Bouldering in Tanque Verde, Mount Lemmon, Tucson, AZ

December 28, 2015 by Catherine Forest in Arizona, Rock climbing

The girls couldn't wait to try their new crashpad!

The girls paid attention to Pascale's every move...

It is so fun to climb with experienced climbers. They are just beautiful to watch!

Pascale showing the girls another bouldering problem

When we left our friends' home on Sunday morning, it was just above 0 degrees... We put on longjohns and layers of wool and headed out to Mount Lemmon. By the time we reached Marble Cake Boulder, we had striped down to our t-shirts! The sun was glorious and the place where we set upvlooked like an oasis in the middle of a canyon.

We are new to bouldering and it is hard work! It is also quite different to not be ropped in and to feel *very* high (even if you're not that high). Most of us chickened out and did not top out any problem, but it is still fun to work on them. It was great to see how determined our kids were to figure them out, how they helped and spotted each other, how they moved the crashpads around depending on where the climber was, as they had seen many times in rock climbing movies... They worked hard!

Rock climbing and the ego

November 30, 2015 by Catherine Forest in California, Rock climbing

So good to see Karl back at it after a month long rest for his foot injury.

I left some blood and tears on that wall... and maybe a bit of my ego too.

On risk taking and injuries

November 27, 2015 by Catherine Forest in California, Rock climbing

Left: scrambling up to the route. Right: trying to spot all the bolts... not an easy task in Joshua Tree!

It is such an empowering feeling to leave, just Jennifer and I in the Westy with all the kids piled up in the back and head to the crag. Joshua Tree routes are not easy to find and you never know what to expect. As I said in my last post, there are often bolts missing, big runouts (long distances without a bolt or protection on the route) and impossible to find anchors on top (which is not a problem for trad climbers who can install their own protections, but it can be a problem for us, sport climbers). So we felt pretty badass leading the kids through a fun scramble in a canyon up to the routes, then assessing the routes with them (trying to spot bolts and anchors), making the decision to climb or not depending on that assesment and finally climbing a different route further down. We came back to the Westy at moon rise (again!) and felt so full from another day at the crag together!

The next day, Jennifer had a fall while leading a route that was supposed to be an easy 5.5 (we renamed it 5.5. My Ass!). And she sprained her ankle pretty bad. Three months ago it was JF that broke an arm in a mountain bike accident, then a month ago, Karl sprained his foot when he fell while lead climbing and his foot got caught... (and no! I am not next!). It is easy to assume that we partake in high-risk sports and that injuries are to be expected. It is in part true and we consciously choose to life an active life doing sports we love even if there are risks involved. Is there anything that is risk-free? Choosing to not be active also comes with a different type of risk (health consequences mainly). Also, a person might be a risk-taker in one sphere of its life and risk-averse in another one (one might bungee jump, but never invest in the stock market, for instance).

JF is right where Jennifer was when she fell. It was about a a 5 feet fall and her ankle twisted when she landed in the crack (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

Due to media-coverage, many non-climbers are aware of numerous climbing fatalities. When a non-climber looks at a rock face and thinks its crazy for anyone to climb, a competent climber might see an established and well-protected route on immaculate rock and rightly judge it not risky.

Of course rock climbing involves a certain amount of risk. But with risk comes rewards. We all know what it feels like to be afraid of something, but to overcome it, to succeed, that's one of the best feelings in the world (inspired by this short movie).

Belaying Alex on his first outdoor climb! It's an honour to introduce friends and family to a sport we love so much (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

But still, the question remains (at least in our parents and siblings head!):

“So, why are you taking risks? If you look deeply enough, you’ll realize you take risks to grow and growth gives you experiences that make you feel alive. It’s important to recognize when your ego takes you off that path of growth. Take risks that are appropriate for you, learn what you need to learn, and feel alive and fulfilled in the process.” (from this great article). Read on for more excerpts from this article...

“Many climbers begin climbing in a gym. Mark Twight points out that in the gym, a climber expects to confront a minimal amount of fear and to have anxiety managed by others. We become accustomed to someone else managing these risks, which can lead to a false sense of security when climbing outside. In this way we tend to insulate ourselves from the situations we are engaged in. We’ve expected others to manage the risk while we were focused on having a nice, comfortable experience. The more comfortable and safe we make situations, the more separated we are from them.

