New Improved (Mobile-Friendly) CoffeeTapeClimb Website

Hey All!

I've moved and updated "CoffeeTape" to a new Wordpress site that's easier to navigate and mobile-friendly. Check it out at CoffeeTapeClimb.com, and let me know what you think of the new format and posts. I'll continue to post new content every Monday :)

Best Wishes and Happy Climbing,
Liz

Auto Belays: Why They're Simultaneously Great, Okay, and Terrible

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By 2023 most gyms will likely have Siri-like auto belays for partnerless toprope fanatics. Climbers will simply press a fingertip to a small screen and don their wireless earbuds to have a soothing female voice ask them, by name, if they’re ready to climb.

You'll be able to tell Siri if you prefer a loose belay or to be kept tight. Say “take,” and she'll pull up the slack and let you hang when you get tired or are stuck on a sequence. Don’t want to be lowered to the ground when you fall? No problem; tell Siri you’d like to work out the moves, and she’ll keep you right there. She’ll even give you beta if you ask. Better yet, sync her with your Fitbit7, and she’ll keep track of how many calories you burn each time you climb a route, as well as your fastest send time, total time climbing, number of routes sent, number of hangs, total moves made, and how many crimps/jugs/slopers/pinches you've gripped. She can even coach you for workouts, telling you how long to rest between climbs and giving encouragement on the way up. Want to hear your favorite pump up song to get you through the top moves? Siri can do that too.

Unfortunately, for now auto belays aren’t quite that sophisticated.  They gently tug you up the route, can’t “take” when you get tired or confused, and lower you to the ground whether you’re falling halfway up or letting go at the top. When used properly, they’re safe, but not perfect for everyone.

Here is what they do well, not as well, and not well at all:

What they're terrible for:

1. Projecting routes. Every time you fall, unless you’re lucky enough to catch yourself on a jug during the descent, you’re lowered to the ground. This can be quite frustrating, as you have to climb up to your trouble sequence each time you want to try it, which can lead to exhaustion and stress about not making the move (and being lowered to the ground again if/when you're unsuccessful) each time you decide to give the route a go.

2. Allowing you to climb without assistance. Auto belays are constantly pulling in slack until they feel your weight against the rope, thus giving one the feeling of being gently pulled up the route. This also means that the device “helps” you climb by taking a small amount of your weight off.

What they're okay for:

1. Warming up before your partner arrives. Need to run a few easy laps while you’re waiting for a friend? The auto belay is a great way to warm up alone when the bouldering cave is crowded.

2. Burning out at the end of a gym session. Feel bad about making your partner belay you five times up the same route so you can work on endurance at the end of your workout? You shouldn’t, especially if you offer to do the same for them, but, in case you do, the auto belay is a great solution. It’s also good for burning yourself out when your partner has to leave early.

What they're great for:

1. Finding partners. Couldn’t convince anyone to join you for a rope session? Are all your friends boulderers? Simply hang around the auto belay and wait for someone to hop on. Once they’ve finished their climb, ask them if “they’d like a real catch”—or some variation thereof—and 67 percent of the time you’ll have a new partner. Just make sure they know how to belay another human before you start climbing.

Should You Date Another Climber?: A Flowchart Guide

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With Valentine's Day less than a week away, you likely fall into one of four categories: 

1) You've already ordered your special someone gifts on Amazon/from EMS or REI. 

2) You're rushing around to figure out what to get your special someone. 

3) You're happy to be single and not have to buy someone else chocolates. 

4) You're single and envious of everyone rushing around to buy gifts. 

If you're in Category 2 and dating a climber, check out these gift ideas. 

If you're in Category 4 and cannot decide if dating another climber is the way to go, follow the flowchart below. 

The Post-Workout PB & Banana Recovery Smoothie and Variations

Don't want to chug this after a workout?
Me neither.

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I've read zero articles in the past five years telling me to hold off on eating after a workout. Maybe I'm not looking in the right places, but according to Neil Gresham's Rock and Ice Magazine article "Endurance Training Tips for Winter," I should: "Properly hydrate for sessions and eat a decent meal or take a recovery supplement drink (including protein and carbohydrate) within the crucial “one-hour window” after every session." This post-workout carb and protein combination, in a 4:1 ratio, is the fitness and nutrition communities' recommendation for promoting ultimate recovery from any and all types of physical activity deemed a "workout." It turns out that chocolate milk is a cheap, tasty way satisfy this 4:1 balance, and thus it has been promoted enough that when I type "chocolate milk as" into Google, "chocolate milk as a post-exercise recovery aid" pops up first on the suggested search list.

