Climb On.
A couple months ago, my friend Sarah told me about a climbing/camping trip she was planning. She booked a campsite at Redstone and we planned to go climbing at several different crags. I was so excited for the trip I told her I would be there and marked it on my calendar.
This was all before August.
Early August, a friend from home was in a climbing accident. The fear of climbing dropped into my lap like a stone and for the entire month of August, I felt stuck and incapable of facing a rock wall again. I had been shying away from climbing, coming up with every excuse to avoid going to the climbing gym and the beautiful crag around me. But when it came time to commit to this trip, I had a decision to make.
I hadn’t seen these friends in awhile and could really use the company. I decided to join the group for a day and challenge myself to climb if I could. I wasn’t sure if I would have the courage to rope up and get on the wall, but it was definitely worth a shot.
I drove up to Redstone on Friday night, arriving at the campsite after dark. Friends were all around the fire, sharing food, drinks and laughs. It was such a sweet sight to walk in on, and I couldn’t have been happier to have made the decision to go on this camping trip.
After a very cold night in the mountains, we had breakfast around the fire, and began our trip to the Pup Tent crag outside of Glenwood Springs.
The group began to pick out their routes as I fearfully watched them make their way up the rock. Up until now, my heart wasn’t prepared to get back on the rock, but being face to face with the crag gave me a sense of determination that I didn’t have before. Mustering up the courage and being encouraged by my friends, I roped and committed to the climb.
I decided to go easy this time around, and top roped a couple 5.9 climbs and lead a 5.8 climb.
Getting out on the crag was more than just facing the recently reignited fear of climbing. While on the rock and looking out into the beautiful canyon behind me, I was reminded of how lucky I am to be able to climb. I find true joy when I’m out in nature, whether I’m hiking the rim of a canyon, climbing up a rock wall, or swimming in an alpine lake. And for me, making memories out in nature with close friends is what makes life worth living.
I’m in a special place in life where I have the time, financial freedom, and physical abilities to adopt the world as my playground. My biggest fear would be to look back on my life and realize I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities I had when I had them, especially if others around me weren’t given those same chance.
So I will continue to climb, because it gives me joy, but also because it allows you to experience that joy with me. Whether you are along side of me at the crag or in the comfort of your home reading my stories, I will continue to go so we can adventure together.
Climb on my friends. There’s a whole lot of life left to live.
