Having the right equipment!

Notice the lack of crampons, honey can you run to the store and pick up some crampons for me!

Steve doing some icy route finding!

Myself goofing around on some additional building ice!

Whether its a lack of money or resources, we always run into situations where we have to make do with what we have. In times like these, its best to gather whats available and improvise. Today I had my first participants on the ice climbing wall since becoming the Director. We use old mountaineering boots, a miss match of both technical foot fang crampons and black diamond mountaineering crampons, and share one set of ice tools. This suits us well because only one participant can climb at a time. Sure it would be nice to have the fanciest gear but instead we have gear that works and we make the best out of it and guess what, the participants have a hell of a good time! I work with youth that never in their lives would have dreamed they would be climbing a huge popsicle.
I recall another instance, when I was a videographer for a christian sports camp, when I had to construct a miniature light studio to film a set. I had no lighting equipment and no means to purchase any so I ended up using a headlamp, a desk light, and a piece of cloth as a backdrop in the corner of my office/editing suite. It was not phenomenal but it worked and the viewers thought the production was great.
On the contrary, some equipment cannot be sacrificed or mismatched together. For example having the right climbing gear for specific climbs or the right clothing to be outside in -5 degree weather for 4 days and nights. Another example is biking equipment. I bought a road bike over the summer and I knew that if i did not buy padded shorts to ride in i would not enjoy riding so I went ahead and made the purchase of the shorts the day I bought the bike. I have found that if I know I will truly use a piece of equipment, no matter the price ( I look for the best deals possible or buy things when they are on sale ahead of time) I will make the purchase. I once worked on a construction team in florida and if we ever needed a tool or supplies the contractor would send one of us to the store to pick it up. If you are going to do a job you might as well do it right and have the right equipment.
Now I know that my bike will eventually breakdown, my padded shorts will wear out, my climbing equipment will get old and the construction I did will eventually be destroyed for something else to be built. The point is nothing is infinite, including myself. Knowing that I am finite, i know at some point I will not be able to muscle my way up climbs or climb the ice wall without crampons or ice axes. See the photo (i am using axes but not crampons in this photo). Its because of this that I am writing. Those kids that climbed the ice tower today with old ragged equipment could care less what they used, what they remember will be the instruction they received, the encouragement that was given, and the feeling they had when they reached the top of this iceberg floating in the snow outback some old building. While having the right physical equipment is either hit or miss, having the ability to motivate, instruct, and share an experience with someone is priceless. The best piece of equipment I think I have is a positive attitude, and even that can disappear if I don't remind myself from time to time how important it is. The old saying Attitude is contagious may be cliche but its not a bad reminder. As always, climb on!