....Ascending-Descending....

I have done it again, my creative mind has devised a devilishly cool, real world bodyweight excersize for a total body rippage. You see I have this huge tree in my side yard, I bought a static rappel rope and huge it on this branch 30 feet up my tree. Donning my climbing harness and my Texas prussics loops I've been doing laps up and down the rap rope. What a work out ! From starting position to the top measures 20 feet and descending is harder than going up so one lap = 40 feet. I've been doing 10 laps if possible.

6-18-09 10 laps =400 feet
6-22-09 7 laps =280 feet
6-24-09 10 laps =400 feet
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Total 1080 feet

My goal is 1000 feet per week. Due to blisters, I've changed from the Texas prussics loops to Petzl mechanical ascenders. The work out is just as gruelling, but belay gloves and the ascenders save my fingers from blisters.

This excersize has real world application along with intensive core conditioning, plus it's exciting going so high up on my own power.

In Strength

TRAD LEAD !!!

Today was our day to shine. I lead my first Trad climb on Columiester, grade 5.6. I felt focused and rock solid on my lead climbing and pro placement. My climbing partner Tom also lead Columeister for the first time. Our intensive training this spring on mach trad lead and the Trad Lead Climbing Course by VEGA and Pat Mackin has really paid off. We can now say we are Trad Lead climbers. We each lead the climb and seconded the climb. The leader set a top anchor for belaying up the second from a hanging belay. This involved anchor setting and rope management skills as if we were on a multi-pitch climb. I am so proud of this accomplishment and milestone toward multi-pitch climbing and future mountain projects. It's hard to put into words how good it felt to Trad Lead confidently.

In Strength

Today's "Quote"

"The world is full of willing people, some willing to work, the others willing to let them."

-Robert Frost

In Strength

Advanced Trad Climbing....

On Sunday we spent over 10 hours working on Trad lead climbing, multi-pitch climbing and rope management skills. We hired Pat Mackin of Vertical Endeavors for the course. I had a great time learning proper pro placements, anchor systems, Hanging belays and rope management skills. It was money well spent, toward my goals of trad lead climbing, multi-pitch climbing and mountaineering. I will be trad leading my first climb in the near future, I will keep you posted.

In Strength

Knots, Knots & More Knots.....................

It's been a little while since my last Post, but allot going on. I bought a static rope for rapelling & ascending. I have set the rope 30 feet up a tree in my yard for ascending and of course descending (what or in my case "who" goes up must come down). Using the Texas prussics set-up, I go up and down, what a fun way to really work out my core strength and practice mountaineering skills. Of course my kids think I'm either crazy or pretty cool, dangling 30 feet up, I don't know which. Today, Cheryl, Tom and I were practicing our knot tying skills for climbing in my garage, in preparation for tomorrows Trad Lead Climbing Class. We hired Pat Mackin from VE to teach us the necessary skills required for advancing to Trad Lead climbing. I'm very excited to make this next move in climbing. We will spend the day at Taylors Falls on the Wisconsin side training. I will post the class results tomorrow.

In Strength,

www.animatedknots.com