On Climbing

I am a boulderer by nature. I train for it, think about it, I even dream about bouldering. Powerful moves to sub par holds is typically what bouldering consists of. The finite finesse of standing on a tiny pebble, the raw power of a dead point move to a crimp. There is not much like bouldering.

Then there is sport climbing. Flowing up the route, you almost feel weightless. Stuck in a moment of time, you forget about everything. Nothing ahead nor behind matters. You are completely immersed in the present moment. All that matters is the next movement that you are called to make.

I enjoy sport climbing because I tap into nothingness, something I call the flow state. No thoughts cross my mind. No worries about bills to pay, whether my rig is fueled up for the long drive ahead, or how I am going to afford the new bouldering pads I want and arguably need. Nothing else exists in those few precious moments.

It is true bliss. It is climbing.

Victor Garcia