[tommytwotone]

To be honest I was fine with just one - in fact I still kept ticking over at 7a / 7a+, including closing my account on Demon Wall Roof after a 6 year siege, when eldest was about 10 months.

I meant more the immediate first ~3 months...and then if you're brave / stupid enough to decide to have a second one!

This has been done to death but understanding / also climber other half a massive help, as is home board / facility and proximity to crag / projects. Also if you baby decides to sleep / sleep through early in the game it'll make an immeasurable difference.

First one was not a sleeper in general (up average 3 times a night), didn't sleep through till about 18 months, second one was a better sleeper when he was down, and slept through earlier, but would be up and ready to start the day at 4:30am / 5am every day.

[Wood FT]

 

Went on Jack the Nipper and made some moves progress just to see what it was like, seems cool.

I don’t know how tall you are but Shark gave me some beta which really brings it down the difficulty spectrum for vertically challenged climbers. Let me know if you want it, though I will want proof, lank merchants can lank on. I had to climb with Shark for a day!

[moose]

I'd be interested in that beta, though I'm hardly vertically challenged, as it's a problem on my wish-list and I'm open to any advice.  No problem for me to get to the "sugar cube" LH crimp but the next move is nasty (long legs seemed a hindrance - can't get them above the bulge).  Mind you, I think lack or excess of lank isn't a massive factor with this problem - my issue is probably more a lack of confidence, in the absence of lots of mats and spotters - big move, up high, on damp / dirty looking rock.

[Wellsy]

Went on Jack the Nipper and made some moves progress just to see what it was like, seems cool.

I don’t know how tall you are but Shark gave me some beta which really brings it down the difficulty spectrum for vertically challenged climbers. Let me know if you want it, though I will want proof, lank merchants can lank on. I had to climb with Shark for a day!

Sure that'd be good. Im 5 11 with a +0 ape or thereabouts.

I only gave it a few medium effort goes but I'd like to try it again.

[Bradders]

Personal best with 0 kids: 5+
Personal best with 1 kid: 7A
Personal best with 2 kids: 7C+

Hoping a third child can get an 8 over the line!

This is the kind of shit I need to see

Just off the top of my head I can think of 8 people I know (male and female) who've climbed harder post children, including several members of this forum, and at very respectable levels as well.

[SA Chris]

you clutch that straw bradders!

Seriously, good luck, exciting times, go with the flow and enjoy it.

[JohnM]

Missed a week so will add that one here:

23rd July - 29th July 2021

M - MTBing 25km 570m

T - Think I did some finger boarding.

W - Indoor climbing. Did my first ever mid-level comp style coordination and compression boulder, which actually felt amazing! Took way to many goes though. Routes - tried hard on a load of stuff up to 7c+.

T - Nowt

F - Travelling back to the UK

S  - Drank and ate too much.

S - Hungover run from Haweswater up High Street (legs felt terrible) 20km 900m. Climbing at Chapel Head on the way back. Put the draws up Prime Evil (7c+) which felt vaguely familiar but wasn't sure if I had done it before (it turns out I had done a right hand start that gets 8a) and did it second go. Nice route and good to be back at Chapel Head which is a lovely spot.

30th July - 5th Sept 2021

M - Davo's wedding. Good do but ended up in a round system with a thirsty Andy F and drank way too much!

T - Drove to North Wales. Nice run around the Snowdon Horseshoe despite Snowdon being a circus these days with loads of punters and all their litter everywhere. 16km 1196m.

W - Drove to the Brecon Beacons. Nice run around most of the tops there. 31km 1180m.

T - Climbing at Fox's Hole on Gower. Cool little cave venue in a nice non-tidal spot. Wanted to do Palace of Swords Reversed (8a). Felt good bolt to bolt but the only secure way I found of doing the crux was with the pocket which quickly sliced my finger. Sacked it off and did the classic Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove (7b) twice (once on top rope as it would be such a pain to clean), a 7a+ and a classic 7a. 

