Mark and Janelle Smiley will be the first people to climb all of the routes made famous by a book published in 1979, Fifty Classic Climbs of North America. No married couple has attempted such an endeavor to climb over 164,000 vertical feet of technical terrain on a road trip that will cover over 25,000 miles.A two-man film crew will help capture HD footage that will portray the experiences of Janelle and Mark Smiley during ten of the fifty climbs.  This footage will intertwine extraordinary mountain settings with these two climbers’ commitment to pursue their passions.

Maybe this project will be your inspiration to continue to step outdoors with the kids.  You will either inspire them to do such a great project later on in life or you will keep yourself motivated so that when the time comes for you to climb without the kids you can actually remember how to do it.

"Our project to climb North America's Fifty Classic routes continues, and I wanted to share the experience if you aren't following already in the loop. Be sure to not miss a beat as we climb 164,000 vertical feet of technical terrain all over North America.  Embedded in the smileysproject.com site is our blog, "A Breath of Thin Air" which can easily be shared with your friends.  We will try to update it every Wednesday.

Ways to check out our rockin' climbing videos:

-Bookmark: www.smileysproject.com

-Become a fan on facebook: click Committed

-Follow on Twitter (I think the word "Twitter" is synonymous with "distraction", but if youre into it...): click Twitter

-Click "Follow" on the top left corner of the blog page: click Blogger

Although, I am focusing here on the climbing aspects of the Gunks, I must mention that the whole area has so many activities to offer families that it would be a shame if parents who don’t climb would overlook this natural destination.

How do you get to the Shawangunk Ridge?

To climb in the Gunks you need a permit, so the best thing to do is to visit the Visitor Center before you climb.  To reach the Visitor Center, take the New Paltz exit 18 off of the NYS Thruway. Go 7 miles west (through New Paltz) on Route 299 to the end: make right on Route 44-55 and then 1/2 mile to the Visitor Center on right. If that lot is full, continue a few hundred yards farther up hill to the entrance to additional, overflow parking lots at the Visitor Center.

Why are the Gunks a great family climbing destination?

People visit the Gunks from all over the world.  You can find many local families and climbers coming from New York City, Montreal and other nearby metros during the weekends.  It is a very popular destination because the climbs are very easily accessible.  There is such a variety of ratings that it is a great place to bring your children, and still get in some good climbing yourself.  Almost all the climbs have accessible bases, so that families can set up a resting spot, coolers, and shade.  If the whole family is not into climbing, it is easy to spend a bit a time on one crag and then move on and do something else that day.  If the family wants to climb but not participate the whole time, the area is gorgeous with opportunities to walk around, watch other climbing families and meet others.

Top rope and multi pitch routes are available.  Descent by foot path is very often possible but rappelling routes are also in place.

Camping is available in the area but limited.

What will I find in the Shawangunk climbing area?

There are roughly 1200 documented climbing routes in the Gunks, ranging in difficulty from 5.0 to 5.13.  The Shawangunk’s are a traditional climbing area, and since 1988 the Mohonk Preserve has banned the placement of new bolts and pitons.  The preserve has upgraded, fixed and replaced  old bolts and pitons.  Rapelling is often achieved on your own gear.  The Gunks are the single busiest climbing destination in North America, with some 50,000 technical climbers visiting the area each year.

There are four major cliffs: Millbrook, the Near Trapps, The Trapps, and Skytop. Of these four, The Trapps is the longest and the most popular, with the largest number of climbing routes. Rock climbing is currently banned at Skytop, which is owned by the Mohonk Moutain House. Rock climbing is allowed by permit at the Peter’s Kill area, a minor crag with good bouldering and top roping opportunities.  The height of the cliff varies along the ridgeline with an average of 150 feet or 46 meters.  Descent is achieved either by walking along a footpath at the top of the cliff, or by rappelling from mostly fixed anchors. Climbing activity goes on year round, but is most popular (and comfortable) from April through November.

What other activities can I do with my children in the area?

The Shawangunks are located 8 miles outside the town of New Paltz, New York.  New Paltz is only two hours from New York City and is home to a SUNY College.    This is a great destination if you want to combine outdoor activities with a bit of cultural exploration (in New Paltz or close by New York City). The town of New Paltz, New York, offers cool restaurants, friendly shops and many outdoor attractions.  You can visit farms, bike on maintained bike trails, swim in ponds, lakes, streams or rivers that often have small waterfalls.  The Gunks are also near the Catskill Mountains and Woodstock.

