Actually, saying that climbing and motherhood are incompatible is the same as saying that you can't combine the two just by definition of the word "incompatible".

It's interesting, because I did a week long ski course this week and one of the guys and his wife will be skiing into Assiniboine next month with their 6-month old daughter on a sled. They've been biking, skiing, hiking and camping in the backcountry since she was 11 days old. Anyway, he said something interesting to me: "Most people who hear what we're doing aren't supportive. They think we're crazy. So you have to know in your heart that what you're doing is right, otherwise it can get pretty tough." That crystalized a lot of things for me. I do realize people are going to judge me and play the mom guilt card on me, but the bottom line is that all that matters is what I and my kids think.

Also, why is it so hilarious for a woman to expect her husband to share equally in the housework and childcare? I guess so far I'm lucky then, although I think it was more a matter of choosing a life partner who had similar values than luck. But your attitude seems very much "That's the status quo, just suck it up and deal with it." If every woman had that attitude, I guess we'd still be back where we were in the 1900s.

Anyway, I guess I'll have to update this thread in 3-5 years hopefully when I have kids and can let you know how I've worked things out.