Identifying and overcoming natural fear is one of the pleasing struggles intrinsic to climbing.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
When you are on a climb, you always pick out people's words of encouragement, and it can push us on, without doubt.
There's something about being afraid, about being small, about enforced humility that draws me to climbing.
The types of climbing that I choose to do I'm good at justifying. I do really try and pick things that I'm going to live through. I don't want to die, and I'm relatively cautious. I play with that line all the time. I want things that are very exciting, so much so that they can feel almost spiritual.
I generally don't climb something if it makes me feel fear. The beauty of soloing is that there's no pressure - no one's telling me to do it. So if something seems scary, I don't have any obligation to do it. I can prepare further or just walk away entirely.
I feel like I'm climbing as well, if not better, than ever.
You learn over years of expeditions that having faith, and putting one foot in front of the other, you do end up pulling off climbs that seem completely impossible. There's a certain beauty to that. It has an allure.
I'm not afraid of heights. I rock climb. I can repel off the side of a building.
Through climbing, I've learned to find goals and work toward them. That's just the way I love to live.
To me, climbing is like eating or drinking. I have to do it; it's part of my life.
I've always hated the danger part of climbing, and it's great to come down again because it's safe.