There are messages that you hope to never receive—the ones that constitute nightmares. It was less than a year ago that I received one such message—“Eric is dead.” I was stunned by the news. I knew it would be climbing related. Eric Klimt was an amazing climber. But more than that, he was an incredible person and someone I truly aspired to be like. Kind … [Read more...]
ALWAYS Remember the Headlamp
Cold, hungry and tired … if by some miracle I did have cell service, this would have been my Facebook status update. But no, I did not have service - I didn’t even have a cell phone. Even if I did have those two luxuries, I would still have been perched like a homeless gargoyle on that ledge of rock. My climbing partner, Aaron, and I were, for all practical purposes, … [Read more...]
Go Outdoors: That Moment Someone Tries to Sh*t in Your Tent
My sore muscles cried out in rebellion as I clambered out of the tent and onto crunchy ice. My sleep deprived mind racing, trying to figure out if I should actually let her… Minutes prior, my girlfriend, Natalie, had demanded I evacuate the premises of my brand new tent so she could turn it into a make-shift outhouse. I was perplexed - after all, her reasoning was valid - … [Read more...]
Go Outdoors: Go outside, your health demands it
For centuries, poets like John Muir, Henry David Thoreau and Robert Frost have pondered it. Yet, I think Lenny Pepperbottom, in his series Neature Walk, best describes it when he said, “Neature is Neat.” What is it that all these great poets were alluding to? It is the tangible clarity that comes from spending time in the outdoors. According to the National Geographic … [Read more...]
