Posted by Dee Dee on Nov 18, 2018 in Destinations, Featured, Personal Stories, Routes |
One of the best perks, for me, as a mature climber, is that I get to climb with my adult children 😊 Both our daughter and son are excellent climbers. Our daughter, Alex, began just two years ago, but as a former, nationally ranked gymnast, it did not take long for her to pass her parents in both ability and passion for the sport. Ryan, our son, began as a little boy. He joined the climbing team for a few years, and now is working on his AMGA Rock Guide certifications. What this means is that I have this amazing situation where my son guides the family on all the...
Posted by Gretchen on Oct 15, 2018 in Featured |
Recently, I completed my first big wall, female climbing trip through Brazil with a close friend of mine. We conquered three of the classic big wall routes in Brazil in one week by ourselves: 1) Moonwalker, Pedra Riscada (roughly the size of El Cap- we slept in hammocks on a bivy ledge at the top of pitch 12 before continuing on the next day to the summit and down), 2) Face Leste Pico Maior, Parque Tres Picos and 3) Face Leste + Maria Cebola, on the coveted Dedo de Deus. Everywhere we went, we ran into male climbers (we did not run into one single female climber- we want...
Posted by McKenzi on Apr 27, 2018 in Featured, Personal Stories |
I consider myself a climber in the core of my being, although I’m not particularly strong, skilled or prolific. I feel most myself when I have sandstone grit in my fingernails and hear the windchime call of gear on my harness. But this past year a new identity lodged into the core of my being: mom. Full time working mom. Finding the balance between my job, my infant son, and the person I’ve always thought I was has been one of the most difficult challenges yet. I found myself without beta and full of paradoxes, especially feeling deeply isolated although literally never alone. So, I wanted to share just...
Posted by McKenzi on Jan 20, 2018 in Featured, Personal Stories |
I’ve had about 7 months to ponder what life would be like once I have the little baby that’s growing inside me right now. I’ve always struggled a bit with showing my “excitement” in the more traditional ways that many folks do. Rather, I internalize a lot of those feelings. I remember going on my first few multi-pitch climbs with my husband. He’d say “did you have fun” and I would simply say, “yes.” He would stare at me for a little bit and I could tell by the look on his face he was thinking “jeez, that’s it?” haha. While, inside my little-excited person was jumping up and down...
Posted by Jessica Barilone on Jan 20, 2018 in Featured, Gear Reviews |
Review by Jessica Barilone Brand: Red Chili Model: Spirit Lady VCR Retail Price: $80-$125 Specs as advertised: 3 VCR (hook and loop) straps for adjustment Twin tongue for easy opening and easy in / out Synthetic upper to keep shape and size of the shoe leather footbed for comfort and nonslip positioning of the foot Impact Zone EVA cushioning under the heel Red Chili RX 2 rubber 4,2 mm Pros: Comfortable after full day of climbing. Cons: Lacks outdoor durability. The test: I bought my first pair of Spirit Ladies at the beginning of the indoor season last fall. I broke them in quite easily and found that they...
Posted by McKenzi on Oct 16, 2017 in Destinations, Featured, Personal Stories |
By: Jessica Barilone After a nearly six year hiatus from climbing, the mountains called me back and I made my way to Grenoble, France where I currently reside. When I climbed in U.S. I was mostly a gym rat and only made a few ventures outside, so this time around I was hell-bent on being an outdoor climber. As soon as I arrived in Grenoble I started climbing, at first on top rope but within a few months I was learning how to lead sport and multi-pitch climbs (in French, no less). In March of this year I participated in a Red Rock Rendezvous (RRR) event where I was...
