committed climbers have.
There are experiences to be had - wrong turns, scary climbs, and beautiful places.
There are things to be learned - cultures, beta, and living life.
There is the addiction of trying hard on your projects - how you combine focus and power.
Looking in from the outside it probably appears that the committed climber is someone who has lost their way in life. No money, no steady job, no permanent address. Looking out from the inside it appears that many "normal" people fall into the trap of going to school, making money at all costs, buying a big house, vehicle, and then fill it with things. It seems maybe they miss seeing the world, meeting amazing people and making memories that will last a lifetime. Memories - experiences that can't be bought, sold, traded, or acquired any other way than just simply going and doing.
So, again - Why?
Just because it seems the best way to live.
Now we are off for three weeks of living out of a car.
Three weeks of climbing, making memories, meeting new friends, seeing new places, and re-visiting old places.
Three weeks of trying hard, wearing out skin, and going to bed completely exhausted.
Three weeks of experiences that you can't put a price on - only the committed will understand.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Halifax, NS
We traveled down to Halifax last weekend for a day on Dover Island. Our original plan was to head to NH but with the weather looking bad we opted for NS.
Man of Action (V10)
Krissy worked a few old projects and got very close on one, but had to walk away empty handed. I was actually able to put up one new line on the White Trash roof. The line starts on Tourist Attraction and ends up White Trash, connecting the two through a bunch of small edges and crimps. I decided the only logical name was Tourist Trash. I think it might be in the V10ish range.
Blakney's and Lunney's
This weekend we are trying for NH again...weather permitting.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Monday, May 31, 2010
Rumney Again...
Krissy on Waimea (5.10d)
Ben on Butt Bongo Fiesta (5.13a)
We just returned from our second weekend in a row in Rumney. After five days there in the last week or so we are finally starting to feel some sport climbing fitness returning.
Krissy was able to on-sight some 5.9's, and 5.10a's and also did her 11a project from last weekend at the Meadows Wall. Then she red-pointed White Rhino 5.11c really fast. After this she began working a very steep 5.12b and was able to do all the moves and good links right away - the send is going to be soon I think.
I was able to red-point Butt Bongo Fiesta (5.13a) and then tried to on-sight Big Kahuna (5.13a), and fell on the last move....grrr! After this I was working a route called Boogieman (5.13c) and fell at the last move...no send this trip. Next time I think.
We also ran into Sebastian Lazure from Quebec and watched him make an impressive red point of Parallel Universe (5.14a). He had it wired!
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