Climbers Against Cancer

I'm sure we all have a connection to someone who currently has or previously fought against cancer. My family is no exception. My paternal grandmother died from breast cancer in her early forties, one of the brightest youngest quality assurance engineers I work with fought cancer as a kid and a close family friend is in remission after fighting stage 3 breast cancer. KITV news recently did a short video segment on her fight in their 55-day sault to people who are helping with the fight against breast cancer. Aunty Colette's story is inspirational and emotional - a mother of five with the determination to fight. You can watch it here.

There are fighters all around the world. They fight for different reasons and fight in different ways but they all fight for the same cause - cancer. John Ellison is a rock climber and he has terminal cancer. John is the founder of the initiative, Climbers Against Cancer. This is John's way of fighting - to raise awareness and to help find a cure.

In short I am terminally ill and my clock is ticking. This you may say is my ‘crux’ and I either fall or push on to the summit. For me there was only one option and since that day I have kept on climbing, taking in the beauty around me and enjoying every challenge that lies ahead. 

Whilst thinking about the possibilities of ‘Climbers Against Cancer’ as an idea I remembered the saying ‘strength in numbers’ and how the world of climbing as a family has so much power to deliver a message across the globe. If, as a group of friends, we come together and support ‘CAC’ it can help others in the future by raising awareness and funds to further research into finally finding a cure for cancer!  

If you click on "Stories" on the Climbers Against Cancer web page you can read some truly inspirational experiences from people in our climbing community - fellow climbers who have been affected by cancer. I found this story called "The Warrior Within" particularly moving.

What can you do if you feel motivated to make a difference?

• Donate to one of the many initivatives/organizations out there (Climbers Against Cancer, Susan G Komen, Cancer Research, Fight Cancer, etc.)
• Run a marathon
• Buy a t-shirt/sticker/sweat shirt from one of the organizations and spread the word
• Buy a crash pad or rock climbing hold from HERA for Ovarian Cancer
• Dedicate a climb to someone you know with cancer
• Write a blog post ;)
• If you have a story, share it!

Here we are in our CAC shirts - helping in the fight <3


Climb on!

-Elle

An iPhone app that allows you climb more and search less!

In my last post I was dreaming about guidebooks with GPS locations. The universe heard me and gave us one better, Rakkup! Rakkup is an iPhone application with turn for turn instructional guides and GPS locations. Oh and by universe I meant two awesome Seattlite climbers!

Image from: Adventure Journal

So more on Rakkup...It is a free to download iPhone application. Individual guides can be purchased for less than print cost. Our two Seattlites personally spent a week in California locating approaches and routes for their first guide release, Red Rocks. Here’s the good news fellow Seattlites, Rakkup has released a guidebook for a location right here in Washington state; Exit 32 in North Bend, home of the well-known crag called World Wall. For you Oregonians Rakkup's got you covered too with a guidebook for Smith Rocks.

A big question that must be lingering in your head, what if I don’t have any cellular service in the climbing area? Not a problem! Each guide downloads onto your phone and uses your phone’s GPS location to keep you heading in the right direction to the crags. Sweet right?!

We have a nice bookshelf that contains all of our pretty paperback guidebooks and what do we do? We pack up our gear and head out the door before grabbing it! I'm excited by the possibilities of never having to experience the disappointment when we realize we forgot our guide and we're already 1 hour away from home at the start of the trail head /facepalm. The day has come where we will no longer need additional gear except the one we always have in our pocket - our phone. Goodbye paperback guidebook, goodbye digital cameras, goodbye garmin gps systems...

I hope to test Rakkup in North Bend this weekend. Fingers crossed! Once I do I'll create a new post with my personal review. All previous information came from Rakkup.com and a review by Adventure Journal.

Cheers friends!

-Elle

80% looking for the crag & 20% climbing

I'm waiting for the day where guidebooks have gps locations for crags and real identifiable locator photos. Until then, it is just a known factor that when looking for a new spot you will spend 80% of your time looking for the climbing area and 20% actually climbing.

This weekend we decided to go to Vantage. Earlier this season we climbed on the sunshine wall and the feathers. This time the weather channel was forcasting abundant sunshine and 88 degree weather (woof). During the 2.5 car ride to Vantage, my boyfriend did a little guidebook reading and read up about shady spots. The guide mentioned a small wall that is shady from morning until about 1pm in the afternoon. Perfect!

So we began the 80% of the trip - finding the lower trail.

The guide led us to the lower parking lot area off of old vantage road. Then it instructed us to follow the well identified trail until we see a stack of rocks - take a left at the 'y' and follow the zig-zag to the lower trail and walls.

Hmmm...is it just me or do directions like this happen often? I recall last summer while bouldering in Leavenworth off of icicle creek the guide told us to look for the big "egg shaped" boulder located on the side of the road. If you have been to Leavenworth you'll know that is like being instructed to look for the pine tree in a forest filled with pines. VERY HELPFUL. Thanks...

