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Wall Street Journal Analyzes Climbers

PhotobucketThe Wall Street Journal printed an article titled “Why Climb a Mountain? A New Museum Tries to Explain.” The article discusses a new museum built in Golden, Colorado that tries to address the question of why people actually climb mountains (alpine style) or huge routes like the Nose on Yosemite. The article made me smile as it was written from a non-climber perspective and because it seemed so silly to me to have a museum trying to understand my main hobby. For instance is there a Why Golf? museum out there somewhere?

My favorite quotes / sections from the article:

“One section [of the museum] is called “In search of difficulty”, which is as good a definition of alpinism I’ve ever heard”

The writer wraps up the article on how if the museum was to actually emulate a climbing experience how it would have to be this horrible place that was freezing cold and where you don’t eat. And then writes “such a museum would, in other words, be a place that no one in his or her right mind would visit.”

But my all time favorite quote, “Is there a more senseless activity than climbing a mountain? And yet a small number of otherwise (mostly) normal people make it the organizing principle of their lives. Why?”

Ha ha ha. What an interesting viewpoint!  Though I found it humorous, it made me re-circle on why I actually do climb? (And note that I am more of a cragger rather than a multi-pitch climber or alpinist.) I often think about the reasons and think they are plentiful:

  • I love the intense workout
  • I love the culture and attitude that accompanies the climbing lifestyle. It is one of simplicity and independence.
  • Climbing allows me to enjoy the outdoors, finding new areas of my local canyons while learning about geology and the qualities of different rock types
  • I find it to be amazing when I realize how a miniscule feature can support my weight or how a single finger can pull my body up a wall
  • The movement of climbing is invigorating
  • Climbing takes me to places that very few people experience
  • Climbing has given me an appreciation for aesthetic rock formations and lines
  • Being able to climb these intense lines gives me confidence and makes me realize that I can be strong
  • Climbing makes me trust people, trust with my life

But the number one reason (hence why I love that last quote the most) is climbing is definitely a mental game, anything BUT mindless. It makes me push through my limits of sheer exhaustion, teaches me to face fear (fear of falling, fear of slamming into a wall, fear that my gear won’t work, fear that my belayer might not catch me right … fear of failure), and when the variables all come together I can experience almost this “zen” situation where I feel like I can do anything (hitting new redpoints). I love to climb because I believe that someday I can learn how to capture this zen-like state and move it into other areas of life, using this mind-set to address fears elsewhere. It sounds so silly to actually put it into words, but climbing makes me mentally strong.

What do you readers think? If you are a climber, why do you climb?

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 8th, 2008 at 5:20 pm and is filed under climbing, news. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • Ah, the classic problem of the journalist who doesn't know what the heck he/she is talking about. I've been there -- but I hope I've tried better than this WSJ story to actually grasp what's going on. It's easy as pie -- but totally unfruitful -- to write a story from the angle of "Can you believe these crazy kids? They're riding MINIATURE SURFBOARDS with ROLLER-SKATE WHEELS attached to them! Isn't that weird?!"

    *sigh*

    I like what you say about pushing your limits with climbing. It reminds me of something I read here, where former chess champion Josh Waitzkin talked about transferring what he knew about "touching Quality" in chess to his new discipline of martial arts.
  • NYPE Analyst
    It is a well established fact that NYPE Analyst, Bruce Equity (all derivatives and alter-egos), all immediate relatives and (most friends) are terrified of heights.

    After spending every waking hour over the past three years analyzing the risk/reward profile of potential investment opportunities, it is clear (from my perspective) that I would be terribly uncomfortable with the risk/reward ratio of climbing a mountain, a boulder or even a small hill. Due to my profession, my mind has been trained to immediately identify downside scenarios. There are several unappealing downside scenarios to related to climbing on things, foremost of which, is falling off of them. Now, to be fair, I have no idea what the odds are of such catastrophe, so from this point forward I will be talking about my perception of risk and % likelihood of disaster.

    For me to even consider the possibility of falling to my death, there would need to be a substantial reward opportunity associated with this risk (and I’m not talking about the spiritual kind). I’m thinking that for every 1% chance that I have of falling (real or perceived) I would need to be compensated on the order of $5-$7 million. This means that in order for someone to talk me into a climb that had a 10% perceived probability of me falling, you would need to have somewhere between $50 and $70 million available for compensation. This would imply that I would value my life at $500 to $700 million, if I did the math under certain circumstances I likely wouldn’t value myself so highly, however, I am placing a considerable premium on this valuation due to the fact that falling to my death is significantly more unappealing to me than most other possibilities.

    If you are independently wealthy (or can work out some sort of sponsorship deal) and wish to see me climb a mountain, feel free to contact my attorney and we’ll get it done.

    NYPE Analyst
  • brilliant
  • Joe Simpson explores this theme in The Beckoning Silence, its well worth a read.
  • Route Slayer
    My reasons for alpine climbing and sport climbing are different and in some ways similar. In both summiting and redpointing helps me deal with work and other problems in life, and leaves with me happy memories when things are hard or good.

    Alpine climbing makes me so very small, tests my strength and endurance hour after hour, and allows me to meditate and sort out priorities. (Although sometimes the weather sucks, partners, avalanche danger and other things can prevent a summit victory which is difficult). The mountains share with me their beauty, power, wonder, serenity, peace. When I reach the summit or an awesome view I feel alive, reinvigorated... John Muir once said the mountains are calling and I must go.

    I love rock climbing because it forces me to focus, on a crux move I am only thinking about what is in front of me ALL other cares of the the world and what other people are thinking disappear (although sometimes I do think about falling). I love the motion of climbing, like a dance with the rock. I agree with you the movements are invigorating especially when you make it through a difficult section. I like sharing successes with others and when I fail there is always support from the climbing crew.
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