Black Mountain

Finally! A family photo! In our typical style, this is as good as it gets for getting us all in the same shot.

For Memorial weekend we were invited to join several other climbing families for a weekend climb/camp trip to Black Mountain. Kids made new friends fast and had loads of fun.

There was, of course, climbing things.

Checking out views...

Hiking in search of boulders...

Getting lost and proceeded to bush-whack on steep terrain with a bunch of little kids...

To find, and arrive, at the mothership of boulders... Once Upon A Time, v1X.

(not my photo.. found on Google to show the scale and look of this amazingly formed and placed boulder! Notice the additional pads placed at the bottom, left corner. It covers a crack that drops VERY FAR below.)

This was pretty much as close to climbing it as we got. Okay, several of us did walk up to the climb and feel the first hold. =)

Photo above IS my photo and is the view of the boulder on approach. While it is only a V1 rating, the "X" after the V1 means there is minimal protection for this climb. Aka.. spotters and pads might not be enough to stop a fall. And if you fall, don't fall into the crack cause it can result serious injury.

And to think, Alex Honnold just free soloed El Capitan via Freerider, a 5.12d/5.13a, with some V7 boulder moves in it...that's essentially like 10x harder and 200x longer than this climb that none of us was willing to try.

Break time = Snack time..

Definitely one of the nice things about car camping with lots of other people is that there is no shortage of food or anything that I might have forgotten to bring. I am so accustomed going about it in a minimalist, backpacker style.. my kids automatically knew to rushed over and asked the other parents (the ones cooking pancakes and eggs and bacon) if they could have some breakfast.

I admit, I also went asking around for extra coffee since I typical bring convenient pre-mixed coffee/cream/sugar servings which are just so-so coffee.

The climbing was pretty decent there too. A lot of boulders were relatively close to the campgrounds, so there was no need to drive. One of the climbs that I had picked to project was Gypsy's Day Out, V3. It's a short, but all power moves from start to finish. I came a few centimeters short from being able to reach the last hold. I stubbornly kept attempting a big throw to the end, but in hindsight, I think I need to change up the sequence to find a short person beta for it. So, this will hopefully be a send next time we go out here.

And here's Ryan on Gypsy's Day Out. It did take one try for him to figure out the moves, but he sends it. Liam's first time as camera man.



Ryan also sent another awesome climb, Visor Direct, V6. I kept taking videos of him as he attempted and worked the moves, but, of course, the one time that I was focused on tending to the kids instead of paying attention to Ryan, he completes and sends the problem. It was an amazing send too. Lots of people spotting him from below... he's hanging on the top of problem, feet dangling, figuring out how to get over the lip with people yelling all sorts of beta. "Step left".. "Heel hook right"..etc. He got it and there were cheers all around. It was great.

Ryan also set up a top rope for the kids to climb. This boulder turned out to be just perfect for the kids. There were good holds and feet, but due to the angle and slope of things, it required a bit of figure out body position and movement. All the kids gave it at least one try. There were a few tears, which required parental encouragement, but most kids did reach the top anchor.

Liam surprisingly had the cleanest climbing on this one. He likes to high step a lot of things, and for this climb, it turned out to be the right move to get him to the top.



Liam was the first to climb, and then Emilia next. First part of this video is funny as you hear Liam giving Emilia some advice.

All in all, it was another fun camp/climbing trip. We are starting to refine our gear and process for being more efficient on these trips. Each time, I learn more about things we need versus things we don't need, and how to make packing, food prep, etc more efficient. And the kids, they amaze me. They are becoming accustomed to these trips. They handle being out in various kinds of weather really well. They can hike several miles on rugged terrain with good balance (better than mom).

Wanted : Two Front Teeth and Cake!!

A week before the big 7, she lost her 2nd front tooth. Signs of the times... she's turning into a full-fledged kid.

While I definitely miss their cute, little baby and toddler stages, this age also has some perks. Like for instance, when I decided to make a cake for Emilia's cake decorating play date, the kiddos re-confirmed that I have no need to purchase an additional kitchen gadget, such as a Cuisinart Stand Mixer. The kids are saving me $300+.



Now, why can't the kids be this enthused to help me out normally in other areas (aka cleaning up, getting dining table ready for dinner, etc).

Emilia's BFF came over and the kids had a birthday play date where the theme was cake decorating. There were two all-white cakes from a local bakery, and I made an additional four 1-layer vegan chocolate cakes for the younger siblings & others to decorate. It was also for Liam to eat, since you know, he's still allergic to eggs.

The younger siblings.

