From http://cremnomaniac.wordpress.com/ – an essay on “Who Is A Climber?”
Quote from it: “It is sustenance as necessary as the air we breathe. Even in the midst of long absences, climbing remains a preoccupation of our thoughts.”
It’s an interesting article. A twee bit dramatic but it touches a lot on the constant struggle in my head. I conflict with calling myself “A climber” vs. saying, “Eh, I kind of climb.” I enjoy climbing/bouldering at the gym 1-2x a week, enjoy the gear, getting out with friends, meeting new friends and touching real rock. In fact, I stood in the rain this past weekend at Index,watching guys aid and free climb (and surprised myself by free climbing up wet rock too) just because I knew I needed to be by some real rock because I’m already getting bored at the climbing gym.
But I don’t eat/drink/breath/think/absorb/digest climbing like most of my climb friends. I don’t have a stack of guide books next to my bed, I don’t constantly talk about it everyday. I don’t keep my weekends open just so I can climb. I don’t spend my evenings pouring through web site after web site and forum after forum researching routes and gear. I don’t have a climbing training plan.
Tiffany Royal 