A Climbers Guide To Climbing...Kind Of

Well ladies and gents its tuesday night. Typically a tuesday night for the Rock Cricket crew means very  casual schwilling of cheap beer or whiskey, and throwing ourselves at a very steep wall of plastic...but mainly talking alot of shit and laughing as much as possible. This isn't a typical tuesday though. Ryan injured his figures last week at TNB therefore he isn't climbing. Andy has holes in all of his fingers and is working to re-grow  them with some liquor. Dawson is dining and whining, and Alex and Kyle are slaving away for the man.

Speaking of laughing, that brings us to the point of this post. CLIMBING!
Climbing is a funny game of push and pull. you have strength vs. injury. Frustration vs. success. Pain vs. pleasure. Terror vs. focus. Technique vs. burl. having a great time vs. being a pissed off asshole. And being hung over vs. climbing well. Granted theres probably alot more involved, but no one cares.

In my mind climbing has a very clear definition (go climb rocks, have fun with your friends, hang out in the woods, enjoy weird movement, push your limits, scare the shit out of yourself, and always leave with a positive attitude because what you just did is awesome). I've found that  is not what climbing means to some people though. Its the same as any sport, people are always going to take it to the next level and make it into an aggravated shit show of who can pull the hardest move. Like turning a simple game of 'Tag You're It!' into football. I mean, whatever gets your twinks hard, but i don't believe thats where the origins of climbing started. Its an ancient animalistic outlet of artistic-ness. Don't get me wrong, i'm a total psycho when im working a project. Out in the woods screaming, shaking and slaping the rock. But its not only from frustration, its because im there with my friends raising the energy to another level. Who cares if you can't go home with a video of a hard send to post on DPM. The climbing world is quickly turning from a joyful community into a biast jury. WATCH OUT!

Well, we've got the arrogant rant out of the way so here is some more bullshit.

Smoking, Drinking, General debauchery and Climbing:

Wake and bake, drink too much Busch, roll your rollies, be a total dirt bag piece of shit, work hard, drink hard and climb harder.

Dawson often asks me what the secret to climbing hard is....well, refer to the prior.
Here is a quote from one of the best competition climbers in the world, Killian Fischuber. "Women, never had. Alcohol, don't like. Friends not many. Climbing, everything." To me that is fucked. Thats not what climbing is about. These robots train their lives away 365 days of the year for what? to say they're the best. Why? Look at Dave Graham. He never touches plastic. Those who train 7 days a week couldn't touch what he does, and he's always psyched! Killian just seems like a broken man. So whats your choice? No, im not saying you should be a drunk asshole dropping trow in the woods, and shouting about stump dabs and scouring....BUT think for a minute about what climbing means to you.

Also don't be surprised if one the Rock Crickets hikes your project with a cigaret  in his mouth and down grades it with no remorse.

Be psyched! Climb whats hard to you! and keep Scouring!

-Andy