We ran into a few other climbers walking along the well established trail. They had no idea there was an actual smaller trial leading to the lower walls. They just picked a spot to scramble up. Let me just say, we watched them do it and it didn't look the least bit enjoyable, not to mention dangerous.

My boyfriend is the persistent type, so our search continued for the smaller trail. We thought we spotted it so we started hiking up. Instead of a trail we found ourselves pulling at sketchy chossy rocks. I gave myself a bit of a fright when I yanked at a rock, it fell and I nearly tumbled. Then lo and behold we looked to our left and A TRAIL! A beautiful, well established TRAIL! We followed that little beauty and it took us to the glorious little shady wall spot. Okay, it actually wasn't that great of a wall, mostly lower 5.8, 5.9 routes. But for warm up it wasn't so bad. Plus in the heat it was fantastic! The light wind actually gave us chills as our sweat dried in the breeze - TMI?

On our way back down the trail, after we couldn't possibly take anymore direct sunshine, we stacked rocks at the beginning of the 'y' trail for the next group of people.

Now that we've found the trail and all of the wall of routes it leads to, we are ready for fall to bring around the cooler weather so we can climb! Next time it will be 80% climbing and 20% approaching the crag ;)

Here is a panoramic view of the echo basin on a gorgeous day in Eastern Washington!

Happy climbing guys!

-Elle

Why do rope bags have one strap?

We recently purchased a rope bag for our new Sterling Rope (that we LOVE). One of our favorite places to go outdoor rope climbing is the exits - exit 32 or 38 in North Bend Washington. We don’t have a very long approach for either exit but our new rope bag is turning out to be less than desirable.

The Edelrid Caddy rope bag has a great bucket concept. There are rope tie-ins on the inside and a fantastic tarp that folds out and nicely stuffs back in but it has one shoulder strap. The more time we spend looking at different rope bags the more we see bags featuring a single strap approach. Why? Even with a short approach to a crag carrying a 70 meter rope + shoes + quick draws and chalk bag gets mighty heavy for a single shoulder to bear. So I ask again, why?

On our second crag trip with the Edelrid Caddy rope bag we attempted to stuff it into a backpack for easier carrying – its rotund shape did not like being stuffed into another pack nor did it easily pulled back out of the pack. Even with its awesome bucket concept, loops and tarp it was returned to REI. It is apparent, we need a rope bag with two straps - a backpack approach.

There are some great backpack rope bags out there that we would love to own - but their prices are outragous! We are looking for a reasonably priced backpack rope and gear bag. We are thinking of trying out the Speedster next. I'm still drawing a big wtf on why there are so many one strap rope bags out there...

If you have any other suggestions or experience with the Speedster please comment with them below :)

Climb on!

-Elle

Crux Wednesdays

If you are a Harry Potter fan and read the title of this post, crux is not short for horcrux :P But I do mean crux in reference to a portion of a climbing route.

This morning a coworker greeted me with a cheery "happy hump day!" Her words lingered throughout the day as I was stuck indoors. Naturally, my mind wandered to climbing.

A crux in a climbing route is the hardest section. It's usually the part that gives you trouble and prevents you from flashing or red pointing a route. Wednesday's are like a crux in a climbing route. It's the middle of the week and I feel tired from the activities that happened on Monday and Tuesday. My brain doesn't want to function as it blankly stares at my computer screen. Just like in a climbing route, once the crux is over the rest of the route or week feels like a breeze - or breezier. 

After pushing through a crux and wrapping up the remaining moves, a sense of bliss washes over me as I either A) clip into the anchors or B) hang onto the last bouldering hold with complete control. Another route complete! Similarly, as the clock strikes 5:00 pm on a Friday, heck yeah, BLISS! Hello weekend and outdoor climbing!

We made it through the week's crux! Just a few more days to go :) Until then, I'll be dreaming I'm outdoors, getting my climb on....

Climbing in Leavenworth Washington - pockets for days

As usual, if any of the climbing terminology went over your head, here's the vocab!

Crux

The most difficult portion of a climb

-From: Wikipedia Climbing Glossary Terms 

Flash

To climb a route first time without practice but with beta. Climbing it without beta would be an on sight.

-From: Rock Climbing Glossary 

Red Point

In sport climbing, the term redpointing refers to free-climbing a route, while lead climbing, after having practiced the route beforehand (either by leading with frequent rests on a rope - for which the team "hangdogging" arose - or by top roping). Many climbers will frequently try to redpoint a route after having failed to onsight or flash it; although occasionally a climber will forgo an onsight attempt if they suspect that the route is so difficult that an attempt would be pointless.

-From: Wikipedia Redpoint Climbing 

-Elle