Summer life in SWPA

Hello to all my climbing buddies out there. As most of you know I usually only post about thewinter climbing here in SWPA. Well I've decided to mix it up a bit (different meaning to my winter climbing buddies) and write a bit about this years summer climbing life. Don't get me wrong. I love the winter season... Its my favorite time of year for climbing. Give me waterfall ice, frozen turf or some slightly frozen rock any day. I'm in heaven. I haven't posted any summer climbing activity because summer climbing hasn't really existed for me the over the last few years. Why? Its been a voluntary choice. I've been taking the summers off to recover and train specifically for the upcoming winter season. During the summer I spend the majority of my time running countless miles though the woods and ridges of Pennsylvania's forests. I really enjoy trail running and have learned that long distance running is a great way to stay in top cardio shape for climbing regardless of season. I used to run races and did fairly well. This year I gave up racing, I just ran to run. I even held off from doing my favorite "good cause" 5k runs like The Mountain Laurel 5K at Laurel Hill State Park. Instead I just ran for fun. I even stopped more than usual along the way to check things out. I always enjoy the early morning birds and scenery. Don't get me wrong, I put in a lot of elevation and speed work. I've run a gazillion 800's at the track, etc... but the most enjoyable running I've done has been in the woods. Mostly on the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. I enjoy covering anywhere from 10 to 50 miles a day depending on mood and current physical condition. Some days I push, others not so much. All in all running has become a serious passion of mine and a great training tool for climbers. It also teaches you about the importance of nutrition and hydration while expending mass amounts of energy. Another great tool for striving climbers. So if you're a climber and you want to get better and stay lean and in shape, start running... The further and longer the better. Climbing lighter is climbing smarter!Since last ice season was a bust and we did very minimal climbing. I decided enough was enough and dusted off my rock shoes and started summer climbing to make sure I remembered how (in case we never get another winter). I started back slow and spent some time bumbling at the familiar, local spots. Having a great deal of fun each time I went out. Our days have been spent cragging and working at crags to clear and improve areas so that people can visit/revist and enjoy our local spots.

Doing work at Breakneck

BREAKNECK PROJECT

In August I spent a couple weeks rebolting Breakneck Crag just outside of Connellsville. The bolts were getting old and a bunch of generous climbers raised enough money to purchase new hardware. I pulled the old rusted 3/8" bolts and replacing them with new, BEEFY 1/2" stainless steel ones. All the climbs now have ring shuts to lower from (even the lower slab).




LOST CRAG EFFORTS

Laura and I spent a great deal of time doing work at the Lost Crag in Dunbar. We cleared and remarked the entire "Upper Easy" approach trail. Much effort was spent at the crag itself improving the area and opening up some choked in areas around the rocks. Along with working there, we also climbed a few days with my son Skyler and good friend Cal Swogar. Neither one were ever there and really enjoyed the climbs. On different days we climbed Drill Queen 5.4, Preacher Norm 5.10, Evil Edge 5.7, Psycho Driller 5.6, Lichenville 5.7, Lame Duck 5.11, Chimney Sweep 5.4 and others I'm sure. Some routes were a little dirty other required a little scrubbing to make them a little "friendlier". We installed a new rap anchor on top of the Short stack to make getting down a little easier. If someone has stolen said anchor, feel confident that we also cleared the shelf that makes getting onto rappel at the shuts of Reunion safer and easier. If you've never been there, get directions from mountainproject.com or rockclimbing.com or email me and I can hook you up with some proper ones. Its a fun place to visit and deserves to see more activity than it does. The routes tend to be shorter, but there are plenty of them. They range in difficulty from 5.4 to 5.12+ most folks seem to say they're a little stiff for the grade. Go enjoy!

