On the Rock

For anyone who finds rock climbing to be one of the most awesome and fearsome athletic feats ever done by a human being, the Nov 22, 2021 article in the New Yorker entitled, What it Takes to Climb the World’s Most Forbidding Cliffs is a must read. It features the Boulder Colorado based climber Tommy Caldwell who at the ripe age of 43 is one of the oldest and most proficient climbers in the world ( so many talented climbers die in their 20’s or 30’s). The interviewer traipses with Caldwell to climbs in California and Colorado and reports on his grace, strength and prowess. After reading the article I started dreaming up yoga postures for the finger tips and toe tips! If you saw the documentary Free Solo, Alex Honnold’s ascent of El Capitan,  a 900 meter vertical climb without ropes (I think the most astonishing athletic achievement ever) you will be consumed by this story of Tommy Caldwell (Honnold and Caldwell are climbing partners). I just wish the reporter had taken the opportunity to delve into the mind  and spirit of the climber. Similar to the unwavering mind of the yogi, the climber must remain steadfast, alert and totally embodied. On the mat and on the rock, both require a flexible body, a clear mind and a true heart.