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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Jim, I need a new fracking hip! How is it that I'm the one of the two of us with the 70-year old hip?
Hope you had a good time out in the Creek.
55401: So glad to hear you've enjoyed EP. Good luck down there in the coming season.
And PAM! What a thrill. And so sorry about Jack's accident. Such a loss. But so glad I got to climb with him back in the day. We had a couple of great climbs, best of all from my perspective being a trip up The Fang, which was a really big deal to me at the time, just as I was getting a handle on what I might be able to get done. Jack was always very generous to me with his knowledge, which I much appreciated. Hope you're doing okay. That's the aspect of climbing I truly despise. Truly despise.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Feb 10, 2013 - 01:08pm PT
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Having a strange climbing and Patagonia related experience here in California this morning -- my 12-year old son Ryan is reading Enduring Patagonia
It's pretty great to see how much he's enjoying it, but it also raises a pretty serious question about what it means to be a parent, and a climber.
Of course I love climbing, and as an individual, it defines who I am as much or more than anything else, and I'd be delighted to teach Ryan to climb -- if it's something he genuinely wants for himself.
But I don't think it's right for me to make him into a climber just because I'm one. The sport is just too damn dangerous, as any deep perusal of these threads makes obvious.
We've done a little gym climbing and have taken a few trips up to Yosemite and Tuolumne, which have been great, and great experiences for Ryan, but I haven't pushed it too hard. We only go when Ryan asks to go, which he hasn't done very often -- just a time or two a year.
If Ryan wants to be a climber, I feel like it should be his decision as much as possible, one that he makes when he's a little older than he is now, when he's grown into more of his own person. This is one passion I really don't feel comfortable pointing him too strongly toward without him wanting it for himself. I have a pretty strong intuition that I shouldn't force feed it to him.
Of course, when the time comes, if he wants to learn, I'm going to be delighted to teach him. And I'm going to want to do it.
I'd also be very interested in hearing from other parents how they've dealt with this issue. To me, it feels like a big one.
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Todd Gordon
Trad climber
Joshua Tree, Cal
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Feb 10, 2013 - 01:24pm PT
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I'm w/you on this one, Greg. Climbing is my thing, not my kids. They are still sort of little (6,6, and 8), and I take them climbing every few months or so. They go out scrambling and running around in the wilderness all the time, but roped climbing not too often;....usually only when they ask or we are going w/other families who want to take their kids climbing. My kids love computer games, soccer, tennis, basketball, mountain biking, baseball, swimming;...that is their thing. I support those activities more than I support climbing. Climbing is my thing, not theirs. Climbing is a dirty and dangerous sport. I would rather see them surfing and snowboarding too......less likely to get snuffed and they can meet those cute rad surf/snowboard girls;...........(we got to hang out with the dirty camp four girls;....with their bad habits and foul mouths......worked for me, but probably not for them....).....
My son Von, who is handicapped and has CP, was scrambling and bouldering a few days ago in Indian Cove in Joshua Tree Nat. Park......he said, " Dad, will you teach me how to rock climb better. I want to be a good rock climber."....and I said, "Sure, Von....we can do that."......so there you go........
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Feb 10, 2013 - 01:34pm PT
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Killer pic, Todd! And very nice to get your thoughts on this, too.
Hope you have fun with Von on the steeps!
Cheers, Greg
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GhoulweJ
Trad climber
El Dorado Hills, CA
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Feb 10, 2013 - 01:35pm PT
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Crouch...
Pffft!!!.....
Friggin poser
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Feb 10, 2013 - 09:48pm PT
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Greg...your post is a topic a lot of people here wrestle with. It will get lost attached to this thread, you should consider starting a specific thread for it
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Feb 10, 2013 - 09:57pm PT
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Don't know if I've got the guts to start a thread, Jim... don't you have to be a senior and respected member of the supertopo community to be entrusted with such responsibility?
Not sure I'm qualified to do it.
I'll try and summon the courage to make it happen. ;-)
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Steve Grossman
Trad climber
Seattle, WA
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Topic Author's Reply - Mar 31, 2015 - 09:15am PT
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Happy Birthday Bump!
