He Only Loved Me for My Rack

I love it!

I'm already excited to read Chap 2 of the above story. Hmm, who's gear will be the biggest,or in the best shape? Who will show complete mastery of his/her gear thus providing great pleasures for said climbing partner. Important to many concerned about age differences; just how old is this gear? Can this gear still perform, even if in a 'trad'itional way? We wait for chapter 2 to tell..........

Mastery of one's gear, dear Grasshopper, can be achieved only when one is familiar with all of the facets of one's rack!

Ahh, thank you wise one. But since I don't own such gear, I must thus inspect closely this special gear for some time to learn it well, to know how to fondle, I mean handle it properly, to be trusted with care of this gear. I truly look forward to a chance to get my hands on a spectacular rack very very soon. /;-0

Har har har. You make great humor. You make me laughing greatly!!

WC! Geez, I think I could feel your heavy breathing coming through my monitor with that last post! (I'm guessing the Canadians are being VERY good hosts tonight.)

Ladianne, Great post! "Oh trippy one?" Pfffttthahaha...Very fitting title for WC.
So lets see this this RACK everyone wants you for. Here's a picture of what I'M working with....

Aren't you glad you found us Ladianne?
Licentia Haud Vestigium

Without doubt, Gonzo, without doubt! And Trash, I'll have to rearrange my rack before I shoot it! (ouch?!) But I will say yours is BEEEEEAUTIFUL!

Be sure to arrange it with some artistic flair Ladianne.
-Edit-
OK, so here's a new pic of my gear. (would have edited the post above, but the site wouldn't let me for some reason.)

It's Funny, Trash, but you made me get the itch to sit and sort gear tonight. Monday was great, but I pretty much threw my crap in the closet when I got home and there it still sits!! I do have one piece you'll think is nuts - -it's a tricam the size of a VW Beetle. Insane! Got it just because....well...it's nuts. But Jess and I were having a whole conversation on Monday about tricams -- I don't see any in your assortment -- but she and I have concluded we love them. However, they seem to be the type of thing you either LOVE or HATE. Have to say that on Short Man's Sorrow at South Face of Glass (the first trad route I led), those tricams were PERFECT. Anyway -- I guess I'll be sitting around sorting gear tonight!

After seeing the pic I am suffering a serious case of rackus envy. A slightly serious question CT, I notice an absence of hexes, are they not big in the US or does the low ($US)cost of SLCDs rule them out? Oh and Ladianne nice piece your rack may be ample but your arts seems pretty nice too.

Hexes are good to use to bang on other gear to get it out, or to let people know where you are by having them bang around on the rock as you climb. And I dont know what people pay in other countries, but I wouldnt call the price of any SLCD low.

Also, if hexes are attached to your harness, they make a great handle for people to use when pulling your skeleton out of a bear's belly!! ha.

Also, if hexes are attached to your harness, they make a great handle for people to use when pulling your skeleton out of a bear's belly!! ha.

I tend to like the sound of hexes and would like to see BD produce a "hexylophone" for those apres climbing campfire nights.

Yeah, no hexes on my rack...oh wait, I do have three small ones I won at an Access fund raffle. But I think I left one of them on a route in Zion to back up a SKETCHY anchor. Most of my trad climbing is done on sandstone and hexes just don't work in parallel cracks. I have thought of adding a set of tri-cams. I've done some towers that I could have used a tri-cam or two for horizontal placements.

"Pulling your skeleton out of a bear's belly?" hahaha...where did that come from?
And the "hexylophone", Gaston? I'll give you a virtual "high five" for that one. *slap* You really don't know what you've started. Woodchuck, after reading this, is now building a Hexylophone as we speak (he has a ton of hexes) we should be seeing pics in the next few days. hahaha...

Thar's Bars in Them Thar Woods, Trash. Well, at least I think I saw a bear....or perhaps just an unshaven climber. Not sure....

Oh, wait....you don't speak 'Carolinian, do you Trash?

I'm working on this Hexylaphone thing or whatever it's supposed to be. Musical I presume. That is some huge load of cash invested in cams above. I'm outdone, but do have the hexes to 'back them up'. I love sorting gear Ladianne, and offer my trained hands to readjust your rack any day.

No ladianne, I don't speak Carolinian but I'm sure it's pretty close to Uthanics! hahaha...

It's a long weekend here this weekend WOOHOO. I have to work so it'll be the home wall all weekend but I added the last few holds today it's complete. Pics coming soon.

