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bjj
climber
beyond the sun
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This is a very interesting and (for me) timely subject.
I've forked several times. After University I forked one way, becoming a ski bum for several years. Then, fed up with being poor, forked another and started a professional career for several years. Fed up with office culture and the monotony of rat racing, which was not worth the reward for someone who never cared about material things, I forked again and went back to live in the mountains, presumably to ski again, but in reality because it was the polar opposite of the path I was headed down.
I was mostly happy, but unfocused. It was then at the age of 25 that I discovered climbing. We all know what happens when that bug bites. Everything finally made sense and there was purpose.
I managed to stay on that path for a solid 10 years before forking again back to "real life" due in equal part to horrible chronic injuries (tendonitis, lower back problems) that wouldn't go away, plus the insecurity of not having any kind of career or well paying job in my mid 30's.
I taught myself to become a programmer, got involved in other sports and was relatively content for almost another decade.
Now, at age 44, with the old injuries 95% gone, I am about ready to fork back yet again. I have become burnt out on programming (no one was meant to sit in front of a computer toiling for others 10+ hours a day) and started climbing again about 2 months ago.
Coming off the couch after 10 years was a serious kick in the ass. I stayed in shape all these years, but we all know there's a BIG difference between "in shape" (meaning not fat) and "climbing shape".
When I left climbing, I was well into 5.12 territory and nibbling at 5.13. I was solid on Yosemite cracks well into 5.11 range. I had BIG plans that never came to be.
Now, even though my mind thinks I should still be at that level, my body has other ideas. It's like starting all over - I am struggling with 5.10. Though the frustration of coming back makes me want to quit again every time I get my ass kicked, the love is back and I improve just the right miniscule amount every week to keep from quitting in disgust.
So now at 44, with enough money saved to live numerous years without working, and with no wife, kids or debt, feeling aimless, I figure now is the time to fork again for a while and go back into "the life" - and this time I can at least do it with some style. No more dirt sleeping and bread & kethup dinners. The extra comfort will help make up for the lack of skill, so in the end it ought to balance out (someone please check my math on that).
I know 44 is a child's age on this forum, but I am finally starting to feel old and this may be my last chance to call upon whatever my body has left in it, before I finally have to dial it back for good.
Wish me luck. I plan to be back on the road full time come spring.
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ladyscarlett
Trad climber
SF Bay Area, California
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hehe, wanna talk about child's age?
Lots of good posts, thanks for sharing everyone.
For me, strangely, I've found that many of my forks that lead me towards climbing often lead me away from many of my other social groups. It's still odd to continually make these choices that fulfills my passion, but draws me away from my non climbing life.
I remember once, bailing on a conference with friends for a non climbing hobby that I'd been looking forward to for weeks.
2 days before, I get a call from a climbing partner to go hit a mountain I'd been lusting over for the past year, and within minutes, I'm ready to take the weekend to climb.
Many forks fer sure...and a lot more for me I think.
but I figure, I'm just stumbling through, and if I stumble well enough, I'll be able to reel about and hit up both roads for a bit ;)
We'll see...there's still a fair amount to come!
Thanks again for all the shares!
Cheers
LS
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MH2
climber
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I'd be with Tarbuster, Base, hat off to you and what you were able to convey.
Yes, I've seen things I won't forget, such as the look in the eyes of the new born, but here are a few experiences from a non-climber.
One of our nursing home residents put his life of 90 years into 12 pages of single-spaced type. His career had been with Blue Funnel, a UK shipping line.