Cars, these days, lock the doors, turn on/off the lights, and beep when we haven’t put on our safety belt. Decision-making has been taken away in an attempt to keep us safe. Does safety lie in gadgets making decisions for us or in technology that disengages us from the risk? Henry Barber’s maxim is “do more with less”. His approach puts him in close proximity to the risk with minimal insulation. He states that doing more with less [technology] requires creativity. It allows us to be the leader of our life and decisions, rather than succumbing to the sheep mentality. What we need to keep in mind is why we do what we do.”

Rock climbing in Indian Cove, Joshua Tree National Park

November 26, 2015 by Catherine Forest in California, Rock climbing

Belay glasses are the best invention since sliced bread! They are simply prisms that allow you to see your climber without having to lift your head up (it also magnifies so it looks closer to you). No more neck pain!!

Left: Jennifer leading a crazy 5.7 (called Feminine Itch, obviously named by a dirtbag woman!)... Oh Joshua Tree, you are always so full of surprises (major runouts, missing bolts, etc.)! You never know what you'll find once up there! Right: JF rest… — Left: Jennifer leading a crazy 5.7 (called Feminine Itch, obviously named by a dirtbag woman!)... Oh Joshua Tree, you are always so full of surprises (major runouts, missing bolts, etc.)! You never know what you'll find once up there! Right: JF resting after the 5.10c section of this route! He did awesome!

We introduced Isabelle, Alex and Martin to rock climbing outside and they went up like pros!

Joshua Tree is a mecca for trad climbers! Undeniably one of the best places in the United States. However, when it comes to sport climbing, there isn't that many routes. Or rather, there are routes, but they are scattered here and there, and the only two spots where there are more than 2 or 3 routes require over one hour of approach walk, scrambling up ball bearing scree, washes and canyons.

We spent most of our days at Indian Cove campground where there are sport routes right behind the campsites. It was kind of weird to climb on someone's campsite while they were gone, but it was an ideal spot with no approach at all.

Rock climbing Cryptic, Headstone Rock, Ryan campground, Joshua Tree

November 24, 2015 by Catherine Forest in California, Rock climbing

See that big boulder up there. That's where Cryptic is.

Cryptic is hands down the most popular sport route in Joshua Tree (and in the overall top 10 of the park). Headstone rock stands proud and tall over Ryan Campground and simply begs to be climbed. However, the scramble up is quite sketchy with big drops, especially for short legs. It was a real shame to turn around, especially since there is almost always a line up for this awesome route (and that now, there was only a party of 2), so I stayed down with the kids while JF and Jennifer went up.

The kids found an amazing cave and bouldered in it (then turned it into a two storey house). I chatted with a super nice woman climber from Colorado as the sun was setting and I watched JF make it to the top of that crazy high boulder. The top platform is about 6 feet x 6 feet and you can sit on top to watch the moon rise, then rappel down. What a life we live!

The Halloween Pumpkin Hunt at The Feathers

November 01, 2015 by Catherine Forest in Washington, Rock climbing

The wind was so crazy that day, we had to move the ninjas inside to finish the pumpkin carving... It was like a desert-storm, sand whisking our faces and all. The ninja costume was perfect!

Rocks were seriously flying from the top of the pillars. JF even got one in his mouth while climbing!

Some of the treats: witch's fingers, bat poo, cat turd...

As you might know, we celebrate Halloween with a pumpkin hunt instead of trick-or-treating. This tradition started a long time ago, when the children were little (2010 here, there was snow on the ground too!) and we would invite friends over to our farm house and have one parent hide in every room with a carved pumpkin and homemade treats (every family had to bring 2 carved pumpkins and 2 types of homemade treats - enough for all the children), and the children would knock on the doors and then would have to answer a riddle to get the treat.