That's awesome, Bex!! I did a tiny bit of work on my hang board today but really wished I had a wall like yours!

It's really crimpy I'm really weak when it comes to crimps, and there are a bunch of little toe jibs. My two weakest skills. I though making my wall that way would force me to become stronger. It's funny it's working pretty well and it's only been a week.

That's awesome - - - I don't mind crimpers a bit. But send me up a route with a bunch of slopers and watch the fireworks as I spew curse words. I find slopers very, very frustrating!!

You know, we have tons of slab climbing here. And people either LOVE it or they HATE it. I didn't do terribly well the first few (...80....) times on slab, but decided to make it a focus and now I'm ok with it. Don't particularly LOVE it, but am ok at it. That's the key - - do the crap you hate the most, or that at which you're weakest and you'll end up a much better climber. That said, I intended to go into the gym twice this week after climbing outside on Monday, but I haven't been in -- have been working on the place I'm putting my art studio. Ugh, it sucks to have only 24 hrs. in a day!

It does. Yesterday I don't think I sat down I had the day off. I had a appointment at the groomers for one dog, a vet appointment for the other, then I had to get the first dog and take her to the vet. the I had to take them for her walk. Then I had to help my Dad with something. It was insane.

Just goes to show ya' - - - we're all in the same boat to some degree or another!

agree above on the tricam thing... you either have a knack for them with ease and love them, or you hate their awkward size and need for 3 hands to place them.

got my musical 'hexes' ready to post tonight. will show up on my blogs as I have no technique to add a photo here with my comments. wish I did...

Here you go WC...

The instructions I left you in your guest book are how you post photos in the comment box on other forums. Ya dig?

HEY< what happened to all the nice 'big rack' jokes and photos we had going.? Who dropped the ball on this one? Post up folks...c'mon!

I think we are waiting on Ladianne to get off her butt and post a pic of her gear. Why haven't you add your rack pic here yet WC? I told you how to do that in your guest book a week ago! Fine, I'll do it for you...

I still wanna know who gets your rack when you check into the old folks home?

I've been busy alot lately, but thanks for moving my rack of old gear over. My rack and other 'historic trad' gear will be passed on to my climbing buddy Scott since he is like a generation younger than me. Or his climbing sons. Not to a 'museum' as you might have thought. And the newer womens harnesses, 3 new ropes, 25 quick draws, size 7 shoes, newest packs and sleeping bags, tents, whatever...will go to my new climbing partner Anya. I don't think I have space here to list my entire will and testiment, etc.

Well, yes. I did drop the ball(s). It's been a rather hellish week and a half in the personal arena. Therefore, I allowed myself to totally slack on you guys! Sorry! But I will say that my climbing partner (with whom I'm climbing this Friday) mentioned that I had some of her gear still on my rack....guess we got our racks tangled! :0

I have to sort crap tonight or tomorrow and will consider photographing my rack under one condition -- I DON'T want the pictures of my BEEEAUTIFUL rack to show up elsewhere on the web. I mean, hey....a girl's gotta maintain her dignity (at least somewhat!).

And Trash -- I love your new rack photo - - when I post mine, I'll have to make sure it's airbrushed first.

Oh, and one of the other reasons I've been absent.....I have been working on my art studio. Outside the studio there's a HUGE pin oak tree....I want to ascend it! Have you guys climbed trees like that before? I'm thinking of pitching a static line over a bough and then jugging up the thing aid-style. YEEEEHAAAWWWWWW!

yeah, jugged ropes and bacher ladders in my moms yard for years. tied a portaledge to a tree to sleep out in, for practice. ice tools and tree bark were a nice combination for a climb once.

You gotta get some of those "Ninja Claws" and a toprop, lol Now wouldnt that be fun :)

The rack photos are coming. Trash - -how do you put a photo in your comments?

Ninja Claws - -hmmmm, those could be great for many things.....climbing, scaring away intrusive neighbors, and definitely for keeping the kids in line! Portaledge in the side yard -- yes. That could be great. Great!!!

Not sure if thats what they are called but when i was a kid i always thought they would be cool for climbing trees. I especially like your ideas for uses with them .

I know this girl who has a great rack. I'm goona get a photo and add it if I can master the technique. give me a day or two, but expect a nice rack of at least a 38" in quality.

