Details about the July 26-29, 2012 Homo Climbtastic convention will be posted here as they become available.
UPDATED: Eligibility Requirements to Attend the HC Convention
How to Attend
STEP 1. REGISTER NOW! LIKE NOW NOW!
Fill out the registration form. There’s no deposit, and you can fill it out even if you’re not sure if you’re coming. Make sure you see the confirmation page–if you don’t fill out all the required questions, it’ll take you back to the form, and the unfilled, required questions will be highlighted in red. If we run out of space for anything… people who registered earlier win. Even if you’re a maybe, click that link and register.
STEP 2. RESERVE YOUR SPACE AT THE CAMPGROUND… SOONISH
Book under the “Alex Rowland” reservation by calling Nancy at Cantrell’s. Cantrell’s offers tent camping, rustic bungalows, and fancy-pants cabins. To make a reservation call 304-574-2500 or 800-470-7238. They’re holding space for us with no deposit, but not forever… cabins book up much earlier than tent sites.
Then What?
Expect to get an e-mail from me (Rowland) within a week or two. If you don’t get one, shoot me an e-mail.
About the Accommodations
If you’re interested in a cabin, check out the page listing the options with a roof, and note that the on-site cabins are the bungalows, the Deluxe Amish Cabins, the Country Cabin, and the Barn Loft-style Cabin.
Tent camping is $8 a night, so with a 50% deposit, you’re facing the loss of $20 if you end up not making it. So go ahead and book the damn thing if you’re camping. Plus I’m guessing Nancy will let you upgrade to a cabin if you decide to get all fancy-pants later.
Split up equally, the bungalows will run about $12 a night, and the cabins about $25. The cabins will have air conditioning.
About Registration
As with all HC conventions, registration is mandatory to attend ANY group activities. If you’re going to show up, or a friend is going to show up, they MUST register. We depend on the registration system for predicting crowd size and managing contact and emergency information (even the dictators register).
Dates
July 26-29, 2012, Thursday through Sunday. Events are planned all day Thursday through Sunday, so if you want a full night’s sleep, arriving Wednesday night and departing Monday morning is the easiest.
If you need to drop one day, departing late Sunday morning is your best option, since we take a group photo Sunday morning. If you need to drop two days, arrive Thursday night and depart late Sunday morning. That will give you the most of the HC bonanza.
Location
Fayetteville, West Virginia will once again be playing host to this year’s convention. Climbing will be throughout the region, including the New River Gorge proper, the Meadow River area, and Summersville Lake.
Climbing Difficulty
The difficulty of the route grades has been the most ominous, fear-inducing aspect of our conventions, but this has probably caused more a great deal more anxiety than is warranted. If you have excellent lead belaying skills, and can clean a route, it shouldn’t be a problem to find someone to haul your butt up a 5.9 on top-rope.
As far as technical skill, an HC convention is not the place to show up alone to learn outdoor climbing–if you’re not an experienced outdoor climber, you’ll need to bring someone with you who is. Climbing in the gym, even if extensive and includes lead climbing, is not sufficient.
Size
Based on prior years’ attendance, we are planning for roughly one hundred participants.
Goings-on
We’re having similar activities as in prior years. That includes group dinners/breakfasts, foil food pits, and of course, climbing. We’re kiboshing the costume contest–people liked it, but it’s a headache for the organizers.
Typically, at least one small group schedules a rafting trip.
Climbers will climb together on some days, and split off on other days into trad parties, advanced sport groups, and moderate sport groups. Of course, you’re a free agent, and there are no fees for attending an HC convention. So you can go wherever you want if our itinerary doesn’t do it for you. (Generally, however, the vast majority stick to the itinerary because it builds in so much flexibility already.)
Questions?
Rowland (at symbol goes here) homoclimbtastic.com is your e-mail address to direct all your life’s dilemmas. My second in command for this convention will be C-Pow, whose e-mail is Chris (at symbol goes here) homoclimbtastic.com.
