I've been listening to Tony Robbins since 1988. In all seriousness...without his coaching and methods, it's unlikely that I would have gotten past some of my biggest challenges..or even survived . My ability to successfully navigate some of the dark days of business, family and life came from the studying his methods. My ability to manifest the greatest days of my life came from the same source.
In 1988, I spent 200 bucks that I didn't really have to order a tape set from late night TV. It was literally ...a life altering decision. ( I phoned a 1-800 number...made the order to a "real" person...they mailed a box full of cassette tapes with a bill attached. I in turn, wrote a cheque..and mailed it out to pay for the tape set.)
Here's a few points that are important.
There is a quote that goes something like this " when the student is ready, the teacher will appear."...
Whether it's Tony Robbins or Wayne Dyer or Bugs Bunny or your neighbor...when you are "ready" and open to it...a teacher that is in alignment with what you need will show up in your life.
Now this is interesting...In my life I have had the pleasure of introducing dozens of people to the sport of rock climbing. This means traveling to a rock climbing destination, teaching the basic methods..and then gradually moving on to climbing hundreds or even thousands of feet above the safety of the ground.
My success rate..my conversion of non-climbers to enthusiastic rock hounds is 100%. What that means is...whoever actually gets to the rock..and puts on a harness and rock shoes....will be sold on the idea of being a climber. Doing the impossible...going higher than they ever thought possible...taking massive risk and having huge fun doing it. 100% is a pretty solid number. ( The only time that the students don't follow through long term... is when there is a lack of qualified partners )
My success rate/conversion rate, when I train newbies in a weightlifting gym is less than 50 %. The lifestyle change, the reading/study that I ask for...the pain and the lack of internal motivation keeps a lot of people from adapting the gym and weights lifestyle. Being supremely fit just isn't a strong enough driver to cause long term change.
My success rate/conversion rate at turning people on to the teachings of Tony Robbins is exactly 0%.
Not one person has ever had the "Holy shit...I really need to have this" moment.
Mostly, they are totally repelled by what they see and hear. It's a strong visceral response...as in "There's no fucking way that I'm going to listen to some freaky looking guy YELL at me and tell me how to run my life...my life is just fine the way it is."
So...this makes me think that people would rather hang from a string, 1000 feet above the ground...than listen to ideas about how to live and think in a new and improved way...maybe it's something else, I don't know.
Here's what I believe...If you only absorb and actually use 1/10th of the information given...your life will change massively. In a few months or years..there will be a new version of you.
Find a teacher or mentor that resonates with you. Maybe it's Tony, or Neale Donald Walsch, or Marianne Williamson...Wayne Dyer...the Dalai Lama...Sogyal Rinpoche...and start your journey. ( if your mentor does turn out to be Bugs Bunny or Crusty the Clown...let me know how that works out for you )
Showing posts with label Squamish rock climbing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Squamish rock climbing. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
How I ended up climbing up the front of the Squamish Chief
Many times in my life, the course of my journey was altered by a phone call. And so it happened that a phone call on a beautiful summer day changed my life for the better and forever. In 1986, my relationship with my long term girlfriend had imploded ( it's a funny story now , I'll tell you later ) I had sold my auto towing business and was looking for something new and wonderful to do.
A friend of mine phoned up and asked if I was interested in going rock climbing in Squamish. Now this is 1986, and all that I know about rock climbing, I learned from watching the "Eiger Sanction " on the TV movie of the week. And based on that knowledge it didn't look like such a shit hot thing to do. This particular buddy had tried to coax me out several times before, but I thought it was a little too nutty and extreme for even a guy like me. This day was different, I was ready for something new and I desperately craved for a new direction in life.
In those days, rock climbing as a full on sport was still in it's infancy, and was primarily the domain of straggly hardmen ( and women ) who risked life and limb to scale vertical rock walls hundreds or thousands of feet above the deck. At the time it was a very non-mainstream activity, and generally the mention of it generated rolling eyeballs and the universal crazy finger around the ear move.