But what about those of us who don't want to drink chocolate milk after every workout? Personally, I find the store-bought kind too thick and rich, and chugging a cup or two after a workout sounds like a stomach ache in the making. However, I have found a few cheap, easy smoothie alternatives with the desired carb and protein mix. Enjoy:

THE PEANUT BUTTER & BANANA SMOOTHIE:

INGREDIENTS:

1 medium frozen banana

8 oz skim milk*

1-2 TBSP peanut butter (depending on your taste preference and calorie needs)

3 ice cubes

*Substitute soy or almond milk for a vegan/non-dairy option

DIRECTIONS:

Put ingredients in blender. Blend. Drink immediately if you've just finished a home session or pack in a travel mug or jar for later post-workout enjoyment. 

WHY IT'S AWESOME:

First off, it's delicious (assuming you like peanut butter and bananas). Secondly, it provides one with the optimum ratio of post-workout nutrients in a healthier, more complete package than chugging 8 oz of chocolate milk. You retain the 8 grams of protein from the milk and add in 19 grams of natural sugars for your extra carbs, while now benefitting from the 3 grams of fiber, 13 percent of your daily potassium, and 15 percent of your daily vitamin C you get from adding a banana instead of cane sugar to your milk. Additionally, the peanut butter offers healthy mono- and poly- unsaturated fats and additional fiber and protein. All of your macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat) are now blended in one delicious shake that's easy to sip after a hard session on your outdoor project or on your drive/walk home from the gym. 

FOR EXTRA PROTEIN :

Some studies suggest that ingesting 20-25 grams of protein post workout is optimal for protein synthesis and recovery. For an all "real food" protein boost, try adding 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt to your smoothie, or simply double the recipe to ensure you get your 20 grams. You can also add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to the mix, though I'd recommend unflavored, vanilla, or chocolate (green tea and pb and banana sounds less appetizing).

FOR THOSE WHO DON'T LIKE PB, BANANAS, OR BOTH:

• Try other nut butters (almond, soynut, cashew) if you're not a fan of the peanut variety.
• Don't like nut butters? Substitute 1 cup of Greek yogurt for a protein kick and tangy flavor. 
• Tired or scared of frozen bananas? Add in your favorite frozen fruit instead. You can get creative and make a CREAMY PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SMOOTHIE by subbing 1/2 cup each of frozen raspberries and blueberries for the bananas. Yes it does taste like a pb+j; I've tried it. 

I've found that drinking a protein and carb rich smoothie or having another snack (greek yogurt with a banana or fruit on the bottom) with at least 10 grams of protein and simple sugars reduces my muscle soreness after a hard session, allowing me to train two days in a row before taking a much-needed rest day. (Well, unless I'm super psyched and the weather's nice; then I might be climbing for more than two days on.)

Seven Reasons to Encourage Your Friends to Toprope

Toproping tends to get a bad rep in the climbing world, and for many good reasons. It's pretty hard to "cheat" and let your belayer take weight off through the crux if you're on lead, and toproping (usually) isn't as scary as tying into the sharp end. However, sometimes it can be beneficial to encourage your climbing partners to tie in to a pre-hung rope:

Luke wishes he was toprope belaying.

1. You can now belay with your butt in a lawn chair. You'll never fully recover between burns if you're standing to actively lead belay, and you need all the rest you can get to send. However, simply taking in slack can be done from your feet or your behind. Just make sure to pick a flat section of ground for your favorite lawn or foldable camp chair.
2. Using your Grigri becomes much less complicated.  There's a lot involved in lead belaying with a grigri: continuously holding down while paying out slack, not dropping the overly large device, and raising the handle just enough for a smooth, steady lower. Make your life simpler by only taking in slack and smoothly lowering with the handle after your partner has reached the end of their toprope. Even better, you don't have to crank down on the break hand if/when they fall like you would with an ATC; let the assisted belay device do the work for you.
3. No more cleaning your own draws. Especially on overhung routes, cleaning the draws on the descent can be an unexpected crux. But if you can get a friend to toprope through the draws and clean them on the way up, you'll never face this challenge again. Simply tell your partner it's good clipping practice—it's harder to unclip than clip—without the stress of leading.
4. You can belay by feel. No more neck pain, and no reason to spend your hard-earned dollars on belay specs. Whenever you feel the rope go slack, simply take in until the rope is taught again; no need to watch the climber. Still feel the need to be safe and watch your climber? Take number 1 to a new level and belay laying down on your back; neck pain solved again.
5. You'll have less wear on the rope. If your climber plans to fall a lot on the route, hanging toprope will put less strain on your rope as they fall with more rope out and onto more than just one quickdraw. Use this excuse whenever using your own rope and offer it as a "helpful suggestion" to your friend if using his/hers.
6. You get to show off your anywhere-anchor-building skills. Impress your friends with your ability to top rope unbolted and possibly previously unclimbed routes by disappearing over the top of the cliff, wrapping some cordelette around a tree, attaching locking biners, and rapping off. Volia: insta-climb. 
7. You'll look like the group tough guy/girl. Want to impress others at the crag by looking like the experienced one of the group? Being the only leader does just that. Leading 5.10 and above also helps.

