This past weekend I had the opportunity to join some old friends from past Paradox Sports events and make new friends while ice climbing in North Conway, NH. We spent two perfect weather days at Cathedral Ledge learning adaptive techniques for ice climbing. There were 4 sit climbers, amputees, and one blind person all striving for the top of the ice and sharing experiences as a community of climbers.
I was discussing with Bonnie Denis, an amputee climber, what we most liked about these events. We came to the conclusion that the climbing is almost secondary to building a bigger community of like-minded friends and sharing our experiences with each other. I have to say that is probably what I enjoy most other than the challenge of climbing, is the comradery that exists with other climbers. I think it is the, we get it factor. We understand why we love to do what we do and what drives us to achieve more in the sport of climbing.
The first day I spent a lot of time just catching up with my friends and talking to the new climbers while I waited for my turn to climb. When my turn came I decided to try what is called the JAG system. This system consists of a 4:1 pulley system with a carabiner on one end attached to my harness and a fifi hook at the other end to attach to the ice axes. I found it worked quite well on vertical ice as long as it was relatively flat but not so much on low angle ice where it tended to pull the ax out of the ice. So I ended up just brute forcing it and using just the axes and my arms to pull me up the ice with some help from my belayer. The next day I tried the JAG again and found the same issues but when I got stuck in a situation where I wasn’t gaining height while pulling myself up I went back to the JAG and by using that was able to pull myself up to the axes and gain height. So I think it will be good for getting people out of situations like that but maybe with practice, it will be a good all-around climbing system.
Using the JAG system 
brute forcing it 1:1 with axes
Like I said the weather was beautiful but a bit warm to be climbing ice so I and the other sit climbers were pretty wet after a day of climbing.
I also was able to present my story of growing up with spina bifida and all the people that believed in me and pushed me to try things throughout my life leading me up to this point. Craig Muderlak who went to Yosemite with me made a movie about the whole experience from training at Sean O’ Neill’s house to my time climbing in Yosemite. It was amazing the outpouring of support everyone at the event gave after seeing our presentation and big things are in the works with fundraising and friends from far and near stepping up to help out. Like I always say climbing is a community and if you are a climber they always have your back. So stay tuned to see where this all goes and I will update as things get more close to being wrapped up with that part.
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