Road Trip: Top Five Car Games

Ah, Nebraska! The perfect 455 miles of nondescript landscape for us to really get to know each other. Whatever should we do? We could continue to discuss our increasingly similar thoughts on bolting.... We could have a lively debate about the potentially disruptive geopolitical events occurring in China... I know! We could play a game!

With the 4th of July weekend closing in, I assume many of us will take to the road in vehicles crammed to the dome light with gear.  My patriotic gift to you is a list of my five favorite road trip games listed in ascending order.  Buckle up!

#5 Twenty Questions

Pretend to be anything that you have wanted to be: an iguana?  a skateboard? something your father is actually proud of? Your friends have twenty yes or no questions to guess what you are. A word to the wise... You'd better know a thing or two about what you are pretending to be. None of those "maybe" answers. Also, you will be surprised how often you lose count of how many questions are left. 

Players: Anyone who still cares by question 12. 

Effective Mileage: 50

Pro Tip: Be a Spirochaete!

#4 The Alphabet Game

Start with A and get to Z before your friends can. Feel the thrill of victory when you find that last Z while everyone shares a sigh of relief that the game is finally over. Or go hardcore and not be finished until you have lapped the loser in last place. Only one letter per sign. First called, first scored. 

Players: Any literate passengers

Effective Mileage: 100

Pro Tip: Find the Quiznos! 

#3 "What's that smell?" 

Maybe it's in the cooler? Or your friends pack? Or maybe it's the dog? I don't know if it is really a game but it gives you something to do and it often takes quite a while to identify. A time tested classic, especially in climber vehicles. 

Players: Unfortunately, we are all in this one together. 

Effective Mileage: 200?

Pro Tip: It's probably you.

#2 Car Bingo

Remember the little cardboard bingo cards with the red sliding plastic windows?  Pick up a few at the only place I have ever seen them, Crackerbarrel. Whoever gets bingo first probably deserves a beer or something.  Maybe wait until you aren't driving anymore... unless you're in Texas.

For a more personalized experience, make your own cards about what you might see or stuff that could happen on the road. Don't forget your blotter!

Players: Where's my Bingos?

Effective Mileage: 500

Pro Tip: Give your buddy the card with "pay phone" on it.

#1 THE COW GAME

The Cow Game has a little bit of everything: life and death, triumph and defeat, math and livestock. Do I need to go on?  Simply choose teams; drivers side vs. passengers side. Whenever you pass cows in a field, COUNT THEM! Easier said than done. That number goes toward your total points. Whoever has the most points (read "cows") at the end wins.  But beware... If you pass a graveyard on your side, ALL of your cows DIE!  Of course you can add other rules as well. How about if you spot a military vehicle, punch the ceiling and kill 50 of your opponents cows? Pass a McDonalds on your side and loose 10 cows...or horses if you are counting them as well.  Why not throw chickens or dogs into he mix? This is your game and Nebraska isn't getting any shorter.  

Players: Two savage teams. If uneven numbers, help goes to the drivers side. 

Effective Mileage: 1,237,378 or until you are there...

Pro Tip: Surprise your enemy by instating the "_______sucks" rule, where you announce that your friend sucks and you just steal some of your opponents cows.

Have a safe trip, both on the road and on the rock!

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

On the Rack: Black Diamond X4 Cams

Many of you may have seen the picture of my shiny new rack. I am pleased to say that all of the gear is now sufficiently scuffed and well loved after a solid  two weeks of western climbing. For my new rack I decided to invest in Black Diamond cams. I was especially excited to learn that I would be able to pre-order the nex X4 cams before I had to pack for my trips. So I ordered a set and have used them for any cam placements less than a number one. Now, after getting a few miles under my belt, I feel obligated and qualified to let people know what I think of them. So here goes...

The new BD X4 cams span the gap between Camalots and Aliens. The tried and true design of flexible stem Aliens have already been emulated by the Metolius Master Cam and lately renewed by Fixe. Black Diamond has put their own spin on that concept by creating a flexible stem cam that utilized BDs dual axle design for increased expansion range. They have an armored stem protector and they also are designed to lighter than the Camalots of equivalent size. 

So what do I think of them?  The sizing has been great and the consistent color scheme has made a very easily accessible rack, especially when paired with matching colors of the ultralight Camp Nanos. 

The flexible stem is very pliant which has given me a great sense of security especially with smaller pieces on sketchy traverses or in places with a lot of possible walking or movement. They are incredibly ergonomic as they are comfortable to hold an very easy to manipulate. The trigger action for the most part is smooth and effective. The weight is noticeably lighter than other BD Camalots of the same range. And they just look cool. 