F - Climbing at The Gap a sandstone venue near Merthyr Tydfil. Put the draws up Mad at the Sun (7c). This has a minging start on sharp crimps but then the climbing is quite nice. Unfortunately, at the chain above the top roof the right hand edge I had hold off exploded off and I fired into the air backwards. The rope also caught behind my leg and flipped me upside down. I was in the air long enough to think about how the outcome was not going to be pleasant. I smashed into the wall below with the top of my back and elbow and the back of head hit the wall quickly afterwards. I thought I had got away with it but back on the ground my head was quickly becoming soaked in blood which was worrying. My girlfriend bandaged me up and had her first experience driving on the left in the UK as she ferried me to A&E! Waiting in A&E was a real eye opener. It was packed in there even at midday on a Friday. Most people's first problem seemed to be they were clinically obese and had somehow fallen. No wonder the NHS struggles to cope sometimes. After a long wait surrounded by people coughing their guts up I got to see the nurse and luckily found out that I didn't need stitches and had more of a chuck of skin missing and a puncture wound in the head and a big golf ball sized hematoma on my elbow. I declined the offer of seeing the doctor due to the four and half hour wait. I think I might get one of those lightweight helmets now and wear it even for sport climbing as the outcome could have been much worse.

S - All day wedding in Bristol with way too much cider.

S - Drove back up north.

Too much booze and food in the last couple of weeks but also some nice activities and good to do a mini tour of Wales. Will try and get back on it this week and get back into shape to take advantage of the autumn. It feels like I have some kind of whiplash from my fall though so I will wait a couple of days for things to settle down.   

[Wellsy]

Crikey, glad the head injury wasn't too bad

[cheque]

 

[Bradders]

get back on it this week and get back into shape to take advantage of the autumn

Consistently inspired by your "need to get back on it" week being a pretty big week for basically everyone else!

Glad the head is okay.

you clutch that straw bradders!

Seriously, good luck, exciting times, go with the flow and enjoy it.

Thanks. That's it isn't it, my point is that it's nice to get some positivity about the whole thing, instead of the seemingly never ending prophesies of doom I generally seem to get. It's hard to be excited about it all when there's so much cynicism around from people who seem determined to bring you down to their level of apparent misery / dissatisfaction. Sorry if that's a bit harsh but that's how it comes across.

[spidermonkey09]

F -  puncture wound in the head and a big golf ball sized hematoma on my elbow.

S -  way too much cider.

Were you hungover or concussed?! Glad you're ok.

[Wellsy]

get back on it this week and get back into shape to take advantage of the autumn

Consistently inspired by your "need to get back on it" week being a pretty big week for basically everyone else!

Glad the head is okay.

you clutch that straw bradders!

Seriously, good luck, exciting times, go with the flow and enjoy it.

Thanks. That's it isn't it, my point is that it's nice to get some positivity about the whole thing, instead of the seemingly never ending prophesies of doom I generally seem to get. It's hard to be excited about it all when there's so much cynicism around from people who seem determined to bring you down to their level of apparent misery / dissatisfaction. Sorry if that's a bit harsh but that's how it comes across.

It's always good to see some proper psyche

[tommytwotone]

Thanks. That's it isn't it, my point is that it's nice to get some positivity about the whole thing, instead of the seemingly never ending prophesies of doom I generally seem to get. It's hard to be excited about it all when there's so much cynicism around from people who seem determined to bring you down to their level of apparent misery / dissatisfaction. Sorry if that's a bit harsh but that's how it comes across.

 

[SA Chris]

get back on it this week and get back into shape to take advantage of the autumn

Consistently inspired by your "need to get back on it" week being a pretty big week for basically everyone else!

Glad the head is okay.

you clutch that straw bradders!

Seriously, good luck, exciting times, go with the flow and enjoy it.

Thanks. That's it isn't it, my point is that it's nice to get some positivity about the whole thing, instead of the seemingly never ending prophesies of doom I generally seem to get. It's hard to be excited about it all when there's so much cynicism around from people who seem determined to bring you down to their level of apparent misery / dissatisfaction. Sorry if that's a bit harsh but that's how it comes across.

It's all down to 3 unknown variables. 1) How child is 2) how you deal with changes 3) how wife deals with changes.

Be excited, enjoy the new, and embrace the changes. One thing it won't be is the same as it was.

[Bonjoy]

Personal best with 0 kids: 5+
Personal best with 1 kid: 7A
Personal best with 2 kids: 7C+

Hoping a third child can get an 8 over the line!

This is the kind of shit I need to see

Just off the top of my head I can think of 8 people I know (male and female) who've climbed harder post children, including several members of this forum, and at very respectable levels as well.

I've seen that a lot too. I think it's got a lot to do with people trying to do more with less (time). Which translates as achieving bigger numbers by trying harder on fewer things. Not necessarily compatible with the adage that "the best climber is the one having the most fun", but it's a useful second best.

[Doylo]

Personal best with 0 kids: 5+
Personal best with 1 kid: 7A
Personal best with 2 kids: 7C+

Hoping a third child can get an 8 over the line!

