Mount Major - Winter Hiking

Weekly winter hike with the New England Over 50 Meetup group. Hiked the Mt. Major and Brook Trails to the summit of Mt. Major (1,780'). Expansive views of Lake Winnipesaukee from the top. 4.8 miles round trip, 1,150' elevation gain. 

Lake Winnipesaukee in the background.

Local Hawaii girls atop Mt. Major

See the world, fall…in love with rock climbing

Rock climbing will take you to some the most gorgeous spots on this planet. Be stoked about it! The sport will catch hold of you and you will fall . . . in love with these adrenaline adventures.

As world-renowned rock climbing photographer Simon Carter advises, “Get out there and play, and learn from your mistakes. Good luck and happy climbing!” You can see more of his awesome rock climbing photos on his website or in his book, World Climbing: Images from the Edge.

Go Forth and Conquer

Go forth and conquer. If you take on rock climbing as your new sport, be ready to sweat and strain your muscles. Be ready to leap from clifftop to clifftop. Be ready to keep your cool and trust your partner if one little break in your concentration causes you to fall. Once you reach the summit, you are on top of the world mentally as well as physically. You will never forget it and never regret it.

If you enjoy the cold as well as climbing, then your sport changes slightly to ice climbing. Not only must you be capable of climbing, but you must take on the additional challenges of making those climbs on rocks coated with ice. Ice particles will fall on your face as you climb. It’s an action sport. Things happen very quickly, but remember . . . fear sucks and balance rules.

Rock Climbing in Moab, Utah

Moab, Utah is famous for the adventures awaiting outdoorsmen. The natural rock formations provide unique challenges for the climber. From conquering the outcroppings to climbing the crack, the sport of rock climbing flourishes in this land of rugged beauty.

Views of Elite Rock Climbing

Rock climbers gain a deeper appreciation of the natural world surrounding them. They become in tune with the rock. Is that Spiderman? No, but some adrenaline junky rock climbers seem to be blessed with sport superpowers. They scale vertical walls and then make dangerous climbs up and over and even upside down.

Rock Climbing in Victoria, Australia

Many climbers enjoy the safety of using pre-placed bolts. But once a climber moves beyond sport climbing, into extreme rock climbing, he or she takes advanced or remote routes and learns to make their own path up the sheer rock wall. Stamina, strength and control are vital to mastering this sport. Climbers use a rating system to describe the difficulty of different routes. The expert level means only 10% of climbers in the world can handle these routes. The elite level means the route can only be handled by the best of the best. And even the best take a few falls along the way. Otherwise, the way down is rappelling, a controlled descent down a rope.

Blue Mountains, Australia

As a rock climber, you will need strong fingers, strong arms and strong legs as well as the right equipment. Often when rock climbing, the cracks are too small to get your toes into and the only way keep moving upwards is to sink your fingertips into the cracks, use opposing pressure and force yourself up. Strength does not always equal success. The key is balance. You need a plan and even need to know how to rest and regroup, so you can keep going.

Climbers often scrape their skin and bleed for the love of their sport, but how about a more serious fall? Without the right equipment and right mindset, many more climbers would die each year. There is even a correct way to fall; how are you going to let go? Knowing how you are going to fall is critical in not getting hurt. There are times, however, when even a slight break in concentration and effort result in instant falling. In the Blue Mountains of Australia, even these experienced rock climbers take “the fall” and owe their lives to the right equipment and a quick climbing partner

Slackline Walking and Falling

If it’s not enough adventure, not enough of a challenge to climb this awesome 213 foot rock, how about tightrope walking between cliffs? One climber fell from a “slackline” which was strung between the 65-meter high Totem Pole and the mainland at Cape Hauy, Tasmania, Australia.

Deep Water Soloing

Deep-water soloing is a solo rock climbing sport where the presence of water at the base of the climb protects climbers from serious injury. If a climber falls into the sea below the cliff, he or she may have used up a day’s worth of adrenaline but are otherwise fine. Around Croatia there are 10 well-climbed locations and a hundred climbable and unexplored routes from 98 to 132 feet high. Deep-water soloing doesn’t have to be high, but near Kornati, Croatia, the Ring of Fire is one of the world’s hardest deep-water solos, on the Holy Grail Wall, Mana Island. Notice climber Leo Houlding trying to pull off a massive “dyno” move on the cliffs of Panitula Island before falling.

