Between Summit and SkyJust a quick look at climbing, or perhaps a simplification of it, by what the so called experts say. To be honest though - and many purists will more than agree, they seem to live by the credo – climbing is very simple, anyone can do it. So when I say “experts” I actually just mean those men and women who live for it, those who’ve made this, their passion, also their profession. “Mountains are not Stadiums where I satisfy my ambition to achieve, they are the cathedrals where I practice my religion.” A note on myself: I'm in the midst of several writing (1 designing) projects, so in considering my blog and wanting to put up a post on climbing, words kind of failed me at an inopportune time, but thankfully I'm not the first to arrive at this juncture - not for naught is the saying "I'm speechless" rendered so commonly whilst gazing at the horizon from a mountain summit. It is a space where words are not needed (and sometimes being short of breath is also a contributing factor). It's this silence that resonates loudest in the hearts of all climbers. Hence I've tossed in all these quotes because they say what needs to be said... I do have serious inclinations to take my climbing to new levels (pun intended) and take it more seriously (whether mountaineering or rock climbing), but its about the personal journey, and in short, the philosophy that conveniently stands above all is summed up well enough in the last quote of this post! Hopefully it will inspire you - "Writing about climbing is boring. I would rather go climbing." “For me, the value of a climb is the sum of three inseparable elements, all equally important: aesthetics, history, and ethics. Together they form the whole basis of my concept of alpinism. Some people see no more in climbing mountains than an escape from the harsh realities of modern times. This is not only uninformed but unfair. I don’t deny that there can be an element of escapism in mountaineering, but this should never overshadow its real essence, which is not escape but victory over your own human frailty.” I included the above film because I believe Messner's sentiments (From 36.00' - 39.00') about the invisible paths/lines on the mountains are so true of life. “...seen from above, landscapes are made up of mountains and watercourses. Just as a transparent model of the human body consists of a framework of bone and a network of arteries, the earth's crust is structured in mountain ridges, river, creeks, and gullies.” "The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun." [Image Credits: wall.alphacoders.com, alexbuisse.com]
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Alex Honnold: Some call him brave, a genius,some call him crazy, others call him stupid... whatever your angle, there's no denying that Honnold is carving out his own legacy, even when proverbially picking up Dan Osman's baton - I can only tip my hat to you sir - the level of commitment needed, where a mistake is unthinkable - when considering his movement, technique, ability and courage... it does lean very strongly toward art! Age: 28 Country: USA Occupation: Professional rock climber Known for: Being a mind bogglingly astounding rock climber. Free solo ascents of big walls (including his recent work on half-dome El Capitan in the Yosemite National Park) Random Facts:
The next video is fairly "tame" by his standards, but the scenery and photography is just breathtaking. Reminder: click the full screen button when viewing - its a lot better that way! This one's more like it - The second half of this short clip from 'Alone on the Wall' is heart in mouth stuff! If you've got time to spare, here's the link to the piece on him by 60 Minutes. The video below by The North Face I found on "Never Stop Exploring" - you can find the link at the bottom of the post. “When all the movements just feel so crisp, and precise and perfect, you don’t feel pain in your fingers so much. You can tork on them super hard…you just feel stronger…” A battle with Gravity - A return to the Wilderness, Part 2 On the way up it pulls you down with a whisper, then conversational advice, and then a scolding voice saying: 'don’t go, it’s too high, it’s too steep…' on the way down, it welcomes you, feeding your tired momentum as your brain has violent and bloody premonitions of you falling face first into the stone and gravel. Here, below, is a look at a truly grand weekend, tackling my toughest hike thus far. A great challenge it most definitely is, though the real test lies – knowing now what I went through – in going back and, having at it again. This was my first time (along with several others), but there were those in our team who were climbing this mountain for the 2nd, 3rd and even 5th time (our leader Ricky has made it a yearly pilgrimage for the last half a decade). I won’t regale you as to why we climb, why we brave freezing temperatures, or what compels us to wade through thick foliage or clamber up and over boulders on all fours… that’s for another day (or perhaps last week’s entry, but I will say that it is a deep and resolute compulsion… actually, it can be summed up in a simple way: it makes you