The area also boasts more than 100 miles of hiking trails in the Mohonk preserve and the Minnewaska Preserve.  Many of these trails are open to bicycles.  In the town of New Paltz there is a long dirt bike path that connects many adjacent communities.

You can visit historical sites like the Mohonk Hotel which offers luxurious accommodations. Pamper yourself and your family as you are surrounded by hiking trails, horse trails, a lake and many other outdoor attractions.  The area also has a dude Ranch.

For more information about the Shawangunk,family destination:

Climbing website The Gunks

Minnewaska Preserve

Town of New Paltz information

Mohonk Preserve

Historical information

About a year ago, I wrote in with a question, which was essentially, 'Can you continue a life of outdoor adventure once you have children?' Many people chimed in with inspirational thoughts and tips. One thing that I heard consistently was how important it is to have a network, a community of other folks to get outside with.

I began to panic...meeting other women who enjoy the outdoors has always been a challenge for me. I'm not someone who gives up, however...and so, I started to think about how I could better network with other outdoorsy women. "They must be out there," I thought, "it's just a matter of finding them!".

And so, with help from a friend, I started Backcountry Betties & Babies, which is a connections group for outdoorsy women and their kids, based in Western Washington. On March 7th, we had our official launch party to explain the concept. About 20 women showed up and committed to the group, all of them excited to get back outside again. Within one week of the launch, 20 more women signed up so we are now more than 40 members!

The basic idea is that, while there is no membership fee, members will contribute to the group by planning two events a year. Events can range from a neighborhood walk to a multi-day backpack, from a picnic in the park to a tutorial on Dutch oven cooking, from learning about geology to rock climbing. Any outdoor activity goes!

We want to grow even larger...so if you live in Washington state and are outdoorsy, come join us!

www.backcountrybettiesandbabies.com

Heather, Founder Betty

These cute yoga mats are just the perfect size for your little yoginis and they come with fun designs.  We tested out the one with the octopus design.  My daughter takes it out on a daily basis to do different stretches and interpretive moves.  She also uses it to play dolls and construct towers.  I think it would have been great if the Boulder Mat company would have figured out a way to incorporate feet placement markers within the design.  It is hard at times to get kids to place their feet in the correct place on the mat.  Regardless, this mat is a great fit for kids. They can easily roll it up, carry it and manage it on their own.

The Petzl Elios is a very comfortable and fitting helmet. On the downside it gets very, very hot.  It adjusts well with the spiny thingies, but the pads are not removable.  If you worry about coolness (fashion) just customize it to your style.  Use stickers, sharpies and duck tape, if your parents let you.

Note:  Sean consulted with his friend Michael Kennedy for editorial support.  Michael explained that a good review will cover: adaptability, style and comfort.

There many accommodations available from cute little cottages on lakes and great secluded camping to luxury hotels.  If you head to the Adirondacks for climbing, you can also plan to do some wonderful canoeing, hiking, or backpacking.  There are also some great Ice climbing areas.

Map

Here are three spots where your family would enjoy climbing:

Chapel Pond Slab:  Nine routes from 5.3 to 5.11.  The most popular are Bob’s Knob 5.3 and Regular route 5.5 which has six pitches.  This beautiful slanted slab over looks Chapel Pond.  It’s a great long climb, with many opportunities to sit and eat a lunch while looking at the pine forest and mountains below.  The descent is a bit hard to find at times and overgrown. Ask locals for specific beta.

Roger’s Rock

With the approach being by touring kayak or canoe, this four hundred foot slab rises directly out of Lake George and offers numerous climbs at moderate levels. While not wilderness in nature, offers a spectacular setting nonetheless. Bathing suits are a must! 5.5 to 5.8

Trap Dyke

More of a scramble than a technical climb, yet challenging all the same. This rock fissure up Mt. Colden involves a minimal amount of rope work yet a good deal of steep, open slab hiking. Truly an Adirondack classic in every sense of the word, open to anyone in good physical condition. For a complete adventure, a descent down the new slide on the backside of Colden.  Class 4.

Climb rating: 4th class (non-technical)

Here is a link to Adirondack Rock, a local guide book. It explains how to get to 242 cliffs and 6 bouldering areas with  details on each route, including those I call out above.

Or stop by  The Mountaineer  for amazing advice on where to play and where to camp.  I worked at this store in Keene for a few months and believe me you are glad I am not there. I provided the worst customer service on the planet, but the guys and girls that work in this store have been there for years, know their stuff and are committed to their work and the promotion of outdoor experiences in the Adirondacks.

