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squishy wrote:Tell'm to suck it up and drive on, what did the women of history do before us?

Not much by comparison. Except make babies, dinner, and have cycles no one talked about.

Oh, and they wore huge wads of cotton sheeting - imagine dealing with THAT on the trail.

Of course I don't have any kind of grief like cycles or exams, but I have been stood up a number of times by GUYS!

Excuses?

- I was celebrating last night and just can't get going today.
- Getting to the trail-head by 8:00 am is too early -- can we leave after lunch?
- Oh I just don't know what I want to do on Saturday -- can I call you then?
- My gf might need the car that day.
- It might snow.
- It might rain.

One time I bailed on a guy -- he smoked in the car.

So who's the wusses in my little world?

Smoove910 wrote:My only complaint for the 'trail' women in the world. Please live by the 'you pack it in, you pack it out' scenario... Reason being I did an 18 mile loop hike with the family a couple weeks back for a daytrip. We took both our dogs with us as well. While resting at the 'turnaround' point I noticed my larger dog slurping on something. After further investigtion it was proven to be someone's used twot block and they had thrown it in the bushes. Of course my dog was all over it, what animal wouldn't?

To be honest I was pissed because I thought it was truly low and disgusting for someone to just throw it in the bushes by a lake rather than taking some time and at least burying it a little. C'mon now!

Hahahaa....insanely gross visual there. I can't eat dinner now.

I have to say, from reading mountaineering books written by women, I can't recall any of them mentioning their menstrual cycle as epic of a challenge as hidden crevasses, unexpected turbulent weather, losing a cramp-on or an ice-axe...or worse yet, losing a member(s) of their team.

I know all women are created differently and some have severe, debilitating PMS and menstruation and others have no symptoms at all....but that means each person should deal with it differently. If they are mentally strong and disciplined and REALLY want to pursue their goal of experiencing a climb or trek, I'm sure issues regarding their cycle will be the least important to them or they will resolve the issue. If a woman knows that they will experience severe issues, unless they are on an expedition where they will be gone for months, they can try to plan around it because they may know what to expect. Personally, my cycles aren't the best, I definitely have side effects but I can't even remember whether I have had a bad experience with this because that's how minute it was during that moment in my life. You just deal with it.

Anyway, I didn't find this posting insulting... you're quite young, it's good you had this experience. I'm sure by the time you are 40, you'll see not all women around you will complain.

Dingus Milktoast wrote:Martha I posted that pic for you.

DMT

Thanks. I'd give my left foot to even stand in the same time zone as DD-L.

Awesome movie, too. Guess I'd better rent it again.

Hotoven, this is the way life is.

I like women, a lot, so I go on climbing trips with them all the time never have any problems at all. (out of the ordinary)

The trick: Bring tons of fine chocolate. Not the crummy stuff made in PA, but real fine Swiss Chocolate, the 70% stuff minimum

And lots of herbal pain reliever….

And a discrete trash bag….

As the Boy scout motto says: Be prepared.

gk

Ugh! First it was boobs, now it's the cycle, what's next? The only gender-specific impediment women experience in mountaineering is short flies (clothing manufacturers' fault) and occasional misogyny from online climbing partner inquiries...

welle wrote:Ugh! First it was boobs, now it's the cycle, what's next? The only gender-specific impediment women experience in mountaineering is short flies (clothing manufacturers' fault) and occasional misogyny from online climbing partner inquiries...

Uh, yup!

It's an excuse. My male climbing/trekking partners never know what's going on in my pants, and shame on me if I'm going to complain and think it matters. MAN UP ladies! I did Cactus to Clouds (10,000 feet gain 26 miles) in one day a few weeks ago during my time, with NO complaints!
Nuff said

Hotoven wrote: I did ask my girlfriend if I could post something on it, and she laughed and encouraged it.

I'm a little late as this was posted over a year ago but did I just heard a whip crack?

Well, it's definetly an "off-route" thread, in my opinion.

edit- now I see it's an old thread, and it would figure that Steve found it and revived it.

Steve1215 wrote:

Marmaduke wrote:Well, it's definetly an "off-route" thread, in my opinion.

edit- now I see it's an old thread, and it would figure that Steve found it and revived it.

It would have been an Off-Route Thread...about 60 years ago!

Nothing naughty about menstrual blood. Without splitting hairs, it's just a waste product, like urine, feces, or excess mucus is. Also, menstruation and outdoor activity is an issue to varying degrees, and it seemed that women took an interest in this topic. Because it involves the vagina, there is a small tittilation factor involved, I'll admit.

--

Thanks for puting this in perspective for all of us. Totally makes sense now.

And Hotoven- back in '09 this was a girlfriend, you two married now or you dump her for messing up your planned hikes?

Marmaduke wrote:

Steve1215 wrote:

Marmaduke wrote:Well, it's definetly an "off-route" thread, in my opinion.

edit- now I see it's an old thread, and it would figure that Steve found it and revived it.

It would have been an Off-Route Thread...about 60 years ago!

Nothing naughty about menstrual blood. Without splitting hairs, it's just a waste product, like urine, feces, or excess mucus is. Also, menstruation and outdoor activity is an issue to varying degrees, and it seemed that women took an interest in this topic. Because it involves the vagina, there is a small tittilation factor involved, I'll admit.

--

Thanks for puting this in perspective for all of us. Totally makes sense now.

And Hotoven- back in '09 this was a girlfriend, you two married now or you dump her for messing up your planned hikes?

hehe I just got engaged to her 2 weeks ago at the top of a gully climbing in Huntington Ravine on a climb up Mt. Washington. Shes amazing!

Congratulations!! So this thread has a great by-line to it now. But what the hell took ya' so long? Very cool!

Kristin5berry wrote:It's an excuse. My male climbing/trekking partners never know what's going on in my pants, and shame on me if I'm going to complain and think it matters. MAN UP ladies! I did Cactus to Clouds (10,000 feet gain 26 miles) in one day a few weeks ago during my time, with NO complaints!
Nuff said

Have to disagree strongly here, depending entirely on the physiological symptoms suffered by each woman individually. The misery can indeed stop, or at least alter, plans and how well one can deal with pain, lethargy, and decreased energy. Having been hit on more than one occasion by that dreaded visitor during or in the midst of an adventure, I can speak to the harsher side of things and how it really f$%^ed up my day.

I'll elaborate on the specific examples if anyone really gives a damn, but frankly I've met more than a few guys who seem to have the same issues with, how did you put it?, "manning up?" Doesn't seem to be limited to a very real physiological phenomenon.

Marmaduke wrote:Congratulations!! So this thread has a great by-line to it now. But what the hell took ya' so long? Very cool!

What took me so long? I wanted to be done with college before I got married. Although I couldn't wait and I'm still not done with school!