Whew. It’s been a while. Things have been “hectic” at least as much as they can be in Tahoe. Lots of visitors, lots of working, lots of doggy dealings with. As the days slide away, anticipation for our trip starts to grow. I am so fortunate to be going on this trip with my partner in crime (PIC), Chelsea . As I think back on the summer so far, I realize that all but three of my climbing visitors or partners have been male. There’s been Alex B., Drew, Kent , Nolan, Casey, Ian, Erik, Eric, Corbin, Andrew, Danny, Walker , Robby, Aaron, Alex K. and Kyle. On the female side we have Chelsea, Lisa, and Haylee, a much shorter list. While I love my boys, I realize that there is something special about a climbing partnership between two gals. I’ve decided to examine the good, the bad, and the ugly about being a pair of climber chicks.
Pros
1. Campsites become easier to find. Upon arrival at Camp 4 late one afternoon, Chelsea and I were quite bummed to find that the campground was full. Unwilling to drive back out of the park, unable to find $20 cash to try at Pines, we were left unsure of what to do. We grabbed our six pack of Newcastle out of the car and sat forlornly on our crashpad in the middle of the campground. Within a few minutes, we had our first offer (from a guy) to crash someone’s campsite. Then another, then another. A half hour after we had plopped down on our crashpad, void of hope, we were sitting at a roaring campfire, being offered dinner, while guys talking in British accents passed us more Newcastles (Newkies) and Klean Kanteens full of whiskey.
2. People think you’re good. When two chicks show up at the crag with a rack of trad gear and get ready to tie into the sharp end, people think you’re a badass. Not gunna lie… it feels kinda cool.
3. People think you suck. Sometimes however, just because you’re a chick, people think you must have a lesser climbing ability. This can be a good thing because either a) you surprise them with your amazing abilities, or b) you can get them to do things for you such as 1. spot you on a boulder problem (hey I’m really scared and sucky, and you’re really cute and I think you should probably catch me when I come tumbling off this boulder) 2. lead a spooky climb for you, or 3. teach you something new.
4. You get to drink more wine. I know dudes like wine too, but there is just something special about sharing a chocolate bar and a bottle of wine with your gal pal in front of the campfire after a full day of climbing. …Or midday when you remember you stashed a bottle behind your tire and realize you need to drink it before a bear gets it.
5. Ratio. Fact: Wherever your climbing trip takes you, you will always find more guys than girls at the crag or the campground. That’s just the way it is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to have other chicks around, but it’s not bad being the only two girls at a 20-person campfire sometimes.
1. Campsites become easier to find. Upon arrival at Camp 4 late one afternoon, Chelsea and I were quite bummed to find that the campground was full. Unwilling to drive back out of the park, unable to find $20 cash to try at Pines, we were left unsure of what to do. We grabbed our six pack of Newcastle out of the car and sat forlornly on our crashpad in the middle of the campground. Within a few minutes, we had our first offer (from a guy) to crash someone’s campsite. Then another, then another. A half hour after we had plopped down on our crashpad, void of hope, we were sitting at a roaring campfire, being offered dinner, while guys talking in British accents passed us more Newcastles (Newkies) and Klean Kanteens full of whiskey.
2. People think you’re good. When two chicks show up at the crag with a rack of trad gear and get ready to tie into the sharp end, people think you’re a badass. Not gunna lie… it feels kinda cool.
3. People think you suck. Sometimes however, just because you’re a chick, people think you must have a lesser climbing ability. This can be a good thing because either a) you surprise them with your amazing abilities, or b) you can get them to do things for you such as 1. spot you on a boulder problem (hey I’m really scared and sucky, and you’re really cute and I think you should probably catch me when I come tumbling off this boulder) 2. lead a spooky climb for you, or 3. teach you something new.
4. You get to drink more wine. I know dudes like wine too, but there is just something special about sharing a chocolate bar and a bottle of wine with your gal pal in front of the campfire after a full day of climbing. …Or midday when you remember you stashed a bottle behind your tire and realize you need to drink it before a bear gets it.
5. Ratio. Fact: Wherever your climbing trip takes you, you will always find more guys than girls at the crag or the campground. That’s just the way it is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun to have other chicks around, but it’s not bad being the only two girls at a 20-person campfire sometimes.
Cons
1. DSB. We were first introduced to this term in Camp 4 in Yosemite. DSB= Deadly Semen Buildup. It is a plague that strikes males on extended climbing trips. Due to the ratio of males to females in the climbing world (see Pros: Ratio above), males on climbing trips can often go days without seeing a female. When a female is sighted, she may already have a hunky climber boyfriend, or just be too bad-ass for the poor male. The result: you may find an excess of whiny, frustrated boys around your campfire.
2. People think you’re good. Living up to expectations can be hard. Who needs the pressure?
3. People think you suck. Unfair judgment! Lynn Hill. Need I say more? Just because we’re chicks doesn’t mean you need to give us the, “do you know what you’re getting yourselves into?” talk/look/lecture/warning before we climb. Yes, thank you very much, we do. And we’ll take a no hands rest on your crux, or free solo your proj, or climb it in our flippy floppys just to prove it. Hrmph.
4. You get to drink more wine. There is such a thing as too much wine. Sometimes.
5. You are similarly smelly. When you and your PIC avoid showering, hair brushing, and deodorant at the same rate, you usually become dirty and stinky at the same pace. This often means that you don’t notice your own scent, and you are also unable to distinguish that your friend is smelly too. Unable to detect each other’s smell, unable to warn each other of impending offense, you risk meeting new people and scaring them away with your odor or the unruly dreadlocks that are forming in your hair.
1. DSB. We were first introduced to this term in Camp 4 in Yosemite. DSB= Deadly Semen Buildup. It is a plague that strikes males on extended climbing trips. Due to the ratio of males to females in the climbing world (see Pros: Ratio above), males on climbing trips can often go days without seeing a female. When a female is sighted, she may already have a hunky climber boyfriend, or just be too bad-ass for the poor male. The result: you may find an excess of whiny, frustrated boys around your campfire.
2. People think you’re good. Living up to expectations can be hard. Who needs the pressure?
3. People think you suck. Unfair judgment! Lynn Hill. Need I say more? Just because we’re chicks doesn’t mean you need to give us the, “do you know what you’re getting yourselves into?” talk/look/lecture/warning before we climb. Yes, thank you very much, we do. And we’ll take a no hands rest on your crux, or free solo your proj, or climb it in our flippy floppys just to prove it. Hrmph.
4. You get to drink more wine. There is such a thing as too much wine. Sometimes.
5. You are similarly smelly. When you and your PIC avoid showering, hair brushing, and deodorant at the same rate, you usually become dirty and stinky at the same pace. This often means that you don’t notice your own scent, and you are also unable to distinguish that your friend is smelly too. Unable to detect each other’s smell, unable to warn each other of impending offense, you risk meeting new people and scaring them away with your odor or the unruly dreadlocks that are forming in your hair.
I am so looking forward to the adventures that four months of climbing with Chelsea will bring (oh, and you too Casey!). Girls just wanna have fun, and this holds true on the rocks, in the car, and at the campground. So if your climbing partner has two X chromosomes, be thankful, it means twice the kisses (XOXO), twice the love, twice the fun.
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