My friend sold me on the idea, and on a fantastic July day, we ventured out for "day one" of the rest of my climbing days. From the Sunshine Coast, you need to catch a ferry to Horseshoe Bay, and then zoom up the Squamish Highway for 45 or so minutes to get to the climbing areas. I had no clue, but the place was littered with places to climb, some obvious others hidden. All of it brand new to and pregnant with possibility. We started with basic lessons and moves at Murrin Park, doing laps up and down "Sugarloaf" ( all the climbs are named and rated on the Yosemite system for difficulty ) I was in my runners, sliding and slipping all over the place. I was so nerved out by all the new stuff, like trusting the harness and rope to catch me, and placing my feet on impossible little features, that my fingers were bleeding from holding on too tight. My friend was a phenomenal and patient teacher and guide. He was very tolerant of the rookie show that I was putting on. Keep in mind that I have been in the gym power-lifting for a while now, and do not have the greatest body for defying gravity. As I would learn, it's way better to be lighter when climbing than stronger, the physics of the whole thing just works better that way. Regardless, as we moved to different sites and I grew somewhat accustomed to life off the ground, I knew that I was totally and completely sold in this new sport.
The first multi-pitch climb that we ventured up was called "Banana Peel", for me it was the biggest, hairiest undertaking ever. As it turns out, it's really a cake walk and excellent low-timer route. But on my first Squamish climbing weekend, in my runners and old track pants, it was epic.
Lets pause here for a breather and to discuss some of the terms used in climbing.
In those days, ropes came in one length, 50 meters/165 ft. The ropes are fairly durable and have a certain amount of stretch built into them. One rope length can be considered a "pitch" It could be less, it could be more......but for here and now, let's agree that it's "generally" 50 meters or so . Multi-pitch climbs are then multi-rope length ascents.
In those seemingly pre-historic days there were only about two different brands of specialized sticky and stiff climbing shoes, EB's and Scarpa as far as I know. These shoes help a climber to cling on to impossible little nubs of rock while ascending and in return they supply you with mind-numbing foot cramping pain.. Today there are more brands and specialized types than there are burgers at McDonalds.
Powdered chalk is used on the hands to absorb the sweat and oil, so that gripping the tiny features is more positive and less prone to slip off.
Various types of simple or fancy gear is used for securing the climbers to the rock and supplying a margin of safety. The pitons of old are rarely used, instead easy to install and remove chocks or spring loaded cam devices provide fall protection. (shortened to the term "pro".....as in putting in a piece of pro )
I'll let you do the research on the Yosemite rating system, but once you become a climber, I assure you, it will be an essential way to describe your new world.
A whole new way of being opened up for me on that first weekend, a completely different and wonderful way of looking at things. My one and only regret is that I didn't get into it sooner.
Upon returning to the mundane world of sidewalks and sea level, I went about the business of gathering climbing equipment for future trips to the land of the vertical. I returned many times to hone my skills and learn new techniques and try new routes. Some years were better than others, depending on work, weather and the availability of partners. In the years when I logged the most hours, I got in some of my boldest climbs. Some of the biggest challenges came from my size and weight, at a thick and chunky 200 to 220 pounds, compared to my fellow marathon runner-like climbers at 160 to 175, overcoming gravity was a struggle. Nonetheless, I managed to lead climbs like "Teetering on the Brink of Madness" ( love the names! ), "Local Boys", "Snake", "Snakes and Ladders", the "Buttress", and many other climbs that provided exhilaration and raw fun.
If you decide to take up climbing...get trained by a passionate expert who cares about your safety...now and in the future above all. Period. And , make sure that you go climbing with people who are better than yourself, and again....put safety first. Plus...as you can see in these old photos, I never wore a helmet back then. If you go climbing at any level....wear a fucking helmet to protect your noggin and to keep from being dead. I'm sorry, that was harsh and uncalled for...let me re-phrase that. Wear a fucking helmet to protect your noggin and to keep from being dead. There that's much better.
A friend of mine phoned up and asked if I was interested in going rock climbing in Squamish. Now this is 1986, and all that I know about rock climbing, I learned from watching the "Eiger Sanction " on the TV movie of the week. And based on that knowledge it didn't look like such a shit hot thing to do. This particular buddy had tried to coax me out several times before, but I thought it was a little too nutty and extreme for even a guy like me. This day was different, I was ready for something new and I desperately craved for a new direction in life.
In those days, rock climbing as a full on sport was still in it's infancy, and was primarily the domain of straggly hardmen ( and women ) who risked life and limb to scale vertical rock walls hundreds or thousands of feet above the deck. At the time it was a very non-mainstream activity, and generally the mention of it generated rolling eyeballs and the universal crazy finger around the ear move.