Gear Review: The Butora Acro

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I hate stuffing my feet into tiny aggressive shoes. If it takes me more than a minute to tug, squeeze, and pinch my feet into a pair, and I get a foot cramp the minute they’re finally laced up, then I'm not going to wear them. I love the precision of a stiff, downturned sole, but, due to my self-preservation instinct, I won't use my feet if putting weight on them causes immense pain, which renders my aggressive shoes useless. Thus, up until this point, I've upsized aggressive shoes. For example, my 5.10 dragons are size 9 men's, and I'm an 8.5 women's—and they're still tight enough that I want to rip them off at the end of each pitch. But this fall I only used my Dragons twice…because I found these:

Say hello to the Butora Acro, narrow fit.

Never heard of Butora? I hadn't either until the company made its American debut this summer at the Outdoor Retailer trade show. Butora is based in Korea, but has recently opened sales internationally. The Acro is its most aggressive shoe, specially designed for steep and technical sport climbing and bouldering, and it comes in two styles: the orange wide fit and blue narrow fit (I now use the latter every time I climb outside). Even better, sizing is easy: For sport climbing they fit true to your street size (revolutionary, I know), and going a half-size down is recommended for bouldering.

So why are the Acros so great? Chris Kalous of the Enormocast summed it up nicely when he tried on his pair at the trade show: "I could wear these right out of the box."

I did wear mine right out of the box and was comfortable enough to climb 10 pitches in them at Rifle—that never happens to me with new shoes. The narrow fit is snug and 100% gapless on my feet, thus requiring a bit of tugging to get on, but, once they are strapped down, there are no pressure points that cause my toes, etc. excess pain. I agree completely with the online product description that these shoes combine the ease of a single velcro strap with "the extra security and custom fit of a lace-up shoe." The Acro is my only non-lace-up, and they form to my feet better than my Dragons. 

I climbed outside an average of once a week in my Acros from August through mid-November, and the rubber is only just starting to show signs of wear on the toes. I anticipate getting to at least May without having to resole them (which I most certainly will), as long as I don’t wear them for long gym sessions this winter. And at $154.00, they are about $20 less than the 5.10 Dragon and the La Sportiva Solution, so they’re great for saving a few dollars on your first (or tenth) aggressive pair, especially if you’re not used to ultra-tight shoes. 

Overall, I have zero complaints about my Acros and continue to be amazed by how comfortable they are. I give them five stars, as did the two other reviews on the website, and will not be buying shoes from any other brand for a long time. It’s also nice not having the same shoes at anyone else at the crag—you never have to worry about getting them mixed up.

Fun Fact: Butora doesn't have "men's" and "women's" specific shoes, only narrow and wide fit variations. If you click on the "men's" section, you get the same options as the "women's." I like this setup, as I know plenty of females with wide feet who routinely buy "men's" shoes, and other guys who wish the women's solution wasn't covered in flowers because it fits their narrow feet.  

Butora has specially designed shoes for traditional climbing, all around performance, children, and more. Check out its website for more models. 

If Climbing Genres Were Types of Coffee

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New Year's Climbing "Resolutions"

First, I should come clean: I'm not a New Year's resolution type of person. I don't join the hoards of two-week January Planet Fitness goers who lose interest in legs day long before Valentine's Day chocolates—I can't say I've ever done legs day unless jogging counts. Nor do I resolve that this is the year I'll finally finish cleaning out the garage, lose five pounds, cut down on my beer consumption, or any other Google-recommended New Year's resolutions. However, this year I've decided to make some (now public...) New Year's goals—less scary and official sounding than resolutions.