"in mid-1940 one of the company's passenger/cargo ships...was converted to a troop ship...We assembled our first convoy, boarded our troops [in Durban, South Africa] and sailed at dusk for North Africa. I was on the bridge with the Captain. At six o'clock he said, "I'm going down for a quick dinner." I found myself in charge of the bridge of the Commodore ship of a blacked-out troop convoy in a submarine zone. I was 21. Fortunately, nothing happened, the Captain returned, and I stopped sweating...We were sent to Basrah, eight miles up the Shatt-Al-Arat River in the Persian Gulf. There we boarded two thousand Polish-Jewish refugee women who had managed to escape from Poland. We took them to Suez and they became the nucleus of what is now Israel. They were a fascinating group, every occupation from prostitutes to doctors and professors...[after the War] My next ship was "TELEMACHUS"...We loaded a full cargo under the auspices of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Association and took it to Athens...We unloaded in Piraeus...Athens was in sad shape...the days of tourists were far in the future...One evening, two of us went up to the Acropolis and were the only people on it. We sat silently on the steps of the Parthenon and watched first the sunset and then the moonrise. We could feel the atmosphere and history seep into us and the sensations have stayed with me all my life."
from The Life and Times of Peter John Geoffrey Power
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Caravaggio started out as a stone mason! Glad he took the painter's fork.
Dave Brubeck went to veterinary school until his advisor nudged him down the musician's fork.
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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One of the comments above. . .
". . best of all were the friends. . ."
Still is.
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johntp
Trad climber
socal
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BASE104, you have made the best of both worlds. If I weren't so tired from a long trip from Pittsburg I would write more.
We talked about this very subject 20 some years ago sitting in a parking lot in the buttermilks.
Cheers!
John Penca
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Jan
Mountain climber
Okinawa, Japan
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I must confess that I was never presented with the fork in the road dilemma that most people on this thread speak about. For me my intellectual life always came first. Probably the fact that I had been working at boring manual labor jobs for a good five years before I graduated from high school had a lot to do with this.
The most I ever set aside for pure climbing and dirt bagging was one summer and I promptly broke my arm the first week. After that I always looked to how I might combine the two with research and academic job always the more important factor. Hence I did my master's on mountain people around the world and my Ph.D. on Sherpas so I could live in the mountains, climb, and write about climbing.
The only downside to all this was landing a wonderful job on a tropical island where this ideal life got out of balance in favor of the academic. Hopefully this can be restored somewhat now that I'm retiring and going back to the mountains. It's nice to be at an age where I have plans but not ambitions.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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One of my biggest regrets is not going to college. I went to work instead. My best ever climbing years was 190 days. I have been blessed with some amazeing roadtrips, great friends and owned a few pretty cool vans. Spent my time in camp Slime. Mostly BINTD I worked in restraunts in the kitchen. worked my way up from dishwasher to eventually head chef. Mostly worked nights, trained martial arts, climbed and skied in the mornings and those spring layoffs. Working ski towns you go on unemployment the day after Easter and not full time again untill 4th of july weekend. State climbing and drinking team we called it.
Burned out on the food service industry and finally came to the realization that the pay sucks and no benifits. 20 years in the same steak/seafood joint and no pension, no health ins. The owner was nice and gave me $1,000 that I used for 6 week climbing roadtrip out west.
I became a professional ski photographer when I got back from that trip. Shot Equine events in the summer eventually becomeing self employed. Road that horse untill the combination of the economic crash and the digital revolution gutted the industry. Still do the photography part time but not much $$ in it these days.
The last 5 years I have been in the construction buisness as a day laborer. I make more money as carpenters helper than I did as the head cheff of a 100 seat restraunte. Still no health care. Both knees and shoulders need new wheel bearings. Body is worn out and no way of getting it fixed. Can't even afford new eye glasses that I desperatly neeed. Bad tooth that I can't afford to get fixed. Still paying off the debt from my photog buisness...
Yes I wish I went to school. I climbed 90 days so far this year. 12 FA's but no security and no money to travel and take time off for a roadtrip...
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MikeL
climber
SANTA CLARA, CA
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Yours is an interesting counterpoint to Base's stories, Tradman.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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Just been layed off for just a week and got a call that I can start annother carpentry job tuesday. Part time , not sure how many hrs. Just missing one weeks work and $$ is tight already. Knowing this job will only be part time and that I have to prove myself on a new crew @ 50 yrs old but not as experienced in the field as most my age. Woke up with a sore throat and chest crud. Scared about about being sick starting the new job and my knees hurt. Scared about makeing rent this month and the bank payment on my debt. scared about not haveing any money for Christmas..