WOW ladianne, sounds like you have a pretty INCREDIBLE rack! I'm all a quiver with anticipation. (this is kinda like a burlesque show. hehehe)
You be careful climbing that tree...hate to see you break a hip or sumthin'. Your not a little rubber person anymore. (sometimes I have to be reminded of that myself.) Let me know when you have the rack pic uploaded to your gallery and I show you how to make it show up here.

Well, all I can tell you is that we who aren't models aren't always good at arranging our racks -- so my rack doesn't seem to want to fit into the photo very well....but I did my best. And as for not being a little rubber person - - ugh, ain't that the truth. Oddly though, I wouldn't turn back the clock at this point even if I had the chance. So, I'll take my rather late entry into the climbing world, along with my aging structure, and pepper it all with the insane passion I seem to have for various pursuits...and do my best to be careful(sorta').

Ok, well -- I was really glad to have been cajoled into reorganizing my rack for the purposes of photographing it and posting it shamelessly --. God, could the double entendre go on any longer......

<img src="http://www.yourclimbing.com/files/yourclimbing/images/LadianneRack.preview.jpg"</img>

There you go ladianne. Don't know why it didn't show up in your post! The code is right, must have had something to do with it being copied from your guest book or something.

Dunno what happened -- and at that moment I ran out of time to noodle through it. Kids, dinner and such were all tugging at my watch. So - - tomorrow I'm dragging my whole bloody rack off to Looking Glass again. I think we're going to hit the Nose. Four pitches - -and I'll lead the first (YEAH!!!) since it's a 5.5. I have to allow my balls to mature a bit more before I venture beyond a 5.6 on trad. When I watched my partner lead the 5.10a/b called Lake View at Rumbling Bald, it was mind-numbing. It certainly isn't the hardest thing out there, but YIKES!!! Oh, a friend who works at our climbing gym just sent 5.13!!

Sad that you had to expose my rack for me.......

Hey why it's been so quiet over here this week? Seems your rack has 'gone Flat' as of late. Pity, it was such a fun rack in the past for all of us to enjoy.

I'm starting to build a rack as I am climbing outdoors more, and wanting more than just bouldering I am startig my rack.

I have a few pix of me on my home wall posted them a weekago. Then I fell from nearly the top attepting a Dyno. Have a little crack in my wrist, and pulled everyhting in my arm/hand right into my back. I should be climbing in a few days lightly , and splinted. I moving near some Sport Crags and there are a few trad crags too. I can't wait to get outside on real rock, okay I can't wait to move.

!!!!!!!! Oh my gosh!! Geez -- I'm glad you weren't hurt worse! That's a fine welcome to your new home-wall! I'll definitely take a look at your wall photos - -and please take care of yourself!

I was being a show off, trying to do stuff that I have no skill for.

Man you have pretty short hair Bex!
When you first joined this site you had long hair?.

it was chin length. I don't really like having long hair it gets in the way.

exactly
Thats the way to go!
When my hair gets past my nose I shave it off

Geez, I can see the headline now. " First Cannuck climbing wall death,, for 2007"
as you peel off your woodie and take a header on some dyno. Careful!

I've shaved my head before. Ya I'll be careful on my wall. My Dad said it was only like a 12 ft fall so unless I was made of glass no big deal. My Mom made fun of me. I was showing off for the neighbors. I'll be more careful or at least hit the crash pad next time.

I'd say you might do well to gather up a couple of crash pads and put them at the base of the wall - and make sure none of the neighbors are watching next time when you peel off the wall! You're great, Bex...!! And if mama wants to make fun of you, let her - - and offer to let her use the wall for a bit so she can try her hand at bouldering! :)

I've got an old queen sized futon Mattress now. Mom has tried a traverse. My Dad even tried. They both prefer to spot.

I've seen some attic climbing walls where the floor was just covered in old mattresses. Problem is keeping them dry when they go outside.

I drag in it an out. When I move my wall is going into the house, either attic or basement.

I would have Loved to have a wall in my cousins old spooky house when I was a kid. I mean the attic was about 18 ft. high, with spiraling stairs going up the wall to small doors leading tooo?...I had no idea. It was dark, and had a creaky wooden floor. A skylight allowed some dim light to come in. Yeah, the older kids locked us up there sometimes, adding to the fright level. A wall set up beneath all of that would have been awesome!

When you put your wall in the attic/basement, are you going to send the trail of holds up onto the ceiling? That would be really great.

It's going to have an angle and some roof jugs.