A Good Way to Promote the Sport...

Andrew Bisharat wrote in the most recent issue of Rock and Ice, "Of course, I love climbing and its many positive and uplifting things. But like most climbers I know, I don't think this way. There are too many good things in climbing worth hating: boastful spray lords who are so plainly compensating for their other "inadequacies," still-virgin gear junkies, haughty alpinists and their unrealized homosexual tendencies, those poor and uncoordinated gumbies, and, of course, the audacity of pro climbers who think that just because they climb hard, other people should give a shit about them and companies should pay for their self-indulgent lives. The list goes on and on."

Wow. For right now, my writing needs to be limited because I am at work, but holy fuck. Is this not the most negative, bitter old-man, sorry-sounding shit you've ever heard? Jesus H. Christ. First of all, if having a fun blog to help promote the companies that support you, as well as providing a creative outlet for media that involves friends and family; the climbers invested within your microcosmic climbing community, then I suppose I'll lump myself in with the grotesquely self-indulgent before being called one.

If it wasn't for the supposed self-indulgent pro climber community (yes, some are, but some actually love what they do and help out in positive ways), would there even be climbing media? Like say...Rock and Ice? Isn't getting a picture taken of yourself, or having a column, inherently self-indulgent to begin with? People are negative enough about one another in this sport everyday, so why must some of the most read (dare I say influential) authors in print media be so overly and perpetually cynical?

But then again, why would you want to promote the sport in a positive light when those who spend everyday working at it and are good at it--the one's you hate--could possibly benefit from monetary gains via increased media attention? Well, you wouldn't.

This is all just for fun. Actually, this little piece of the article reminded me that we are just climbing rocks; it's always a sobering thought. And yes, traveling the world to climb rocks for--yours truly--is certainly self-indulgent. But for right now, why not? Cheers.