It really is all about the climb

Every time I hear Miley Cyrus's song, "The Climb", I cringe a little. Part of me wants to like the message just because I enjoy climbing so much. The other part of me remembers that it's Miley Cyrus singing. But that's besides the point. When I first learned to climb, it was a lot about finishing as fast as possible in order to appease a certain pushy friend of mine who wouldn't let me down from the wall until I had completed the route to his satisfaction. But I think I've come closer in the past few months to understanding the spirit of climbing. It's about much more than getting to the top (though topping out is really fun in bouldering). I have learned to welcome and even enjoy the challenge. Before, I used to pick routes I knew I could easily climb. Now, I like to work on routes for days, even weeks (sometimes not even completing them before the gym switches out the route). I think my favorite part is when people in the gym come over and start contributing to my efforts. Only at a climbing gym could a bunch of strangers feel comfortable coming up to a random person and giving him or her pointers on how to do something. In fact, the veterans will regularly stand there and advise me on my next move. Sometimes, they will even get on the wall themselves and show me how to approach something.

But I digress. I found something truly inspiring, referred to me by Devon, a climber from Canada. It's called Cobra Crack. Evidently this guy, Sonnie Trotter, worked on this climb over and over again (30-40 times) for several years (sometimes he was only able to do 1 or 2 tries a day because of the way the crack would tear at his fingers). Despite the difficulties and the falls, he finally managed to be the first person to ascend Cobra Crack. But he didn't do it alone. People supported him, helped him, and watched him. This is a 5.14 lead climb. And it's a ridiculously awesome video. I think my favorite part is the fact that his friend is with him, cheering him to finish. I hope that someday, I can find such a project route (rated MUCH lower than a 5.14!). The kind of route that I can work on over and over again for weeks, maybe even years...until I finally achieve mastery. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McHosr_98r0