I am awakened at 4:30 am by the call to prayer from a nearby mosque, followed by rooster crowing from the chicken farm next to the hotel. The Lutherans fire up their tribute to the divine at 9 am in some of the loudest and most enthusiastic church singing I have ever heard. Breakfast consists of dense, chocolate-brown Tanzanian coffee and eggs that taste like, well, chicken. Nothing like a week of eating organic!

Moshi is a working city lined with street-side fruit and clothing vendors. The men wear collared shirts and pants even in this heat and women wear brightly colored dresses, carrying children in slings and huge baskets of fruit and other items on their heads. There are no starving children in the streets and everyone seems to be chatting or texting on cell phones. Advertisements for Tanzania’s four cell phone companies and Coca Cola dominate the downtown area. Dusty 20 year old VW minibuses packed to the rafters chug down rutted streets. Our $60/night hotel is an oasis of tropical greenery with open air public areas and uniformed staff. I look through the gate of the hotel and am shocked to see a man with shriveled legs propel himself down the street using his arms while seated on a wooden dolly.

Of course, the reason our county is so progressive, and the reason that we have wealth etc. is because we have mastered the art of multi tasking, working non stop etc. I’m not advocating that we stop working hard by any means. That’s what makes our lives comfortable here. And it is also simply a cultural difference. But I am advocating that we all take time to see how much we miss out on life if we are not slowing down and stopping to enjoy life, family, friends, and leisure time as well.

Mocanaqua

Located in between Bloomsburg PA and Wilkes-Barre PA, along US-11, the small town of Mocanaqua is surrounded by excellent climbing areas. I went to college at Bloomsburg PA, and scheduled all my classes on Tuesday and Thursdays so I could climb ALOT at these spots, since they were only 30 minutes away or less. Most of the cliffs in this area were rebolted as part of the ARI (Anchor Replacement Initiative). If you look at the ARI ads in Climbing Magazine, you will see Mocanaqua listed. You could spend a long weekend in Bloomsburg PA, and climb here all day all weekend long and not even come close to running out of climbs. A great trip would be to drive to PA, climb 2 days in Mocanaqua, and then drive to the Gunks, which is only 2.5 hours away. Some of the areas in Mocanaqua are listed below, with pictures following the posts.

Main Wall

The highest point on Main Wall is just shy of 100 feet. The rock is fairly simliar to the Gunks (course conglomerate). The easiest route up the wall is 5.5 trad, with the hardest being 12a sport. The cliff is 100% vertical, offering a unique challenge to climbers. Easy access to a cliff-top trail makes top roping here easy as well. The approach is only about 5 minutes from the road!

Library

The Library was my favorite spot. It is formed by a 50 foot block that is detached from the cliff, creating a large hallway of rock. This cliff, while only about 100 yards long, is actually 300 yards long because of the detached block creating 3 cliffs in one. There are excellent sport routes and trad routes here. This is one of the longest approaches in PA, having to hike through a coal field. But the hike is well worth it. It is a great summer spot, as it is shaded all day long.

Paradise

The Paradise cliffs can be seen while driving into Mocanaqua, and are on your left while hiking to The Library cliffs. Paradise is known for hard sport routes, often very run out. Definitely a quality place if you are up for a bold lead!

Squirrel Rock

Squirrel Rock is the PA boulderers paradise. There are boulder problems galore, as well as a few short top roping options. Squirrel rocks is very near Main Wall.

Tilbury

Tilbury is about 10 minutes north of Mocanaqua. It is marked by a HUGE 30 foot roof with a flake, crack out the middle, providing a hard 5.11a trad lead, and a “Big-Swing” top rope. There are many excellent climbs on this cliff, most notably the large 5.7 hand/finger crack on the left side of the cliff.

Raleigh based rock climbing and ice climbing guide service and climbing school has expanded it’s climbing class offerings to climbers in Western NC by offering their Climb Outside Rock Climbing Class on September 26-27, 2009 at Looking Glass Rock NC. These classes give people the knowledge, skills, and understanding they need to begin rock climbing outside. Asheville is an ideal location for these classes because of the volume of climbing areas, and the volume of people who desire to learn how to climb outdoors but aren’t sure where to get started. Students learn anchor building, rope management, knot tying, belaying, rappelling, rescue, and more. The class consists of 2 full day sessions, where the first day will be spent teaching the skills, and the second day will be spent putting the newly acquired skills into practice. The classes are open to all experience levels, and all equipment is provided. Details on the Asheville Climb Outside Rock Climbing Class can be found on the Climb Outside Website (http://www.ascentadventure.com/2009/04/asheville-climb-outside-class/).
“Taking this class taught me a lot and confirmed things I had already been in the process of learning. Even though I have much more to learn it allowed me to feel confident, to go with my partner, and climb outside at my current level,” expresses Chris Troisi, a Climb Outside Class participant.
For an interview, or to find out more information about the classes and unique services Ascent Adventure Consultants provides, please contact Brandon Hensinger at bhensinger@ascenadventure.com or 877-254-4617. Also, visit the Ascent Adventure Consultants website to learn more.
Ascent Adventure Consultants is a Raleigh, NC based professional rock and ice climbing guiding and instruction provider, as well as a corporate team building and leadership development program provider. Climbing courses and team building programs are conducted locally, nationally and internationally.

