brooklyngoilnnp

hey stranger, I haven't seen you in a while. Nope I haven't blogged in like forever. I am hoping, thinking, I'd like this to change. I haven't always know what the goal of this blog is. Most recently I thought of it as a way to keep in touch with friend when I moved upstate. Prior to that I think it was to promote my writing career. Prior to that, I am not sure I can remember.

Anyway I am thinking about using this blog as a component of my one soon to be live website. the website will be a marketing tool to promote my career as a rock and ice climbing instructor for EMS. I would like to cover recent climbs, notes on training, gear, camping and clothing systems. And I'd like to include some of my own short stories, poems, writings on politics and sex. We'll see how it goes.

It's good to be back.

lots of love, Carolyn




Me and my climbing buddy bill

Some thoughts as we get ready for ice season.

1) Don't sharpen your tools yet. Each year its so much fun to gear up for your first day on ice by going through the ritual of sharpening your crampons and ice tools. This is a great skill and its awesome to practice it to have it dialed. But early season ice is often thin especially in the catskills. Wait to sharpen your tools for your first big project of after you've been out a few times. I

2) transitions are key in the mountains. they enable us to move quicker and safer. Rope management is a critical skill as we transition between pitches or top rope areas. Practice coiling your rope at home so you have this wire when it comes to the outdoors. Expect to always be carrying your rope across your pack in a butterfly coil. Ropes weight a lot too. If your buying a new rope make sure its dry treated and light. Nothing larger than a 9.8. The sterling velocity is a great rope but most brands work well.

3) Train, cross train: The best training for ice climbing is ice climbing but we can't always do that cross train by climbing rock indoor and out door as much as possible this fall. Focus not on the hardest project but mileage for endurance. Climbing with a small pack weighting 8-12 pounds can add to the pump just don't over do it. Hiking stairs with a pack is great too.

4) Get your gear dialed. Get ice clippers (BD or Petzl) and a v thread tool (Grivel or Petzl). Other items you should have in your pack include hand warmers, head lamp, balaclava, neck gaiter and extra gloves, food, water and hard candy. One guide tip I learned from guides buy a pair of cheap work gloves at the local hardware store. they work great for dry-tooling and ice climbing on warmer days.

5) First Aid. Pick up a first aid kit at your local climbing shop. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Add some gloves, advil a few other nic nacs and your ready to get some basic first aid training. A Red Cross First Aid or Wilderness First Aid (WRA) course will give you added confidence. They are offered all over the tri-state area. There is also a Wilderness First Aid course taking place in the Gunks the weekend of Nov. 21-22. I'll be there taking it for my second time. I highly recommend it.



the nightly winter ritual of drying out ice gear.

my new favorite climbing blog: http://themountainworld.blogspot.com/

A Brooklyngoil's Gear ~ An Insider Guide to my Gear Obsession

They say "light is right" and "every once counts" and I tend to agree. However light also equals expensive and frequently means less durable. While this may not be a safety issue per se it does mean your gear may not last as long. Dynema slings mean be stronger than nylon but certainly get worn out alot quicker. Ditto for the super thin ropes. and caribiners.

My pack fully loaded with gear and water weights = 20 pounds (25 pound with 2.5 liters of water).All weights are approximates.

This breaks down as the following:

Pack -- Millet Pro lite 35L (size m) (1850grams) -- pack is stripped of all unnecessary do-dads.
hydration system - MSR Dromlite 2.5 liter (5.8 oz)
Harness - Arcteryx M 280 (9.8 oz)
My rack -- weight = 10 pounds

Pro
A mix of BD and DMM nuts 2-10
Set of 4 tri cams
3 master cams (orange, yellow and blue)
2 BD C 3 (red and green)
7 BD C 4 (lil blue to big blue)

Slings
2 4 foot dynema
9 2 foot dynema
5 quickdraws

Carabiners
half BD neutrinos and half BD hotwire (in the winter I switch to all hotwire)

Lockers
1 Petzl Attache (for belay)
5 BD Vaporlock

Cordelettes
2 21 foot 6mm

Assorted other items
BD ATC Guide
2 prussiks
1 Petzl tibloc
1 Petzl spata knife
Metolius nut tool
Petzl chalk bag
Guide book (grey dick)
1 pairs of barracuda rock shoes
Petzl headlamp
small first aid kit
sunblock
extra bars and gu
Helmet -- for the hot weather Petzl Meteor 3 (winter TBD)
Camera

Ropes
1) lead rock -- Sterling Velocity 9.8
2) lead ice -- Sterling Ion 9.5 (and Petzl dragonfly 8.2 half ropes).




Climbing up the Uberfall descent w. Lucy


interview with Donnie Darko and The Box, out this Friday, writer and director Richard Kelly: http://www.aintitcool.com/node/42994

Started by alpine climber Jonny Copp, this year's Adventure Film Fest in Boulder, CO. looks very good. http://www.adventurefilm.org/index.aspx

Posted on gunxscrossfit an article linking depression and processed food. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8334353.stm