trip to Yosemite at age 4.....
Going to a high school with a mountaineering program (yes, seriously!) Twenty minutes south of San Francisco. There was a track field coach who also ran a climbing class as part of the regular curriculum. This was a regular public high school and one awesome teacher. Ron Kauk is a product of the school as well as Scott Cosgrove. We had a climbing and aid wall in the gym that ran to the ceiling, aid routes in the rafters, and rocks glued to the outside wall with lie back problems in the corners etc,etc,etc. My Brother did the class a year behind Ron and I was one year behind Scott. Sadly when I was eligible to take the class it was axed due to insurance costs (loud guttural scream echos through the land). Tracked down a grad of the class and let him teach me everything he knew. Best part, first climbing trip was just a rope, hip belay, dulfersitz etc. Second trip he brought a few carabiners and slowly taught me every climbing skill as it was developed over time just as the teacher had taught him. History, skill, and an awesome quiver of tricks to fall back on for when you drop something.
But it was a helluva lot of fun making it to the top with all my friends cheering me on from down below getting psyched up to make the next move.
