READ FROM BOTTOM UP
zenith.
That is the joy of climbing. Planning, impressing, doing, going, climbing, getting to that coveted
I can do.
filled with shock and awe at what
afterthought, but doesn’t go unnoticed. I relish the moments I look down and see their faces,
surround me. It doesn’t scare me, but excites me. To be better than these people is an
The ceiling seems to stretch up before me as I crane my neck. College students and adults
myself and my thoughts.
Without other people to joke around with, I’m left with
are when I’m alone.
Having my friends there is exciting, because we share the same passion, but the best moments
ages.
As I reach with my right hand, my muscles tense as if they’ve prepared for this moment for
As I grab each hold, all I see is the next one. I don’t think about anything else. It all fades away.
to the end.
The fact that you are in charge of yourself and you are the only one who can motivate yourself This is what I love about climbing.
top.
the
to
get
until I
hold
another
grab
lift—
arm…
left
foot…
right
up…
reach
going—
I’m
where
out
I plan
At the start,
Twice every week, I get my harness on, clip into the auto-belay, and prepare:
It is the way that I stop thinking and just keep doing.
Climbing is my escape.