I have not taken any whippers on them yet but here's to hoping they would hold. My only possible complaint is that they seem to be incredibly susceptible to reduced trigger action from dirt and dust etc. My regular Camalot C4s still have buttery smooth action while I already feel that I need to get in there and lube up the lobes on my X4s because the trigger motion has slightly deteriorated.  Only time will tell about their durability, especially that of the kevlar trigger cords. But at this point, I am very satisfied with my purchase and look forward to using them on many climbs to come.

Let me know if you have any questions or would like to see them in action. I can bring them along sometime.

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

Battle of the Sexes: Climbing Technique Round

*Disclaimer* The following post contains vast generalizations for the purpose of thought provoking self-analysis. These comments pertain to broad typicalities of novice climbers. Give it some thought and find your own truth.  Also, posting this may decrease my chances of getting a date. 

Climbing is a romantic sport. It involves teamwork, encouragement, communication, intense physical exertion, grunting, and a lot of looking at your partner's backside. Who could ask for a better date?

Then why so much fighting? Men always seem to be shouting for their female climbing partners to "Just go for it!" The female partners try the monstrous move in vain and eventually find their own damn way up the wall. Then they swap belays and the women urge the men to use their feet which the men promptly ignore and usually make the route way harder than it needed to be.

Men and women have different styles of climbing due mainly to two factors: center of gravity and upper body strength. These factors matter because they determine which parts of a climber's body lead and which parts follow. This matters because leading with your top or bottom half greatly changes your balance and energy exertion on the wall.

Men have a higher center of gravity, and relatively greater upper body strength. The high center of gravity leads the male climber to lead with the chest and follow with the feet. The upper body strength tends to focus the male climber's attention on the handholds and less on the footholds.  This means that men often pull themselves into moves, lock off, and fix their balance by finding feet after the fact. While bold and daring, this tactic uses a lot of energy and often leaves men scrambling to correct with their feet, or more likely, giving up on good feet all together.  Just watching this style makes me tired!

Women generally have a lower center of gravity and relatively weaker upper body strength. The low center of gravity means that women tend to lead with their lower half and follow with their upper half. The less powerful upper body strength causes women to trust their footholds more than their handholds.  This means that women are more likely to push themselves as far as they can with their legs and then scramble to find hands that will allow them to balance on their feet. This method requires less pulling energy but also tends to throw women off balance as they find themselves stuck in the middle of a move instead of confidently resting in between the moves. This style looks to be unconfident and tenuous at best.

Who is right? Should men climb more like women? Or should women climb more like men?

As with all relationships between men and women, the answer lies in compromise.  Women and men both could stand to take a lesson from each other in terms of movement and balance. Men have the upper body thing down pat, so they should focus on finding feet to remain in balance throughout the move instead of finding balance as an afterthought.  Women should learn to dial back on the legs and not always push into the next move before they are balanced and ready. Hanging straight from your arms, instead of pushing your legs to full extension, will help you find your optimal resting posture and make you feel more confident on the wall in the long run.

My hope is that we all can learn to get along, or at least spray meaningful, gender-thoughtful beta at our opposite-sex climbing partners.  Regardless, a little bit compromise can go a long way in smoothing over not only the differences in our climbing, but also in our day to day relationships.

"Be excellent to each other."
-Bill S. Preston Esq. 1989


Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

On the Rack: Keylock Carabiners

I was recently in the process of creating a new set of alpine draws to accompany my new trad rack.  I had already decided on 8mm Mammut contact slings because of their light weight and non-snagging profile.  But I was still searching for a lightweight, keylock style carabiner. I know that there are a lot of light weight wire gates that would have worked, but very few of them (with maybe the exception of the Heilum and the Hoodwire/OZ) were keylock-style. This was an important feature to me for a quick, smooth release while leading.

Carabiner choice is really based on style, weight, price and personal preference.  I had already decided on the style. I wanted to go light, I wanted to save money, and ultimately I wanted something that just felt good to use. My research lead me towards Wild Country Heliums, but I didn't like the nose design. I considered the OZ and the Hoodwire but the gate action was not as comfortable for me. (*While the Helium, Oz, and Hoodwire are not true keylock biners, their design achieves the same goal) I wasn't sure about the Ange L with the new mono-wire design, and again, the weight to price ratio just wasn't quite right.

On several occasions I almost jumped in and bought a full set of biners just because they were on sale.  I am glad I waited.  At the last minute, I found an option which I had not previously researched. I settled on the Ange S (On sale for $8.50 each). At 28g each they were lighter than the Heliums, with a great nose shape and excellent action. They only thing I wasn't sure about was the size.  They are slightly smaller than a full size biner and I thought they might be awkward to use.