Cal Swogar on Preacher Norm 5.10

Cal Swogar on Preacher Norm 5.10

Skyler Anderson on Evil Arete 5.7

Laura taking a break below Brutal Orangutan

Slopers in the rain face

River's End Crag, Ohiopyle State Park

River's End is one of the downstream crags at Ohiopyle State Park. It's located (although not labeled) on the Ohiopyle State Park Map. available at the old train station or the park office. Climbing areas are indicated by the climber symbol on the map. I've been asked by several folks the order of the crags going down the bike trail here they are for clarification: The first area listed on the Ohiopyle map is located 1 mile downstream on the bike trail (just after white mile post 73). Unnamed to my knowledge, its primarily used by the local rafting companies to take very new climbers, boy/girl scouts, etc. for a day of top roping. Its short and closest to town. Perfect crag for beginners. The second crag on the map is River's End Crag. It is located about 3.75 miles downstream from the train station it is locatable by finding the DH marked brown and yellow marker on the river side of the bike trail. This DH stands for Double Hydraulics which is the name of the corresponding rapid on the river. River's End Crag is located between the DH (Double Hydraulics) rapid marker and the RE (River's End) rapid marker. The crag is on the left between these two markers. It is very visible from the trail. The Third crag downstream on the map is Schoolhouse Crag. It is located 4.25 miles from the train station, just before the SH (school House) rapid marker or the 76 mile marker. The fourth crag downstream on the map is Maple Wall. It is slightly less than 1/2 mile past School house. It is easily located at the end of the long straight away on the bike path right after passing School House. There is a pull off and a bench directly across from the access trail up to the crag. The fifth crag downstream on the map is Bruner Run. It is easily located. As you head further downstream past Maple Wall you will come to a hardtop road crossing. As you cross the road the light blue blaze for the access trail to the crag is visible on your left. Follow the access trail up to the crag, which is about a 10min. hike up from the bike trail and Bruner Run Rd. access point. If in doubt walk up the road about 200 yards the crag is visible on your right. Currently those are all the downstream crags offered at Ohiopyle. There is plenty of serious bouldering to be found along the river and bike trail. Some really nice stuff is at mile post 1 on the Laurel Highlands Hiking trail heading out of town near Falls Pub for those interested in seeking it out. Here's a photo of one of my favorites not far from Bruner Run.

This is what you see from the trail

a little closer, pretty cool

The really sweet uphill side!

River's End Crag... Laura and I have been cycling in regularly and improving things there. We've created a bike parking area on the river side of the bike trail to keep climbers bikes from crowding the trail. We worked on improving the access trail up to the left side, (still needs a little work). Old routes have been cleaned and new routes have been equipped and should prove to be great additions to the climbing in Ohiopyle. Here's a few photos of the crag and climbs waiting for your ascent.

Me standing below the left side of Rivers End Crag

One of our new lines Snail Trail 5.6 trad, left side

The left side of Rivers End Crag.

The petrified log on the new line Petrified 5.11- Sport, left side

On the first ascent of Petrified 5.11- sport, 5 bolts, left side

Me tying in for the new climb

Carl's Bunnies 5.9 sport, 3 bolts, left side

An amazingly fun new line (Laura's favorite)

The Bee's Knees 5.10+ sport, 4 bolts, right side.

Follow up slightly overhanging flakes to the shuts.

My super partner after a hot and humid day!

Here's a couple of shots from a few years back highlighting the route B.O.P. 5.10c R at River's End Crag, Right side.

Carl Samples climbs B.O.P (Birds of Prey) 5.10+ sport

at River's End Crag in . The route Carl's Bunnies

on the left wall is a reference to him

Carl Samples at the shuts on B.O.P at River's End Crag

in .

The Knobs a.ka. Rob's Knob, Dunbar, PA
We've been up here a few times this season. We cleared the trail and restacked the carins on the way up the hill. Most of the climbs are in good shape as far as needing cleaned. We did quite a few of the 63 or so routes that exist here. So many have been recently brushed and are ready to go. Most of the bolts were replaced just a few years back, so everything is solid. This place deserves to see more traffic. I'm sure only a handful of people actually climb here each season. What a great crag to visit if you are comfortable placing a little trad gear. Some fully bolted climbs exits, but you'd be missing some of the best lines if you don't bring some trad gear for the mixed and pure gear lines. If you've never been there, this crag should be on your list to visit soon. We added a rap station on the Can I touch it block at the top of I think I soloed that 5.6 to help in getting down off of this block. Another rap station was added on top of Oriental Lickmaster block. It is between the corner climb Way Up 5.8, trad. and Gagging on the Shag 5.11c/d trad. since the tree normally used for rappel is now mostly rotten. Some pics of The Knobs or a.k.a. Rob's Knob.

Climbing Way Up 5.8 trad

Christian Mason on Take a Stab 5.8 trad

Gagging on the Shag 5.11c/d trad

Mungo Jelly 5.10c, mixed, 1 bolt

Laura belaying me on Can I touch it 5.11c sport 2 bolts

Laura and I relaxing at The Knobs photo Ray Burnsworth

Terror of Tiny Tim

Bicycle Trainers and Winter Withdrawal

[1884 trainer, image via Wikipedia]

I am curious to know how many of you out there use bicycle trainers. I am now seriously considering one, as mywinter roadcycling situation is truly dire. The frequent snow is making it impossible to plan rides, and all the muscle tone I'd built up over the Spring, Summer and Fall is slowly but surely disappearing. I am starting to feel lethargic and out of shape. There is a lot ofpininggoing on -and it's only the start of January!