My friend sold me on the idea, and on a fantastic July day, we ventured out for "day one" of the rest of my climbing days. From the Sunshine Coast, you need to catch a ferry to Horseshoe Bay, and then zoom up the Squamish Highway for 45 or so minutes to get to the climbing areas. I had no clue, but the place was littered with places to climb, some obvious others hidden. All of it brand new to and pregnant with possibility. We started with basic lessons and moves at Murrin Park, doing laps up and down "Sugarloaf" ( all the climbs are named and rated on the Yosemite system for difficulty ) I was in my runners, sliding and slipping all over the place. I was so nerved out by all the new stuff, like trusting the harness and rope to catch me, and placing my feet on impossible little features, that my fingers were bleeding from holding on too tight. My friend was a phenomenal and patient teacher and guide. He was very tolerant of the rookie show that I was putting on. Keep in mind that I have been in the gym power-lifting for a while now, and do not have the greatest body for defying gravity. As I would learn, it's way better to be lighter when climbing than stronger, the physics of the whole thing just works better that way. Regardless, as we moved to different sites and I grew somewhat accustomed to life off the ground, I knew that I was totally and completely sold in this new sport.
The first multi-pitch climb that we ventured up was called "Banana Peel", for me it was the biggest, hairiest undertaking ever. As it turns out, it's really a cake walk and excellent low-timer route. But on my first Squamish climbing weekend, in my runners and old track pants, it was epic.
 |
| First weekend in Squamish , runners, track pants and a Whillans harness on "Stairway" Murrin Park |
Lets pause here for a breather and to discuss some of the terms used in climbing.
In those days, ropes came in one length, 50 meters/165 ft. The ropes are fairly durable and have a certain amount of stretch built into them. One rope length can be considered a "pitch" It could be less, it could be more......but for here and now, let's agree that it's "generally" 50 meters or so . Multi-pitch climbs are then multi-rope length ascents.
In those seemingly pre-historic days there were only about two different brands of specialized sticky and stiff climbing shoes, EB's and Scarpa as far as I know. These shoes help a climber to cling on to impossible little nubs of rock while ascending and in return they supply you with mind-numbing foot cramping pain.. Today there are more brands and specialized types than there are burgers at McDonalds.
Powdered chalk is used on the hands to absorb the sweat and oil, so that gripping the tiny features is more positive and less prone to slip off.
Various types of simple or fancy gear is used for securing the climbers to the rock and supplying a margin of safety. The pitons of old are rarely used, instead easy to install and remove chocks or spring loaded cam devices provide fall protection. (shortened to the term "pro".....as in putting in a piece of pro )
I'll let you do the research on the Yosemite rating system, but once you become a climber, I assure you, it will be an essential way to describe your new world.
A whole new way of being opened up for me on that first weekend, a completely different and wonderful way of looking at things. My one and only regret is that I didn't get into it sooner.
 |
| Leading "Local Boys" a smooth and steep climb to the right of Shannon Falls, one of the very best days of my life was climbing this route with my teenage son and daughter a couple years ago |
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| Climbing pal, Ivo, on Klahanie Crack |
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| A ledge to rest on during the ascent of "Snake" |
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| On the way up to "Teetering on the Brink of Madness".....the result of taking a leader fall off the crux of "Teetering" is a smashed body and world class pain ... best to avoid doing that |
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| on the way up to knock off "Mercy Me" heading towards "the Split Pillar" |
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| At the top of a super fun and funky climb called "Garfield" |
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| 2006, twenty years later...just damned happy to be in Squamish. This at the "Smoke Bluffs" area...any day that has chalk on your hands is a good day |
If you decide to take up climbing...get trained by a passionate expert who cares about your safety...now and in the future above all. Period. And , make sure that you go climbing with people who are better than yourself, and again....put safety first. Plus...as you can see in these old photos, I never wore a helmet back then. If you go climbing at any level....wear a fucking helmet to protect your noggin and to keep from being dead. I'm sorry, that was harsh and uncalled for...let me re-phrase that. Wear a fucking helmet to protect your noggin and to keep from being dead. There that's much better.
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| 1980's dangling feet over a two thousand foot drop after hiking up the back side trail |
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| names of climbs from 1980's guide book |
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| Heading up "Quarry Man" on the Penny Lane Bluffs |
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| "White Lightning" on the Apron |
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| The back yard practice wall |
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Full circle ........ Teaching Scout leaders the basics on an outdoor climbing wall  |
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| A page from my first guide book showing the legendary "Grand Wall" route |
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