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My life has undergone a massive change recently.... hello 7 month old son. Everybody is doing great but I have really had to evaluate things in my life, and anyone who has been climbing for a while knows that climbing can become an addiction and it takes up a lot of time.... and time has become more precious for me. Just wanted to see what people thought about the role climbing takes in their lives in a kinda of humourous poll.

I tried to come up with a few good choices but feel free to make any comment you like. I set a limit on this thing for 30 days.

I have not voted b/c I am in the process of deciding what climbing means to me... It used to be somehting I did for fun... but the only way it was fun for me was if I was improving.... well improving at climbing takes a lot of commitment and time. I have less time to commit to climbing and the local training facilites here in Lexington..are suboptimal... to say the least! So where does that leave me?

For me, climbing serves as my great escape. When I'm on the wall, nothing else matters. I value the friendships I've made through climbing which happen to spread across all socio-economic lines. It is one place where it really doesn't matter at what level you are climbing or what your background happens to be, there is that sense of belonging and acceptance.

That feeling of finally hitting that move that's eluded you for so long is nice too.

Climbing is alot of things to me: escape, identity, exercise, worth sharing, challenging, fun, scary, but most of all exhilarating... I think its the exhiliration of new and harder sends on the horizon that keep me coming back weekend after weekend... I love it and I love doing it with those I love and I love meeting new people when I'm out at the crag. Climbing is alot.

I've tried many times to explain to my parents that climbing is a way of life (not a hobby). After more than 10 years of this they still don't get it. Now that I'm 30 years old they think that I'm just a big kid that refuses to grow up.

Now that I'm XX years old they think that I'm just a big kid that refuses to grow up.

Well! Aren't we? I refuse to give into the societal norm of how a 46 yr old should act. What a bore that would be.

I'm just glad that climbing's not for everyone.

Rock climbing and skateboarding ruined my life..

i got some pussy out of it.

I know what you mean, JRock, but in my case it is my children who don't understand! My youngest (the nurse) will just throw up her hands and say, "Don't tell me when you do dangerous things!" Bwaaaa, ha, ha, ha! I love making them crazy! Don't grow up or you will grow old! Oh yeah, I'm almost twice your age! Climb on!

LOL! Yeah Dipsi I have the same probs. My parents are totally cool with it. But all the people at work think it's insane and some of my non-climber buds would love it if they "could talk you into stop throwing yourself off a mountain every weekend." It's pretty funny.