Bicycle trainers are a new concept for me and I have no idea what to expect. To what extent does being on one resemble actual cycling?Can they be used with fixed gear bikes?Is fluid necessarily better than magnetic? I don't want rollers, I don't want the trainer to be noisy, and I don't want anything overly complicated - but otherwise I have no idea. Please chime in, and no doubt your comments will be useful to others who are considering this as well. A trainer cannot replace the thrilling experience of riding a roadbike on the open road, but it can at least help me stay in shape while still interacting with my own bicycle. It's going to be a long winter...

Navigating the World of Clipless Pedals

Last summer I wrote about trying to ride clipless and failing. Unfortunately, not much has changed since then. For background, I do ride my roadbike with foot retention: I use Power Grips, adjusted as snugly as possible. They bind my feet to the pedals effectively while still being extremely easy to get out of. Sure, they don't exactly look "pro," but they get the job done and anyone who thinks otherwise has probably never tried them. Still, it bothers me that I just can't master riding clipless after all this time, while others have no trouble with this skill at all. This year I was determined to get to the bottom of what makes it so hard for me.





My first step was to start from scratch. Last year, the Co-Habitant gave me his old clipless pedals (Shimano M520) and I used those by default. I got as far as being able to ride around the block gingerly, but ultimately just wasn't comfortable with it. Later more than a couple of women told me that they hate these pedals and cannot use them either, and that what I should really do is go to a bike shop and try as many different pedals as possible. I didn't know you could do that, but apparently some bike shops offer this service. Since I spend a lot of time at the Ride Studio Cafe as it is, I arranged with them for a fitting. They have a trainer in the back room where you can set up either your own bike or one of their demo bikes, and they have a variety of clipless shoes and pedals to try.






To ride clipless, you have to buy a set of pedals, which are sold with cleats, and a pair of compatible shoes. The cleats that are purchased with the pedals are then attached to the shoes. There are many brands of these pedal/cleat systems, and they are generally classified into road (SPD-SL) vs mountain (SPD) - a little misleading, since in practice both are frequently used by roadcyclists. The mountain bike system (left) features small cleats with 2 attachment points. Notice also that on the shoe, the part where the cleat goes is recessed, so that when off the bike you walk on the sole and not on the cleat itself. The road system (right) features larger cleats with 3 (or 4) attachment points. And the shoe is not recessed, so that when off the bike you actually walk on the cleat (this is why roadies make those click-clacking noises on pavement). As it is explained to me, the benefit of the road system is that more of your foot is attached to the pedal. The benefit ofthemountain system is that it is easier to walk off the bike.





Popular road-compatible systems include Look, Shimano, Time and Speedplay, all shown here. The former 3 are near-identical, but the Speedplays (the smaller pedal on top) are a little different in shape and attachment style (also they are double-sided, whereas the other road pedals are one-sided). I did not bother trying these, because nearly everyone I know who uses them seems to have problems. But I tried the Shimano and Look SPD-SL, and I liked them both. The clipping mechanism felt very different than that of the (SPD) Shimano M520s I was practicing with last year. For me at least, it felt much easier to clip and unclip with the road pedals; the mechanism did not feel clunky or death-grippy. With the SPD cleats last year, even on the weakest setting I felt as if I were stomping on the pedal with all my might to clip in and jerking the bike sideways in order to unclip. With the road system, the mechanism on the pedal felt as if it grabbed the cleat without much effort on my part, and I could also unclip fairly easily. On the downside, I found the road shoes slippery to walk in, which made me nervous. A number of people I ride with discouraged me from going with the road system for this very reason.






Having already tried the typical Shimano SPDs and determined that I did not like them as much as the SPD-SL, the one system left to try was Crank Brothers. This is technically a mountain bike system, and the cleat looks very similar to SPD cleats. However, the pedals are 4-sided and use a different mechanism. I had hope for these pedals, because those who use them report that they are very easy to clip in and out of compared to the other mountain systems. I tried them, and I agree. The mechanism engages and releases very easily, and I know that I will be able to practice with these without the "what if I can't unclip?!" anxiety. The model pictured here is the Egg Beaters, but I ordered the Candys - which are the same, except with a platform. I wanted the platform version, because I do not like the feel of tiny pedals and want more support for my foot. I think the platform will also make it easier for my foot to locate the binding mechanism, before that part becomes intuitive.




