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apollodorus
Jan 27, 2003, 8:35 AM
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Registered: Feb 18, 2002
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I am not a climber. I sat on the couch for 18+ years, and then went up the Excalibur because I made the big cams that fit. Five months later, I went up Scorched Earth to do the Leavittator (more wide stuff). Both times, I got out of work, and didn't do anything useful for two/three weeks. Nice. Is wall climbing avoidance behavior, though? That is, is there something more useful/beneficial that could be done with the mind energy and time spent up there? Is is possible, and this is only conjecture, that I could offer society more benefit by not making big cams and going up El Capitan, but doing something else? And what would that something be? I love being up on the Wall. Hiking 2500 feet to the rim of El Capitan and camping is just like what my Boy Scout uncles used to prattle about. Solitude. Self reliance. Fishing (well, not that one). But, it's nice to get away from the parking lot and crowds, and if you only have to go fifteen minutes and two fixed ropes to get away from it all, then all the better. But, is being on the Wall avoidance behavior? Is something more important being pushed to the side and not done? Is Wall Climbing totally existential? And hedonistic? Or is is just good fun? [ This Message was edited by: apollodorus on 2003-01-27 00:47 ]
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rollingstone
Jan 27, 2003, 7:57 PM
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Registered: May 22, 2002
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No, Tom, it is neither. It is therapy for many of us. It impacts few others, yet allows the participant the luxury of focusing on something other than work or other life experiences that clutter up our minds! But it is fun despite all the hard work.
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iamthewallress
Jan 27, 2003, 10:34 PM
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Registered: Jan 2, 2003
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I liked that last answer! If you wanna avoid real life on your vacation time, I'd say more power too you! If you want to quit your job and move onto El Cap, then maybe the avoidance issue is a serious one. Having considered the former, I also consider the latter. I know a few Leisure Kings who live in the Valley and seem to 'avoid' full time, although they don't necessary leave the ground very often to accomplish this, and most have been there so long that it's not clear to me exactly what they are avoiding. I don't know what you do for a living. I do biomedical research...trying to develop solutions to that nasty mad cow problem to be exact. I also work at a climbing gym on occasion which involves helping kids and adults have their first climbing experiences. And, I have had the priviledge of helping a couple of friends out w/ their first walls. If we're playing the odds, I bet my chances of favorably impacting these folks lives by sharing climbing w/ them is greater than the chances of my lab really revolutionizing any aspect of our health care or mainainance. It's totally possible to climb a lot of walls and give back my doing so. I know one guy who spends so much time on El Cap that his friends' tease him about 'going up to tend the flowers' when he starts talking about leaving the ground. Everytime you clip a bomber 3/8" anchor up there, say thanks to him, because chances are, he replaced it. Other people (Pete, Bryan) give back with their knowledge. Other people tell stories of their feats (wether it's Chad's TR or Hans calling up all of the mags every time he climbs El Cap) and inspire couch potato weekend warriors like myself to expect a little bit more out of themselves than they might have otherise. Climbing = doing. Avoiding = not doing. Where I worry about wasting time not doing, but just blabbing, is right here, although I hope that these hours that I've whiled away will help me out when it comes time to do. Mostly for me right now I'd say that every time I get on a wall, I come back with a huge energy to take on bigger projects in other part of my life as well...to DO more.
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rollingstone
Jan 27, 2003, 11:14 PM
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Registered: May 22, 2002
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Melissa's answer rocks! Forget Gumby U! You have graduated, and your attitude shows it.
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