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 31, 2015 - 09:38am PT
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Ha! Thanks, Steve.
Took the party a few days in advance. Got Andy Lindblade to fly down from Portland for two days of cragging at Lovers Leap this past Friday and Saturday.
Which was wonderful.
I'm resolved to get out climbing more consistently this season than I have in recent years, but I'm in dire need of a guy- or gal- Thursday to help make it happen.
So, a CL post for climbers:
49-year old SWM climber needs somebody with a pulse who knows how to tie a figure-8 and belay, has their own harness and climbing shoes, and who is consistently available on Thursdays for day strikes into the Sierras, Tahoe to Yosemite.
Flipping leads optional but not required.
Motivation mandatory.
Since I'm coming back from surgery, I'm aiming for a season of moderates, 5.7s, 5.8s, and 5.9s to get back in the game.
I'm happy to help you learn the outdoor ropes if that's a transition you're looking to make.
If you want to check my bona fides, there are several souls here who have done a few pitches with me who would probably vouch for the fact that I likely won't kill you.
The perfect guy- or gal- Thursday would live in the Bay Area so we can share the driving, have a brain and something to say, a sense of humor, and a rope in better condition than mine.
KLK made an overture a few weeks ago, but we haven't managed to make it happen yet. (Sorry. Hopefully soon.)
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mar 31, 2015 - 10:20am PT
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Thanks, Couchmaster!
I've got a new one in the works that has me every bit as excited as the story of William Bond and the China National Aviation Corporation.
(I'm happy to report that when I saw Moon Chin a couple of months ago, he was still going strong -- 102 years young.)
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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Mar 31, 2015 - 07:17pm PT
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By the way....it's Greg's birthday. The lad still hasn't made it to fifty but he's getting close!
edit: oops....Steve beat me to it.
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micronut
Trad climber
Fresno/Clovis, ca
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Mar 31, 2015 - 08:43pm PT
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Greg if you are ever in the mood to drive towards Fresno I'd gladly show you around Shuteye Ridge, a quiet, soaring scape of golden granite moderate goodness. We got multipitch 5.7s and 5.8s with great summits and no crowds. I'm one year out from my first knee surgery, so I know that healing sucks and takes more time than one would think. I'm off on Fridays. Email me if you're game.
Scott
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Mar 31, 2015 - 08:56pm PT
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Greg, happy birthday. On the topic of climbing with your kids I have done quite a bit with my son who is now 14. I also don't push him, but it helps that i am just a punter. For the most part we only did stuff way below my lead level until he was big enough to belay me appropriately. For the most part we did lots of moderate cracks. He is a funny kid as he wont tape,use chalk, or sport climb for the most part and he certainly did not get that from me. We now regularly do multi pitch and he has become very competent with rope work. One thing we have is lots of easy and moderate routes in the black hills which is ideal for a young lad.
I do struggle that some day he might get enough experience that he will do dangerous things when he get older, and God knows I would feel terrible if anything should ever happen to him. On the other side I think he has a very good head and has learned a lot of skills. I think a lot us did dangerous things without the knowledge of how the"ropes" work that made it even more dangerous when we first started climbing.
Just my two cents
Edit: one other thing is that I have tried to instil in him that the reason I climb is that it is fun. Not to chase numbers or things that others feel he should do. I have been doing many of the same routes for the last twenty years.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Micronut, I'll probably take you up on that offer when I can get two or three days in a row... Thanks. I'd love to get the tour of Shuteye.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Mike M., But you're in the Black Hills, so many of those routes you've been doing over and over are AWESOME!
I've been conspiring to get back there for--gasp--more than twenty years. I've got some of my best climbing memories wrapped up in the Needles.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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Tami, you're kids are clearly smarter than us.
"The so-called outdoor industry"... Ha.
Making rich people poor for nearly a century.
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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You are welcome at Casa McNeil if you want to come out.
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RonV
Trad climber
Placerville
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Soon, Greg, soon.
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Gregory Crouch
Social climber
Walnut Creek, California
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I'm looking forward to that, too, Ron, but you still can't be Boy Thursday, can you? ;-)
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