But next to Jenni and Conrad I felt like a faux rhinestone climber. (Not that, I hasten to add, they were anything but gracious.) Then I recalled this insight from Nick Clinch, who in 1958 led the only American team to make a first ascent of an 8,000 meter peak.

In A Walk in the Sky, Nick Clinch’s beguiling account of climbing Gasherbrun I, Nick wrote, “Even mountaineers who know that the only thing extraordinary about themselves or their friends is the desire to climb mountains tend to regard more famous climbers as being different and upon meeting such celebrities are surprised to discover that they too are just human beings.”

In whichever universe of climbing we inhabit, we are all bona fide climbers. That’s part of the wonderful and terrible nature of climbing. It’s as easy to die on a 5.4 as on a 5.14. Gravity doesn’t distinguish between the weekend climber and the hardcore. And gravity doesn’t cut us moderate climbers any slack and wave us by with only moderate injuries if we slam into a ledge at the Gunks or rappel off the end of our rope after an afternoon of climbing moderate grades.

One sobering reminder: Before Conrad and Jenni’s presentation, the AAC NY Section Head, Philip Erard, gave a tribute to long time Gunks climber, Bill Eldridge, who had died only a few weeks before on a moderate climb in the Gunks.

If the stakes are the same, so too are the potential rewards. It all depends on our individual needs, whether we find our climbing fulfillment at our local crag or on a big wall or big mountain.

So I’ll continue to enjoy my bona fide moderate climbing…while continuing to enjoy hearing about the amazing climbing that takes place in that separate, parallel climbing universe by the likes of Conrad and Jenni.

Now if I can only think of better dinner conversation for the next time I’m seated next to them at dinner.

PS: I welcome comments and suggestions for future blogs. You can email me by clicking here. 

Comment on this blog