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Editorial
Why do you climb?
“Why do you climb those vertical rock walls? Do you have a death wish?”
I was asked this not so long ago at a dinner party we were attending. It is not an easy question to answer, particularly if it is in general conversation.
“How do you get the rope up there? What happens if you can’t carry on, if you freeze up?” And so the questions go on.
Fair enough really, I suppose to a non-climber it must seem pretty senseless and terrifying, hanging in a semi upside-down position, seemingly holding on by your fingertips, clawing your way up a cliff face, only to come down again, and often not even reaching a summit of any sort.
Actually, climbers climb for many different reasons, probably least of all to get to the top of a crag or rock wall. Okay, clipping the anchors at the top of your project, or reaching the summit of a spectacular peak is hard to beat, but what about the physical act of climbing – to glide effortlessly and in control over a section of rock has a certain euphoric feeling. All your senses come together to accomplish a choreographed dance up a vertical playground. Your mind is finely tuned, your body is one with the rock as you shift your weight from a smear to a heel hook. You caress the rough rock as you slowly and methodically piece together the sequence which allows you to unlock the craggy mysteries.
Then there is that surge of elation and accomplishment as you reach the stance or anchors after a particularly demanding pitch, and reflect on the perfect moves and the feeling in your aching forearms as the blood cleanses the lactic burn from your tired muscles, the chalk lying thick under your fingernails.
What about the position – three pitches up a Tafelberg (Cederberg) classic, you sit on your airy stance, pull out an energy bar and enjoy a moment of mental enrichment. You take off your shoes, wriggle your toes and look out over a desolate landscape that is alive with character, a pair of black eagles soaring effortlessly high above the crags. Thousands of square metres of ochre rock surround you, which you share with no one but your climbing partner, the rope between you forming a strong emotional bond.
After the route you lose yourself in a maze of twisted rock formations. Gargoyles follow you down every gully and await you around every corner. The sun sets over a million shades of blue as the walls around you are set alight by the refracted rays of a dying day.
The world is filled with places like this, every country has a myriad of hidden mountain treasures just waiting to be touched and explored. No life is long enough to even scratch the surface of what our planet has to offer, yet we can strive to see and experience as much as we can during our time. Little can compare to the breathtaking sight of the North faces of the Tre Cime in the Italian Dolomites, or the mighty K2 in the Karakoram, the soaring granite walls of Greenland, the elusive summit of Cerro Torre and not least of all the spectacular mountains and crags in our very own country.
So, next time someone asks you why you climb, sit them down and take them on a magical journey across our beautiful planet. They may just understand.
Be safe in those beautiful hills
Tony
Features
The First South African Ascent of Annapurna I – 8091m
by John Black & Warren Eva
The Colosseum
by Tristan van der Merwe
The Green Noise Revolution: Why CapeNature is causing a racket about conversation
Sunnycove Slipway turns 60S
by Heidi Schoute-Vanneck
Regulars
RAW Exposure
Clasic Tales: Desperate Times on Desperation Ridge
by Frederik & Katharien Bakker
Classifieds
Back Page Story: The Littlest Piggy
by Terence Livingstone