Heidi

Don’t forget to share your stories and to sign up for our monthly Newsletter. There may be some great giveaway waiting with your name on it!

After reading Outdoorbaby.net for tips on things to buy for outdoor adventure with kids, I thought buying an inexpensive boulder crash pad would give me and my son more options when venturing to nearby rivers, alpine lakes, any rocky beach, every local crag, any place off the beaten path, my deck for breakfast, local baseball games, any place where there’s no padded area for an eleven month old to play, and my sister’s house (my sister who has hard wood floors).  I found this pad at an on-line outlet store for about $65 (I also look for used pads, but could not find any).  This pad is nothing fancy, but it’s light to carry, not bulky, and fits right in my car where it stays for last minute outdoor trips.  I do get a few odd looks from the non-climber moms we hang out with, but when they find out what I use it for, they love the idea.  I give this boulder crash pad turned “baby sitter” a 5 star rating.

Although not typically an outdoor sport, Yoga is practiced by much outdoor enthusiast families.  It is a great way to spend some down time with your children when on a trip.  I find yoga to be a portable sport that helps parents stay supple, alert, and healthy and focused while raising little ones.  Both mats were tested by myself (pregnant), my child (age three), and a certified yoga teacher (seven years of teaching experience). The yoga teacher used both extensively for a month.

Neo Natural Yoga Mat

The biodegradable mat is s very cushiony, and has a rubber tree scent.  I call it a

"teacher’s" mat because I would leave it at the studio as it is heavy and large to

carry around.  I am proud to tell students I am using a biodegradable mat, it inspires

them to integrate their yoga into conscious living.  I would recommend it for teachers

or for a person who needs a lot of cushion and could store it in the studio. It features double scrim for a strong, stable practice surface. It also uses the process of vulcanization to increase strength, resiliency and durability in the natural rubber; there are no glues in this mat!

Boulder Mat Company:

This mat has moderate cushion and is adorned with a beautiful print/ design. It's also easy to carry.   It was still sticky even after getting sweat on it, so it could be used for a hot yoga class too. I would use this for a Vinyasa, Iyengar or hot yoga class.  Comes in five designs and is toxin free, but when I received it had a very strong chemical odor.  This is a woman-owned and Colorado based company. They will refurbish and clean your old mat and give it to someone who  is in need of a mat but cannot afford one.

You may walk around a park or a local college campus and see young athletic twenty-somethings walking on a tight rope and doing tricks.  Well, this is called slacklining and your children can really benefit from this fun outdoor activity.

The Gibbon slack line comes with all parts necessary (except two trees).  It is very easy to install because of its crank system.  Children as young as 3 years old can really get into this.  It teaches them balance, control, and concentration.  It also helps them to keep focused and probably improves their eyesight.

Regular slack lines are made out of webbing and are kind of narrower.  This one is quite broad which enables a steadier foot on the line.  We tested out this Gibbon slack line with children and very able teenagers and adults.

It seemed to be a great line for children or beginners.  The experts felt that it did not enable them to do as much tricks because it was so taught. But they did like the ease of installation and that they could loosen the grip on the trees.

My husband and I live near the base of the Palm Springs Aerial Tram. We are intermediate-level climbers and have been climbing for about ten years, mostly pre-baby. It’s a 10 minute ride up, from 2500 ft to 8500 ft elevation. Our family has a Tram Year-Round Pass which is $150/year/adult and approx. $90/child over 3 years. It is about a 15-20 min easy hike to our climbs, even a kid can do it.  We’ve found two main climbing areas, and of course, named them after our kids or major events i.e., 10 Good Years was red-pointed on our tenth wedding anniversary. The best time of year is between March to Fall. The climbs range from 5.6 to 5.10. (For the tougher, challenging/lead climbs, we opt for the babysitter and leave the kids at home.) The kid-friendly climbs we do are quite short. We pack a bunch of sand toys, lunch, water, then off we go. I carry the rope bag. Husband carries the gear and our two-year old. Luckily, he’s part pack horse. When we get to the base of the climb, my husband climbs the backside to set up a top rope and I watch the kids. We take turns belaying and the kids play in the flat sandy soil about 30 ft from us. The climbs feel like a gym-wall, but there’s no one around. The walls are clean and have no/little detritus. We can do a whole climbing foray, in a few hours, leave the house about 9 am and be back by nap hour (for both parents and kids).

If we can only get our five-year old to try climbing, that would be just terrific – we’d make her help carry the gear, if so. Another nice feature, the Tram Station has a bar, which has a decent selection of reasonably priced draft beers. Cheers!

