HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED
Hello and thanks for visiting my climbing blog!
My name is Scott and I live in Atlanta, GA. I always had an interest in climbing mountains, but never really knew how to get started. In January of 2005, the company I was working for decided to open an office in Memphis and I volunteered to move and help get things kicked off. When I arrived in Memphis I only knew one person, whom I met a few years prior at a wedding, so I gave him a call. He agreed to meet me that evening, but couldn't stay out late because "...he was heading to Africa the next day." Upon meeting him that night, I learned he was leaving the next morning to try his hand at climbing Kilimanjaro.
The next morning, I was talking to my mother and telling her about the conversation from the previous night. During this conversation she asked me if I realized my Uncle Steve had been a climber for years. "No," I responded. She gave me his phone number and the following weekend I made a call to a relative I hadn't spoken to in years. Little did I know how much that call would change my life!
In the 6 years since, I've been to Africa (Tanzania & Kenya), Russia (Moscow & Mineral'Nye Vody), Mexico, Georgia (The country, not the state), and South America (Chile & Argentina), summitted Mt. Kilimanjaro, Mt. Elbrus, and Mt. Rainier, made two attempts at Cerro Aconcagua, an attempt at Ixta, made quick stops in London and Quito, Ecuador, met an endless number of extraordinary people, and developed a new relationship with my uncle.
The blog entries, pictures, and details below are my attempt to share my adventures with the rest of my friends and family. I hope you enjoy!
ZJ: I thought about this last night as I walked with weighted vest around the Raccoon River Complex. It seemed hard to understand why someone getting ready for a major climb would ... well, do something dumb like engaging in a meaningless race. But after hearing this song it all seemed so simple. I listened over, over and over to the lyrics and I'm sure you'll agree with me. (Because it's not my time...) So now I know why you tried to injure your foot in this - choke-choke - "race". You see unconsciously you really don't want to train. See in your head you can hear the words to the lyrics playing over, over and over again. What do you think? Feeling like taking some time off? Yawn.... oh pass me the remote. Can ya? Would ya? Could ya?
ReplyDeleteBabu' ;-0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpfhcljJ9bQ
Training is the easy part. The difficult part isn’t yet in your face or inside your head; but its there. You and I both know it’s there. On the way up it's all about what you didn't do down here. That is what adds up. Because in the end - at the very top it's what you didn't do down here that will keep you from getting there. It is in those moments when you're feeling the absolute crappiest ... that it's all about the demons you can chase away when you're on the mountain. Up there it's about the demons who are in your face, screaming at you, playing tricks on your mind, bugging you about how a nice comfortable mattress feels and how nice shiny porcelain looks and feels. I know you know all about those things ... The mountain demons will be there throwing rocks, laughing at you and dropping rocks in your path; you may stumble or fall down, but in the end you and only you will or won’t have the fortitude to pick yourself up and crawl if that's what it takes.
ReplyDeleteAnd whether you can crawl that extra inch is all about what you didn't do back home, this weekend, next weekend or the weeks that follow. The past is the past – and nothing you can do will change what you didn’t do then. But you control the now and the future now’s.
Here look at this one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDK5qGlLT8s
Like Al says it’s all about the inches, six inches in front of your face...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WO4tIrjBDkk
My biggest fear in training, besides injury, is that I get bored with training. The mountain likes it when you get bored or distracted or just want to do nothing. She loves it. Because she knows later she’ll make you pay the price and save the top for the better mountaineers.
That little boo-boo on your foot isn't a reason not to train. The pain when walking or running is good pain and will remind you that Mother Mountain cares not that you are there and need to get to the top. She sends climbers packing every day and it's only those with the will power to train with pain down here - no matter how painful - that let's you slide by her up there.
If you want it bad enough ignore the pain, the blister, the rawness of the feel and go the extra mile. With every sting of pain in your foot smile and remember you’re beating back the high altitude demons.
So, so true!!! Everyone should be required to climb at least one peak over 17K, then they would understand your comment!
ReplyDelete