Rock Climbing at Katie Patterson’s Birthday Party
NOTE: Images with an icon next to them have been artificially shrunk to better fit your screen; click the icon to restore them, in place, to their regular size.
Going Up -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 800 — full exif
Going Up

Anthony again attended the birthday part of a family friend, Katie Patterson. Last year was bowling. This year was rock climbing.

Katie was turning six, and not intimidated by The Wall at all...

Birthday Girl Katie goes past vertical -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — full exif
Birthday Girl
Katie goes past vertical

Anthony, on the other hand, was not so unintimidated, and it took a while for him to want to try it.

Getting Harnessed Up ( I had good focus on similar shots, but I liked the hands in this one, even if out of focus ) -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 4500 — full exif
Getting Harnessed Up
( I had good focus on similar shots, but I liked the hands in this one, even if out of focus )
Locking the Carabiner -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3200 — full exif
Locking the Carabiner
First Steps -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 3600 — full exif
First Steps

He quickly decided he didn't like it, and descended.

Most of the other kids were eager to climb...

Quintessential Spiderman Shot Griffin tackles the far route -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1100 — full exif
Quintessential Spiderman Shot
Griffin tackles the far route

Anthony eventually decided to try again...

Past the Difficult Part and heading to the top -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2200 — full exif
Past the Difficult Part
and heading to the top
Made It -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 2800 — full exif
Made It
Coming Down -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1800 — full exif
Coming Down
Enjoying the Ride with Pride -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/1.4, ISO 1000 — full exif
Enjoying the Ride with Pride

In a previous life I used to do a lot of rock climbing, but I gave it up when I got married because my wedding ring would cut painfully into my finger, and I wouldn't take off the ring. (I've never had it off, and don't intend to.)

Now I'm older, fatter, weaker, and less skilled, so I have no idea why I thought to give it a try.

Locking the Carabiner these photos by Ray Patterson -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Ray Patterson, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — full exif
Locking the Carabiner
these photos by Ray Patterson
Mild Reverse Incline meant it was a bit harder than a ladder -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Ray Patterson, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1250 — full exif
Mild Reverse Incline
meant it was a bit harder than a ladder
Arms of Jelly -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Ray Patterson, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — full exif
Arms of Jelly

My arms quickly turned to jelly. This climb was little more than a bumpy ladder, and back in the day I would have never even bothered with it, but it was quite beyond my abilities now, so I cheated without remorse, figuring not many would even realize that I was cheating. 🙂

“Borrowing” a Foothold from a different route -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Ray Patterson, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1600 — full exif
“Borrowing” a Foothold
from a different route

Anthony was happy that I had tried, and I was happy that I didn't kill myself in front of an audience.

Best Part coming down -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Ray Patterson, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Nikkor 85mm f/1.4 — 1/160 sec, f/2.5, ISO 1800 — full exif
Best Part
coming down

There was ample time for climbing (all the kinds and a few of the parents), and then it was time for copious amounts of cake...

Blowing Out Her Candle Katie Patterson turns 6 -- Cuyahoga Falls YMCA -- Cuyahoga Falls, OH, USA -- Copyright 2010 Jeffrey Friedl, http://regex.info/blog/
Nikon D700 + Voigtländer 125mm f/2.5 — 1/250 sec, f/2.5, ISO 720 — full exif
Blowing Out Her Candle
Katie Patterson turns 6

All 8 comments so far, oldest first...

Wow, you guys sure know how to have fun.

— comment by Earnest Barr on August 23rd, 2010 at 3:31pm JST (13 years, 7 months ago) comment permalink

“I was happy that I didn’t kill myself in front of an audience.”

More importantly, you didn’t kill yourself in front of an audience with CAMERAS. I wonder how many Youtube views THAT would have brought.

— comment by Marcina, USA on August 23rd, 2010 at 9:50pm JST (13 years, 7 months ago) comment permalink

Wow, you guys were able to climb with your own (comfortable) shoes. Kudos to Anthony.

