Last Sunday, a sequence of seven moves was my primary focus.

God, did they kick my ass!

Humbling was when a tiny gal that weighed no more than a buck at the most, came along and danced through this frustrating sequence. Like a butterfly through a field of daisies.

I aint no butterfly, that's for sure.

I am more in lines of a wolverine.

I did not let this thing beat me. I came back an hour later to work the sequence again. The puzzle all came together. Breath and focus. Don't over power the delicate holds. No hesitations. Just relax and flow.

This time I succeeded.

I did not conquer it. It conquered me. It humbled me. It made me think for the rest of the afternoon into that eve. Think about my soul and my spirit.

It made me once again realize why I love this climbing gig so much.

It constantly motivates me to grow and become a better spirit, through and through.

I smiled as I closed my eyes and softly fell a sleep. Ahhhh, Peace.

It's all about constantly working with that Puzzle that is put in front of me. The puzzle which always helps me grow.

There is no such thing as failure in my world of climbing.

Just a pause in time that allows me to think and reflect about the process.

All to come back another day to have another go at it.

This time with the right heart and spirit.

Not to win.

Rather, to learn.

Learn more about true Peace and Serenity.










Got to always remember why I do this gig...



CUZ IT MAKES ME A BETTER WARRIOR!

If engineers wanted, and the public were willing, they could put a road to the top of Whitney. But there would still be technical routes.

I enjoy finding new scrambling routes to the tops of mountains; some climbed many times, some probably never climbed before. That's the oddity about southern Nevada; you can be on a peak overlooking Vegas, but the approach is so convoluted (and the public interest so small) that the register will reflect just a few climbs per year... or there may be no register, or any sign of previous visitation.

Charleston Peak has 2 trails to the top, and each year thousands make the trip. But all you have to do is go in winter, and it's a very different story; the trail becomes massively treacherous, and you have to figure a way to get up and down in a short day. In my 19 times to the top of Charleston, at least 13 trips have involved substantial off-trail routes. For me, the off-trail stuff is like working out a puzzle; where do I break through the cliff bands? Which ridge will have the least brush? How can I get up and down within 5 hours?

MikeTX wrote:

butitsadryheat wrote:

Catamount wrote:I don't visit the mountains so that I can feel some sense of superiority over others ... I do it because I dig nature. Being badass is meaningless.

Well said.

yup.

Dig it.

rhyang wrote:It's funny you should mention that Carolyn -- I sometimes wonder if I would be as stoked on climbing in Yosemite if it were not for you and Craig ! I have so many good memories, both of climbing and hanging around in camp, joking around the campfire, just chilling out, etc.

That's great Rob! Yeah, goals and partners and friends are all a part of the mix. I can remember about ten years ago I REALLY wanted to do a lot more backcountry skiing. For the life of me I couldn't find partners who wanted to go, and that was one part of mountaineering that I wanted someone competent to dig me out (and vice versa) if we got into trouble. So I ended up doing a lot of easier things, just hiking and peak bagging, that I knew I could just do alone. Not sure why it happened that way but it did.

rhyang wrote:I took another trad newbie on a climb in Yosemite last weekend -- a young strong buck and a good guy, one of these Sierra Challenge dudes. Like a lot of these folks who follow in the footsteps of Bob Burd, he said he was not as much interested in rock climbing as he was in summiting peaks.


Also, I think as we age our interests often change over time. Have yours ?

Rob...... tell your friend that Bob Burd does indeed Rock Climb. I have seen his and Matthew's entries on peaks with no walk up. Unless you count 5.6 as "walking"

I really like it when a "peak" is protected by "steepness".

When a "Rock Climb" is the only way to the top I like that best.

As I get older I am looking for the same thing as I did when I was 20....

My personal best on stone.

Guyzo wrote:Rob...... tell your friend that Bob Burd does indeed Rock Climb. I have seen his and Matthew's entries on peaks with no walk up. Unless you count 5.6 as "walking"

There's no question about that -- I've read their trip reports. I've climbed with Matthew over the years .. we started practicing slab climbing locally, climbed in the gym together .. I went with him on his first multipitch lead in Yosemite Valley years ago. We did Cathedral and a good bit of Matthes Crest this year.

We had plans to do the Swiss Arete, BCS N Arete, and other stuff .. but, that's another thread (in Technique & Training).

I've yet to actually meet Bob, so I won't say why he rock climbs. My point is that some people don't really enjoy climbing unless there is a mountain summit involved. They are up-front and honest about that. That's neither good nor bad -- it's just what they like to do.

For me, I like quality climbing. I like a good scramble too. Or even a nice hike But as Kris would say (I think), it doesn't matter to me whether it ends on the top of a mountain or the top of a route.

Yes, sometimes I go hiking just for the sake of hiking.

Freedom of the hills

One of the best ways to combine the 2 (climbing & summits) that I've found is 50 Classic Climbs of North America- a lifetime's worth of adventure in that book! Prop's out to Roper & Steck for creating this masterpiece. Every climb I've done in that compilation has been a great adventure.

I think rock climbing would be a lot more fun if there wasn't so much sitting around. Maybe there's so much sitting around because I suck at it? Probably. I've always enjoyed the aspect of moving in the mountains, not so much the chilling out part. I like the changing scenery, working up a sweat, feeling the aches in the ol' legs. It's what makes me feel alive. I can't even say I do it for the summit views because I don't hang out up top for more than five minutes unless someone makes me. That's just me - different strokes and all that.

Occasionally I climb stuff that has little to do with a summit, but it seems fun or looks cool - like Royal Arches, Church Dome, Gunsight, Echo Peak #9. A few weeks ago Matthew and I climbed Hoffmanns Thumb, not the highpoint, but an interesting pinnacle off to the side that we had viewed up close some four years earlier. The approach was barely more than an hour. The biggest laugh I got that day was when Matthew remarked,

"You know, this is dangerously close to cragging."

I think I like the endurance challenge of long mountain hikes/scrambles. Gives my ever working brain a break. Sort of like a natural drug.

I walk up easy hills 'cuz I can't climb worth a shit.

Luciano136 wrote: Sort of like a natural drug.

Endorphins! The body's opioids.

MoapaPk wrote:

Luciano136 wrote: Sort of like a natural drug.

Endorphins! The body's opioids.

I love it! There's only 3 things that give me that release; it's strenuous exercise, alcohol or a drug. The great part about the first choice is that it's healthy and you actually feel great afterwards . Finding the mountains truly improved the quality of my life!

Bob Burd wrote:A few weeks ago Matthew and I climbed Hoffmanns Thumb, not the highpoint, but an interesting pinnacle off to the side that we had viewed up close some four years earlier. The approach was barely more than an hour. The biggest laugh I got that day was when Matthew remarked,

"You know, this is dangerously close to cragging."

That trip report was an entertaining read

knoback wrote:The route is the thing; without the route, the summit means nothing. With the route, the summit is a cherry on top. It is a nice treat, but I can leave it on the side of the plate without any qualms.

I like this answer. Of the three most prominent peaks I've been fortunate to stand atop, two were completely socked in, but it was the quality of the climbing that defined the experience, not the lack of a view.

Also, due to a chronic shortage of summits in the midwest, you have to learn to make do with cliffs and the occasional detached tower or boulder...