I went outdoor climbing for the first time this weekend. Bouldering, technically. I went with my friend and neighbor Andy to climb some of the rocks that have fallen off Mt. Mansfield in Stowe, VT in Smuggler's Notch. An hour drive, some mistaken turns (my fault for not trusting Andy for once...), and one bouldering pad later we were scrambling up some ascents we found just below the apex of the pass.
There are a lot of climbing spots to choose from, but we started at the first one we found along the road. The routes were pretty chalky when we got there, so there is clearly an established group of people who climb these rocks. The one dry face of the boulder we were working on was probably a V1. It wasn't a difficult ascent and both of us got it after about 3 tries. I couldn't nail the start, but then again we were in a rush to beat the rain that was starting. We then moved on and practice heal hooks on a rail climb. It was a route easy enough to just do pull ups on while dangling our feet, but we both wanted to practice our hooks. We also fell a few times. Our last stop for climbing was at a great rock with about 4 different routes to choose from. We had just given up on the last rock due to rain but this rock was sheltered. Still, topping out proved nearly impossible because of the damp and drizzle, I lost my grip and took an unanticipated fall, but besides that the routes were fun and a bit of a challenge. V2-V3 range. We did find a boulder outside of our ability (probably V4-5) but we still messed about on it before moving on to the last rock.
If you're in Vermont for the weekend or live here and are looking for a great place to boulder this summer (for free!), the Notch has some great spots and boulders. Just bring a pad, because the local shops that rent bikes, roller blades, and other gear don't have any bouldering pads for sale/rent. Outdoor climbing wasn't too different from gym climbing, which shouldn't surprise me as much as it did, but it was definitely more fun. Climbing is great.
PS. If any of my terminology is confusing or wrong, I'm a new climber and still don't know what most holds are called. I have my words to describe, but they may not mean the same to another climber.
Monday, May 26, 2014
Friday, May 23, 2014
The Dota 5 Stack
I have trust issues in Dota. I hate supporting a carry I don't trust, and I sometimes find support to be plain old boring. I like playing highly mobile heroes that can gank hard and fast and then get the hell out of the lane. Natures Prophet has become a favorite of mine because of his ability to hit any lane at any time and help out the team with extra damage/lockdown. I really love diving after couriers. Anyway, back to the topic.
It's been a while since I've played with a five stack. I usually solo que or play with my best friend JT or a guy I know named Reed. Yesterday that changed. We got 5 people in the mumble server we invade and played a few games. JT has decided his niche is hard support and a gent named Gork liked to support too. This allowed for Reed to go hard carry, myself to take mid, and our fifth, Reptar, to play solo offlane. We pretty much rolled.
Anywho, a couple hours later we played another set of games, except I played a hero I wasn't comfortable with and it basically cost us the game. However, after that we played two more finishing with an hour long game where I played bear and ate things. Lots of things. I had a beyond godlike streak of 14 kills. However, their PL was able to farm in the window of us pushing down top and middle and managed to extend the game a good thirty minutes. We had two sets of barracks, but could not for the life of us catch the PL. He had decent micro skills and got an early heart so it was hard to tell which PL was the real one and the illusions kept splitting and acting like they were dopple-walking. At first our supports were to scared to get a gem and our Pudge was dealing with 600 ping, but because our lanes were constantly pushed Pudge got a heart fairly easily and managed to acquire flesh heap stacks slowly but surely as we ganked everyone besides PL. At one point, we had 20-30 sentry wards across our side of the map, which made us realize a gem was much more practical. They couldn't kill pudge anyway. My bear couldn't do much in the late game, nor could venge. We could get kills, but catching PL was so time consuming and I was so afraid of not having buyback that my items descaled. I should have gotten a skadi when I had 6000 gold but I went for the cheaper buy of satanic and saved for buyback. After we got the gem, however, we killed PL 4 times before we could end it. He bought back twice, and we got the last tier 4 with 3 seconds left on his respawn. After that it was BKB pops and whack the ancient and hope enough of us stayed alive. It was a damn good game.