I tried rock (wall) climbing once in Kyoto and they rented me a (hard to wear) climbing shoes, which was intentionally made a bit smaller than your foot. For me to keep wearing the shoes was shoes was far more difficult than actually climbing.

— comment by britto on August 25th, 2010 at 11:33am JST (13 years, 7 months ago) comment permalink

I can’t believe the ring was the real reason why you gave up rock climbing. The marriage being the reason or the ring being an excuse, those I would understand.

Since I don’t know you I assume you don’t know me enough to do anything other than take my word for it, and I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t. I tried Band-Aids and rubber-bands and the like on the ring finger, but it just dug in too much and was painful. Like I said, I don’t intend to ever take the wedding ring off, so I didn’t have much choice about climbing. If I had been stronger (a lot stronger) I would have been doing routes that never involved that much hand, but I was never that good, so I did routes with fairly big handholds. I think at my best a 5.8 was a real challenge. —Jeffrey

— comment by b_jonas on August 29th, 2010 at 8:33pm JST (13 years, 7 months ago) comment permalink

It’s just that I know many men who wear some jewelery (necklaces with a cross or earrings) almost all the time but remove it for sports (like swimming). I can’t see why one would decide never to remove the ring, as you certainly knew it would interfere climbing. It would be less strange to me the other way, if someone does not do any such activity the time he is wed and decides never to remove the ring and later does not try rock climbing because of that decision.

Maybe I’m just influenced by how I feel uncomfortable with anything on my wrist though. I hate when I have to wear a wristband for some occasion. Sadly, this includes the swimming pool I go to now, they require us to wear the paper wristband they give to enter. I don’t like wristwatches either: when I used to wear them I often removed them (or temporarily put them on my other wrist) because my skin just felt inconvenient and sweaty under them. About a year ago, when I broke the strap of my watch, I decided not to buy a new one but instead finally start to not wear one. If I want to tell the time, I instead use my mobile phone, which I usually wear on my belt but sometimes in a pocket. (I still use the watch when holding practical classes in the university, but I put it on the desk instead of on my wrist.) I never worn anything continuously for days around my neck, but I think I would find it inconvenient too. This (the wrist too) is more psychological than physical, it’s not like the watch had any actual harm on my skin. (I do tolerate putting the strap of some device like a camera or a lucky medal around my neck or wrist for a shorter time.) I never worn a ring because I had no reason to (I’m not married), but I’m quite sure I would hate to wear one continuously. I’ve no idea how I’d handle a wedding ring. The same is true about an earring, but luckily, unlike a ring, there’s no reason why I’d need to wear one any time in the future anyway. I’m a 25 year old human male living in Hungary.

To me a wedding band is a symbol of one’s fidelity in marriage, and I never want to take mine off. Period. I don’t really care what you think of it, and can’t imagine why you’re attacking me about it (or telling me about your sweaty skin, for that matter). —Jeffrey

— comment by b_jonas on August 29th, 2010 at 9:52pm JST (13 years, 7 months ago) comment permalink

Aww! The wedding ring thing melted my heart! it’s so sweet! My husband took off his wedding ring after 5-6 days from our wedding. And has never wear it again. Not that he doesn’t love me, but I would love to hear that from him.

Now, you will get a lot of female fans with the wedding ring comment!

Griselda . Arlington, TX

— comment by Griselda on September 1st, 2010 at 2:59am JST (13 years, 7 months ago) comment permalink

My wife and I enjoy rock climbing together and we both accept the fact that the rings are a liability to our safety and therefore choose to remove them during climbing sessions. Since we don’t ever want to be without our rings though we went to walmart and picked up a cheap 2-pack of small caribiners to clip our rings onto our harnesses.

In your case I totally understand the decision to leave your ring on. For us being rock addicts there was no way we were going to give it up due to our rings so we made compromises – which is what marriage is all about anyways.

— comment by Clint Walker on March 23rd, 2012 at 6:35am JST (12 years ago) comment permalink

Hey I’m Katie’s friend I’m with her right now and we are laughing to death.

— comment by Emma on February 27th, 2018 at 1:04am JST (6 years, 1 month ago) comment permalink
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