THE REAL REASON I ROCK CLIMB

Having climbed for a number of years, I would definitely say that rock climbing has been a huge pillar of my existence.

Many times I had asked myself why I was so into rock climbing. Why it was worth it to spend the evening training my finger strength, or actively obsessing over the beta-intensive crux of the “project climb” I had been working on for weeks. It wasn’t until I took a long hiatus from the sport that I actually fully understood the answer to that question.

As I started pushing into harder grades, climbing became less about the adventure and adrenaline rush.

Rock climbing started to create a way for myself to tangibly measure and witness the degree to which my mental body is connected to my physical body (how tapped in I was)— and how that then corresponded to a direct harmonious connection to the Earth.

There are many times when I hop on the rock, itching to climb, and find myself climbing poorly. One-hundred percent of those times, it is a reminder that I need to take more time to drop into a deeper connection with my body.

And I know when I am climbing at my peak ability, because it honestly feels damn good.

I dance my way up the rock,

moving swiftly through motions I memorized

clear, calm, connected

an unspoken mind, I feel hypnotized

with hands gripped and muscles tired

my mind panics as I start to breathe fire

and then I remember

I am responsible for tranquility

as it is my connection to self

that determines my abilities

- Lane