Rockclimbing and THE BAND

I went rock climbing at Ragged mountain yesterday in Southington with Irene and Pete. It was really great. The weather was perfect and the rock was beautiful.

I love climbing with Pete. He’s an older guy whose patience and willingness to teach is awe inspiring. You’ll be half way up a climb, fingers limp from exhaustion and mind numb from 30 minutes of trying the same move again and again… and Pete will speak calmly from the base and coach you and encourage you. He’s great.

The highlight was a climb called “sublime.” It’s about a 100 ft ascent along a crack in the rock. The rock is perfect with really tight crimps and the occasional bucket. This has been one of the few times where I’ve needed to use hand jams. A hand jam is where you stuff your hand, wrist, fingers, etc, into a crack and then twist it until you have enough resistance to pull yourself upwards. It’s mildly painful but very effective.

The other great highlight of the weekend? I finally had some time to sit down and write out sax parts for THE BAND. I spoke to great lengths on Saturday night about the band with Erich (alto player) and we have planned a jam session for next Sunday. I am extremely excited. We’re hoping for a Big Gig sometime in early 2007.

It’d probably be smart to just pencil us in for every weekend in January, February, and March. You won’t want to miss this.

19 thoughts on “Rockclimbing and THE BAND

  • 9/5/2006 at 1:47 pm
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    You jam your hand into a hole in the rock and then twist it so you can pull yourself up? Christ. That is hardcore.

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  • 9/5/2006 at 3:25 pm
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    Next time you’re in the United States, I’ll take you rock climbing. You’ll love it.

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  • 9/5/2006 at 3:42 pm
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    I’ve done a couple of those back when I climbed a bit. They are quite awesome. I love the videos of dudes who just jam their hands in cracks and pull themselves up. But do it hand over hand. In tents.

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  • 9/6/2006 at 6:10 am
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    It’s not the heights so much. It’s falling from them I’m afraid of. I love the view, but it’s not worth plunging to my death.

    Wow, Mike. Everytime I think I might like rock climbing, you post something else to scare me out of it.

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  • 9/6/2006 at 6:23 am
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    Ha, exactly. To quote Terry Pratchett:

    “I’m not going to ride on a magic carpet!” he hissed. “I’m afraid of grounds.”
    “You mean heights,” said Conina. “And stop being silly.”
    “I know what I mean! It’s the grounds that kill you!”

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  • 9/6/2006 at 9:00 am
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    I’m not sure if I’m more afraid of falling or landing. The fall itself is pretty scary and to quote Steven Segal: “The anticipation of death is worse than death itself.”

    — quote from “Hard to Kill”

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  • 9/6/2006 at 9:12 am
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    You guys are thinking about it the wrong way. It’s not so much a ‘fall’ as a ‘dynamic retreat from a climb’.

    QUOTE WAR!

    “Anything I’ve ever done that ultimately was worthwhile initially scared me to death”
    -Betty Bender

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  • 9/6/2006 at 9:22 am
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    “Fear is an emotion indispensable for survival.”
    – Hannah Arendt

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  • 9/6/2006 at 9:28 am
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    Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature,
    nor do the children of men as a whole experience it.
    Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure.
    Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.
    –Helen Keller

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  • 9/6/2006 at 9:33 am
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    “…Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
    – Jesus Christ

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  • 9/6/2006 at 10:21 am
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    Here’s my take on ‘heights’, and I have recent experience, as I did a hike on Monday that was quite harrowing in places, and I had to climb 3 awkward and creaky ladders to the summit… and then on the other side of the summit, there was a cliff that went straight down a few thousand feet…

    What scares me is the ease in which I can die. Standing on top of that cliff, I can take three steps and basically be dead. On my balcony at the old apartment, I could hop over it and basically be dead. It’s not the actual height that scares me, because if I’m strapped in, chained down, or even just sitting down, I’m not as scared. But I’m scared if I have the option to die so easily. I feel the same way in a subway when the train is coming. I could just jump in there and get run over. That’s scary.

    (Ironically, I don’t have any of these feeling when I’m driving, which offers the same “you can die in 3 seconds if you really want to” options.)

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  • 9/6/2006 at 10:25 am
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    Whew. good one Jes.

    “To whoever much is given, of him will much be required”
    Luke 12:48

    Would it be insulting to God for us not to use our gifts to accomplish great things and enjoy the world around us?

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  • 9/6/2006 at 10:41 am
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    “Do not store up for yourselves treaures on earth…But store up treasures in heaven…For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”
    Matthew 7:19-21

    When did God require us to climb rocks? Or is that part of subduing the earth?

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  • 9/6/2006 at 10:45 am
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    “Rock Climbing is wicked awesome!”
    -mike d.

    I am defeated!

    I’d like to point out that this quote war started with Steven Segal and ended with biblical references. that’s quite a progression right there. Good quoting Jes!

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  • 9/6/2006 at 10:50 am
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    That’s interesting, Patrick. When I visited the Badlands last year, I saw some really deep gorges and I’d look over the edges and think “wow, one slip and I’d be dead”. I get a combination of fear and fascination. I don’t mind sitting on top of hay stacks or even roofs, but anything higher than two stories….yikes!

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  • 9/6/2006 at 10:53 am
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    Thanks. You just can’t beat the Word of God. You should have more quote wars on here. Or maybe I can try to liven up my boring blog with one. That was fun.

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  • 9/6/2006 at 12:35 pm
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    I’ve been fast food free for a week. I just thought everyone would like to know that.

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  • 9/6/2006 at 6:40 pm
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    Yeah that’s similar to what I experience. Sitting in a plane looking out at the ground 30,000ft below? No problem. Standing on a balcony looking over the edge at the ground 50ft below? No thanks.

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