in salah satu tulisan yang saya maksud kmaren..:-)
agak panjang memang tapi lumayan menjawab..:-)
--
The Rewards of Climbing
by Karl Baba @ rockclimbing.com
Folks have been trying to express the reasons and rewards of climbing
for a long time. It's tough. I'm afraid I won't have the time or words
to approach it now. But I'll make a start. Climbing can be anything
from a crutch for our egos to a tool for personal transformation. It
can be exercise, sport, art and religion.
We each have our own reasons and rewards for climbing. We may not even
understand our reasons or be able to explain the rewards, but we feel
something when we climb, and feel compelled to go on climbing.
For some climbing is like dancing; A joy in movement and
self-expression. It can be merely exercise, which is pretty dang
important to get! For others, climbing is mainly the backdrop for
camaraderie and deeper friendships. We epic and we bond. We share this
common experience, and now we belong somewhere. Some climbers become
adrenaline junkies. We get a little jittery if we don't get the "rush"
of some hard cranking on a regular basis.
It's easy for us to get our ego mixed up in our climbing. Most of the
time, we are completely wrapped up in a mental dialog about ourselves.
We weave an illusory concept of ourselves from our personal history
and personal insecurities. That collection of concepts creates a false
sense of identity which is our ego. We talk to ourselves internally
about how we're doing, what we want, and what we fear. We struggle to
find something special about our lives and ourselves. I have found
that the false sense of self that this incessant dialog creates
becomes a major limitation to peace and harmony in life.
We're seduced by our self-concept, and even if we experience climbing
on some deeper level, it's hard not to relate it to our ego as well.
Climbing is exotic and sexy. Being a "Climber" makes us special and
elevates us above the mundane masses (at least in our minds) When we
do something we didn't think we could, we feel better about ourselves.
The more we feel our life's validity is related to climbing, the more
we tend to think "our" type of climbing is superior to that of others.
"Our" way of climbing is ethical and pure! Others don't understand
because they haven't reached "Our" level. Still, it feels better to
feel good about yourself than bad. Climbing's not a bad way to get
there, if you can do it without putting others down in the process.
Sometimes climbing gives us a taste of something beyond our ego. Most
of us have experienced flashes of peace and harmony while climbing.
When I'm balanced on tiny holds and a lapse in concentration could
send me plummeting to unknown consequences, I can't afford to be
distracted by mental chatter. The circumstance of climbing brings me
absolutely into the present moment. My whole being comes into focus on
the problem of ascending stone. In the face of potential struggle for
survival, the petty concerns of my little self dare not surface. I
feel the power of my real being, integrated and intimate. I have the
opportunity to realize that I would be better off without the
incessant depressing pep talk of the mind. I start to break the habit
of constant associative thinking. Being present and centered in the
here and now is a state that is inherently fulfilling. Don't take my
word for it, just notice for yourself when you are out on the stone,
feeling in the groove! If you find you're having a bad day at the
crags, take note of your state of mind. Collect yourself fully and see
if things change.
Many sports have enabled people to have peak experiences. Anything
that concentrates the mind creates a window for self-discovery.
Climbing is an especially potent tool because the apparent risk
DEMANDS our concentration. Concentration is not "thinking hard". It's
the focus of all our attention. Learning to focus and act in the face
of fear gives us the power to respond when others simply panic. If I
were a passenger in a car spinning out on an icy road, I would want a
climber at the wheel.
Beside the intense experience of being realized at peak moments on
challenging climbs, the whole immersion in nature soaks us in peace
and beauty.
Instead of just walking over the ground, our feet insulated with
shoes, we embrace nature with our bare hands, with our whole bodies.
By learning to use our body in concert to accomplish improbable moves,
we reclaim our natural state of physical wholeness. An unconscious
attitude that our arms are accessories for manipulating phones and
faxes is replaced by a comfortable and intuitive sense of our physical
totality.
When we go climbing, we return to a world undomesticated by artificial
routines and pretensions. Most of us get into the habit of sleepily
taking our world for granted. Climbing interrupts our usual world.
Trees look different from hundreds of feet up. The whole landscape
unfolds from a higher vantage point. The change in perspective allows
us to have a different view on our lives as well.
When I soloed Zodiac, my second grade VI, in 1982, I was immersed in a
week of solitary concentration in the vertical environment. 300 feet
from the top I was ravaged by an intense storm that rained and snowed
on me until things looked quite grim. Between breaks in the storm, I
crept up to the summit and was redeemed! After a week without walking,
and without many of the everyday experiences that I took for granted,
everything seemed new again. Plants and trees seemed to explode with
life. When I removed the rack and walked around unroped, I felt like
an astronaut romping in the reduced gravity of the moon! The friends
who came to help me carry gear down were magical beings. My heart
swelled from feelings of brotherhood. When we reached the car, I felt
like we were driving a million miles an hour. I can't even describe
the hot food and cold beer. I enjoyed a refreshed experience of
everything.
You might find yourself in different ways than I have. Your
perspective on the blessings of climbing will be different. I just
hope that you look within yourself and find out more about what
climbing means to you; what it teaches you. Don't let anyone tell you
what climbing "should" be for you! Own it yourself! Maybe you'll find
that climbing helps you offer a better person to your whole world. The
danger of domestication threatens you and your family. They won't be
any happier in a sleepy daily routine either. They may have to find
themselves in their own way too, but you can be the example. Take the
freedom, fearlessness, and joy from your world of climbing and pass it
on.
Peace
Karl
--
[h][A][n][u][N][g] - living in the beautiful life
11 mdpl, 0°57'166" LS, 122°47'287" BT
"Semua Orang itu Guru, Alam Raya Sekolahku, Sejahteralah Bangsaku" - Marjinal
No comments:
Post a Comment