Saturday, May 16, 2015

The Smith Rock Climbing Guides Are The Mentors Of This Generation

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By Tammie Caldwell


The beautiful state of Arizona is home to some of the best, most well-known rocks for climbers to indulge their somewhat dangerous hobby upon. So well known are some of the sites that they have been used in Hollywood action and adventure movie scenes since the early days of film. What few people know is that there is a school in that state, complete with the renowned Smith Rock climbing guides.

The school possesses the coveted accreditation from the American Mountain Guides Association. Their classroom is outside, and their goal is to teach students to seek out that place both inside and outside themselves, where the sky reaches down to kiss the land. First, the student must overcome their own agoraphobias as well as their animal instinct which tells them their feet belong on the ground.

There are twelve individuals who are charged with the task of providing instruction to new students that come into their school. These men are experienced climbers, having travelled the world in order to be challenged upon new rocks and ledges. Steep slopes are their office, and they are limited only by the point where land meets sky.

Many of them started out as climbers from a very early age. Anyone who has been to a repelling gym has seen the small children, brought by their parents. A child lacks the instinctive fear that adults have when it comes to heights and their own personal limitations.

The AMCA does not recommend that small children be present for any serious climb; however, the average teenager is ready both mentally and physically to attend these classes. The life skills they can acquire while under the tutelage of a guide will make them the leaders of tomorrow. These young people can go on one day to provide mentoring and instruction to other adults interested in acquiring these skills.

For neophytes, a fifteen minute climb can provide them with a workout equivalent to an hour of group fitness. Simply climbing a wall utilizes every muscle the body has, and the endorphins released help to sharpen the mind and strengthen the spirit. Attending class or visiting a climbers park weekly can help any lazy office-dweller stay fit, and it is an excellent team-building activity.

These classes will help condition both the body and the mind for the challenges that await one on a serious, sheer-wall climb. It is the job of the guide to help people learn how to gauge their climb, and make use of even the smallest stone outcropping available. They get a chance to learn their own personal limitations while also increasing their strength and stamina.

Naysayers always love to claim such hobbies are too dangerous. These people prefer to stay inside watching television, and living their lives vicariously through the passive viewing of actors on a screen. However, a climber knows that life is dangerous, tomorrow is not guaranteed, and the only thing we take with us at the end is the experience we gained through active participation.




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