A day in York: Roaming around town and discovering a special church with box pews

Without a doubt, I have seen so many churches, perhaps in the hundreds already in my lifetime, maybe more, that somehow I have come to the breaking point of enough is enough (I now can relate to the Dutchman). I have made a pact with myself that I will only check out a church if it is special or it has something unique to offer. Now this church, the Holy Trinity Church Goodramgate, I came across while I was roaming the pretty streets of York. I thought she was one of a kind.

This is Stonegate, a busy shopping lane.

I was just done walking the York ruin walls and I am now heading back to the centre. I still have time to wander off a bit before I take a quick lunch break. Not really hungry yet but I was looking forward later in the afternoon to some traditional English scones with clotted cream and jam, and of course tea. While walking on the street I saw an out of sight wrought-iron gate with a signboard in front that says:

‘A rare seventeenth-century survival, box pews like these were once common in Anglican churches. Each family would sit together, renting a pew annually.

The high sides of the pews limited drafts in unheated churches and provided privacy, but also forced the occupants to focus on the content of the sermon.

The widespread removal of the box pews during the nineteenth-century makes them an unusual sight today. Holy Trinity Goodramgate is now the only church in York with box pews.’

Hmm, this is interesting. I need to see these box pews. What do they look like? Curious, I entered the garden and walked into the church and look what I found:

I do not think I have been to a church with box pews. These are indeed a rare find. It is very special to see them being preserved for the sake of history and posterity. I made sure to give a donation before leaving the small church.

Here are some random fotos of York I shot while roaming around:

Fotos above were taken on Goodramgate, Micklegate, Stonegate, Colliergate and Barley Hall.

Next: Not hungry yet so what's for lunch?

Wild green apples and cultured red apples

While at Marienwaerdt I wanted to show MadamE the place. I was planning on taking a walk to the klooster (monastery) and the river banks however we did not have enough time on our hands. So instead we went by car.

We actually drove outside of the property. We drove on a narrow winding dike that protects the property from the rising rivers. The dike road was lined up with wild green apples. Being city girls, we were so amazed at the rows and rows of green apple bearing trees.

Further ahead as we reached the nearby village we saw fences of cultured red apples clinging to a stake. Apples seems to be a popular fruit in Geldermalsen area.

Next time when we or I have time I will go to a fruit farm and help pluck the fruits.

Visit Period: September

Swimming With The Manatees

Before Aric even came to stay for the week with us, we planned a trip to swim with the manatees with him. Nathan and I went last year and enjoyed the experience so much, we highly recommended it to Aric. This trip was with a much bigger group. We had less encounters with manatees and the water was cloudy, making it impossible to see the manatees. I decided to stay on the boat and take pictures and let the guys hang out with the manatees. It was still a great day even with those factors.



According to the information they gave us, this is the only place you can swim alongside the West Indian Manatee. In the winter, they estimate up to 700 manatees are in this area. During this time of the year that drops to 70. They are not sure why some migrate north and some stay put here in Florida. We encountered a mama and her baby. You are not allowed to touch babies until they reach a certain age/size but it is still neat to see them like we did last year. It is amazing how gentle the manatees are for their size. They are not intimidating at all to hang out with, beyond I would not want to be trapped underneath one!



I hope we can make this trip with all of our kids at some point. It is one of the neatest animal encounters that we've ever experienced!

Flying High with the 214th

Over the past couple of days, Climbing Rangers had the opportunity to train with the US Army 214th reserve aviation brigade and their CH-47 Chinook helicopter. The 214th and the Rainier climbing rangers have been working closely together for many years and they provide us with an exceptional tool for Search and Rescue missions and we are very proud to have the opportunity to fly with them.




Throughout the climbing season rangers and the Chinook crew train together so when things get "real" everyone is up to speed with what to do. The 214th's Chinook is specially equipped for working on Rainier, with skis that make soft snow landings possible, special flooring which allows rangers to wear crampons inside the helicopter, and special rigging inside that allow rangers and rescue litters to be lowered and raised safely on the cable hoist.






Training with these guys also allows us the chance to do some great early season recon of the climbing routes on Rainier. Yesterday we got that opportunity, so check out the Route Updates page...all the major routes have been updated with aerial photos and conditions all around the mountain are looking great! Access to the more remote routes is difficult at this time, since many of the roads into the park are still being plowed out from the winters snow. The road crew has been working very hard lately and most park roads should be opening soon. If you are feeling adventurous there is nothing stopping anyone from getting to and climbing any route at this time, just plan on an extra day or two for the approach. Spring on Rainier can be some of the best climbing and skiing along with a very real wilderness experience.



See you on the Mountain.

Happy Trails! Tips for Long Rides

Though not all will agree with this, I believe that in order to honestly say that you areableto cyclea given distance, it has to mean that you are able to do itsuccessfully. In other words, if you managed to complete a long ride, but could not walk the next day as a result, that does not count as "success"!

