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Why Climb?
By Eliza Bicknell of Lotus Petal Yoga
People often ask, why climb? Why do something that places your very life at risk? I always knew I wanted to climb rocks. Even as a child growing up in Los Angeles, I knew. I climbed every tree and every roof in the neighborhood and I knew that someday I would climb rocks. At various summer camps I had the opportunity to try rock climbing and eventually became a climber in my late 20’s while working as a park ranger and living in Colorado. It wasn’t easy at first, heck it still isn’t easy. And that’s one reason as to why I climb - the physical challenge. To make it to the top of a climb takes strength, stamina and endurance physically. You hike to remote and beautiful places which keeps you aerobically fit. You place your body in strange and sometimes very awkward positions while climbing that utilize many different muscles, some of which you never even knew you had! You get strong, you stay lean. When you push yourself physically and do things physically you didn’t think you could, it is infinitely rewarding. Then there is the mental challenge. This is more demanding than the physical challenge for a variety of reasons. Many times you are placed in a situation where you know you have the physical skills to make it up the climb. What holds you back is basically being scared. Being scared of falling is a HUGE factor in climbing, yet falling is critical to improving in climbing. If you don’t push yourself to your limit, you stay in your comfort zone forever and never improve. So, you assess the situation, the risks, and you commit. This takes courage and trust. Facing fears in climbing lets you face fears in the rest of your life, working through them and moving forward. When you find yourself on a climb that is just the right level for you, you find yourself in the zone. Long distance runners and other serious athletes experience the zone as well. While climbing, you are fully and completely in the present moment, the now. Your thoughts are honed in and fully focused on the movement, the gear, the climb. It becomes a moving meditation. Your adrenaline is rushing and feel good endorphin hormones course through your body. You reach the top of the climb and a sense of true joy, of elation, washes over you. I have been brought to tears in a feeling of ecstasy at the top of a climb as I have experienced this. Getting even a small dose of this draws climbers back and back again indeed. The friendships that are built through climbing are stronger than any other. You literally place your life in the hands of another person while you climb. You trust that they will catch you should you fall, that they will know what to do if things get ugly, they will be there for you and you for them, no matter what. In climbing you are truly honest with yourself and with your climbing partner. They will see you turn into a crying, swearing, freak show, basket case, and they will stand by your side because they understand, like no other, what its like to lose control when fear takes over and you are truly and literally scared shitless. Finally, climbing takes you to the most beautiful places on Earth. High alpine rock walls overlooking pristine rivers and lakes, deep into forests lush and alive, cliffs overlooking tropical beaches. The fresh air, the majestic views, the stunning wildlife. Dangling from a rock wall and watching the cliff swallows circling below you is an incredible experience. Nothing can compare to sleeping thousands of feet off of the ground on a sea of rock and watching the full moon rise.
After you climb for a while and you have pushed yourself physically and mentally so many times, you really know yourself, you truly know what you are capable of and you really know what you can do in life, this is why we climb.
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Contributor's Note
I have been climbing for 16 years now, its not just a hobby, its a way of life.
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http://www.squidoo.com/rockclimbinghalfdome
PLEASE VISIT THE CONTRIBUTOR'S WEBSITE
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You have revealed some insites to climbing that I never realized, Eliza.
I lived in the White Mountains of N.H. during my youth,but I never had the opportunity to climb.
Thank you for sharing.
Frederick
Too many people are busy climbing the greasy pole to try out real climbing. Perhaps they should.
Sounds wonderful. I'm a hiker and enjoy the beautiful surrounding you describe. My fear of heights however, would have been a major barrier even in my younger days. It's good that you have something that both exhilirates and challenges you.
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http://lotuspetal.qondio.com/
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