I thought it would be interesting to interview a few Squamish climbers and see what it is about climbing that keeps them coming back for more.
What drives people’s passion and why do they love the sport? Is it the thrill of being in a remote location, high up on exposed rock face? Or is it the challenge of working out a difficult set of moves to complete a climb? What motivates people to push their personal limits?
There are many different reasons people are drawn to rock climbing. For me it stems from the overwhelming sense of accomplishment I get when I complete a climb. This can be described as true joy and it seems to increase with the amount of effort I put in. I once tried a route almost 50 times before I sent it (climbing from the bottom to the top without falling) and the sense of happiness was tremendous.
That joy is not completely success-driven; I love climbing for more reasons, such as the enormous physical effort required at times and the perseverance required to push my limits. In the end, the euphoria associated with sending a climb is extremely addictive and keeps me chomping at the bit.
Squamish local Eric Hughes is drawn to climbing for a number of reasons, but high on his list is his love of the personal challenge.
“When climbing a route for the first time, it can seem very hard, scary, and committing, but with time and some effort, it can feel relaxed and enjoyable,” said Hughes.
He also noted the frustration associated with failing on a route, which happens a lot if you are trying to push your grade, but that makes the joy of success that much sweeter. Eric also likes the freedom of the sport, which has very few rules, or limits, and is completely self-driven by personally imposed goals.
Sarah Hart, one of Squamish’s strongest female climbers, loves the feeling of being strong and the associated fluid movement that comes with her strength. To Sarah, climbing is all about the location and she really enjoys the amazing places that climbing takes her, not only in the Sea to Sky region but globally. She is very driven and is completely obsessed with getting better at climbing.
World-renowned extreme adventurer Tim Emmett is drawn to climbing on a social level. He is passionate about life and really enjoys meeting new people who share his passion for climbing.
Tim lives for the adrenaline rush and the personal fulfillment he gets when he completes a route. Tim has done many different extreme sports such as base jumping, wing suiting, skydiving, ice climbing, and feels that the challenge associated with climbing, especially in Squamish, is as good as it gets.
Everyone who climbs will have slightly different answers and reasons they enjoy climbing. There appears to be a few that stand out, such as: joy, personal fulfillment, and overcoming challenges.
Rock climbing is a complex sport that requires many different skills, a high level of concentration, considerable physical effort, and unrelenting perseverance. These aspects make climbing exciting, and keep us coming back for more.
Jamie Finlayson is a professional rock climber and co-owner of Coastal Mountain Custom Homes. For information about the company, visit www.cmchomes.ca, or see his climbing blog at jamiefinlayson.weebly.com/blog.html.