I consider my first half-century (50 mile) ride to have happened this summer - despite having once cycled that distance in Austria some time ago. That earlier trip was a disaster, and I wish somebody had warned me against it. Emboldened by having gone on a handful of short rides, one day I just kept going and going - and didn't stop despite feeling discomfort and pain. Riding a rental bike with a plush vinyl saddle and sub-optimal geometry, I pushed myself well past my limits, ignoring my body's warning signs. And after the ride was over, I could not cycle for over two weeks.

That incident served as a painful lesson: Being able to handle long rides was not about exceeding my abilities. It was about staying within my abilities - while working to gradually expand them. When I finally did my first "real" 50 mile ride this summer, I was ready for it and it felt fantastic. Only then did I feel that I could truly say "Now I can cycle a half century".

Having received emails asking for advice on taking long rides, I offer some tips based on personal experience. Think of these as food for thought!



1. Build up to it. Even if you think you can do it, don't start with a long ride. Start with short rides and gradually increase the distance. Ideally, a ride should still leave you able to cycle the next day.

2. Make sure your bicycle is comfortable. The only way to do this is to get to know your bicycle, which, once again, can only happen over time and over gradually increased distances. The way a bicycle feels on short rides is not an indicator of how it will feel on a long ride. It also takes time to break in a saddle and to "dial in" your optimal sitting position on a new bicycle.

3.Make informed and practical clothing choices.The very same pants that feel great on a 10 mile ride, can make your crotch bleed by mile 50 - as the seams begin to chafe against the delicate skin in that part of the body. By increasing distance gradually, you will be able to spot problematic tendencies before they turn into actual problems and cause damage.

4. Consider terrain. A hilly ride is far more difficult than the same distance covered on flat terrain. You may be perfectly capable of completing a 50 mile ride in Kansas, yet find it impossible in Vermont.

5. Shift gears. The longer and hillier the ride, the more you should be switching gears. Make it a point to switch to a lower gear when going uphill, even if it feels like you do not "need" to. Otherwise, you will waste your energy on tackling hills and will not have enough left to endure the ride. As a rule of thumb, it is good to aim for pedaling at the same rate throughout your ride. If you find your legs moving slower, because it is difficult to turn the pedals, that is a sign that you need to switch to a lower gear.

6. Expect to make adjustments to your bike, and possibly replacements. If something does not work for you, admit it and do something about it. This may include replacing components such as your saddle, handlebars, grips, gear shifters, etc. - or even your bicycle itself. Sometimes we read great reviews of things, and yet these things turn out not to be right for us. Get something that works foryou.

7. Eat and drink. Cycling can suppress your appetite and trick you into thinking that you are not hungry... until you crash and find yourself completely unable to continue. This weird phenomenon can really sneak up on you. If you are going on a long ride, make it a point to snack when you take water breaks. Some people like energy bars and energy drinks, while others believe them to be unhealthy. I prefer trail mix or chocolate to energy bars. And adding some lemon juice and (a pinch of) salt to your water bottle makes for an effective, all-natural electrolyte replacement drink.

8. Most importantly, listen to your body and go at your own pace. Have realistic expectations and be patient. So you envisioned yourself crossing the Alps this summer, yet you can't manage more than 20 miles on your local rail-trail? So what! Enjoy those 20 miles and keep doing them over and over. One day you will surprise yourself.

Autumn is the best season of the year for cycling. Happy trails!

Full Moon Photos

Here are some photos we took of the last full moon that I never got posted. The clouds over the moon caused an S shape at one point. But it you can't hold still good enough you can get really strange things in the sky. Don't look for me to post any photos of the solar eclipse as we don't have the proper camera equipment to protect the camera and our eyes.

Nomics? 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation?

Ally Swinton on a 15 hr ascent of the Colton- MacIntyre, GJ, 9-. photo courtesy of Dave Searle





The 1st gen Nomic and Cold Thistle hammers. Dbl click to get the full effect of Daves' photo.







Below Colin Haley photo of Bjørn-Eivind Årtun on their new route, Dracula, Mt Foraker, June .



"The old Nomic and a pair of C-T hammers"























Up front...the old Nomic is every bit the equal for climbing difficult ground as the new Nomic.







No need to panic. (and thatremains true)



Info on th current thiord generation Nomic is at the bottom of this article..which was firstpublished last fall .



Major change on the new Nomic? It is the new pommel that has a serrated stainless blade. It will add some stability on hard ice and can be used to give the pommel some stability as a cane on easy terrain. Better yet just use the top of the Astro or Dry pick while reversing the tool in that same easy terrain. Not suggested by Petzl but the new pommel can be retro fitted to the old Nomic. Just bolt it on...no issues what so ever.



Biggest over all improvement? New pommel fits bigger hands and thicker gloves much, much better. But it can be bolted right on no fuss, no muss to the older tools if that is something you want to try. The new Pommel offers a tiny bit more support and more coverage and hand protection on the upward curve towards the ice. Maybe the most important improvement is a metal to metal interface where they mate up on the end of the shaft. BUT...the metal to metal female/male fittings have some slop in the mating surfaces so they move backwards and forwards a bit even when cranked down tight . That is not an improvement. You won't get every advantage of the size improvements for big hands using the new pommel on the old tools but a good bit of it. Worth buying that piece of kit and trying it on your old tools. It is an option now.



