I started climbing because...

Post by **Josephine** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:17 pm

was thinking about what slychick said in the why do you climb thread, and i've always wondered how people got into climbing in the first place. I started bec of a blind date w/a man who turned out to be a climber. date #2 he took me to the climbing gym. the relationship may not have lasted too long, but i'm still having a blast!

Why did you start?

Post by **bcombs** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:23 pm

You may need another choice in your survey for some of us....

I started climbing as a natural extension of my already exisiting outdoor activities. Kirker and I were doing what some might call adventure trad before we had even been to the gym. A friend came with us on an outdoor excursion one time and thought we might be interested in sport climbing. He took us to Pistol Ridge (of course!). It was game on from there.

Edit: btw, I chose Friend(s)

Post by **Meadows** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:41 pm

bcombs wrote: I started climbing as a natural extension of my already exisiting outdoor activities.

In other words, it looked really cool?

Post by **captain static** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:43 pm

... I was born to climb.

Post by **Crankmas** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:58 pm

like every topic concerning the human condition it revolves around sex

Post by **bcombs** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:02 pm

Meadows wrote:
bcombs wrote: I started climbing as a natural extension of my already exisiting outdoor activities.
In other words, it looked really cool?

That might be true.

I think I remember it looked terrifying because if you would have asked me prior to going to Pistol Ridge, face climbing would have seemed impossible. I could undertand climbing a feature, but the face! That was onlyfor Sly Stone and his bolt gun!

Post by **krampus** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:25 pm

I think I am with bcombes, completely natural progression. I was a weekend regular at the red for hiking (mostly off trail-I know bad for erosion-my bad I was 15 and had no mentor) and pushing the limits of my near death (or serious injury) soloing experiences which became less and less appealing once I hit my twenties. Lets just say Bear Grylls has nothing on my tree shimmying abilities.

Post by **rhunt** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:33 pm

a co-worker (who later became my good friend) kept bugging me to go climbing with him. I thought he was nuts, who rock climbs in Ohio? Finally I agreed, and we went to Hocking Hills State Park. We did a short top rope on a free standing tower that I thought was totally cool and then he took me over to the Big Springs rappel. After the rappel I was totally hooked and have ever looked back. That was in October of 1992.

Post by **Josephine** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:35 pm

i figured there were many MANY more reasons than i could list in a poll question. hence the "other" category

thanks for sharing!

Post by **Kristin** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:37 pm

I had to spend some time with kirker somehow.......