Tie Back Those Flowing Locks

Note: CoffeeTape has moved! Check out the new mobile-friendly site at coffeetapeclimb.com for new posts every Monday and ease of climbing withdrawal symptoms whenever you visit. 

I felt nothing, but the sound was sickening: A soft ripping. I looked up, mid-fall, suddenly not caring where my feet hit. My hair, ripped in half, now dangled from the quickdraw I'd just been next to.

It was an atypical December day in Rumney, not because I accidentally created the worse side-swept bangs I've had since sixth grade, but because it was snowless and unseasonably warm at 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, I'd thrown my hat off mid-climb as I began to overheat in the puffy I'd mistakenly kept on. Inevitably, my hands still numbed out on the cold rock, just now coming into the shade, and I fell. Unfortunately, the braid I'd tied six hours earlier and repeated stuffed into and pulled out of hats, hoods, and headbands had come half undone, leading to the side-swept bangs mishap. 

DO NOT LET THIS BE YOU. 

Instead, let this be you:

David Allfrey keeps his flowing locks biner-free with a simple man-bun.
Photo: Samuel Crossley

Here are some tips for those of us with shoulder-plus length hair to avoid unnecessary bald spots and unfortunate "bangs" while belaying and climbing:

WHEN IT'S WARM:
Start by tying your hair back in a ponytail, your favorite (man) bun, or single or twin braids. DO NOT use a side braid—this is a great way to accidentally suck the end into your ATC. To reduce end-of-the-day tangles, especially if you anticipate pulling up your hood while belaying or are wearing a helmet, go with a single French braid or a ponytail braid.
If you have bangs, wispies, or other pieces of hair that otherwise fall out of your hair tie, then pin back sections with bobby pins or use a bobby-pin-reinforced bandana or headband to hold them back (especially if you have fine, slippery hair like me).

WHEN IT'S A LITTLE CHILLY:

Utilize the winter headband. It's just warm enough to take off the mid-forties chill without causing you to start sweating by the chains while holding back anything that might fall into your face on the ascent. My favorite, for snug, breathable, sweat-wicking comfort is the Skida Nordic headband. I still recommend tying your hair back in a braid, ponytail or bun before sliding on the band to protect your hair while belaying, but no extra bobby pins or headbands are necessary. 

WHEN IT'S COLD:

Same deal as when it's chilly, but this time go for the full hat. Make sure to pick one that's snug enough not to fall into your eyes when you glance down for footholds and not so itchy that it becomes distracting. As above, I recommend still tying up your hair first to ensure its safety while belaying.

And, just to be safe, check your hair after you check your partner's knot. There's no reason to pull your hair out over a belay. 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS: The Hierarchy of Climbing Presents

Where do your gifts hang from the tree?

20-Minute At-Home Workouts for When You're Rushed or Just Feeling Lazy

Note: CoffeeTape has moved! Check out the new mobile-friendly site at coffeetapeclimb.com for new posts every Monday and ease of climbing withdrawal symptoms whenever you visit. 

Some days are busy, other days you're lazy, and sometimes you need a short workout to round out your climbing day. So whether you're desperate to get in a little training during your lunch break or want to wring the last bit of strength from your arms at the end of the day, here are a few 20-minute workouts that require little to no equipment and only a few minutes of motivation. Think about all the things you do each day that take 20 minutes; you have time to fit one of these workouts in.*

AROUND THE WORLD PLANKS PLUS PUSHUPS:**


Abs, arms, chest

Start in a traditional plank pose (elbows and forearms on the ground) and hold for 50 seconds.
Rest for ten seconds.
Then continue "around the world" by doing 50 seconds each of side plank, back plank, and other side plank with a 10-second rest in between.
Next do 50 seconds of your favorite style of pushup.
Repeat three more times for a full 20-minute workout.
Note: Feel free to play around with rest times so that you are able to complete all sets but feel accomplished afterward.

INTERESTING PULL UP TIME:
Endurance arms

SIMPLY PULL UPS EDITION:
Using a pull-up bar, hangboard, door, or other object that one can safely do a pull up on, do 5 pull ups each minute for 20 minutes—by the end you will have completed 100 pull ups. It will seem easy at first, but my ten minutes you should start to have difficulty completing each set, and by rounds 18-20 you should be struggling to complete five in a row.
Note 1: If you have difficulty making it past ten sets, reduce the number of pull ups in each set (try 3), and if 100 pull ups is too easy, either try one of the variations below or increase your pull ups per set.
Note 2: If you're using a hangboard—highly recommended for a more interesting workout—try switching grips each set to work on different holds.

