Learning to Climb

"Experience beats youth any day."

Learning to climb is a lot like learning to drive a car. You think you know what you are doing, but the fact is you're clueless and dangerous.

I'm amazed I wasn't killed during my first few years of rock & ice climbing.

It wasn't like I was making stupid mistakes. My partners and I just didn't have the experience under our belts quite yet.

But we survived somehow, mostly by knowing when to back down. Sure, we didn't make it up a lot of climbs in the beginning, but learning to make objective decisions in the mountains goes a long way in saving your butt.

Like most climbers I know, the early years, though dangerous, are the best years of your life. But you don't realize that until much later in life.

Enjoy your early years, but be safe.