It's all about the journey

Pitch 1 on the Zodiac (only 2,000 feet to go!)

People sometimes (actually a lot) ask why I climb big walls and especially why I would want to solo big walls. It's sort of a loaded question since to try and put into words anything you are extremely passionate about can be challenging. For me I think it boils down to the fact that it is a place where I can be completely in tune with myself and nature and the true sense of discovery that each adventure brings. Every trip I learn more and more about myself and what I am capable of. There is nowhere that I feel more connected to the universe than when I am floating across a sea of granite. Combine all of that with the pure physical and mental challenge and focus that you achieve for days on end and perhaps that may give you a glimpse into what it is that attracts me to these beautiful granite walls.

It can be a bit unnerving and overwhelming to sit at the base and look up and realize you are embarking on such a massive undertaking. But like any goal you have to cut it down into bite size chunks. Each day is broken down into pitches and rope lengths and individual moves as you make your way up. Once I begin climbing and get into a groove the minutes, hours, days pass by like clouds on the wind. As long as I am moving up eventually I know I will reach the top. One climb can be a lifetime of discovery even though it is just a small moment in time.