Photo: Vasyl Hnyp
Yesterday was a “milestone” day for me. I completed my 100th day of outdoor climbing in 2019. When I first considered #vanlife, I ultimately wanted to pursue it to climb as much as possible outdoors, so I decided that if I made a goal to rock climb 100 days outside, that would be considered “as much as possible.” Considering I hadn’t climbed outdoors that many days in my life as a climber, it was a somewhat lofty goal. I mean, after all, I still do work.
As I reflect on 2019 as a climber, 100 days did a lot for me. My technique improved, my mental game took strides, I learned different styles, heck I even climbed at a level that 10 yrs ago, I said I’d retire from climbing if I climbed that “grade.” It’s been a super solid time.
What I found interesting as I finished my 99th and 100th day this last weekend with my girlfriend, Jessica Chacon, was that 100 days of climbing in a year couldn’t have been more perfect of a goal. What I realized was that, the importance of doing climbs or grades or whatever personal achievement was put aside from the time, I got to spend with my partner that day/week/month. Really getting to know them. Literally placing your life into their hands. Finding what drives them, what they’re all about. Seeing them accomplish their goals got me way more psyched than me with mine. Knowing this person put that much effort into something, and sharing the stoke with them.
As I was walking back to the van from day 100, I was thinking about that feeling you get when you accomplish a goal, especially a long term one that you put so much time and effort towards. And then I considered how temporary that feeling is. I was reading a post from professional climber, Sonnie Trotter, that really struck a chord with me. To sum it up, he talks about the process and more than the end goal that’s why he does it. That’s it.
We go through life having experiences that shape us into who we are. It’s those goals we strive to accomplish that create the process to change our character. Those stages of discomfort that we tackle and learn to overcome that build us into who we are. When we see the good in the process and the things that we have to work through
We can start to acknowledge that it’s not achieving the goal that’s satisfying, it’s the battle to get there. However, you take the goals away and you also take away personal development. Funny thing is that I think I’m so addicted to the process that I sometimes underachieve...freaking therapists always into the process.
So here’s to 100 days of outdoor climbing this year. Shout outs to all my climbing partners this year whether we shared a rope/beta, a crash pad, or just a flat out good time!!!!