The kids decorated with homemade buttercream frosting of 5 various colors, frosting gels, sprinkles, and gummy bears... apparently the gummy bears on cake was a big hit. Liam got to it first before the other kids, so his cake is loaded with minimal frosting, but lots of gummy bears.

Emilia's 7th...



This bday play date turned out great. It was all about having a special day with a close friend and doing special activities. She didn't, and hasn't, asked once about presents. Okay, she did ask for cake... and she got lots of it. Anyhow, at 7 years old, I'm quite happy at the little person she's become.

Part IV : Connie's Batroof

We headed back to the Draw for mo' climbing. First stop was Cosmic Tricycle V10. This is a hugely popular and very tough climb. Since it was early on a weekday, it was empty. The afternoon before, there were at least 10 other climbers there.

Ryan and kiddos in front of Cosmic Tricycle.

The kiddos were also super excited to go out climbing. They know what that means now.. an entire day of them playing and doing almost whatever they want. They couldn't wait to go out there and play.

The best toys were in abundance.. sticks, stones, dirt, and sand.

Give them the tools, and let their creativity go! Kids created a "castle rock" and used the mini construction vehicles to build roads for the sports cars to drive up to the castle rock. And of course, the lions, tigers, and mini plastic trees add to the decor.

Cosmic Tricycle is an amazing route. With strength, balance, and technique being very critical. The start of the climb is essentially holding your body weight with finger-tips on and edge, and you have to bring up your right foot to heel hook where your right hand is.

Despite camping itself being not so easy on the kids with the usual home comforts missing (warm bed, nice bathrooms, running water), they had plenty of fun and good spirits in the day. Happy day time campers.

After Ryan called quits on Cosmic Tricycle, we hiked over to the Batroof.



I changed my goal to more realistic and spent the time figuring out the 2nd half of the climb which I was stuck on the previous day. The group of guys we met yesterday were back today as well. I was able to complete the whole climb in sections, but when it came down to putting the whole thing together, I lacked the endurance to push through the power moves.

Batroof V3/V4


Felt like I needed a few more days to work on this! Next time!

The kiddos had a chance to climb and scramble over the rocks too.



The kiddos played all day, non-stop from morning til dusk. The hardest part was leaving, but the easiest part was less than 5 minutes in their carseats and driving off. =)

End of a good trip, and the next day was the drive back home. The drive seemed faster going back back home, then again, we had pretty mellowed out.. aka tired kiddos.

A road trip isn't complete without the last car sing-a-long.. Kid Rock, of course.

Part III : Ryan's Anorexic

Priest Draw, here we come!

With only two days of climbing, we tried to maximize our time at the Draw. Morning routine was wake up, get kids ready, pick up some sandwiches, pack our bags, and head into the Draw. The kids had their own little backpacks so they could help take part in carrying "gear" in --> their own food and water, and of course, toys to play with.

The hike in was relatively flat and easy, about 1 mile in. Weather was chilly winds with occasional rain sprinkles, so extra warm gear was packed in too.

Kiddos didn't know what toys were in their packs, except that there were surprise toys which they could open once we arrived at our destination. The new shovels didn't fit, so they at least knew they had a shovel (which Liam was excited to use!) =)

Ryan and the kiddos found the Batroof V3/V4.

Checking out the Batroof and an adjacent route, Fin V2.



Ryan and I climb at different levels, so we had different projected routes which were at different areas. For both days of climbing, we alternated climbing and between the two spots. While one person worked on their project, the other one had a chance to rest and take a break, and then we would switch.

I spent much of that day figuring out the sequence and movement that would work for me on the Batroof. There was another group of guys there working the same route as well which makes things fun. Extra crash pads, extra beta. After I burned out and called quits, we moved on to Anorexic. Ryan was able to work out the mid to finish portion of Anorexic.

Check out that core strength!

Ryan's Anorexic V6/V7 and the Kiddos' Climb



The GoPro was head mounted to me and set in ultra-wide angle, so note the distortion of the rock.

Liam leading the way out.. which way was it again?

The surprise toys I packed for them were a shovel, a paper cup, plastic miniature zoo animals and trees, mini construction trucks, and a small notepad and crayons. The kiddos ended up mainly playing with things they found in the natural environment - dirt, sticks, rocks, caterpillars, and ants, etc.

I heard Liam say several times "This is the best day ever", which was so great to hear. Reinforces that simple fun can be the best kind of fun. (Nevermind that he also said "This is not the best day ever" when he got upset. =P) At the end of the day, the kiddos were mainly still in smiles, and without naps!

A great day at the Draw, and another night of cozy truck camping...

(To be Continued... )