Talking with Peter and his wife Karine after the show. They were only up for the day, so we gave them a dvd of our film to take home. Too bad Peter missed out on the Cobra Crack video too, but he was on a tight schedule. (Cobra Crack was originally a route that Croft thought would go free one day, and it is great to see a fellow Canuck --Sonny Trotter-- get the first free assent. At 5.14b/c on trad gear, that’s about as sick as it gets!)

But… you geeks out there.. Check out:



http://yobotics.com ...they have done some very cool work! Climbers over there too!

Gift from Peter, always fun those chest burtsers! Thanks mate. or is that oz only that term?





Dad's girl.. Dad looking like he has had a glass of wine all to himself.




Trouble!




Always fun to get out of the chair for an "adventure".




hummm, oh yea.. I got a paper thingy after ten years at school.. look like an idiot, but family demanded it.




Would not want to live anywhere else!

Ren just had her second child, a girl named Enid. Congrats Ren and Sven! Always good to keep in touch with old friends!

Lindsay Stump from Jacksonville, Florida, didn’t need that wake-up call. She and her boyfriend Danny live together, have season tickets to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and take their dog to the park—even though Danny became a paraplegic after being thrown from a truck. “Danny is my soul mate,” she says. “We live a very normal life.” Sounds great—in theory.

But for many people, the thought of dating someone in a chair still seems daunting—is it rude to ask questions? Will people stare? Can we have sex? Will my date be able to get into my car? First, let’s look at the big picture: “Dating someone in a wheelchair is not that different from dating an able-bodied person,” says Maximillian Wachtel, Ph.D, psychologist at Cherry Creek Psychology in Denver, Colorado. “Just like able-bodied individuals, some people in wheelchairs are loving and interesting, while some are jerks.” Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, here are five ways to prep yourself before a date with someone who has a physical disability.

1. Be willing to help—or not
Depending on your partner’s mobility, you may need to do things like drive, open the door, assist with a transfer, assemble the wheelchair, feed your date or sign the bill. Then again, your “disabled” date, even a quadriplegic, may be able to do all of that—it’s case-by-case, so keeping an open, team-player attitude is key. “Certain people can’t deal with dating a guy in a wheelchair,” says Matt Castelluccio of Monroe, New York, whose spinal cord was severed in a motorcycle accident. “There are things that able-bodied people take for granted. A woman has to be prepared to work with her partner to overcome those challenges.” Rushing to help when it’s not needed can be insulting, so ask beforehand what your date will need. You can try a casual, “Hey, just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help with arranging transportation for our date or anything else you might need.” You might want to mention if it’s your first time you’ve been out with someone in a wheelchair so your date understands that you’d appreciate some guidance. By being upfront about this, you’ll be both relieved and prepared.

2. Get into the comfort zone
Make the date comfortable: Call ahead to make sure the destination is accessible, and ask your date to bring the handicap parking permit if you’re driving. Conversationally, don’t ignore it. “Your date knows he or she is in a wheelchair, so don’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Ask questions if you’re curious,” advises Wachtel. Here’s how Keith Cavill from Wayne, New Jersey, a former motocross racer featured in Murderball, sees the situation: “I still go out to bars and meet new people, and I love when women ask questions about my disability.” On the other hand, know that harping on a disability all night makes you seem obsessed with that, not who your date really is. “Don’t make his or her handicap the focus of all your attention,” says Wachtel.

3. Know that it’s OK if the date’s not perfect
Don’t chalk up an awkward moment as the result of dating someone with a disability—those things happen when you date anyone. “I took this woman to a packed concert and her seat next to me was removed to fit another wheelchair,” remembers James Richard Johnson from Atlanta, Georgia, who’s a quadriplegic. “She had to sit behind me. It was definitely stressful,” says Johnson. Know that worrying too much about your date with a disabled person will make you more self-conscious when something small happens, so relax. Keep your sense of humor and roll with whatever comes your way. And stop fretting over whether you could ever settle down with someone in a wheelchair. “Don’t worry so much about being intimate and having babies — which is possible — and other long-term issues,” says Stump. “It’s just a first date!”

4. Shrug off the stares
Yes, out-of-the ordinary scenarios — like two people out on a date and one of them being in a wheelchair — can cause some people to do double-takes... and worse. “I’ve gotten stares, stupid questions like, ‘Is that your brother?’ and patronizing comments like, ‘You’re so sweet to date him,’” says Stump. When her boyfriend got a brand new red convertible, someone asked her if she had to drive him around. “Why would he buy a car he couldn’t drive? He’s driven me on every single date we’ve been on!” says Stump. No matter how many ignorant questions or comments you get, remember that at one point you probably didn’t know much about people in wheelchairs, either. But getting upset only puts the focus on other people, when you should be paying attention to your date. Answer polite questions, if you like—you may be able to bust some myths about dating someone who’s disabled.

