Why do I climb? What does climbing teach you?

That’s a great question. I would say that although climbing is highly individual you should not downplay the significant impact a team can have on your performance and character development. Climbing with a single partner or a group takes a lot of trust and creating that community of trust and support is invaluable.

I would also say that it is important to remember how brave it is to be a climber—we put ourselves in difficult, scary situations because we seek an incredible challenge. This bravery can be translated into so many aspects of life. Anyone who says they like to fall is crazy. The goal of climbing is not to fall or to send, we push ourselves to be stronger and better so we don’t let go. That is not to say, you are not going to fall, going to fail. Failure is inevitable if you are going to improve. We hit walls, we push past them, we create new walls. You have to crave a challenge and discomfort to be a good climber. A project is not going to feel good or easy until it is mastered. Mastery does not come from doing a climb once, twice, three times it takes time and patience.

Finally, remember that we climb because it is fun! Climbing is an awesome way to move around your body and feel great. Growing up as a competitive climber can change your perspective so it is important to step back and recognize why we are climbing. Climbing takes you all over the world to beautiful places and makes you meet incredible people—this is truly what it is all about.