In 2011, we moved the pumpkin hunt outside, at my friend Nini's. In 2012, we raised the bar by celebrating in Arches National Park. It was a memorable year! 2013 was again at Nini's. Last year, we were in San Francisco and decided to go trick or treating for the first time. The girls wanted to go back to the bus after one street. They simply didn't like it. However, we went to see the Dia de los Muertos procession the next day and it was incredible.

But this year was really something! JF and I each had a pumpkin to hide in this wonderful playground that are The Feathers. The kids would finally spot one of the two in the dark, head towards it, then realize that JF wasn't beside it and knew he would surprise them by coming out of a bush somewhere (or down from a cliff!)! Kids love to be scared! Then, they huddled together in the dark, singing a song so as to not hear us go to our next hiding spot and we would start making scary witch laughs to let them know we were ready...

Waiting for them, hidden between these amazing rock pillars, in complete darkness, I looked up and tried to spot as many constellations as I could. I would finally hear their steps, their nervous laughter and surprise them with a screech! We had found some more complex riddles this year and we honestly all had a blast! We will never forget the year we celebrated Halloween at The Feathers!

Rock climbing the Sunshine Wall, Echo Basin, WA

October 28, 2015 by Catherine Forest in Washington, Rock climbing

Taking pictures with Mathilde at sunrise. This place is simply magical.

Heading to the Sunshine Wall. A gorgeous 20 minute hike from our base camp at Frenchman Coulee.

warm and sunny (and windy!) on top of the mesa.

We have to go through a short (and very narrow!) slot canyon to get to the wall. There was a drop at the end and we had to carry Java down. He was NOT impressed...

Jennifer leading her first route. A 5.9+!!!

Mara sitting on the "saddle" of Ride 'em Cowboy (5.9+), one of the most popular route on this crag. There are always line ups here on the weekends!

On the hike back, as we rounded a corner, we all stopped in our tracks, mesmerized by the big glowing rising moon (which is much smaller on the picture that it was in reality).

On the first day, we unknowingly started working on the toughest route on The Feathers (Hardening of the Arteries 5.10C ). The kids worked hard and persevered!

Some funky route names we came across so far: Crackmaster lambada, Elvis’ Pharmacist, Give Me a Second My Elvis is Pinched (those tight harnesses!)

Rock climbing The Feathers, Frenchman Coulee, WA

October 27, 2015 by Catherine Forest in Washington, Rock climbing, Camping spots

When we came rock climbing here last year on our way to Portland, OR, we knew we would be back for more at some point. We can camp in the bus right by the rock climbing walls! No approach walk (this also means we can climb until it is almost dark!). The kids can go to the rig to eat, play, pee... It's heaven! And the beauty of this place is stunning. It is pretty packed on the weekend. Young cool hipsters come from Portland and Seattle to take selfies of themselves up on the wall (yes, we have seen that!) dressed up like they just jumped out of a magazine... We made the average age go up quite a bit! But they were all super nice and excited to see kids rock climbing. The Red Bus intrigued many and our lifestyle made a few commiserate over the fact that they had to drive back to the city for a week of work... Hey, we have solar power and good Internet connexion (even here in the middle of the desert!), we are good for a week!

There are two main rock climbing areas: Frenchman Coulee (The Feathers and Middle East Wall) and the Echo Basin (Sunshine Wall, M 'n M Wall, Powerhouse Wall and more.). The Feathers are short basalt columns; there is a North Side and a South Side. The difference in temperature when the sun is out is incredible!. On the North side, people were belaying with down coats and hats, while on the South side, we were belaying in tank tops and sweating! The routes are longer on the Sunshine Wall. There are now over 600 routes at the area, ranging from 5.2 to 5.13 (mostly sport, some trad, lots of begginners route, but lots of choss too). You need to get a Discover Pass for $30 to be allowed to park and camp here. This pass gives you access to all the rec sites in Washington State for the year. Here's a pretty decent topo we found online. We love this place! And we love our life!

Last days at the Bluffs

October 05, 2015 by Catherine Forest in British Columbia, Rock climbing

Some days we climbed in t-shirts and tank tops, some days, we had four layers on!

Poor Java found an underground wasp nest... and got a taste of their medicine. He was in shock and shaking, and the kids thought that dressing him up would keep him warm...!