After several large, multi-pitch climbs, I am glad to say that they have performed really well on the wall and the weight savings on the approach have been a godsend. The smaller size took a little getting used to, but I was able to clip and extend my alpine draws without any incident. Even with a smaller gate opening, they took my twin ropes with ease.   It actually has made other biners feel too big! Go figure!

Here is a chart from my research with a price to weight comparison for your enjoyment. The prices used are all MSRP. Of course, the prices you find will hopefully be less.  Happy shopping!

Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

Vertical Darwinism: Adapt or Perish

How do you know you know?

For the most part, the teaching of climbing safety methods is often much like an oral history. Methods get passed down from generation to generation and are accepted as true. Even when the technology or situation changes, I have seen my fair share of climbers confidently use inappropriate and dangerous methods of anchoring and belaying. They even post pictures of themselves belaying incorrectly on Facebook.  Their absolute confidence means that they are either completely oblivious to the risks that they are exposed to, or that they are absolutely sure that they are doing it right. Both are incredibly dangerous.

Often our mistakes occur when we take an old method and apply it to a new tool or context. When conditions change we must be vigilant to completely rethink our actions and see if they work under the new situation. Below are two of the most common examples of incorrectly applying a previously valid method to a new scenario.

Failure to Adapt to New Technology:

Before tube style belay devies (ATC, Pyramid, etc) mountaineers often used a friction knot called a munter hitch to belay their climber to safety.  The munter hitch locked by matching your hands up and outward from your harness.  This was a very convenient place to switch your hands while the rope was matched in front of you. However, with the advent of newer tube style devices, the brake position is now at your hip which necessitates a new style of belaying involving adjusting hands while the rope is below your waist.  Unfortunately, some venues and programs still teach the posture and style that was effective for the munter hitch while using a tube style device. This method works poorly with the new tool, but some continue to belay using the old method, making dangerous hand switches and leaving them with poor leverage for braking and lowering.

Quick Check: When you belay, if your brake hand thumb points away from your belay tool, you are using the old style with a new tool and are doing it WRONG.  If your brake hand thumb points toward your belay tool you are using the updated method. Congrats on evolving! 

Failure to Adapt to New Context:

A majority of climbers learn to belay on slingshot top rope (belayer at the bottom, anchor at the top, climber sending confidently somewhere in between). Then on their first magical trip to the North Shore of Lake Superior, they confidently set up a a slingshot top rope and sit six inches form the anchor, all the while belaying off their harness. Lowering is a pain. When the climber falls they get pinned to the rock against the anchor.  The whole day is scary but luckily there are no major incidents and they go to the bar to plan their next awesome day of climbing at Shovel Point.  Porting the Slingshot Toprope design to a top-belay scenario can be disastrous. Just recently, a dear friend had her thumb broken in this way. Instead, a hanging belay should be designed and the fall force put directly on the anchor instead of on the belayer's harness.

Quick Check: Do you top belay off of your harness or off of the anchor with an auto locking device? After reading this I hope you know which one is correct. 

Breaking the Cycle:

Why don't we question our own methods? Possibly ego or fear of finding out we have been doing it wrong all along? Fear of growing and changing? Excellent climbers should constantly adapt to their situation and respond accordingly. Stubborn, righteous attitudes will catch up with you eventually.

Why don't we question others methods? Fear of confrontation, or ruining a day of climbing? Maybe because we are not confident in our own knowledge? Open and honest communication about methods and safety are the core of a solid climbing team. Don't worry about hurt feelings. Sacrifice a little pride for a safe day of climbing. 

Drop the ego. Ask questions. Challenge methods. Constantly adapt your methods to your situation. Make safety a priority.  Seek a trained coach who will set you and your climbing partners on the right path.


Climb Smart MN is a grassroots approach to climbing education based on community and charitable giving. For information on donation based climbing lessons visit ClimbSmartMN and follow us on Facebook. With over ten years of climbing instruction, coaching, and guiding experience,  Chris Hesselbein strives to better the climbing community through personalized technique and safety education.

*Update-5/4/13- After Talking to a trusted friend, i was informed that the injury on the North Shore occurred not while belaying off the harness, but with a Grigri on the anchor. Regardless, the setup might have been safer with a hanging belay rather than running the rope over the edge of the cliff.

Also, it was brought to my attention that I may have made it seem like I was suggesting a "never/always" philosophy around top belay. That is far from my intention.  I was merely trying to say that we should always choose the most appropriate method for each individual circumstance. We should not blindly transfer skills form one context to another. I appreciate the open discussion which this article has stirred up. That is in part why I started this blog.