Small Walling

Transitioning from summer to fall is tough

2006-10-04T14:27:00.000-07:00

Maybe that's why we call autumn FALL.

Regular Route, Sunnyside Bench, Yosemite

2006-09-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

Supertopo says the descent is 15 minutes. Now I don't know whch supermEn do that. Maybe the superheros roll down all the way, hehe. Every duration of time I see in that site, I just gotta multiply it by at least 4. MUST REMEMBER THAT IN MY HEART.

Learning Tower Approach

2006-09-13T00:32:00.000-07:00

About a year ago, it took me 4 hours up and down the 0.5 mile approach (vertical gain: who knows. I just knew it was tough heh heh). Last Sunday, it took me an hour up and an hour down, with a two-liter waterbag. Nice improvement ;) YAY.

Weekend in Yosemite

2006-09-08T12:30:00.000-07:00

Feel like it will be a relaxing weekend. We don't have any routes in mind, which means it's unlikely I would be dragged to doing anything "tough" heh heh.

I would like to do the approach to Leaning Tower (with just a two-liter waterbag) and gauge how much my stamina has improved.

Climbing progress

2006-09-06T12:11:00.000-07:00

I've gotten over failing. What didn't kill you makes you stonger. Heh heh.

And indeed, I did slightly better in the gym last morning. Attempted a second crack and actually got up to the top. Also did much better in a second attempt on a 5.10c route.

I hate to fail

2006-09-02T10:47:00.000-07:00

Who does?

I just dropped out of a motorcycle beginner's practical class after 2.5 hours. The bike was too heavy for me, I had control issues, I NEEDED MORE TIME!

Ok, so a much lighter bike next time, practice practice practice. I shall make it.

But damn, I still hate to fail.

Go, stop, go, stop

2006-08-30T15:25:00.000-07:00

Lately, in the gym, I have a habit of stopping whenever I reach a difficult spot. I still don't like falling even I'm on top rope. DUH!

I finally was successful inleading a short 5.10a route IN the gym. And I've been practising clipping while I play Spider Solitaire ;)

My dramatic attitude change in life

2006-08-24T17:07:00.000-07:00

I'm reading a book which a girlfriend lent me -- Blueprints For Success. The female author talks about how busy AND well-organized she is -- she's a mother, a businesswoman who owns her own consulting co, a volunteer with two organizations, a doctoral student, she makes sure she exercises twice a week, she also writes books, bla bla bla.

Two years ago, I would hav asked, how does she accomplish so much?

NOW

I asked, why does she want to do so much at one time? HAHAHA

Pictures of Tunnel View and Foresta

2006-07-31T16:34:00.000-07:00

Philosophy time: Marriage and expectations

2006-07-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

A wise friend said, "Before marriage, have high expectation. After marriage, have no expectation."

Doing a wall is hard

2006-07-30T12:27:00.000-07:00

So, we came back from Yosemite one day earlier than planned.

Story goes like this: Woke up at 4:30am on Saturday. Reached Bridalveil Fall. I catered 3 hours for the approach up to base of Leaning Tower. Did 1/3 of the approach, didn't complain a single time hehe. But I was moving too too slowly. Got mosquitoe bites on my left hand and my body reacted to the bites immediately. So sweaty, so itchy, and my load slowed me down A LOT. Then my knees started to feel bad. Concluded that we had over-estimated my ability to do the approach, ahem. Lesson learned: BE MORE prepared next time. ;)

So, the morning didn't go as well as planned. But we had a wonderful rest of the day: went to explore a tunnel - along 120, there is a long tunnel which all visitors have to drive through on way to the valley. Midway of this tunnel, there is an opening on the side of the tunnel which leads to the edge of the cliff. We walked through the main tunnel, and then went into the side tunnel. From the edge of cliff, you can rappel a few pitches, and then climb the route. Air is sucked into the side tunnel to ventilate the main tunnel. That was nice for us as we didn't have to breathe in too much exhaust from the main tunnel.

After that, we visited Foresta. It's a tiny town I think inside the Yosemite Park boundary. We think that the houses there belong to the grandparents of current residents, and some residents rent them to visitors. We met a long-time resident, Anne, who was very chatty with us. Anne has been disgusted with the tourists who rent the vacation homes and drive around in BIG UTILITY vehicles. But it seemed that she liked us enough. Anne told me there are no houses on sale, haha, I thought maybe we can "buy" a home there ;) She pointed a waterfall which we mustn't miss and we had lunch by the fall. There wasn't any mosquitoe there at all. We rescued a dozen of mini-frogs that were trapped on the bridge where the water fall runs. Some punks left the trap along the road.

We were surprised how well the rest of our day went, even though we didn't manage to do the route we planned. And yes, doing a wall is hard. But well, I'm sure next time I'll be more prepared.

Prep for mini-mini-wall

2006-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Will be bringing a small haul bag for the weekend climbing. Plan is to go up one pitch, stay on the wall for the night, and then move up three pitches the next day slowly. And perhaps to spend another night on the wall before we descend.

The small haul bag weighs 41lbs, almost half of me... I can carry it, but am unsure HOW LONG I can carry it. Supertopo lists the approach as 1.5 hours long, but that's for your average climber. I'm below average... It will take me at least 3 hours if I ever make it to the base.

I feel tired thinking of it.

Aspirations

2006-07-26T19:03:00.000-07:00

1. To lead alternate pitches with my partner

2. To climb:
* Yosmite: Royal Arches, Lost Arrow Spire, Washington Column
* Tuolumne: Dike Route on Pywiack Dome
* Red Rocks: Tunnel Vision

Iffy on Snake Dike, Half Dome, Yosemite.