5. Remember that your date is different
Most people with a serious medical condition experience resentment and depression, and, yes, that can affect their dating lives. An understanding, patient date won’t take it personally if issues like that come up. “After I got home from the hospital after my accident, I took a lot of my frustrations out on my boyfriend,” says Jessica Gordon from Bucksport, Maine, who’s a quadriplegic. “It took a while before I realized I still had the desire to find true happiness and love with another person,” she says. It may take time and patience and perhaps professional counseling to work through the issues that can come up, but remember that all relationships involve challenges—and the one you’re pursuing is different... but no less worth fighting for.

Christine M. Coppa is a New York City-based freelance writer who has written for First for Women, In Touch, Glamour, and Philadelphia magazine.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Article courtesy of Happen magazine, www.happenmag.com.

few more pics from Dorota

Excerpt from Maria's Diary:

July 30, 2005-
Headed out to Squamish around 2:30PM today. Met a few volunteers and started hiking up our gear and supplies up to the base of the Chief.

Back down we go to get Brad in the trailryder. A more rigorous hike than just packs. Amazing how many people came out. Some we didn't even

know so I was truely awe-struck at the people that were willing to help with Brad's project. Never an easy hike when your carrying and lifting a good 200 lbs over boulders and rough terrain. Of all things, I nearly sprained my ankle during that hike....nurse injured.....good one.

Got to the base in record time...about 20 minutes. Everyone took a breather, and just hung out. Most volunteers left and only a few remained for the bivi at the base. Darkness was setting upon us and Brad wanted to rest. No sooner did we hear "Rock!" coming from above. Had to take cover a few meters away from where we were. Hiding behind a boulder and trees we waited till it was safe to go back. It was a long hour or so as it started getting darker and darker.

Finally got back to where all our gear was and transferred Brad onto a thermarest. Everyone enjoyed the serenity of the woods as we fought for what few M&M's I had brought along.

July 31, 2005-
I dont think Brad or I got any sleep that night...just waiting...waking up every hour....no rest that's for sure.
4:15AM rolls around and we hear the team approach. Wake up call!!

Get Brad ready and into his climbing rig. Wrapped his arms and wrist in sport tape and coban for protection from his climbing splints. Everyone lent a hand...getting on his harness, securing him into the rig, all the while sipping on cold coffee. Yuk.

After an hour of prep, Brad was well on his way with his first pull. Everyone let out a big "woohoo!" and the team quickly took flight. Ground crew watched for about 1/2 a pitch, then started packing up supplies to be hiked back down to base camp (the parking lot). My legs were so sore from all the hiking the previous day, but who was I to complain when Brad would have 14 hours of climbing ahead of him.

Organized and headed back down....hung out at the parking lot till I could see him at the 2nd pitch. Went into town with friends for some hot breakfast. Since food is my passion, I felt bad that Brad only had powerbars and gatorade for breakfast. Ewww...

As we returned to base camp, Brad was nearing 4 pitches. We thought that he was going extremely fast and I wondered if he'd reach the top by noon.
Apparently it was a cake walk till he got to Belly Good Ledge approximately 11:00AM where they rested for some lunch and a change over of ropes for the next station. I think they were there for a good 3 hours. I've never used binoculars so much in my life!! Kept on looking...looking...looking..to see what was going on. Robyn and I radio'd the team to make sure all was well and to see how Brad was doing. They were fine...just resting.

When Brad surpassed his high point, we'd yell cheers on the radio as they got to each station. They didn't realize it was us at basecamp and thought there were idiots on the frequency we were using. LOL


I think that was the longest 14 hours of my life. The waiting was exhausting even though I wasn't exerting any energy from laying on my thermarest on the grass. The anticipation is killer...always wondring how Brad was doing. Things went wrong last year....he was dysreflexic and then got heat stroke. So I worried a bit because of that.

But this year was different. Unlike last year before the climb, I had a 6th sense that something would not go right. I was so stressed and worried for weeks prior to the climbing date and even told Brad that I didn't think he should do it. Sure enough, that's when parts of the rig had broken down causing the sun to catch up to them and thus Brad's medical problems occurred. But not this year..it all felt good..everything in place inspite of seeming so disorganized 2 weeks prior. I believe someone was watching over him. I think my prayers were heard this time round.

As I kept looking through the binoculars, I didn't quite understand why it was taking them so long once they reached Belly Good. Little did I know that the last bit of the climb was the worst for them. Trees in the way....Brad's rig totally on it's side if not hanging in midair twirling. Couldn't really talk to him so I relied on the others to let us know what was going on up there.

I couldn't believe the strength and stamina that this team had. I can't even fathom the amount of energy it takes to climb that high with a quad. Simply amazing!

The last pitch seemed the longest in anticipation. We saw Brad go into the trees, then the whole team disappeared. We waited and waited till we can see them again. Seemed like an eternity. Finally we saw Chris and Hobey at the top...we cheered as we knew we'd be able to spy Brad next. Robyn left some time before that to hike up the back to meet them. I then left with George (Brad's Dad) to head for the airport at

Brackendale where the chopper would be to get Brad off the top. George went in the chopper along with Ivan as Angela and I waited. It was getting dark and I was hoping that all was fine since I had left the Chief. I kept looking at the horizon..waiting for the chopper to bring Brad back to me. The wai