Todd's blog

Keeping climbing in perspective

As I stood in line at a local Starbucks for my post-lunch pick me up, a short middle-aged woman prattled on to the cashier about the calorie content of her beverage (nearly 800! Is that possible?). The young female cashier had seen me enter the store, walk up to the counter, and patiently wait my turn. The (apparently) under-stimulated woman continued to regale the poor cashier about how her doctor warned against consuming high-calorie items, like her stream-of-adjectives coffee choice. The young and polite cashier visibly started to wince and fidget as she realized I was (not so) patiently waiting my turn to get a simple cup of coffee.

Usually, I get agitated at this type of disrespectful, me-first, anti-social narcissism. Today, I was curious enough to let it play out and see what would happen. Somehow, I resisted the urge to butt into the one-sided “conversation” and tell the woman that she could talk to the cashier, the wall (or whomever) all she wanted on her time, but that others were on the schedule and just trying to buy a cup of Seattle sun. Finally, the woman turned and acknowledged that I was there, standing in line to buy a product, and not simply because I wanted to be subjected to her blather. At that point, she told the cashier she needed to go get her purse to pay for her drink and that perhaps she could help me until she returned with her money.

What’s the moral of the story? What does any of this have to do with climbing? Well, it occurred to me that although this woman wanted to believe someone else gave a damn about her caloric consumption, or anything else about her for that matter, she was wrong. So it is with climbing. I remember a quote I read somewhere which summed this sentiment up very nicely. Paraphrasing, it said “no matter what you do, 1 billion Chinese couldn't care less.”

People seem to get overly excited about the various styles, grade and ethics employed in climbing. But, let’s be realistic. While climbing can provide a great deal of satisfaction and personal fulfillment, your climbing (and mine too!) has very little positive effect on anyone else. At best, you may inspire others to push themselves to strive for, and achieve, their goals. The vast majority of climbers will never receive any form of remuneration from their climbing. To be a sponsored climber today, you must do something pretty special. Fundamental among sponsored climbers is the ability to climb especially well and/or boldly. So even though you may have just sent Chain Reaction (12c) at Smith after only half a dozen tries, you are as likely as those on Super Slab to need a day job.

Admit that modern climbing is purely for our enjoyment and that nothing we accomplish through climbing means a whit in the real world. The world will neither be better nor worse for our having climbed a route or a mountain. Your friends may be happy that you accomplished something that brings you joy, but they probably don’t give a rip about the grade, the route, or much else about the experience. Many people view climbing as utter nonsense, a contrivance for thrill-seeking and chest-beating adolescents whose lives must be very cushy to have the luxury of goofing off in such a manner. And, who can deny it?

With the exception of adding fixed anchors or altering/defacing the rock through aggressive gardening or chipping, people should feel free to climb any way they see fit. If you want to top rope a boulder problem, go for it. If you want to free solo a multi-pitch trad route, more power to you. Want to stick clip and batman from bolt to bolt to say you got up some test piece? Whatever makes you happy. Feel free to aid climb a classic free route so long as you employ clean gear. The point is: I don't care what you do as long as you're not interfering with my experience. As always, your rights end where my nose begins.

Part of the beauty of climbing is the personal satisfaction a climber derives from it. This is as true for the beginner who has successfully challenged their fear of heights as it is for the veteran climber who has just sent his/her latest project. But, if you're hoping to get recognized for your climbing efforts, you had better do something very memorable. Within the climbing community, people like Alex Honnold and Lynn Hill are superstars and household names. Even these “celebrities of climbing” are not well known among the general population, however.

So, to the lady in line at Starbucks (serving as metaphor for climbers), I say “probably best not to assume anyone wants or cares to know anything about you or your interests. But you do you, and have a nice day!”