come alive! For we were not made for offices, streets, suits and skyscrapers, we were made for the wild. It will not shout nor prance, it will appear to you as a subtle tap on the shoulder, a veritable whispered secret, in the way the sea calls to a sailor. Once you turn to answer, you'll keep going back for more... for ourselves, for closeness to God, for survival, a photo op, for passion, inspiration, or just, to escape. High Fives, slaps on the back and hugs to Lenoray, Ricky, Juwelin, Mama T, Nina, Quentin, Mike, Frank, Gavin, Nicole… and of course me. To great company, breathtaking views and sore limbs; Cheers! Till the next time... "To-morrow We Disappear Into The Unknown" "You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover is yourself." Here’s some notes for those looking to give this hike a go, here are some vital bits of info… The Hut close to the summit sleeps about 20 so if your team is not big you will probably end up sharing the facilities with several teams. You will hence have to pre-book as there’s usually a waiting list (we somehow managed to squeeze in at the perfect time). Contact Megan for further arrangements and ironing out of details [email protected] The arrangements are as follows; you’ll drive to the “base” hut/house where your cars will be driven to a more secure location in the town of Robertson – where from you’ll be shuttled back to the house (facilities include beds/mattresses, kitchen, indoor braai, hot water, toilets etc… there is electricity). You’ll climb up to the hut on day one (also with warm water, mattresses braai place, so bring your own meat). You climb down on day 2 – brace yourself, it’s a B*t*h of a down climb! Call ahead on the way down for the shuttle, so you can collect your car/s. This hike is rated as SEVERE - and it lives up to it! Direction’s: From Worcester, enter Robertson (on main road/Voortrekker) Turn Left into Paul Kruger Street (just before KFC). Continue along this road for a while. It will feel as though you’re exiting Robertson as it bears/deviates slightly to the right. Eventually you’ll come to a four-way stop (with green fields ahead and to the right) Turn left into Paddy Street. (*Apologies, I was tired and didn’t count the number of streets you’ll pass to get this far). You’ll then pass through a small suburb. Drive straight; continue past the Dagbreek Primary School, and over the speed bumps. Eventually the road will turn to gravel and will bend toward the left. The road will wind up into the hills for a kilometer or 2 until you find the Dassishoek hut on your left (it has an open sided corrugated iron carport on one side. - Go in peace - God Bless! - A Return to the Wilderness, Part 1 I write this whilst mentally planning for a hike. Hopefully this time next week I’ll be writing from the proverbial “other side” of that mountain. It doesn’t seem like much I know, like making a fuss over something hundreds, if not thousands have done before me, and more still will do after, but allow me to put things in context… For the last few years I’ve been telling people that I’ve written a book, and only one person really, beyond a shadow of a doubt can back me up on that claim, yes my family has seen snippets as well as some friends and professionals I’ve networked with, but largely, it remains a feat that for the most part people just have to take on my word. But that doesn’t say much. On this journey I’ve seemingly gone about things in my own way – backwards that is… Leon Uris wrote that to be a writer we have to acknowledge within ourselves that we’re either insane or very naïve; this I have discovered over and over again. Can I compete with the best out there? Is my work good enough (even as I work constantly to improve it)? Do people actually want to hear what I have to say? – And on that note: What exactly do I have to say that warrants such an endeavour? - These are questions every writer faces. Inevitably, I’ve also learned that we preach about what we ourselves need to learn, and that, is what I’ve been doing for the last few years (in the very least anyway), learning. Which brings me back to the mountain; I was once asked how it is that I’m such a good climber (referring in that instance to rock climbing) – truthfully I’m not that great at it, but let’s just say that I’m “contextually adept”… this was when I first started, and as a beginner my reply was: “I guess I was always a rock climber in my mind, except that physically, I just wasn’t. So then, when I eventually got the opportunity, it all sort of felt natural” – this is something I’ve been working to apply to my writing career as well, because once you actually make that huge leap, or take the first step/hold on that first climb, are you really what you claim to be, what you believe yourself to be? That is where Faith creeps into the reckoning. Needless to say we all have our personal journey and have to travel it and negotiate its challenges in our own way. The Spiritual life cannot be made suburban. It is always frontier, and we who live in it must accept and even rejoice that it remains untamed. I’ve been doing some interesting reading of late, earnestly this time (the