Thoughts Aboiut Climbing

Asana Fun-Thoughts about Climbing that are Bridging Social Barriers

by: Scotty Glasberg

These days, rock climbing is growing and starting to attract a more and more diverse group of people. From the vast expanses of India to the islands of Hawaii people are all chalking up to climb. Younger people are cranking stronger than ever, and newbies are getting introduced to the sport everyday. What makes climbing fun for a population with such diversity? I stopped writing about my travels to document an interesting concept that fuels the direction of the future.
I went around Hueco Tanks asking this question: “What makes climbing fun for you??? “The first thing that comes to mind. “
Here’s what I found:

I don’t know…I don’t think about it. Climbing with my friends, traveling all over the world, meeting people..I’m able to sustain a lifestyle in which I can work minimally.
-Dan Brayack (Climbing Photographer)


“To succeed at something…to succeed at something that I though I couldn’t do. “
-Moti (Israel)

“Being able to focus on something, and turning everything else off.”
–Stephanie Antezana


“The best natural rush you can get from any physical activity.”
–Scott Fitzgerald (asana athlete)

“It frees your mind from a lot of stressful situations and allows me to be free out in nature. “
–Kasper Derkinderen (Belgium)

“Environment. “
“ Environment?” I said…
“Yep. “
–Dave Grimes

“Mental Challenge .”
-Michael Hudson

“The challenge it gives you. The rock is a static inanimate object it doesn’t care about you, it doesn’t care if you have money, if your good looking or not, if your black, white, Japanese, it’s just there to challenge you. “
–Charles Kelly (Hueco Rock Ranch Headman)


“In the tanks I am psyched on meeting people that are just as passionate about climbing as I am.”
-Randy Hill

“I think there is many reasons. For example, traveling meeting nice new people, there are different places to explore and the medium of climbing gets me out of society’s constraints. “
–Ruben Mariscal (Basque Region, Spain)

“Climbing is sort of like a vehicle. It allows me to travel to new areas, and meet new people as well. Climbing is also inspiration for photography.
–Carlos Mason
(Climber Videographer/Photographer, albertmason.com)

No matter how you look at it, sideways, straight forward or upside down with double toe hooks; the ideas about what makes climbing…well, climbing; bridges barriers that have divided folks for years. I think that Charles may have said it best:
“The challenge it gives you. The rock is a static inanimate object it doesn’t care about you, it doesn’t care if you have money, if your good looking or not, if your black, white, Japanese, it’s just there to challenge you. “
–Charles Kelly (Hueco Rock Ranch Headman)
The rock has no perception; maybe this is why we all perceive it with such unanimity. Climbing is like a timeless classic, the movie can’t perceive the viewer, and the viewer must perceive the film. A timeless classic unites the thoughts of people without regard to race, ethnicity, social status or religion. Alike, the joy of simply scaling a rock stimulates thoughts that bridge the gaps that divide us socially, while uniting a community universally.

I hope you enjoyed the findings as much as I did. Remember, climbing is all about having fun.

Happy New Year!!

The Asana Crew got out yesterday to do some climbing at Swan Falls on a semi-blustery, but beautifully blue-skied Idaho afternoon. Thanks so much to Mike McClure, Matt Fultz and the rest of the Swan establishing crew for the Black Flake and for Death Proof: Amazing problems! Anyone dropping into that area should get some beta and give these problems a throw.
Sus also put up a great problem just next to the ApeMan boulder. Really cool problem with a powerful off-the-ground move to some highly textured knobs. The following moves include amazing slopers and some serious high-stepping to small crimps. After a great 3-person send train, we think it goes at like V6. He called the gropey line "Static Bling".
Conrad and Sus were both on fire getting the direct send of Black Flake (V6ish). Conrad also did the sit, which looks like a definite use of power.
Finally, Conrad wrapped up the day with a dramatic sun-setting send of Death Proof (V10). Those slopers are so steep that it seems almost impossible that anyone could stick. Thank goodness for chilly friction.