I guess the overarching point of this was that I had more fun in 4 games of Dota, playing as a five stack, than I have in all my other games. The gents I played with were cool, didn't mind my picks, were open to anything, and polite. I feel like I'm the douche bag because the one game I played support I fucked up. If you are frustrated with Dota, make friends. Find a group of people who play often, are fun to play with, and don't mind playing any role. You'll have a shit ton of fun.
That's all for now on Dota. I've been home for the last two weeks, my plans for going cross country have fallen through because JT won't be able to get is license in time for us to make it to Colorado. I'm a bit sad about that, but it is what it is. I'll be getting a job at the elementary school until camp starts, because they need substitutes for the last few weeks. It'll be weird, but it pays well.
Adios.
It's been a while since I've played with a five stack. I usually solo que or play with my best friend JT or a guy I know named Reed. Yesterday that changed. We got 5 people in the mumble server we invade and played a few games. JT has decided his niche is hard support and a gent named Gork liked to support too. This allowed for Reed to go hard carry, myself to take mid, and our fifth, Reptar, to play solo offlane. We pretty much rolled.
Anywho, a couple hours later we played another set of games, except I played a hero I wasn't comfortable with and it basically cost us the game. However, after that we played two more finishing with an hour long game where I played bear and ate things. Lots of things. I had a beyond godlike streak of 14 kills. However, their PL was able to farm in the window of us pushing down top and middle and managed to extend the game a good thirty minutes. We had two sets of barracks, but could not for the life of us catch the PL. He had decent micro skills and got an early heart so it was hard to tell which PL was the real one and the illusions kept splitting and acting like they were dopple-walking. At first our supports were to scared to get a gem and our Pudge was dealing with 600 ping, but because our lanes were constantly pushed Pudge got a heart fairly easily and managed to acquire flesh heap stacks slowly but surely as we ganked everyone besides PL. At one point, we had 20-30 sentry wards across our side of the map, which made us realize a gem was much more practical. They couldn't kill pudge anyway. My bear couldn't do much in the late game, nor could venge. We could get kills, but catching PL was so time consuming and I was so afraid of not having buyback that my items descaled. I should have gotten a skadi when I had 6000 gold but I went for the cheaper buy of satanic and saved for buyback. After we got the gem, however, we killed PL 4 times before we could end it. He bought back twice, and we got the last tier 4 with 3 seconds left on his respawn. After that it was BKB pops and whack the ancient and hope enough of us stayed alive. It was a damn good game.
I guess the overarching point of this was that I had more fun in 4 games of Dota, playing as a five stack, than I have in all my other games. The gents I played with were cool, didn't mind my picks, were open to anything, and polite. I feel like I'm the douche bag because the one game I played support I fucked up. If you are frustrated with Dota, make friends. Find a group of people who play often, are fun to play with, and don't mind playing any role. You'll have a shit ton of fun.
That's all for now on Dota. I've been home for the last two weeks, my plans for going cross country have fallen through because JT won't be able to get is license in time for us to make it to Colorado. I'm a bit sad about that, but it is what it is. I'll be getting a job at the elementary school until camp starts, because they need substitutes for the last few weeks. It'll be weird, but it pays well.
Adios.
Friday, May 9, 2014
Semester One is Over
I don't know what I feel. I suppose I feel sad. All of my new friends are leaving or have left already. College is a lot of fun, I am free from so much responsibility that comes with living at home. Here, I am essentially free to do as I please. What I please happens to be school, but still it is nice not to have to chop down trees, haul firewood, or mow the lawn. Here I can relax with friends almost every night and spend hours rediscovering the physics of the universe.
I think I am afraid that I am going to be bored this summer. Really, really bored. I am a bit afraid of what I will do when I am bored. Will I smoke? Will I do some things I'll regret? I have no idea. I feel like I may go a bit crazy this summer. I guess we'll find out.
But now for a quick game of dota. I have a lot of packing to finish up tomorrow before I checkout of Wiley at 3. It's ended so quickly, why does college have to be over?
I think I am afraid that I am going to be bored this summer. Really, really bored. I am a bit afraid of what I will do when I am bored. Will I smoke? Will I do some things I'll regret? I have no idea. I feel like I may go a bit crazy this summer. I guess we'll find out.
