Reflections on the past year of climbing

In reflecting on this past year of climbing I know that it has had a rather profound impact on me, both as a climber and in my personal life.  This year has seen me go from a fairly confident 5.7/5.8 climber to a 5.10b climber, 3 full grades above what I was previously climbing when at my limit.  But there's something I've realized the past year that I feel I ought to bring out and share here.
I temper this increase with humility.  Ego can be a terrible thing in life if you let it get out of control.  With every climb I do, no matter the grade, I take the same steps to evaluate the route, the gear, my physical and mental state, and a host of other factors.  I remind myself to never take any pitch for granted.  Holds break, people knock rocks from above, gear can fail, bees or snakes could be lurking at a handhold, etc.  Every pitch matters and should be taken seriously, yet thoroughly enjoyed.  When we take these things for granted or have a casual approach, typically brought on by an overconfident ego, this leads to carelessness and mistakes or accidents result.

Another aspect where ego can rear its head is being boastful about what we do.  Sure, everyone wants to feel recognized and valued for their achievements.  But this too can get out of hand and it takes many forms.  I know for sure I've been guilty of this at various times, the most recent when I babbled-on about the gear placements on a particular route to a friend.  I felt pretty bad about it later when he brought it to my attention.  That voice in my head came back saying, "some things you've gotta let people figure out for themselves or you ruin the experience."  I'm sure each of you has seen this or maybe done it.  You may not even consciously know that you're doing it.  I see it far too often at the gym.  So when you feel that need to blurt out this or that about a route or about how awesome you are, just stop.  Think.  Hold that urge for a second and then just let it pass and go.  Just let air come out of your mouth instead and see what happens.

With regard to ratings, I've made a pact with myself to not get hung-up on them and to try to refrain from deliberately using the rating of a particular climb in discussions where I know I'd only be bringing it up to stroke my ego.  I just mention the name of this or that climb.  If someone asks how hard it is I will give general descriptions, with limited beta.  If they ask the grade I will of course tell them.  I will try to do this for all climbs, even stuff in the gym...which is hard because sometimes it's the only way to refer to something like "the 5.10 crack" or something like that.

Finally, I stated that this has also affected my personal life.  I've noticed that when I let go of my ego and allow humility, a lot of good things happen.  I see other's points of view better.  I hear people more clearly because I take the time to really pay attention and not just think about what I want to do or say.  I can relate better and have more meaningful discussions.  Friends know that I really care instead of probably thinking that I only want to be heard and seen.

It is an amazing moment when we can laugh about the adventure we had on a route, instead of bragging about how awesome we are.  Where we realize how well climbing can be a reflection of our lives and give us introspection.  A great example was a route I did this fall at Seneca Rocks in WV.  My partner, halfway through the route was struggling.  I heard an exasperated cry as he pulled through the crux, "damn it Andy, this is f'n hard.  How the hell'd you lead this?"  I smiled, laughed and yelled back, "I don't know...I just did it and had fun!"  Those are the moments I cherish.  And those are the experiences and lessons I take back to my non-climbing life; the one with friends and family who don't climb with me, yet I love just as much if not more than my climbing friends.  Because in the rest of life there are easy sections and cruxes, rests and falls.  There are times when it seems we just keep falling, yet thankfully the protection we have in place (i.e. friends and family) keeps catching our fall.  Other times we start along a new route we've never set foot upon.  We think we can see what lies ahead but we aren't completely sure.  Still, we risk it, knowing that the thrill of the journey is what matters and our confidence in ourselves and the tools we have acquired and carry with us resolves us to continue.  And then, every so often we are treated to one of those moments...the ones where we glimpse an outstanding vista of the beauty around us from the top of a peak or simply in the person sitting next to us on the couch.