Ice Climbing!

This weekend presented opportunity for adventure. When in Rome do as the Romans do, so they say. We're in the land of snow, so do what snowmen do! This winter is one to try new things. I figure that if I'm going to live in Minneapolis I best take advantage of the winter! It's infinitely more fun than moaning and groaning through the winter. If you don't like the cold perhaps you should move to Texas?

I find it funny that I am getting more adventurous in my old ... nay ... ancient (post 30 after all) ... age. I want to take up skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, winter camping, all of the above. It's a good way to keep in shape and it's a good way to get me off of the couch. This is funny to me though as I didn't really take advantage of the natural and snowy wonders while in Alaska.

This weekend presented an opportunity for me to fill my new found adventurousness and mark off a couple of the aforementioned activities. Due to other commitments I didn't get the winter camping checked off but I did get some ice climbing in.

Despite not having any gear we went to the Sandstone Ice fest, located about 100 miles outside of the Twin Cities. I figured that I'd figure out a few of the tricks by watching and then maybe pick up some cheap gear at the gear swap, besides, we got to hang out outside and eat some cajun meat boil. So, we got there and chilled for a little bit before my bud Isaac found me and lured me in (wasn't that hard to lure me in really). There was a sponsor there with free gear to use (too bad it wasn't to keep), so I hooked in to some boots and crampons. Isaac had the rest of the gear and off I went!


It was fun and tiring. I encountered the proverbial "I used muscles I never even knew I had", to the extent than when I was done with this run I couldn't close my fist. I found that, at least to this point, I like ice climbing more than I rock climbing. Perhaps it's due to having too many other summer interests so I don't really want to take the time away from those interests to practice rock climbing or perhaps it's due to now having to use too many multiple grips. In ice climbing I just need to grip the ice tool, nothing else (no funny pinch grips, etc). Or perhaps it's because the crampons look like medieval weapons!

I was able to make it all of the way up on my first go (well, truthfully I fell I couple of time right at the bottom but after those I shimmied all the way up). I don't know if I did well or did poorly. The people I was with gave me encouragement nonetheless. Amanda likes to point out that the person climbing to the right of me started about 10 feet higher and I wound up finishing when he was halfway up. I think he had a harder route. All in all it was fun and now I need to figure out how to go again.

Apparently Isaac was chatting with Amanda while I was climbing and had to apologize to her because climbing is an expensive sport. He was basically saying that there goes all of my money and hence all of Amanda's money. Luckily for Amanda I'm not very good at spending money at all, much less spending money on stuff for me. Amanda commented as such to Isaac, sometimes I think it pains her that I don't purchase much for myself.

After climbing we went to the gear swap, bought some raffle tickets (which is a rarity for me, the whole "chance" to win doesn't do much for me, I prefer just keeping the $$), and watched a presentation on climbing Denali. I didn't find any treasures at the gear swap, nothing fit, so I'll just have to keep my eyes out (for all you readers out there, please send any crampon compatible mountaineering boots to .... well, e-mail me!). We did win a raffle prize where I got to pick an item off of the prize table, after selecting a voucher for dinner and overnight jacuzzi suite stay at a casino nearby Isaac commented that Amanda was right, I don't pick things out for me (though I think a date night at a jacuzzi suite can be considered for me too). Just for attending the Denali presentation we each were given 5 casino bucks per day, so when we take the free night we'll have 20 casino bucks to try and leverage into millions! Once I'm a millionaire I could purchase my gear but it wouldn't make sense because we'd move to Manila and trek those streets, not exactly a crampon worthy endeavor (except for the medieval factor).

For some reason an apt conclusion to the day and to this post is burning boots. So here you go. The boots, the boots, the boots are on fire!

P.S. - Duncan, if you're reading this look right here into this Neuralyzer

P.S.S. - Duncan is my insurance agent, so he can't know about this stuff!