Category — ocean & beach

We spent a few hours climbing at Point Dume this weekend and all I have to say is, Wow, I need to hit the gym! Or at least the hang board! The rock is very polished and slippery, and my chalk did not seem to be doing nearly enough to counteract my sweaty palms. I also debated whether or not I need to re-sole my climbing shoes. However, since nobody else seemed to have any real problems with the rock, I probably have to concede that the real issue is my rapidly waning grip strength and lack of recent climbing time.

In spite of my ineptitude, climbing at Point Dume is tons of fun, which is also why it is such a popular destination. If you are planning to go on a weekend or holiday, arrive early to get your choice of routes. When we were there, many of the climbers were willing to share their top ropes, but I have also heard stories of people essentially getting chased away from the wall by climbing schools that have a few ropes set up on the wall.

Here are some links with info on Point Dume and Zuma Beach:

• Rock Climbing.com: Point Dume
• Local Hikes: Point Dume
• Los Angeles County Coastal Monitoring Network: Point Dume
• California State Parks: Point Dume State Beach

Here’s something to think about the next time you plan to slather on the SPF 30 and jump in the ocean: sunscreen causes coral bleaching, and may even “induce latent viral infections in coral”. Coral is very fragile and already being destroyed at an alarming rate. Coral is extremely important to the ocean’s ecosystem and needs to be protected, or it is predicted that the world’s coral population will be cut in half by 2030. I am sure everyone wants to do their part to cut down on the amount of sunblock getting into the ocean, but would also like to avoid melanoma, so here are some sunblock-free alternatives to help you avoid skin cancer while at the beach:

• O’Neill shirts or Coolibar clothes with UV protection
• A good beach umbrella
• Hats with wide brims
• Sunglasses with UV protection

Here are some really informative links about coral:

• Coral Reef Conservation Program
• The International Coral Reef Initiative
• ReefBase: A Global Information System for Coral Reefs
• Reef Futures
• NOVA: Coral bleaching - will global warming kill the reefs?

Looks like this holiday weekend will be filled with lots of local activities. I think that maybe we’ll do some bouldering at Stoney Point, but I can’t see traveling much further than that at these ridiculous gas prices. At least the rising gas prices will help put a curb on some traffic though - that’s one way to help the environment!

Thankfully we have access to a lot of great biking opportunities here in Santa Monica, like Sullivan Canyon and the bike path on the beach. I cannot help singing the Three’s Company theme song whenever we are on the bike path, but luckily Partner-in-Climb claims not to find this behavior too embarrassing. However, we tend not to ride the bike path too often, and maybe that it part of the reason. The other part of the reason may be all the people who disregard the “Bicycles Only” signs and use the path as a sidewalk, creating a dangerous situation for bikers and walkers, but who can say.

It is also a bonus that it is drizzling right now and it’s supposed to be much cooler this weekend than it was last weekend. I was sweating buckets by the end of our ride last Saturday! I also rapidly depleted the water in two bottles, so now I am thinking it’s officially time for a CamelBak. Luckily, my Memorial Day holiday starts early and I can make a trip to Helen’s or Performance this afternoon to pick one up.

I am hoping it stays damp and hazy through tomorrow, because this is my favorite kind of weather to ride in. The trails don’t get really muddy and soft, but there is a nice cool mist and it adds a sense of adventure to even really familiar trails. Riding up the Westridge-Canyon Back fire road without sight of the usually expansive vistas somehow transforms the experience and makes it more focused. You can’t see the road ahead or behind, you have no way to gauge how far you have gone or have to go, and so you are really forced to be in the moment and commit to just accepting what lies ahead as it comes. It makes it really fun to come upon a slight downhill and cruise down it when you aren’t expecting any temporary relief at the moment. It’s like a great surprise. Sigh. Too bad I can’t hit the trail right now!

Only 5 hours til the weekend! Happy Memorial Day!

I got a new yoga mat over the weekend and it has totally re-invigorated my interest in yoga. I spent the weekend stretching and studying poses, and I came across this great site called Yoga Today that has free high-def yoga videos. Each of the videos is an hour-long workout set against the beautiful backdrop of Jackson, Wyoming. I did one of the workouts last night, and another today, and they are really fantastic. The instruction is easy to follow but the workouts were very vigorous and challenging. I love the scenery, too. It’s the perfect complement to the yoga, and really creates a sense of peace and relaxation.

This has all inspired me to practice yoga outside more often. Luckily, there are several outdoor yoga classes on the beach in Santa Monica in the summer. The Accidental Yogist provides details about some classes, but her info is from last year, so it’d probably be worthwhile to call first. Since I live so close to the beach, I think I may just ride my bike to the sand and practice some sun salutations on my own whenever the mood strikes.

After our Backbone Trail excursion, we parked facing the ocean at County Line Beach (across from Neptune’s Net) and watched the kitesurfers and windsurfers. Now we are both itching to get on a kiteboard and get flying. I need to start looking into wetsuits ASAP, because the Pacific is generally way too cold for my liking, even in the summer.  I also need to find out where to get some kiteboarding lessons.

In the meantime, though, here are some great resources I found on kiteboarding/kitesurfing:

• The Kiteboarder
• Kiteboard.com
• Kiteboarding Magazine
• Kite Flix
• KiteMare
• Southern California Kiteboarding Association
• iWindSurf.com
• Kiteforum.com