Daniel Woods

I haven’t met Daniel prior to the trip and am a little dubious about hanging out with a 17-year-old, but he ends up as my partner in crime. I’d like to say that the maturity of my 30 years rubs off on him, but, actually, Daniel brings out the mischievous, shit-talking teenage bastard in me.
As a climber, though, Daniel is well beyond his years — talented enough that strongmen like Andy and Chuck hold his abilities in high esteem. Watching Daniel crank the V13 Armed Response in three tries is impressive; seeing him bust one-arm pull-ups off the matchstick-sized doorjamb in our rental house is mind blowing.
One evening, Daniel and I sit on a boulder, watching the sun crawl below the horizon, when the conversation turns to climbing. I wonder what makes Daniel tick. Sure, his fingers are phenomenally strong and he can recover overnight from the most heinous of bouldering sessions, but something beyond these attributes gives Daniel his edge. It is his passion. “When I get on a problem, everything else just disappears,” says Daniel. “And for that moment, I put all of my heart and soul into the moves.”
Passion — it’s what makes everyone on this trip so strong and it’s what gets me out of bed and on the rocks even if I’m sick or having a bad day. I feel a wave of energy rush through me. “I am so psyched to climb tomorrow,” I say as I stare at my fingers, seeing them as if for the first time. “Yeah, me too,” says Daniel. “We’re going to rage!”