I love how her shadow seems to be angry... Her love-hate relationship with rock climbing!

You can see here that Karl is lead climbing and Ellie is top roping (explanations below).

Left: Ellie coming down after having climbed a 5.9. Right: Karl and Jennifer setting up the belay on top of the route.

On the 8 days we were in Pentincton, we spent 6 at the Skaha Bluffs. When you have such an awesome rock climbing spot 5 minutes away, you make the best of it! In times like these, food becomes a mean to an end, and we don't want to lose anytime cooking! We lived on pastas, wraps, Vega bars, fruits, lots of snacks and water!

I know that rock climbing is an unfamiliar world to many and is perceived as an extreme sport. Like any sport, rock climbing can lead to injuries, but when practiced safely the way we do (and at the level we do it), it is a very safe sport with minimal risk, safer than many other sports (like mountain biking!). There are 3 main types of rock climbing: top roping (when you install a belay on top of the route and you are held by the rope from up top - this is the way all of us, except Karl and JF - climb for now), sport climbing (when you clip quick draws in bolts already drilled into the rock wall and clip the rope in them as you go up - this way, if you fall, you fall down to the last bolt you clipped) and trad climbing (when you climb a wall that is not bolted and put your own gear - called cams, nuts, hex, etc. - in cracks and crevises in the rock and then clip your rope to it - if you fall, you have to trust that the protection you installed will hold you!).

When you follow basic safety measures, rock climbing is safe and very enjoyable. It is a great way to work on your fear of heights. Installing top anchors (usually, on top of a route, there are two chains from which you create a belay with slings and locking carabiners - you can reach that anchor by walking up around the cliff in many places or by having someone lead the route and install a belay once he is on top), and knowing the rope tying and belaying techniques are a must before you start climbing outside. I highly recommend anybody that wants to start to take an intro class at a local rock gym.

Rock climbing is a very rewarding full-body workout and it is an incredibly confidence building sport. You learn to trust yourself and your belayer (he/she litterally has your life in his/her hands). Looking at the route, you have to visualize your movements: a great brain exercise. It is fascinating to see how some of our kids stay calm in demanding situations and work extremely hard to get to the top. Seeing them persevere throught tears of frustation and allowing another adult to guide them back to their center when they lose their cool is very heartwarming. And it pushes us to do even better.

The essence of life

September 30, 2015 by Catherine Forest in British Columbia, Rock climbing

As we reached the crag we had chosen to climb that day, we thought we were alone since it was a week day, but noticed a man high up on the wall, auto-belaying himself. The man looked to be around 75 years old. He asked us a few questions with a thick accent and simply could not understand that we were homeschooling. He kept asking us if it was a school group, or if we were volunteers... until I told him we were traveling together and had spent the summer in the Yukon, our home base. That, he seemed to get... and he slowly opened up. He told me that he came from Poland in the 80's and roadtripped all around Canada, all the way up to Dawson City and Alaska. I asked him where he climbed before living in this area and very humbly told me he climbed in many, many places, namely in Afghanistan before the war, in the Alps, the Pyrenees and the Himalayas. He attempted Everest and fell in a crevasse just above Camp 3 and got very injured... He reminded me of a shorter version of Yvon Chouinard (founder of the Patagonia company, you can hear his story in the great movie 180 degrees South - Conquerors of the Useless). He told me he used to ice climb and mountain bike a lot.

Later, he asked me if I knew how the road to the Denali was, if it was doable in a small car... The man still has dreams. At 75. As we parted ways, I told him I admire the fact that he was still out there, rock climbing and mountain biking (although on easier trails, he said, "because the bones are not as solid at my age..."), that so many people who were active like him in their young age, stop being so as they age... He looked at me with his big blue eyes and simply said: But that's the essence of life.

I felt like bowing to this wise master. Instead, I just smiled a warm smile and felt extremely grateful for this beautiful encounter. There are people you cannot forget.

