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A climbers dilemma

July 12th, 2010 by Roberto

The one of the hardest part about being a climber is trying to convey the experience of climbing to others.  It is as if you know the answer, but you can’t articulate it.  You have a great story, but can’t tell it.  I have had similar experiences trying to tell a story to someone who doesn’t speak the same languages as me.  What makes it frustrating is that there are words that describe the experience, but the meaning of those words is far removed from their conventional definitions.  How do you define “mysteriously technical”, “mind blowing” even if you could recount the movements of a climb; even if you could describe the sounds of a day, it is still impossible to impart upon others the experience that you had.  It is yours and yours alone.  You want to share it, but you can’t.  This is the curse of climbing.

Posted in Bullshit, Off Route | 1 Comment

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  1. Reply
    Michael S says:
    August 4, 2010 at 6:04 am

    It is true! I’ve pretty much given up…I think they know there must be something magical to it…they know I’m willing to sleep in the dirt, wake up at 2,3 or 4 am, go all day, stumble back at dark…and if I’m lucky…do it all over again the next day. My “magic words” (I like your concept) are “exposure” and “flow.”

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