Post by 'Bee' on Mar 8, 2008 12:47:44 GMT 8
I got this from a good friend of mine...
THE DIFFERENCE
by: Jong Narcisso
I'm a rockclimber
I'm not a sportclimber
There is a thin line that separates the
two. Sometimes I am one of both. Maybe,
but I am sure that I prefer one over
the other. I do enjoy both worlds but I
am happier with where I chose to be.
Climbing is not a sport for me. It's
not competition. It's not about who is
the best, the strongest. The one who
gets to the top. It's not about
what the right move is. It's not
about I've done this I've done that?
Climbing is not about this is the right
way to do this and that? wrong.
I guess I'm old.
I remember going to Montalban is an
adventure in itself. Wake up at 6am and
meet up at the corner of Katipunan Ave
and Aurora Blvd. Ride the hell raising
jeeps while still drowsy with sleep.
Those were the days.
Going to the routes with a guitar and a
case of beer in our hands was climbing.
Urging and heckling each other as one
of us climb. Half of the time we didn?
have any idea what we were doing up the
wall. All we now was to get to top, so
that you can rap down and have more
beer.
Climbing was about going out with
friends and having a good time.
Climbing routes that challenge you.
Climbing them because you want to. Not
because you have to. Halfway up or just
a few moves can make us happy. Topping
out was not the goal. Although doing so
is oh so sweet. Achievement was not
measured in grades or difficulty.
Routes where done not because they are
in a to-do list, but because it caught
our fancy. Style? Grace? Heck as long
as you climb the thing or even just
attempt it is an achievement in itself.
Rockclimbing scares me. That's why I've
become careful. I have to watch every
move I make. I am the one who makes me
and the people I'm with safe. With
sportclimbing I tend to forget. It's a
good thing I have all those scary
experiences in rock climbing. I see
climbers now and they scare me. Half of
the time I don't think they know what
they are doing.
Sometimes I think maybe a lot of
unfortunate things have happened
because of the advancement in climbing.
Routes are harder. Climbers are really
pushing the edge. But then, that is the
same thing we thought back then. That
we were pushing the limits. That the
people before us told us that these
things can't be done.
But because of our daring and the new
things we learned, we went on. But we
did not stop listening to them. We
tried to learn from the things they
have done. And especially to learn from
the mistakes that they and we have
suffered.
Most of all we gave respect to the
things that we try to climb. They were
not just names and a grade. They were
not mere challenges to overcome. I
don't know how to call it but they were
not just figures. Sometimes a memorable
route becomes a part of me. I don't
care who made the first ascent or what
grade it is. All I know that is when
I'm clinging there, the world stops.
I'm sure a lot of climbers don't even
know or bother to know the history of
the route they are climbing. For me,
there are times I think that I am
following the footsteps of my idols.
Sometimes I climb routes because Bubut
has done this or Bobbit or whoever has
done that. I guess I want to know if I
can hack it. If I have what it takes?
Not to show to anybody but to prove to
myself that I am worthy to be in the
same grounds.
To step in Montalban was Hallowed
Grounds. We went through a lot just to
get invited and permitted to climb. But
in this fastfood world, everything is ?
All these we tried to teach to those
who came next. I guess we failed.
I guess climbing is different now.
I'm still a rockclimber
THE DIFFERENCE
by: Jong Narcisso
I'm a rockclimber
I'm not a sportclimber
There is a thin line that separates the
two. Sometimes I am one of both. Maybe,
but I am sure that I prefer one over
the other. I do enjoy both worlds but I
am happier with where I chose to be.
Climbing is not a sport for me. It's
not competition. It's not about who is
the best, the strongest. The one who
gets to the top. It's not about
what the right move is. It's not
about I've done this I've done that?
Climbing is not about this is the right
way to do this and that? wrong.
I guess I'm old.
I remember going to Montalban is an
adventure in itself. Wake up at 6am and
meet up at the corner of Katipunan Ave
and Aurora Blvd. Ride the hell raising
jeeps while still drowsy with sleep.
Those were the days.
Going to the routes with a guitar and a
case of beer in our hands was climbing.
Urging and heckling each other as one
of us climb. Half of the time we didn?
have any idea what we were doing up the
wall. All we now was to get to top, so
that you can rap down and have more
beer.
Climbing was about going out with
friends and having a good time.
Climbing routes that challenge you.
Climbing them because you want to. Not
because you have to. Halfway up or just
a few moves can make us happy. Topping
out was not the goal. Although doing so
is oh so sweet. Achievement was not
measured in grades or difficulty.
Routes where done not because they are
in a to-do list, but because it caught
our fancy. Style? Grace? Heck as long
as you climb the thing or even just
attempt it is an achievement in itself.
Rockclimbing scares me. That's why I've
become careful. I have to watch every
move I make. I am the one who makes me
and the people I'm with safe. With
sportclimbing I tend to forget. It's a
good thing I have all those scary
experiences in rock climbing. I see
climbers now and they scare me. Half of
the time I don't think they know what
they are doing.
Sometimes I think maybe a lot of
unfortunate things have happened
because of the advancement in climbing.
Routes are harder. Climbers are really
pushing the edge. But then, that is the
same thing we thought back then. That
we were pushing the limits. That the
people before us told us that these
things can't be done.
But because of our daring and the new
things we learned, we went on. But we
did not stop listening to them. We
tried to learn from the things they
have done. And especially to learn from
the mistakes that they and we have
suffered.
Most of all we gave respect to the
things that we try to climb. They were
not just names and a grade. They were
not mere challenges to overcome. I
don't know how to call it but they were
not just figures. Sometimes a memorable
route becomes a part of me. I don't
care who made the first ascent or what
grade it is. All I know that is when
I'm clinging there, the world stops.
I'm sure a lot of climbers don't even
know or bother to know the history of
the route they are climbing. For me,
there are times I think that I am
following the footsteps of my idols.
Sometimes I climb routes because Bubut
has done this or Bobbit or whoever has
done that. I guess I want to know if I
can hack it. If I have what it takes?
Not to show to anybody but to prove to
myself that I am worthy to be in the
same grounds.
To step in Montalban was Hallowed
Grounds. We went through a lot just to
get invited and permitted to climb. But
in this fastfood world, everything is ?
All these we tried to teach to those
who came next. I guess we failed.
I guess climbing is different now.
I'm still a rockclimber