SPECIAL EDITION PULL UPS PLUS ABS:
Variation 1: After completing the pull ups in each set above, continue hanging and do five knee/leg raises.
Variation 2: Add 20 seconds of your favorite core or cardio exercise to each minute. For example, adding either 20 seconds of crunches or jumping jacks to each set, or alternate between the two every other minute.

FRENCH-STYLE (Experts only):
Instead of doing five pull ups each minute, do one "Frenchy": Pull up and lock off at chest height for five seconds. Lower down and pull up again, this time lowering to 90 degrees and holding for five seconds. Lower down and pull up a third time, lowering to 120 degrees for your third five second lock-off. Lower down to finish.

CARDIO + STRENGTH:**
With no rest between, do one minute each of:

Mountain Climbers
Jumping front plank†
Side Plank Dips (one minute each side)††
Pushups, elbows in
Repeat three more times.

†Begin in normal plank with forearms resting on the floor and feet a few inches apart. Next, with forearms remaining on the ground, hop feet out to each side to form a "Y," and then hop back to your starting position. Continue as fast as you can while retaining good plank form for the full minute.
†† From normal side-plank position (see photo above), lower hip to just above the floor and then raise it up past your starting plank pose to as high as you can before lowering again to just above the floor. Repeat.

Afterward, take a minute to let the satisfaction of a good workout set it.
Then consider doing a second 20-minute workout.

*Disclaimer: Injury is possible with any physical activity including the exercises listed in these workouts (and lots of other activities like driving a car). Therefore, I take no responsibility for any injuries or other calamities that may occur while you perform these routines. Make good decisions; if you're in true pain PLEASE stop. Additionally, I cannot guarantee that any combination of these workouts will make you climb a grade harder or make you insta-ripped, but they will get you moving and help build strength, which tends to aid climbing.

**No equipment required

The Art of Yardsaling

Note: CoffeeTape has moved! Check out the new mobile-friendly site at coffeetapeclimb.com for new posts every Monday and ease of climbing withdrawal symptoms whenever you visit. 

No, I’m not asking you to sell the seven old pairs of climbing shoes you’ve “been meaning to resole.” Nor am I going to tell you how to maximize your time picking through stuff in other people’s yards. I will, however, give a detailed description of how best to "yardsale" your belongings before, during, and after climbing.

WHAT IS "YARDSALING": verb. Unlike the two-word “yard sale,” yardsaling has nothing to do with giving unwanted belongings to others for 25 cents each. Instead, it has everything to do with spreading your climbing gear, food, clothing, and other items out in as big an area as possible. (Note: This term can also be applied to alpine skiing, when one hits a mogul, falls, and loses hat, gloves, goggles, ski poles, and both skis. This alternate definition will not, however, be used in this post.)

THE PRE-CLIMBING YARDSALE (Also known as “packing”):

Yardsaling is by far the most effective method of determining what to pack for a day at the crag. Begin by deciding what you’d like to wear on the approach, and lay those items out across your bed. Then add in your belay layers, extra socks, just-in-case layers, unnecessary rain layers, and your belay gloves to the spreading stacks. Then spread out all of your climbing gear—harness, chalk bag, extra chalk, warm-up shoes, sending shoes, extra shoes, approach shoes, crocs, draws, slings, rope, rope bag, cams, nuts, hexes, nut tool, headlamp, additional garb—across your bedroom to make sure you have everything. Next, add several water bottles, wet wipes, granola bars you won’t eat, sandwiches you will eat, and other snacks and necessities in any room you have left. Lastly, pull out several backpacks to assess into which everything might fit. Voila! Yardsale complete. Now you can go about stuffing everything into the desired backpack(s).

YARDSALING AT THE CRAG:

Say good-bye to rummaging through your backpack every time you want a long draw or pb+j. When you get to the base of your project, or the warm-up route next to it, set down your pack(s) and immediately open every available zipper. Reach hands into pockets and begin pulling out every item you touch until you have the essentials—gear for climbing/belaying the route, snacks, and water—and most everything else in your pack strewn about around you. Feel free to begin making loose piles to “organize” your yardsale while simultaneously spreading out your items to cover no less than a seven-foot radius from your backpack.

YARDSALING AFTER THE CRAG (Also know as “unpacking” and “drying”):
Set your backpack down in the middle of your living room. Similar to while at the crag, open every zipper and snap pocket and pull out all items, tossing them haphazardly around the room. Once your backpack is empty, set it against your couch to let it “air out,” and then begin hanging the rest of your items on the remaining furniture surfaces, moving to the floor when you run out of space.
If you’re climbing the next day, leave items out overnight (as this doubles as your pre-climbing yardsale) and pack in the morning. If you’re taking a few days off, consider leaving your gear out for a day or two or three or until you feel the need to sit on your couch without touching dirty socks.