We want to hear you tell your story. Are you a climber that is looking to improve? (i.e. Every climber ever)
We all get inspiration from many places. From working as a climbing instructor/guide to bringing new friends outside to belaying people on projects far beyond our grade range there is inspiration in it all. Everyone’s story will inspire someone to put in the extra day / push a little harder / take a much needed rest day.
That is why we are putting a call out to you, our readers, to Join the Journey!
Send us a quick summary of where you are in your climbing career, what your goals are, and what your plan is to get there. We will choose one person to be a contributor! Your stories will help motivate us and everyone who participates. When we come to visit your local crag you’ll end up in one of our videos too!
We can’t wait to hear from YOU
Hey Guys, Matthew Peck here, Iver really been enjoying this blog and it has inspired me in my own training, which is of course a lifelong affair. I started climbing when I was 15 years old at UNB Fred and was “brought up” by that community. It gave me a strong sense of the duty we have a climbers towards our crags, our fellows, our mentors and our students, something I try to keep in mind every day. Now, 17 years later I manage a climbing gym and am in the position where I often oversee many a future climber on their first steps in our sport. This is a lot of responsibility, and it drives me to do better and strive harder in my own goals to set an example.
On my future tick list lies discovering and climbing the uncharted ice of northwestern Nova Scotia, and hopefuly becoming comfortable at leading WI 5 in the process, knocking up a suitable resume of 5.10+ multipitch, developing a better understanding of the mountaineering skillset and reaching an appropriate fitness level to take my ACMG instructor course next spring. Its a heavy and intimidating list, but knowing that there are other driven climbers her in NS inspires me in the right direction.
Im headed to Banff and Squamish for a couple of weeks this spring to trail some professinal guides and develop a better theoretical feel for my climbing knowledge, most of which has been experiential rather than instructed. With that base I hope to run a couple trips of my own out here in the east and back out west in the fall to put those skills to the test. In the fall I am putting together an Ice primer for some of our regulars here at the Gym, beneficial for all climbing styles but specifically targeted at prepping climbers for the ice season. Over the next several years I will be honing these classes for the better as both my students and I learn from the experience.
Getting better at climbing is a lifetime affair. Ther are always ups and downs, but there ar a fw cardinal rules you learn along the way. Be humble: no one told the mountain how good you are, it doesnt care anyway. There is always a bigger fish; someoneelse will always be better than you, have more free time, be younger, have better natural ability. If its not fun now or a week from now, than why do it? Live the Standard; always practice to the highest level of your knowledge. Hopefully I will pick up a few more along the road.
Matt thanks so much for your thoughtful response! Really inspiring stuff to see where you’ve come from and where you hope to go in the coming years. We are also planning on heading into the interior CB highlands to develop long alpine style winter routes. This year got washed out by storms as the trail was shut down. We will be prepping hard for ice season this fall so lets stay in touch re: programming.
“No one told the mountain how good you are” Love it. Stay cool.
Matt thanks so much for your thoughtful response! Really inspiring stuff to see where you’ve come from and where you hope to go in the coming years. We are also planning on heading into the interior CB highlands to develop long alpine style winter routes. This year got washed out by storms as the trail was shut down. We will be prepping hard for ice season this fall so lets stay in touch re: programming.
“No one told the mountain how good you are” Love it. Stay cool.
Thanks for inviting your readers to participate in your blog, which I enjoy very much.
I’m at a very early stage in my climbing career, and although I’m getting a late start, I hope to make the most of it.
My goals are rather modest: I would like to become a competent alpinist that is equally at home on rock, ice and snow. I would also like to gain the skills necessary to do some climbing in the context of a larger trekking trip in wilderness areas such as those in northern Scandinavia (think Jotunheimen in Norway and Sarek in Sweden). I’m really excited to hear how your own summer plans coalesce, and of course I’m looking forward to your trip report. Your adventure sounds like the kind of expedition I would like to take on, although at a level appropriate to my abilities (i.e., novice).
To reach my goals, I’m taking courses from the German Alpine Club, following a training plan inspired by Steve House and Scott Johnston’s Training for the New Alpinism, and researching trips that sound like a good fit with my current abilities. I’m still looking for a climbing partner, and I think that this will take care of itself as I continue learning and spending time outdoors.
I agree with Matthew Peck’s earlier comment in this thread: “getting better at climbing is a lifetime affair.” For now, I’m loving the steep learning curve, the rapid improvement in my climbing, and the excitement of the challenges yet to come.
Hey Lee, thanks for sharing! Don’t worry about being late to the game – I’m 31 and have only been climbing seriously for the last ~3 years so definitely qualify as late to the game as well. I think what draws many of us to climbing is that the only real goal is to challenge yourself consistently regardless of whatever quantifiable level you happen to be at at any point in time. I’m sure that pushing from novice to intermediate is just as satisfying as really good to ‘really really good.’