Rock climbing like real dirtbags in Skaha Bluffs Provincial Park

September 28, 2015 by Catherine Forest in British Columbia, Rock climbing

We spent the weekend at the Bluffs and loved every minute of it. Since JF couldn't lead or climb routes because of his broken arm (for non-climbers, leading is going up a route first and clipping the rope as you go, then installing a belay on top), so he taught Karl how to do it, which he did like a pro! Rock climbing routes have the funniest (and sometimes dirtiest) names... We climbed Lick it in your panties and Hair on a G string...! I've seen routes called Your Mom's Crack (so you could say: I climbed your mom's crack... And bike trails called My girlfriend and Your girlfriend (So you can say I rode your girlfriend or I ripped your girlfriend...! Ahem!).

We met lots of climbers that live in their vans or their old cars and travel from one climbing spot to the next. These guys live for climbing! They are the ones that are commonly called "dirtbags". I love their laid back vibe, friendliness and carefree attitude.

On Sunday night, everybody was exhausted and we cracked beers and ciders along the still warm rock walls away from the wind, watching the sunset on Skaha Lake. We came back to our cars as night was falling, feeling our tired bodies, smiling from cheek to cheek, feeling so very alive.

**If you want to learn more about the fascinating history of rock climbing (and dirtbags!), I highly recommend you watch the awesome movie Valley Uprising. We watched it (again!) with our friends on Saturday night and they loved it!

Rock climbing in Green Valley Gap, St. George, Utah

April 02, 2015 by Catherine Forest in Utah, Rock climbing

What we are learning is that the best way by far to find out where to go climbing is to visit the local rock climbing/outdoor store. We knew that St. George is the place in the United States where there is the biggest concentration of sport climbing routes, but even after hours of online research and looking through many physical guidebooks at the library, we could not find clear information on what we were looking for. A 30 minute visit at the Desert Rat store and we had found the perfect spot to set two ropes side by side, with a beautiful approach walk, and in a less crowded spot (it is Spring Break here...). While we were there, Mara decided to use her money to buy herself some (pink!) rock climbing shoes (we were all sharing mine)! She was flying up the wall!

We are already reaching the point where my girls are starting to be stronger (and more confident!) than I am in rock climbing and mountain biking... A great lesson in humility. Needless to say, I am very proud of them and amazed at what they can do!

Rock climbing in Red Rock Canyon

March 26, 2015 by Catherine Forest in Nevada, Rock climbing

Red Rock Canyon is well-known by rock climbers. It is a sandstone paradise! The approach walks are challenging and fun (a 30 minute scramble up) and the view is amazing. Once we reached our destination, we had the whole wall to ourselves (there are nearly 2000 routes in the park, so the climbers are pretty spread out). The kids did their Junior Ranger activity booklet while JF set up the route. We were on the South facing slope, so the sun was cooking and we were soon looking for shade under the rocks.

Notice the barrel cactus at the bottom of our route (covered with a cloth bag in case JF had a fall...).

Two tailless lizards...

You can see the barrel cactus under our route pretty well in that picture! It sure was an added challenge!

*Many of the pictures have been taken by my friend Jennifer, since I didn't bring my camera (that's also why there are more pictures of me!).

That day is undeniably up there in our top 10 memorable adventures. It is so fun to have met friends that are just a little crazy like us and love a good adventure!

If ever you plan on going rock climbing there, we highly recommend you get this rock climbing guide book. It would have been pretty impossible to find a route without it. This place is a real maze (but a super fun one!).

Rock climbing at The Feathers, WA

September 23, 2014 by Catherine Forest in Rock climbing, Washington

We crossed the border from Osoyoos and headed down into Washington State. I had no idea that I would soon feel like I was in Utah, with canyons and mesas all around, and clusters of sagebush everywhere there is not an apple or pear orchard (there are so many, that the air smells of apples!), the only green spots in a dry desert landscape.

We went rock climbing in a wonderful spot called The Feathers, in Vantage. It was 31 degrees Celcius outside, so we chose the north side! The routes were so much fun!

We had stopped at a fruit stand on our way and found some incredible Honey Crisp apples (unsprayed!) for 1,50 a pound and a giant super sweet watermelon (organic) for $5! They were the perfect source of energy for a day of climbing in hot weather.