It is yet to be determined whether I'll be able to master clipless, but I have a feeling that if I can do it at all then I'll be able to do it with these Crank Brothers. My biggest problem so far has been fear over the effort of unclipping, which should no longer be an issue with these. I will keep you posted on future progress or lack thereof. But for any beginners reading this, I encourage you to visit a bike shop that specialises in this stuff and talk to them, try different pedal/cleat combinations and see how they feel - as opposed to struggling with a system just because a spouse or a friend uses it.

Latin Quarter of Paris

The Latin Quarter of Paris is located in the 5th and 6th arrondissements of Paris, situated on the left bank of the River Seine.

Like any European capital, Paris is a lovely city to discover on foot, well, that is neighbourhood per neighbourhood. So after our coffee break near Notre Dame Church we continued our walk to the direction of the 7th arrondissement via the Latin Quarter. The neighbourhood is colourful with a highly energetic pace. Narrow alleys everywhere and oodles of bistros overflowing the streets with outdoor café terraces. A very popular place for the student crowd I reckon.

While discovering this area Bru suddenly had a major craving for potato fries. I’m not a fries person so I passed. I wanted something else, but I don’t know what, and I am not hungry yet.

Earlier that morning, we were told by the boat cruise company below the Notre Dame that the cruise ticket we have is only valid for the boat company located near the Eiffel Tower. There’s not much that we can do but go to the Eiffel Tower area in the 7th arrondissement, a place that I actually wanted to avoid at all costs.

We initially thought of walking from Notre Dame to the Eiffel Tower via the Latin Quarter but after an hour of walking and realising that we are not yet halfway through, we gave it up and took the metro.

Paris is surely lovely to walk around, but not when the temperatures are boiling between 35C and 40C.

Here are pictures of Paris’ Latin Quarter:

Here is Bru asking the boat company about our (free) cruise ticket that we received from our hotel. Unfortunately we have to go to the Eiffel Tower area because the boat company that our ticket is valid for is located there.

Crepes sold everywhere. It probably is the number 1 street food in Paris.

The popular French bistro.

Cool design garage and side doors.

Crepes are typically French, but Nutella not. It's Italian.

Southey Wood and Castor Hanglands

Led by me, with Gordon. Sussed out a few possible variations. Pleasant, warm not hot, a lot of woodland walking, some heathland, some road walking. Coffee at Granary/ Farm Shop. 8.6 miles total. Some mud in Castor Hanglands, but not bad. Saw and heard green woodpecker.



We parked at the entrance to Southey Wood, and walked along Langley Bush road north-east to the corner where the plaque, erected in , tells of the history of Langley Bush. John Clare wrote a poem about Langley Bush.










Langley Bush Road bends to the left and continues north to the junction with Stamford Road. We turned left and walked along until it becomes Marholm Road. Shortly before the village of Ufford we took a bridleway to the left, which led us into Southey Woods. The path turns left and there is a barrier to stop vehicles entering.The main track thorugh the wood is easy to follow as it goes east, then turns right, left and right once more before continuing pretty well south, past a picnic area to the main entrance.



We stopped at the car for a break 0 a little early as we hadn't yet covered four miles.



Next we took the bridleway opposite the Southey Woods car park. This goes south, past a farm building and a stretch of woodland, underneath a line of electricity pylons, then past a small church on the left. This is part of the tiny settlement of Upton.

The church of St John the Baptist, Upton.

Shortly after this we turned left and walked past a field with a stone artefact.

Is this a sundial? See link about Upton.

Next we walked along the edge of Manor Farm's yard.

Perhaps not a way-marker? It'd be a good one.

The path continues across a couple of fields, more or less south-east, then turns slightly left (east) along the edge of fields.

What? Why? We saw a similar arrangement with a bench.

In less than half a mile we met a north-south path, which crossed our route. We turned left to head north into Castor Hanglands Nature Reserve. Once again the path was easy to follow - there is plenty of insect life, and the woodland stays quite damp. The reserve is interesting and contains heathland as well as woodland - in parts it is almost a mini-New Forest area.

Not quite New Forest ponies

At the northern end of the reserve it is possible to take a path directly to Southey Woods, to the left. We carried on, and just as we turned right along the northern edge, we noted a permissive path for customers of the farm shop. On this occasion we took the longer route, coming out at the road (between Ailsworth and Helpston). A couple of miles of road walking took us past the farm shop, then we turned left onto Langley Bush Road and retraced our steps to Southey Woods car park.





At one point we heard the loud call of a green woodpecker and saw it disappear into the woods.