Mentors

Where have all the outlaws, poets, beats, punk rockers, anarchists, and pirates gone?

Over the years, I’ve seen a decline in climbing where it used to attract misfit toys.

Instead climbing evolved. In some ways for the better and others for the worse.

I really believe the part we are missing is the mentorship component. While it is great that the barrier of entry to these sports has gone down, climbers starting out will miss steps because it’s so easy to jump in.

As a result, we see a decline in style. Emphasis on getting to the top. We also lose what the ethos of climbing was to begin with—a safe haven for the outcasts.

This can be interpreted as old man yelling at clouds but I do think we need to remember that climbing is dangerous just like anything else we do. That’s where the juice is. And adding another layer of insulation misses the point. I’m not saying “let’s climb without ropes.” What I’m saying is when we can’t take any risks, then we discover nothing within ourselves.

A mentor helps us connect the past and the present.