As for El Cap, hmm... I don't have the balls (yet). HAHA.

How to get your reluctant city girlfriend to climb outdoors

2006-07-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

I am allergic to the sun. Not biologically, but I just don't want to age more rapidly than I have to.

When I started climbing, doing it indoors was fun. I got to sweat in a controlled environment and show off my pretty branded clothes. I also got to watch people. It was enough for me.

Climbing outdoors was a different sport for a few reasons in my case.

Whenever my partner dragged me to climb outdoors, I would be like, "hmm... do we have to do this?".

Climbing outdoors wasn't fun for me at all. I climbed in Castle Rock State Park, Tuolumne, Joshua Tree, and Pinnacles. I didn't enjoy the experience but somehow I persisted. I think I just didn't want to "lose out", heh heh. Maybe this is a trait of a reluctant climber?

The turning point for me in climbing outdoors began with the Great Red Books in Red Rocks. I had climbed for almost ten months up until that point. I enjoyed the second pitch of the route so much. The route was also my first official multi-pitch. When I topped out, I just felt different about climbing under the sun.

In retrospect, what my partner did was being very patient with me, and highly accepting of my city-girl bitching and moaning about sufferings. He was very understanding, encouraging and was very proud of me whenever I made a tiny step forward. I have also learned to trust my partner that if I were ever in trouble on a route, he would figure a way to get to me. So, if your city gal doesn't like to climb with you outdoors, don't blame her. Look at yourself in the mirror.

I climbed El Capitan (1 pitch :-P )

2006-07-24T11:30:00.000-07:00

I got my first taste of aid climbing in Yosemite over the last weekend. The weather was HOT and HUMID in the 90s. My partner and I arrived at Yosemite on Friday evening. Someone told us it rained in the valley six hours that afternoon. There was a thick layer of fog in the meadow near El Cap and the view was stunning.

Saturday morning, my partner had me practice jugging on the huge steep overhanging boulder just to the left of LeConte Memorial Lodge. I forgot to bring the camera, so there went shots of my virgin jugging. We saw a bear around 11am. It was about 50 feet from us.

Around 4pm, we headed up to the base of El Capitan, looking to aid climb Pitch 1 of the Pacific Ocean Wall route, so I can get some "real" jugging practice. Approaches are always hard for me, although the approach to El Cap is a lot easier than the approach to Leaning Tower. There I was, bitching on the way to the base. If I were more ENTHUSED about climbing, I would have realized how LUCKY I am to be getting free lessons, even without asking for them, haha.

When we finally got to the base of the POW, my partner started leading happily. Always ready for a wall, I looked at him and thought to myself. I remembered clearly what I had to do when it was my turn to jug and clean the gear. I was pretty smooth except when it came to cleaning nuts. Nuts drive me nuts.

For me, the jugging was way easier than the approach. I guess it's cos I wasn't leading and needn't think too much, and since we did only one pitch, there wasn't much complication or exposure I had to deal with. There wasn't any traverse or roof, which made jugging and cleaning much easier too.

Rain and thunder clouds came over the wall as I was heading up. At the top of Pitch 1, I looked up - 26 pitches more to the top. We felt some rain droplets but it was mostly dry when we rapped and descended in the twilight.

Pictures from Tuolumne Climbing Trip

2006-07-20T16:58:00.000-07:00

Tenaya Lake from top of Zee Tree, Pywiack Dome

View of Cathedral Peakand running water from top of Zee Tree, Pywiack Dome

View from top of DAFF Dome (very windy)

Been a while!

2006-07-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I wrote on the blog. Actually I've been writing on www.smallwalling.com.

Since my last entry in February 2006, I have made much progress in climbing. I have climbed five multi pitches so far in Red Rocks (Great Red Book on Calico Hills, Cat in the Hat on Mescalito South), Yosemite (Regular Route on Sunnyside Bench) and Tuolumne (Zee Tree on Pywiack Dome, West Crack on DAFF Dome). I have led a short easy route in Red Rocks (just clip clip la). This weekend, I'm going to learn aid climbing in Yosemite (will only be jugging hehe).

In the gym, I have finally moved onto climbing 5.10s more solidly. I passed my lead test but haven't found enough courage to practice leading consistently. I shall aim to lead a route and climb a crack each time I'm in the gym.

The gym I go to finally moved and they offer yoga, which I've practiced inconsistently since 2001.

Back to climbing progress, heh heh. When I was in Tuolumne last August, I freaked out on the polished granite surface and the exposure to wind and height. The last time I was in Tuolumne, I did much better -- I acclimatised to the higher altitude more readily, was composed when I struggled and hung under the roof at Pitch 2 on West Crack, and was able to walk up a notch closer to the base of on Lambert Dome, and so far, haven't dropped any gear while cleaning them. ;)

While thinking of these accomplishments and where I am now, I see how much relevance climbing has in my life. For each challenge we undertake or dropped on us from the sky, we just need to roll with the punches and move up step by step.

Pictures of JTrees

2006-02-18T13:47:00.000-08:00

I climb for pleasure

2006-02-18T12:34:00.000-08:00

Had my first Joshua Tree climbing experience last weekend.

Weather was hot and sunny.

Camped at Indian Cove. Was quiet on Thurdsday night, but it got noisier on Friday.

An inconsiderate camper dumped a big pile of shit near the Duchess route on the Short Wall. Such annoying behavior. May he/she fall flat on shit one day :-P