I can’t remember who first said it, but I’ve always been a firm believer that the best climber is in fact, the one that’s having the most fun. The key to making sure that you are having as much fun as possible, is to maintain as much stoke as possible. Some days, this is easier to do than others. We’ve all had those days when we seem to just send whatever it is we’re doing with absolute ease, days that we enter the flow state. Then again, we’ve all also had those days when we feel like we should quit climbing altogether and take up sports not requiring any kind of physical activity because we obviously suck at climbing. Being stoked is the only thing that will keep you from slipping into that bottomless pit of frustration.
Shout, yell, scream if you need to, do whatever it takes to return your energy to enjoying where you are, what you are climbing, who you are with, and not on how you feel your performance should be. Scientists have proven that stoke and gravity share an inverse relationship. The higher the stoke, the lower the gravity. Adversely, the lower the stoke, the higher the gravity. Enjoy each and every single moment you spend on the rock, even if you feel like you could do better. Don’t let your ego get the way of being absolutely stoked to climb! Love it. Love it all. Climbing is the coolest thing you can do, and it will never get boring. Besides, how else are you going to overcome the many voices in your head telling you that climbing a huge face is a ridiculous idea than to be overwhelmingly excited to step forth and try?
Climb on!
A Tahoe Climbing Bum 