climbing can be beautiful

i was in the gym last night, laying on my back, watching some climbers flutter up and by. it then hit me. every climber is a dancer. while not always graceful, we are all dancers nonetheless.

climbing is aesthetically beautiful. the control, the pauses, the pacing, the pointed toes. all of it. when people move up rocks or walls, it all becomes a sort of performance art. or, at minimum, a physical expression of the self.

when you belay your partner next time, think about her dance. and when you climb, think about the potential of expressing beauty.

V3 - log entry

climbing personal log entry. i did my first V3 bouldering problem today. i think i was inspired by spotting some kick-butt youth climbers at the usa climbing's abs (american bouldering series) comp in boulder this weekend.

whippin' from the shuts

(by the way, climb at your own risk. only try this stuff if you and your partner know what you're doing.)

my climbing friends have suggested the following exercise to get you used to dropping a few feet. when leading indoors, don't clip the rope into the top shuts. instead, push off the wall when you get to the top of the route. you'll drop a good 10-15 feet and free fall. it's exhilarating as all hemp. try it. just make sure your belayer knows how to give you a nice soft air landing. this works really well on overhangs. also, watch your feet and keep them way clear of any rope trappings.

oh, and as you fall, feel free to yelp: "fuuuhhuuuckkkin' ayyyy!!!!" (thanks for the quote jared)

nobody cares how well you climb. no really, nobody cares

you feel the eyes of the crowd on you. you hear some whispers. you wonder, how's my foot work? am i looking a'ight? oh crap, can i make it up this thing?

a climbing instructor i photographed recently, who has been climbing for 10 years or so, told me something that i found pretty darn interesting. he explained that when he started climbing, he had a certain interest in proving how big of a bad-ass he was to his climbing buds and to random observers.

that perspective has changed. he's since come to realize that nobody cares how hard your sends are. his words: climb for yourself and only yourself. 'cause nobody really cares.

true dat.

wrapping up a climbing course

i just finished a four week skills and movement course through the boulder rock club (disclaimer: the BRC is one of my photography clients.) while some of the instruction felt too elementary for me, i found a lot of the information valuable. we were introduced to crimpers, slopers, heel hooks, overhangs, body positioning, etc.

while it may seem obvious, for example, that it's important to keep your body under a crimper or that you should maximize hand surface area on slopers, you sometimes need to deconstruct the obvious.

as i start working on a few 5.11s and V3s, it's all sinking in.