Ice climbing's over for me.

“I joined up with a couple of people for a day ice climbing Sunday. The weather was unbelievable, sunny and round freezing - we belayed without gloves.

I got halfway up the first pitch and had to bail because of pain in my hands. I tried later, but my fingers were too swollen and painful. I put them in the snow, but they were too swollen and inflamed to be of any use. I spent the rest of the day belaying and even that hurt.

The colour's back in my fingers, but the little finger on my left hand is still swollen. Typing is uncomfortable still.

I used to laugh at my crooked fingers and gave up rock climbing a few years ago. Now ice climbing's out too.

Nordic and backcountry ski-ing are still on as is winter backpacking and mountaineering, but I was looking forward to getting on waterfalls.

Oh well, the good side to getting older is that when you stop it's because you're dead.”

“I'm with ya on that, Gremlin!

We must slow down and come to a "graceful" stop, eh?”

“Sorry to hear that Grem. Think of it as an opening to start something else new.”

“If by graceful you mean face in the snow (and I know you do because we've talked about it) I'm with you.”

“Hmmmm, like bare-knuckle fighting?”

“Face in the snow, AYE!
last edited: 2/27/07 8:12:28 AM”

“On the ohter hand (ahem), my hands don't get cold.”

“No, like fly fishing or kayaking or tightrope walking (dork).”

“I've seen a lot of folks grip their ax's to hard. That can cause much of what you experienced too.

I do know what ya mean about getting older....I still do most of what I did when I was younger, I just do it a LOT slower.”

“Grems - I have seen you outside in the cold alot without wearing gloves. You said above that you were even belaying without gloves. I guess my question is, what was the pain, swelling, and inflammation from? Mt. Steve brings up a good point about improper grip, do you think you were working your hands too hard, handling equipment bare-handed in the cold without appropriate protection? Or do you think this is an arthritic condition? Or something else?”

“If it's cramping, Endurolytes may be what you need. They work for me.”

“Nope, it's not cramping or holding the tools too tight. Too tight gives you cold hands.

Bobo, I'll show you my fingers when we get to-gether. They're pretty ugly and breaking them all, some several times, over thirty years of rugby doesn't help.”

“bummer -

like the T-shirt says, "aging is not for sissies."”

“I for one am going to miss being able to refer to you as the prime example to people down here in FL who think we're all crazy in the cold. "No," I tell 'em, "I know this Canadian who's much older than you, and he climbs big ice falls." It never dulls the look I often get - "like, uh, why the hell'd you wan' do somethin' like climb an ice wall?" - but knowing that you've been out there all this time has been an inspiration to me, anyways. You know better than anyone, yet maybe you could take a break. . . 'n' maybe see a sports specialist. . . . but if not, you'll be able to find other things to interest you.”

“I for one am going to miss being able to refer to you as the prime example to people down here in FL who think we're all crazy in the cold. "No," I tell 'em, "I know this Canadian who's much older than you, and he climbs big ice falls." It never dulls the look I often get - "like, uh, why the hell'd you wan' do somethin' like climb an ice wall?" - but knowing that you've been out there all this time has been an inspiration to me, anyways. You know better than anyone, yet maybe you could take a break. . . 'n' maybe see a sports specialist. . . . but if not, you'll be able to find other things to interest you.”

“You can say that again. ;-)”

“Juan Mo'”

“It's not the end of the world. I still have Nordic ski-ing right at my door, backcountry and Nordic ski-ing in the Dacks, winter camping/mountaineering, etc.

I was looking forward to the frozen waterfalls, however.”

“You can take the Scotsman away from the ice wall, but you can't take the ice wall away from the Scotsman!
last edited: 2/27/07 12:18:20 PM”

“Here's tae us,
Wha's like us,
Damn few,
And they're a' deed.”

“I thought Scotsmen wore kilts, not jeans.”

“Aye to da Cap'n and aye to da Gremlin!!
last edited: 2/27/07 1:48:26 PM”

“Those of us that be bringin' up the rear are mightily t'ankful for the wearin' of the jeans.”

“Aye, they're a deed!

Slainte va!

bobo grabs for a wee dram of Dalmore (no time for a shotglass).”

“GremiPOO are you a Canuk?”

“Hey Grem ,the ice "comes in" different every year.Dont sell your tools just yet.”

“Fridge, you didn't know, eh?

Bee, the ice last Sunday was perfect. Solid but a little soft under a bright sun with temps round freezing (sigh).”

“Aye, hang on to your tools!”

“I can testify that Gremmypoo always has warm hands...I think he keeps 'em down his pants. :p”

““Aye, hang on to your tools!”

Like I said...............”

“Mmmmmmm, there aint to many of those days left this winter.The ice formed a little thin and rotten this year in Conn so im headed to poko moonshine for some possitive thinking or so i think”

“Give it hell!!”