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The Moore’s Wall trip was one of the most amazing climbing experiences of my life. Every moment of the experience was enjoyable, and I can’t wait to climb with Ascent Adventure Consultants again. Easily worth the six-hour drive from DC. Great guides and great experience.
- Grant, Climbing Course Participant

Taking this class taught me alot and confirmed things I had already been in the process of learning. Even though I have much more to learn it allowed me to feel confident, to go with my partner, and climb outside at my current level.
-Chris, Climb Outside Class Participant

Anyone who likes to experience outdoor challenges has a responsibility to themselves and others in their group to know what to do when things go wrong.  And in the
outdoors, there’s always something you didn’t count on.
-Jodi, Wilderness First Aid Class student

This was not my first class in Wilderness First Aid.   It was my best class in Wilderness First Aid.   McCracken wins the best instructor award hands down.
-David, Wilderness First Aid Class student

The instructor effectively drew from the experiences of the group to demonstrate/highlight the real world implications of the material.  Good balance of formal textbook time and anecdotal experience.
-Jeff, Wilderness First Aid Class student

This is a highly-engaging and interactive class which provides practical and essential skills for anyone participating in activities in the outdoors.
-Tom, Wilderness First Aid Class student

Be sure to check out the course photos on our Photo Gallery Page: American Alpine Club WFA Course Photos July 2009

Pat Goodman presented a slideshow on his climbing ventures from the past year. It was an incredible slideshow. We were able to see some of the alpine climbing in India that he did, as well as some of the local North Carolina projects that he has been working on.

Here’s what Carolina Climbers Coalition said on their website about the event:

Sunday evening at the Carolina Brewery in downtown Carrboro, almost 30 climbers got together for the first ever Brewfest, organized by Brandon Hensinger of Adventure ascents consultants with generous support from Andrew and Luis of the Triangle Rock Club. Folks were treated to ample food and more beer than most could drink (well almost). Pat Goodman entertained folks with a wonderful multimedia presentation of his adventures in North Carolina, his most recent expedition to India and some awesome footage from a sailing expedition to the Bahamas. One of the best parts of the event was that it served as a wonderful opportunity to get folks together to meet as a community. A very generous raffle was contributed to by the All about Beer, American Alpine Club, Asana climbing, Ascent Adventure Consultants, Carolina Brewery, Crank forearm fuel, Evolve, Frikshn T-shirts, Metolius, Misty Mountain Threadworks, Mountain Hardware, Supertopo’s super guidebooks, and the Triangle Rock Club. Just about everyone who attended won something in the raffle which helped to raise over $300.00 for the CCC. Big thanks go out to Brandon, Thomas, Andrew, Luis, Pat and the wonderful staff of the Carolina Brewery for supporting such a great event! We look very forward to the next Climbers Brew.

We look forward to next year, where we assume it will all be even bigger and better!

Brandon is a true professional when it comes to guiding climbs. He’s an excellent teacher, and his problem solving ability is extraordinary. During the first hour of my first outdoor climb, I encountered an obstacle I didn’t think I could overcome. After twenty minutes of attempting to negotiate the obstacle, I shouted, “Brandon? I don’t think I can make it across this gap to scale that overhang the way you just did. How do we get down?” He said, “We can’t get down from there. If you can’t do it that way, let me figure something else out.” He drew from his experience and came up with a creative solution that kept me in the game. He continued to impress me throughout the trip with his patience, encouragement, and skill. I am definitely looking forward to my next climbing experience.

The whole trip was wonderful. The best part for me was the Wailing Wall climb. The start of that climb was very difficult for me, and because this was toward the end of the day, I was pretty tired and feeling like I wasn’t going to be able to do it. I did make it, with some wailing on my own at certain moments. Jason was a wonderful guide; he talked me through the scary moments and made me feel completely safe. I had only done sport climbing prior to this trip, so Jason took the time to teach me about all of the gear involved in trad. I learned a lot and will definitely be signing up for more trips in the future. I can’t thank you enough.
-Kelly, Climbing Course Participant