Most of my life I would not change but I do wish that I had been smarter about education and money. I was taught that money is not important. How you conduct yourself and what you contribute to society is important. I put as much work into getting a 4th dan as many probobly put into a college degree yet I never charged money for teaching. All I expected from a student was blood, sweat hard work and loyalty.
I am finaly realizeing that money is esentual to keep a roof over your head and keep your body functioning as you get older...
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Mark Force
Trad climber
Cave Creek, AZ
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Early one morning in the late 70s, while brewing up some coffee and making breakfast in C4, Jim Bridwell, who was camped in the site next to mine, came crawling out of his tent after a hard night partying and looked pretty rough.
That was my moment contemplating the fork in the road, looking into the future of my current path and, while sitting at that picnic table, I took the one that led to a wife (of now 33 years), kids, grandkids, and a profession; all of which give me great satisfaction. Still enjoy climbing (though at a distinctly easier level), now with my wife, kids, and grandkids. I also enjoy having a much broader world of interests to enjoy.
Never did thank Bridwell, though he never knew me (I was never on the A team; don't think I made the B team, either).
It was fun to dirtbag for a while. Still have fun grossing out my kids talking about dumpster diving and picking up breakfast off the conveyer belt at the Yosemite Lodge cafeteria!
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2012 - 01:56pm PT
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Yeah, the best thing of all is the friends.
I wasn't so great at making friends, I was usually a worshipping subman, but DAMN do I have friends from every walk of life.
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drljefe
climber
El Presidio San Augustin del Tucson
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I've never thought of them as "forks in the road" but more as reference points.
The moment when I chose to quit climbing for twelve years.
I remember that instant, that hold, the view, all I was focused on and all I was missing, and everything I needed.
That one decision led to personal development that needed to happen, learning a trade, growing up, and living the ocean life.
The moment I decided to quit southern California and the surfing life and move back to my hometown in the desert.
I remember that last wave as a local- the speed, every cutback, the color of the sky and water.
I remember driving away, the bewildered looks of friends, and all that I learned and all the years that melted together in the blink of an eye with every tide, each new swell, and evey mini monthly financial crisis.
That decision brought me home, to a sense of place, to my Mom, to the old crack in the sidewalk I've tripped over since gradeschool, to the streets my grandmother, my great grandmother, and my great great grandmother rode burros on.
It led to a surprise career, a word I formally thought of as synonimous with "deathwish". It brought me back to rockclimbing, a crucial thread in the fabric at the core of my very being.
I've tried to embrace each "fork" as not a fork but just a turn, which around just lay more beauty, more struggle, more learning. It's just called life.
Believe in the mystery.
Hey BASE- thanks, brother, for the awesome posts and ensuing thread.
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BASE104
Social climber
An Oil Field
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 9, 2012 - 02:10pm PT
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Yeah BK,
The book or piece is called "Feeding The Rat." My BASE buddies called it Feeding the Monkey.
Sometimes you just can't be happy unless you are doing intense things. Feeding the Monkey.
I'm like that. Gotta feed the monkey.
I am buying a sailboat on Cheapeake Bay right now. Not some zillionaire sailboat, but a 27 footer with a good reputation of sailing around the world many times, some trips around the horn. All that. I'm gonna take off next summer and go live on the boat and sail it in the bay for the summer. I got some learning to do. My sailing experience is racing 18 foot centerboard boats on lakes.
The best thing is that you can buy an Albin Vega in decent shape for less than 10 grand. I know of one for 8 grand. Not exactly a rich man's toy, but a vehicle for adventure. There are hundreds of these boats on the market at any time, but I couldn't find the right one on the west coast, which is much closer to the S Pacific and all that fun.
Don't tell my wife she doesn't even know. I've done this on the down low searching for the right boat for months.
The friends, though. They will stay with you for life if you just keep up and don't blow them off.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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My current money/ health situation is not from lack of working hard. It is from not working Smart. I work my butt off in jobs that beat up my body but have no real security.
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tradmanclimbs
Ice climber
Pomfert VT
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2006.. quit drinking. Can only imagin what my situation would be now if I was self medicating.
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