You know you feel old when “you could have been surfing for thirty plus years or climbing for twenty six years” if… one had stayed with it (either of them). So for me, surfing has been back for 7 years, but I am land locked. Climbing, which is all around me, is back again as well; Mostly because my son encouraged me to give it another whirl. Why did he take so long to ask me? Typical parental response!
In some respects, I have climbed off and on for many years, but not enough to really progress much. My friend Dean (who lives in June Lake, near Yosemite) has been a huge inspiration to me. On one climb, I took an incredible 60 minutes, to lead one stinking pitch; his patience was remarkable. Although it had been many years since placing a single piece of gear on a climb, my appetite was set for trad routes (placing gear in lieu of clipping bolts). If you can lead in Yosemite, you can lead anywhere. I hadn’t climbed much since then, but did have some motivation to take youth groups and “leaders” out for a day on the rocks. Super fun.
This leads up to the present. With a recent opportunity for Rescue Response Gear to do some filming with Peak Rescue Institute in Joshua Tree National Park, my old stomping grounds (Intersection Rock, The Old Women and The Blob) were in full view. Oddly enough, this is where my friend Dean first cut his teeth as well. A spectacular place, with stunning landscapes, clear skies, warm air and… wicked sharp rock with a nasty disposition for goof balls and those who lack the right gear. A 5.7 can quickly turn into something intimidating without things like a Black Diamond Camelot #4.
The two days prior to shooting were amazing; Climbing with my son, where twenty-five years before, I had started climbing… only he is much better than I was then. Still, the hook was set. The interesting plot in front me was forming. Rigging; placing gear, planning the belay stance on multi-pitch routes and setting three and sometimes four point equalized anchors were common. I loved it. At 50, I will never be able to climb “young” again, but securing the climbs (and falls), are certainly things I can do well enough and get better at. My life is much the same. The Lord has granted me many opportunities to help anchor or lead people… knowing placements, direction of falls (vector angles) and encouragement are huge and should never be shrugged off.
A recent outing at our local crag (Smith Rock) was another example where not having the right gear (again a #4 and #3 BD Camelot) meant certain problems for me; fortunately, a friend had both; Thanks Adam!
All this has lead me to a pivotal point in my life. Experience should lead to wisdom (applied knowledge, understanding and discernment over time; almost sounds like science) and if not, you end up “where only fools tread”; Proper rigging, as in life, is exactly the same. Whether securing a belay, being on the “sharp end” of the rope or creating anchors in anticipation of something really bad, a solid foundation and wisdom is mandatory. Without both, your life or someones day, could come to a halt real fast. As it has been said, “it isn’t fall that kills you, but the sudden deceleration”.
My friends, life can be a playground of blessings or poor reflection of who we are to be; pay attention to life and love people.
Lance
