CragMama Chronicles is a monthly column by Erica Lineberry – a climbing Mommy who is out to prove that Motherhood and climbing are anything but mutually exclusive. Her column draws from a vault of personal experience that tackles common issues and obstacles that one might encounter while craggin’ with wee ones in tow. Forget the proverbial silver spoon, her little guy was born with a silver carabiner in his mouth!
“Do you take less risks in climbing now that you’re a mom?”
If I had a dollar for every time someone asked me this question since Cragbaby entered on the scene…well let’s face it, I wouldn’t be rich, but I would definitely be able to buy more $4 frappucinos at Starbucks! The funny thing is, I never really feel like I have a good answer for this question. I feel like the “correct” answer is, “Yes, the responsibility of raising a little person has made me less risky of a climber.” But if I’m being honest, I have not changed with regards to my risk assessment. Before you start throwing stones, let me explain.
In a sport where certain mistakes can be fatal, no one can argue that rock climbing is a sport without risk. With the
Climbing is all about risk assessment. Red River Gorge. Wild Yet Tasty (5.12a). Photo credit: Manuela Eilert.
advances in modern equipment, along with proper knowledge of that equipment’s uses and limitations, a lot of those risks can be mitigated to an acceptable level. It’s not something I dwell on, but this concept of acceptable risk has been in the back of my mind ever since I started climbing, not just after C’s arrival. When my husband and I first started climbing in 2006, we discussed risks and consequences. We made a pact that if either of us was in a situation where our risk of danger felt higher than our comfort level, we would bail quickly and safely. It did not matter how many thousands of dollars of gear we left behind, or how close we were to the summit. Our safety was first priority. That hasn’t changed since Cragbaby came along.
But enough about epic scenarios – what about everyday situations? As far as the spectrum of climbers goes, some would say we were more on the conservative side to begin with. My risk assessments pre-Cragbaby as wife, daughter, and friend are still in line with where they are now as a climbing Mommy. I feel my attitude can be boiled down to one statement, and applied in different ways depending on particular situation.
BE OKAY WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF A FALL.
Take the following scenarios for example.
1. Topropes - If I or someone else that I trust has set up the anchor, I will gladly flail away on a toprope of just about any grade.
2. Sport Routes - If the route is well bolted and the fall zones are safe, I’ll go for it. Yeah, I’ve taken a few nasty falls while lead climbing, including one that landed me in the ER on our first day in Maple Canyon a couple of years ago. But it was a routine fall that I could take a million more times without incident – nothing “went wrong,” my belayer didn’t make a mistake…my knee was in the wrong place at the wrong time and bashed into a cobblestone that was jutting out from the rock. The consequences weren’t pleasant, but the experiences I had on that trip were well worth the stitches and brief weeks of physical setback.
3. Trad – I am a self-proclaimed trad pansy. I am willing to lead a full number grade higher (often times even more) on bolted routes than I am on gear routes. In new areas, I tend stick to easier grades where I can place the gear I need in a (relatively) relaxed body position. If I plan to push myself, it will be on a route I’m familiar and comfortable with the gear placements, or a crack with obvious placements from the ground.
4. Bouldering – It all boils down to the landing – if it’s well-protected with pads or spotters that I trust, I’ll go for it. If not, I don’t – simple as that.
5. Free-soloing - No matter how comfortable I feel at the grade, or how solid the rock is, there are always factors out of my control – holds can break, swarms of bees can attack (it’s happened to me on a rope, I’m assuming it could happen without one too…). Since I’m not okay with the fall consequences, it’s not for me – not pre-Cragbaby, and certainly not now!
Cragbaby enjoying Mama's helmet. Photo credit: Erica Lineberry.
What a lot of non-climbers don’t think about when they ask me the “risk question” is that this concept of risk and consequences is not only applicable to climbing. I’d be willing to bet more than a few of my aforementioned $4 frappucinos that each and every one of us makes decisions based on risk every day, whether it is consciously or subconsciously. When you’re running late do you give in to the temptation of driving too fast, risking an accident or do you stay the speed limit and risk being late? How many of us think about the risks of getting on an airplane, swimming in the ocean, or not wearing sunscreen before we do it? Most people don’t think about the risks to these everyday activities, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist!
So has my attitude about risk changed since Cragbaby entered the scene? Not really. Yes, he is one of God’s greatest gifts to me, but every member of my family is WAY more important to me than my climbing ever could be, so his arrival has merely solidified the attitude I already had on risk. There are many aspects of my life I cannot control, but what I can do is evaluate my actions and choices, make sure that I can accept all possible outcomes of those choices, (both on and off the rock) - then commit to those choices wholeheartedly, and climb on!
Erica Lineberry is the editor and creative force behind CragMama.com. Photo credit: Erica Lineberry.
Born and raised in North Carolina, Erica Lineberry has been a climber for six years, and a Mommy for not quite 2. Since Cragbaby was born, she’s traded in those long multi-pitch trad days for some pebble wrestling sessions with those crazy pad people…but if forced to choose just one type of climbing, she’d grab a set of draws and head for the nearest sport crag in a heartbeat. Erica is the mama behind Cragmama.com, a resource for parents and parents-to-be who believe that starting a family isn’t the end to adventure – its only the beginning! Find out more about Erica at Cragmama.com, or contact her directly here.
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