Elite Rock Climbing: Extreme Adventures From The Edge

The points of view in these photographs came from and are copyrighted by Simon Carter, an amazingly talented climber with a camera who captures both the sports action and the spectacular settings.

Rock climbing is all about balance, but creativity and concentration are also required. Climbing is a physically challenging and a mentally demanding sport. It will test your endurance as you climb to your goal, the summit. So have a plan, focus, keep going, hang in there and don’t let go. Rock climbing will take you to a new level of awareness of the natural world around you, taking you to breathtakingly beautiful places as you discover new aspects about yourself. This dangerous sport also requires trust; when you fall, and you will fall, you have to trust your climbing partner completely with your life. Bonus, adrenaline adventures will be found. At the top you will want to raise your arms in victory and woot your win!

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Stonehouse Pond - Ice Climbing

Wore a borrowed pair of mountaineering crampons but I kicked my way to the top. Grant it, it was my third try, but for my first day out climbing on a vertical ice wall, I did it! The climbs were exhausting but I was so happy that I was making my first ice climb. Growing up in Hawaii I never dreamed I would be ice climbing. Yet here I was, at age 51, celebrating yet another milestone in my life.

Kellie Barr-Foster, organizer for the New Hampshire Rock Climbing Meetup group, is no stranger to Stonehouse Pond. She has been climbing the Barrington, NH crags for many years, organizing many group climbs as well.  Kellie organized today's climb on the "Moss Slab". This single pitch is 30 feet high and about the same width. It's separated from and set off to the right of the "Main Cliff".

Since I didn't have mountaineering boots or crampons, I met up with Kellie at her climbing barn. Anthony and Mark were already ahead of me gearing up. Kellie and I take the same shoe size so I borrowed a pair of stiff leather boots and mountaineering crampons.

The hike into the Moss Slab is only 15 minutes from the main road. Dan got there ahead of us and later Doug and Eric showed up. We even had a solo climber show up...offered to top rope him but he made one "solo" climb and  then left. 

At the Moss Slab, Mark helped me put on my crampons. I first watched Dan and Kellie climb two routes...the right route just a bit more vertical than the left route. When it was my turn, I tied into my harness and Kellie let me borrow both her climbing gloves and ice axes. The gloves were heavy duty and had padding for the knuckles. I learned that the back of your hands are on the ice while holding the axes.

It felt awkward at the first-swings and since I'm right-handed, my left-handed swings felt weak. I felt like I had to swing harder and more often than swinging with my right hand only because I couldn't get good axe hold. My first try I only got off the ground a foot. So I got off the rope and rested a turn. On my second try I remembered to keep my heels low in order to 'engage' the second row of spikes. But at 3/4 of the way I tired, so I asked to get let down. On my third try I climbed the route on the left as it was more of a 'slab' and not as vertical as the route on the right. It took a while, but I did reach the top! It was exhausting, but I was ecstatic to be ice climbing!

Afterwards I walked up to the top of the ramp with my webbing and tied-in so that I could photograph the others' climbs. I took as many photos as I could, trying out some different camera settings for various results.

Overall, the weather was perfect...actually warm and the company was superb! I had so much fun on my first ice climbing day. And having a lot of help and encouragement from the experienced ice climbers in this group made all the difference! Thanks to Kellie, as well as Mark, Dan, Anthony, Doug and Eric for making yet another memorable day for me!

** Click on the photos to see a larger view 

Crossing Stonehouse Pond

Me kicking it to the top!

 Me with Doug on my right.

My "tie-in" at the top so that I can
photograph without falling over the edge!

Sometimes random things get in my way....

Trees make for a good brace to photograph against

Photographing Mark's climb

 Mark getting to the top!

Doug administering first aid to Eric

What happens when you don't wear your helmet!

Kellie topping off!

I just LOVE this photo of Anthony!

Eric back to climbing...with a helmet this time!

Random solo ice climber...yep, he topped off!

Dan with Anthony on his lead belay.

Anthony- follow the leader

Anthony with Dan on his belay

Tied-in at the top!