first real reading, that wasn’t specified research of some kind, since I started writing my book), from books that have appealed to me personally (one of which I reviewed a couple of weeks back). The one I’m currently about to finish is titled ‘Wild at Heart’ about defining, seeking and understanding the true heart of a man. It’s a book every man, or anyone who calls himself one, should read. I’ll zero in on one thing though… that of the wilderness. You see, within the heart of the true man lies the desire to explore, to be the frontiersman and lay foot upon unbroken ground, to return to the wild. It’s interesting that when people do this (not just men), they inexplicably relate the experience as being something akin to spiritual, because in reality, it is our spiritual home. So if you acknowledge the spirit within a man, within yourself, then you must realize that that Spirit, is in fact wild as well. The flesh is weak and confining and finite, but the spirit is unrestricted and strong and eternal, but only if we embrace it. Take the Bible for what it is physically – a book – and in this book of stories from many writers there is a tale of when God made Adam (in the wilderness) and brought him into the Garden of Eden (where he made Eve)… the point being this: there is a reason why men often put up pictures of untamed landscapes in their house or office, and it is about way more than simply beauty. It is the CALL of the wild, beckoning him to come home, and re-energize for his daily battles. Incidentally, the Bible also states that our spirit is our direct link to God (if you take it as more than just a book of stories). (It begs the question: where does this spiritual realm come from?) Your spirit is wild, which is why so many choose to ignore it, or don’t acknowledge it at all, because it is also dangerous, but it remains the key to you coming alive. So, I’m heading up to a mountain (along with over a dozen other brave souls, male and female), into that wintery cold, clouds and snow, to in some way symbolically cap off or underscore this mini chapter in my life – which just so happens to coincide with the near completion of the third draft of my novel (which I’ve renamed Peacekeeper – about a man who discovers what it really takes to fight the battles he faces, even when he doesn’t see it coming, when he’s alone and outmatched). The true heart of man is not a mere fleshy pump in his chest, but is in, and is, his spirit and the exploration of the vast untamed mystery of this creation we like to call life. Yes, there will be splendor, but there will also be pain lurking in that dangerous unknown, this is a battle after all. I pity those who think less of it… but there is always hope. Part of it is living on the border between life and death, or living on the border between the material and immaterial, and learning how to apply that spiritual world, to the natural of everyday. Getting back to the wild then, is about getting back to the frontier for easier access into the transcendent part of ourselves which is more than elemental. For me, personally, it’s about getting closer to God. Watch This trailer in FULL Screen mode. These Guys are just as crazy - I admire them because I suck at slack-lining and I've never attempted highlining, and wish I could do those things, but I cannot, and I cannot condone this either, even though its cool! - Leave it to the Frenchies! Me, on Milnerton beach a couple of years ago 2012 marks a big year in my writing career... it may not look it, but many seeds have been sown. For one, I started this website and blog (albeit at the behest and encouragement of friends). I subsequently also joined Twitter... these may seem like small things, but for me and my trajectory as a writer/author, it is kind of essential elements, tools if you will, going forward. I also happened to trek through the Fish River Canyon along with a great group of people (read more about that by clicking on the Fish River Canyon tab in the sidebar). I also joined Joel Kanar's team as a film reviewer at Inthekan.net, then I became a member of the African Renaissance Foundation - accepting their mandate within a growing movement on this beautiful and troubled continent. I've made many new friends, both professional and social (Thanks to all of you, old and new), and am nearing the completion of a third (yes 3rd!) draft of my debut novel The Quiet Days (although this name is subject to change - once this draft is complete - I'm holding out though as I'm quite sentimental about it...) God has blessed me abundantly, though I know it is nothing compared to what awaits me in the coming year, as well as the responsibility which comes with it A Passion (albeit somewhat neglected this year) Progression by Bigup Productions - I recommend it It was released a few years ago, but watch it, if only just to see the legendary Chris Sharma send his Clark Mountain "impossible" superclimb project. Oh what the heck - just because I'm cool that way, here's a more detailed video of Sharma's heroic climb as featured on National Geographic. |
[Banner illustration by Joel Kanar]
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