I don't like the serrated blade in some places on hard technical climbing...it gets in the way during extreme rotation. I put the old pommel on my new Ergos because of it. But I do like having the option.



Hammer and adze? Yes you can add either the hammer or the adze designed for the new Quark to the Nomic. A small bit of round file or Dremel work to the tool head will allow you to fit the new Petzl hammer to the old style Nomic head. (see the detail photos below) But why would you? Needing a hammer is one thing, using the one Petzl made for the Quark is another. There is a better answer that is about to get even better shortly. That would be the Cold Thistle, 4mm, Nomic hammer. If it was not a LOT better than Petzl's offering I wouldn't bother making it. C-T hammers will also be much, much easier to change in the field using the newest Petzl picks or older style picks we cut for you. And the C-T hammer will fit the old and the new Nomic head with NO changes. Having it difficult to fit the hammer or change picks with the required spacer is a down side to the newest Petzl pick/hammer design. The new pick and spacer is truly a bitch to change in the field if the pair of Nomics I have here is any example.



C-T hammer info and pricing can be found in this link:



http://coldthistletools.blogspot.com//08/ice-climbing-gear.html



The new umbilical attachment? Good move on Petzl's part but if you want it to hold more than TOOL weight on your umbilicals you need to do a small mod on the newest Nomic's pommel. There isn't enough clearance between plastic and aluminum to get even 3mm cord through which you'll need to opened up for 4mm + cord. The hole Petzl drilled in my samples are 5.9mm. But these samples had some threads showing internally which will need to be taken out if you want to use 4 or 5mm cord there. The edges of the hole are well chambered on these but I would check that as well and do it if there is a sharp edge on either side of the shaft. Easy enough to drill out and chamfer the hole. I like 5mm cord there because you always know what the knot will do and it is easy to inspect cord for wear. Again easy to modify the older Nomic and now even easy enough to modify the new Nomic as well.



After cutting up the pommels on my first new set of Nomics I might modify these a bit different the next time around and cut up the grip a bit instead of going under the pommel. Looks like to me that you could now easily run a cord from the full strength hole in the handle and go behind the new smaller pommel. Done right it might be a better answer. I'm undecided at the moment. But the new tools are easy to cut with a Dremel or a round file where I used a vertical milling machine on the original Nomic's pommel. The best answer on the new tools is still a work in progress. What ever the answer the factory version isn't it for me.



New picks...DRY and ICE? Same materials, same heat treat, slightly different designs from the Astro and the Cascade. Still great picks...all still 3mm tips. Now rated as T picks instead of B picks. Little or no change in strength more likely just the label. Truly awesome picks, old or new!



Old picks fit new tools, new picks fit old tools. New picks require a spacer...which is a major PAIN to replace in the field. Buy the old Astro or Cascade if you need to carry spares and think you'll break or bend a pick or need to replace them on a climb. I like the original Cascade pick design on pure ice better FWIW. Either way buy the old picks because they are easier to replace and no spacer required if you aren't using a hammer.



Is it worth selling your old Nomic to get the new one? Obviously not....no way in fact. Worth making a few mods on either tool to suit your own climbing...you bet.



My old Nomic and umibilical about to pull a bulge on Curtain Call



































Here are the details:



Tool weights:



old shaft 366g (+4g)



2nd gen.shaft 362g



3rd gen shaft with 4mm steel insert 362g



pommel old 20g (-4g)



pommel 2nd gen(one tooth) 24g



pommel 3rd gen (2 teeth) 28g



old Cascade pick w/weight 188g (+8g)



new ICE pick w/weight 180g



Old Nomic is 8g heavier with the old pick design. Old Nomic is the same weight with the new "ICE" pick design. 3rd gen has gained 4g of that back with the new pommel.



8g = 1.4 oz. 4g= .7oz Few, if anyone, will ever know the difference climbing on them . Dbl click the pictures for the details where required.

















































































































The same change inthe first tooth profile on the ICE and DRY pick can been seen when you compare an older Cascade to a new ICE here.



































































Myappreciation to Daniel Harro for loaning me his new Nomics for this review :) But..... you'll need to get in line for the hammers!



The link below is worth a read as well.

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/947206/Re_New_Nomic

More on the newest version. Comparison photos are 1st gen and 3rd gen here. Bigger umbilical hole is easily seen. Teeth are now bigger and more square on the cut than the 2nd gen version.





The flip side of 1st gen and 3rd gen tools shown belowwith the pressed and swagedsteel insert clearly visable.



Below is the 2nd gen pommel on the right and the newest version 3rd gen on the left.Same thickness of tooth but biggerteeth over all and a second one added for security and durability.

They look good to me!