GOAL ONE: STOP BEING A PUSSY
I've conveniently gone from one leg injury to another for most of the past year and a half, leading to lots of top roping instead of routinely tying into the sharp end and repeating low-ball boulder problems. This has made me a complete wimp. After not taking a good whip in a few months, falling on lead now seems roughly 147 times scarier than it did when I first started sport climbing. This spring, once the weather is warm enough for me to climb without numbing out between bolts, I plan to grow a pair and start leading hard (for me) routes again. I also need to work on my gear placements—also requiring a bit of confidence, concentration, and tying into the sharp end. I truly miss the complete concentration of redpointing, so now all I have to do is sack up and take a few falls (and continue doing my knee physical therapy three times a week, so I'm strong enough to take some solid whips).

GOAL TWO: TRAIN CONSISTENTLY
I've lost count of how many times I've turned to my weekend warrior partners and said: "I wonder how good we'd be at rock climbing if we actually trained."
Well, frozen January in New England is the perfect time to start training. I'm going to stop calling six pitches at Rumney on Saturdays, three ab workouts each week, and messing around on UNH's mini bouldering wall adequate climbing training. I'm going to kick my butt into getting on some sort of regular schedule including three sessions each week of climbing, abs and lower back, knee and leg strengthening (as explained above), and light cardio (not all on the same day). I also want to incorporate more yoga and general arm strengthening days—realistically once or twice a week—into my schedule.

GOAL THREE: EAT LIKE A CHAMPION
Despite my love of food, I don't always eat as well as I should. I tend to snack constantly throughout the day (picture granola bars and bananas with peanut butter) instead of taking time to cook real meals for myself. While sandwiches, fruit, cereal and frozen ravioli are fine for when you're in a rush, I need to stop making packaged foods my main source of nutrition. My goal is to eat fewer processed foods and focus on whole foods (whole grains, fruits, veggies, eggs, nuts, minimally processed soy foods such as tempeh, etc.) and start learning to cook. I also want to make sure that I pack healthy "real" food for long climbing days instead of throwing six bars and an apple into my pack. Yes, making real food takes a little longer, but it's much easier to "forget to eat" your squished Clif Bar than a pesto, cheese and veggie sandwich, and, for long days, constant fuel is necessary for hours of performance.

So this post was pretty much 100% about me, but I hope it sparked a few ideas for your own New Year's climbing goals or at least made you feel better about yourself in comparison to my basic (feeding myself...) goals. Now what do you plan on changing, upgrading, or continuing to master in 2016?

Tie Back Those Flowing Locks

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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

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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

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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.

Wrapping up Thanksgiving: How to Bring Your Leftovers to the Crag

If you’re like me, your mom decided, once again, to make enough stuffing “to have leftovers,” and sent two pounds home with you, along with half the turkey, green bean casserole, and half a can of cranberry sauce. It’s hard enough to get motivated for your fifth night of Thanksgiving turkey, but how can you eat mashed potatoes with gravy and green bean casserole on the pitch three belay ledge? Here is a guide help make leftover turkey and sweet potatoes more palatable and packable for the crag.

TURKEY SMORGASBORD WRAP: All your Thanksgiving leftovers in one convent package

INGREDIENTS:

1 large whole-wheat wrap

2 slices turkey

2 scoops green bean casserole, drained*

2 scoops baked sweet potato, mashed potato, or stuffing

2 slices jellied cranberry sauce

*Be sure to drain off most of the cream of mushroom soup to avoid the wrap leaking into your backpack.

DIRECTIONS:

Place desired amounts of your favorite, or most abundant, of the above leftovers—or others you find in the fridge—into wrap, fold wrap, and enjoy immediately or pack for later enjoyment.

LEFTOVER VEGGIE DELIGHT WRAP: For vegetarians, veggie lovers and those looking to get rid of soggy green bean casserole

INGREDIENTS:

1 large whole-wheat wrap

2 scoops green bean casserole, drained*

2 scoops baked sweet potato

1 large cooked carrot (or the equivalent in cooked pieces)

2 slices jellied cranberry sauce

Optional: fresh lettuce or spinach to add some crunch; two slices sharp cheddar cheese for added protein and flavor

*Be sure to drain off most of the cream of mushroom soup to avoid the wrap leaking into your backpack.

DIRECTIONS:

Place desired amounts of your favorite, or most abundant, of the above leftovers—or others you find in the fridge—into wrap, fold wrap, and enjoy immediately or pack for enjoyment later.