This is the kind of shit I need to see

Just off the top of my head I can think of 8 people I know (male and female) who've climbed harder post children, including several members of this forum, and at very respectable levels as well.

I had 3 years of hell but still got loads stronger (shame about the injuries). Having a board at home was the key.

[Will Hunt]

Good job that Bradders has two boards!

[Andy F]

M - Davo's wedding. Good do but ended up in a round system with a thirsty Andy F and drank way too much!

Thirsty? I was taking it easy 😂

Hope your head and elbow recover quickly.

[Fiend]

There's never been any mystery about people with tendencies to focus on logistically simple, physically intense redpoint/bloc projects supported by logistically simple, physically intense training doing quite well when the limits/horrors of childcare naturally force them further into.....logistically simple, physically intense projecting / training.

I suspect the number of new-ish parents who start doing noticeably better with epic multi-pitch on high mountain crags and remote sea-cliffs, or increase their weekends away exploring a wide array of distant new locations is significantly smaller (unless you're as pathologically ruthless as Heike and Brian whom Chris may or may not know).

[Murph]

Yes to all that, same thing happened to me.
0 kids: 1 solitary 7A, other than that 6B
1 kid: 7B
2 kids: 7C+

Procrastination is the thief of gains.

[Wellsy]

There's never been any mystery about people with tendencies to focus on logistically simple, physically intense redpoint/bloc projects supported by logistically simple, physically intense training doing quite well when the limits/horrors of childcare naturally force them further into.....logistically simple, physically intense projecting / training.

I suspect the number of new-ish parents who start doing noticeably better with epic multi-pitch on high mountain crags and remote sea-cliffs, or increase their weekends away exploring a wide array of distant new locations is significantly smaller (unless you're as pathologically ruthless as Heike and Brian whom Chris may or may not know).

There's probably also an element of just time spent doing The Thing. Like if you boulder for 5 years, have a kid, then two years later have another kid, then three years later have another kid... now you've been bouldering for 10 years and almost certainly way better.

That is if having kids didn't result in you prioritising things other than bouldering in your life. But I feel like if you're on UKB then you probably are going to definitely get the home board and so on.

[User deactivated.]

There's never been any mystery about people with tendencies to focus on logistically simple, physically intense redpoint/bloc projects supported by logistically simple, physically intense training doing quite well when the limits/horrors of childcare naturally force them further into.....logistically simple, physically intense projecting / training.

I suspect the number of new-ish parents who start doing noticeably better with epic multi-pitch on high mountain crags and remote sea-cliffs, or increase their weekends away exploring a wide array of distant new locations is significantly smaller (unless you're as pathologically ruthless as Heike and Brian whom Chris may or may not know).

I dunno, it depends on your definition of 'better', but if better means bigger grades then I think I would have improved at mountain multi-pitching too if that was my bag. Why would it be any different from bouldering or sport climbing? It's slightly less accessible (e.g. 2.5 hours to the lakes rather than 45 min to bouldering) unless you live in the mountains, but this just means you do it a bit less frequently, not quitting altogether. If your definition of better means longer trips and at a higher frequency, then of course this will reduce post kids, but the same is true for a boulderer.

If you're hinting at a tendency to reduce risk post kids then I don't really buy into this. Most people don't want to die or cripple themselves with or without kids. Personally, my tolerance for financial risk has reduced, but I still enjoy highballs, motorbikes and doing 50 foot jumps on mountain bikes!

[SA Chris]

I suspect the number of new-ish parents who start doing noticeably better with epic multi-pitch on high mountain crags and remote sea-cliffs, or increase their weekends away exploring a wide array of distant new locations is significantly smaller (unless you're as pathologically ruthless as Heike and Brian whom Chris may or may not know).

Don't think I know them? My bouldering grade may have risen since having kids, but as you say the amount of mountain trad routes, seacliff routes and winter climbing has gone through the floor. 

[Fiend]

I dunno, it depends on your definition of 'better', but if better means bigger grades then I think I would have improved at mountain multi-pitching too if that was my bag. Why would it be any different from bouldering or sport climbing?

I guess it depends how effective the fitted-around-childcare background training is for maintaining form, fitness, endurance, trad nouse, etc etc for those sort of routes.

I mean if you're the sort of person daft enough to start Moonboarding as some vague preparation for climbing at Gogarth or Lakes cra.....oh.....wait 

[cheque]

I think I would have improved at mountain multi-pitching too if that was my bag. Why would it be any different from bouldering or sport climbing?

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