Before child, my husband and I climbed most weekends, mountain biked and X country skied in the winter. We had no idea what to expect when our daughter was born almost four years ago. I am glad to find the experience most rewarding, though challenging, and has taken us into new directions and experiences.

For us, babysitting was never a viable option.  So Annalee has joined us climbing most weekends March - November since she was three weeks old. Before having a child we mainly projected sport routes at New River Gorge with occasional forays into bouldering and trad climbing in wonderful places like Europe and Yosemite. Here’s what’s changed since having a child:

·         My husband and I now rely on a tight circle of friends to climb with that we never had before. It never ceases to amaze us how generous our friends have been with belays and including us in climbing plans and trips. Additionally, none of them have children!

·         My climbing focus changed. I no longer spend weeks (or months) working climbs. Instead, I climb closer to my onsite levels and got a lot more solid.

·         I’ve bouldered more and got a lot more stronger than before child.

·         I have a lot more concentration. Since my time on the rock is limited, I turn my complete focus to the climb at hand. Workouts are a lot more focused.

·         My fear is now under control. I can now decipher between warranted fear vs. my nerves. Having others belay has helped since my husband isn’t the most attentive when belaying me, too!

·         I’ve had to retain some energy when climbing particularly during the first year for the hike out with the child, tiredness from breastfeeding and enduring long sleepless nights.

·         Just getting outside is wonderful. Whether I sent that project or not is not so important (though nice!) to having a good climbing day. Finding weird bugs, creating “gardens”, playing on rocks and water with my daughter between climbs has provided another fun dimension.

From a parenting standpoint, sport, one-pitch trad and bouldering are the easiest. Through our experiences and observations from others to make it all work, here are some suggestions:

• Get your kids out early and frequently. They will enjoy the wonders of nature and find it so entertaining. There have been some days that we are ready to leave before our daughter.
• Get  your infants sleeping outside. Lynn Hill showed me how to make a soft cradle between two boulders (or packs) and got my usually non-napping daughter to sleep. Lynn knows more than just climbing!
•  Find a supportive group of climbing friends, but, don’t expect them to babysit. A few of ours do get brave every once in awhile and watch Annalee during some climbs.
•  Be diligent in keeping kids safe. Climbing is dangerous. Always keep them out of the fall zone and away from the bottom of climbs. Make your kids wear helmets if the rock is loose. If it is too difficult managing the hazards find another area.
•  Don’t leave your kids under 5 unattended at the crag. There’s a lot of hazards out there (ie. venomous snakes). They don’t have the judgement to be alone even while you are belaying. Potty trained kids always seem to have to go when you are at the crux. They can also be a nuisance to others.
•  Be polite. Most climbers aren’t expecting screaming, crying or whining kids when they work their projects. If you think you are going to make lots of noise find another place to climb if another party is nearby and camped out for the day.
• The most essential items at the crag include: crazy creek to be used as chair & bed, lightweight blanket and a golf umbrella for the sunny or rainy approaches and napping. 1^st year: infant pop-up tent (pack n’ plays are too heavy and don’t protect from the sun), 2^nd year & on: a small bucket for collecting things, thermos , sippee cup, bag of toys, a 6-8 foot length of rope--you’d be amazed where imagination can take a piece of rope.
• Remember you’re out as a family. You shouldn’t be as self-indulgent as the old days; take time out for your kids. Make it fun and give them lots of attention. Making a child sit still and stay out of the way the whole day is not a good way to get them excited about climbing and the outdoor experience. If your kids are old enough to climb, remember most kids don’t see climbing as a way to challenge themselves as we do, they want to have fun.
• If you climb as a couple, stagger your climbing times if possible. Have one walk in with the kid(s) and the other go ahead to climb. This shortens the time you have to be at the crag to get a full day in. It works well if you and your spouse have different climbing levels, too. This lets kids that walk, go at their own pace and take occasional detours to jumping in puddles, chasing butterflies, etc.

So far this might sound easy and straight forward. Like everything I’ve found with being a mom, it is most challenging. My husband and I have had to work through a lot to make this work and it is well worth it. I can’t think of any other activity that would have allowed us this valuable parent-child time and helped our daughter develop emotionally, physically and mentally as well as she has.

For those thinking about having kids or feeling constrained, read Kids in the Wild by Cindy Ross. She and her husband have done lots backpacking and other adventures including backpacking the Continental Divide with two toddlers! She provides lots of tips and perspective.