But now for a quick game of dota. I have a lot of packing to finish up tomorrow before I checkout of Wiley at 3. It's ended so quickly, why does college have to be over?
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Finals, Running, and MTG
This week is/was dead week, the infamous week before finals where quiet hours are earlier and final projects dominate the evening activities. I had three final projects due this week, two of which were fairly straightforward, one of which was a nightmare. Of course it was Engineering 132's final project. Why should that class ever be straightforward and easy?
We had to create a Graphical User Interface, Video Demonstration, Updated Flow Charts, Updated Navigation Map (thing overall flow chart), a Power Point, and interview our direct users. I still have to interview my direct users tonight, as the final presentation of our GUI is tomorrow morning.
'
The meeting on Tuesday for the project was the most nightmarish. It went until 12:30 am Wednesday, a good 5.5 hours for me and more for the rest of my team who met earlier. Then our GUI still had a ton of bugs, which I learned a fix for on Wednesday morning after the project was due. Sigh. So now we are hopefully going to get a regrade based on the lovely effort I put in Wednesday morning during the remainder of our class time (class was let out an hour early) updating the method for passing variables. GUI's suck.
That said, I've remembered the reason I run/ran in high school. I love the nirvana after you run. The pain, the burn, the lovely everything about it. The feeling of satisfaction. Oh, everything. I ran five miles for the first time in forever yesterday, and boy did it feel good. I'm going to probably run just four this afternoon, I have an event this evening at 6:30 and some other stuff to attend to, so I only have time for a 30 to 40 minute run today.
JT's been having a bad time. I hate to see him so upset and it's really hard to communicate with him about it because we aren't in person and these are really tough times he's going through. His family is in a bad way right now and I have no idea what I can do to help him. Plus I have all these projects I'm trying to attend to and I don't have the time he wants from me right now. Ugh. I feel shitty, but I can't even comprehend how he must feel. JT, if you ever read this, I'm sorry I haven't been there. This summer will be a blast (hopefully!).
Anyway, I've been playing a lot of Magic the Gathering with Stephen, he's fueling my habit and encouraging me to engage once again in the arms race that is buying cards. I love it. God, I hope I don't end up being a high ranking military official in charge of the Pentagon's budget. I'd blow it all on cool planes and stuff.
We had to create a Graphical User Interface, Video Demonstration, Updated Flow Charts, Updated Navigation Map (thing overall flow chart), a Power Point, and interview our direct users. I still have to interview my direct users tonight, as the final presentation of our GUI is tomorrow morning.
'
The meeting on Tuesday for the project was the most nightmarish. It went until 12:30 am Wednesday, a good 5.5 hours for me and more for the rest of my team who met earlier. Then our GUI still had a ton of bugs, which I learned a fix for on Wednesday morning after the project was due. Sigh. So now we are hopefully going to get a regrade based on the lovely effort I put in Wednesday morning during the remainder of our class time (class was let out an hour early) updating the method for passing variables. GUI's suck.
That said, I've remembered the reason I run/ran in high school. I love the nirvana after you run. The pain, the burn, the lovely everything about it. The feeling of satisfaction. Oh, everything. I ran five miles for the first time in forever yesterday, and boy did it feel good. I'm going to probably run just four this afternoon, I have an event this evening at 6:30 and some other stuff to attend to, so I only have time for a 30 to 40 minute run today.
JT's been having a bad time. I hate to see him so upset and it's really hard to communicate with him about it because we aren't in person and these are really tough times he's going through. His family is in a bad way right now and I have no idea what I can do to help him. Plus I have all these projects I'm trying to attend to and I don't have the time he wants from me right now. Ugh. I feel shitty, but I can't even comprehend how he must feel. JT, if you ever read this, I'm sorry I haven't been there. This summer will be a blast (hopefully!).
Anyway, I've been playing a lot of Magic the Gathering with Stephen, he's fueling my habit and encouraging me to engage once again in the arms race that is buying cards. I love it. God, I hope I don't end up being a high ranking military official in charge of the Pentagon's budget. I'd blow it all on cool planes and stuff.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)