SWEET WRAPS: Pie is a lunch food

APPLE EDITION INGREDIENTS:

1 whole-wheat wrap

1 slice apple pie

2 slices sharp cheddar cheese

Optional: ¼ cup walnuts

PUMKIN EDITION INGREDIENTS:

1 whole-wheat wrap

1 slice pumpkin pie

¼ cup pecans

Optional: Substitute or add sweet potato casserole for/to pumpkin pie

DIRECTIONS:

Place pie and nuts/cheese in wrap, fold, and enjoy now or pack for enjoyment later.

We had plenty of leftovers from my Thanksgiving.

INTERVIEW: Alex Honnold on Alone on the Wall and Climbing While on a Book Tour

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Alex Honnold released his first book, Alone on the Wall, on November 9 and has been traveling the country giving book talks since. Before his first presentation and signing in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Alex let me ask him a few questions about his book, climbing while on the tour and what he defines as “easy climbing."

How did the idea for Alone on the Wall come about?

It happened because David [Roberts] made it happen. A bunch of people—agents and publishers—had approached me with book ideas, and David had already written a profile with me for Outside Magazine and knew my family. He’s a really good writer and has worked with a bunch of my friends. I’d read a bunch of his books when I was a kid and really liked them. So, David was like: “Would you like to do a book project? This is how long it would take; this is how much work will be involved; this is the whole process.” I was like: “Oh sweet, perfect.” It was pretty painless.

We locked in a deal with Norton and then started working in July [2014] and were done by Christmas. And the publishing process has taken another eleven months.

How did you and David split up the work of writing the book?

Photo by Jimmy Chin and courtesy of Alex's website.

It’s pretty much all David’s writing, except that everything that’s in my voice is taken from something I’ve written before. His sections are mostly taken from his own research and interviews. The book is split half and half between our voices. It’s constant switching back and forth between the voices, but it’s really clear; I talk in italics, and he doesn’t. It was a necessary structural device because he said that if it was all in my voice it would be too understated, so he wanted something to give it proper context.

What is your favorite climb in Alone on the Wall?

My favorite chapter in the book is called “Fear and Loving.” It’s about my soloing the Original Route on the Rainbow Wall in Vegas [Red Rocks].

What was the most challenging part of writing your first book?

Just typing and [making] the time for all the reading, writing and editing, and that was with David doing all the real work. I would just wait until the situation got dire and then be like f*** I need to edit and crank it out. By the end it was like, Oh wow, this is actually going to be published, and it’s all in my voice. Oh no. So I had to go back and edit some of the first chapters again.

Photo by Jimmy Chin and courtesy of Alex's website.

How much of the book highlights your free solos, and how much is focused on roped climbing?

It’s half and half. A few of the chapters are focused on the Nose speed record, the solo triple—the solo triple isn’t even free soloing; it’s with a rope and some gear—and the Fitz Traverse. So it’s pretty varied. Even the chapters that focus on free soloing also have other trips and expeditions.

Part of the appeal of writing the book was to make sure that all the soloing was placed in the proper context.

How are you fitting climbing in around the book tour?

I’m not. It sucks. I was hangboarding in the hotel stairwell today. I roped it to a pipe.

Normally I travel with a portable pull-up bar that goes into a doorframe, and I hang my hangboard off it, but that requires a standard size doorframe. All hotels have their own thing, and this one didn’t have anything remotely close [to fitting].  So then I found some pipes and did a whole training session hanging off of them. It really makes you feel like a weirdo, being this shirtless dude in the stairwell maxing on small edges while housekeeping walks by. It was pretty ghetto. 

Photo by Jimmy Chin and courtesy of Alex's website.

The age-old question: How does your mentality and fear change when you’re approaching a free solo versus a roped climb?

Most of my scariest climbing experiences have been with a rope on. You’re more willing to push into stuff that you certainly wouldn’t without a rope. You’re like Oh bad rock; I’m sure it’ll get better. So you keep going, and then you’re like It’s getting worse, but I can’t go back down cause I’m f-ed. So you just keep pushing and pretty soon you’re terrified. But without a rope you’d be like this is scary and go back down.

Photo by Jimmy Chin and courtesy of Alex's website.

How much of your soloing is onsight versus rehearsed routes?

It’s probably mostly onsight because it’s mostly easy.

What do you consider easy?

5.10d and under is mostly onsight. 5.11 and up is mostly rehearsed.

Random quote that didn’t fit into the above:

The whole East is a no-man’s land of barren waste. I can’t get past Colorado.

Alex had had enough of smiling by the end of his book signing in Portsmouth.
Left to Right: Me, Alex, Alexis (who is awesome and helped me get this interview)