Climbing The Sacred Mountain
by Kelly Tobey
Prologue: Where it all began at age 2. This is a story from my mother as I do not have recall of the event described. The way my mother tells the story is that she came into the room to see my tiny feet wiggling around, sticking out of the top of a waste paper basket. Apparently I had climbed out of the crib and landed head first in the basket. Instead of turning me off heights I have enjoyed climbing things ever since.
I
have so much gratitude for the mountains teaching me about:
Visioning > preparing the mind for the
moves ahead.
Moving with fear > Once committed to
the climb, the fear is there but unlike everyday life, I cannot escape
into flight, fight, or freezing. There is no way to run away so flight
is impossible. Can't fight with the mountain. And if I was to freeze in
one spot it is just a matter of time before the muscles completely
fatigue and I would fall off.
Mental acuity > I was taught by nature
to remain mentally clear so to focus on how to unravel the sequence of
moves needed to progress upward.
Emotional intelligence > To befriend
my emotions, fear in particular, no need to be in confused reaction,
instead just let the fear be there and move forward in spite of it. Joy
of moving in unison with the mountain! Elation on completing a climb
that is on the border of my limits! Deep gratitude of being a part of
nature's beauty. Peacefulness, often felt at the top of a climb looking
out over the vistas below.
Physical connection > To ground fully
in the body, learning that every subtle shift of the body is important,
learning the limits of strength and skill.
Spiritual union > Honoring the
spiritual connection between myself and the nature of the mountain.
Knowing that every part of my being is engaged and united with the rock
face on the journey upward.
Patience > returning to the same climb
sometimes dozens of times. Learning to work the moves out to gain a few
more inches each time before falling off.
Problem solving > The harder the
climbs get, the more complex it is to decipher the way up.
Discernment > Building trust with an
inner knowing of whether to continue or back off. Especially when
solo-pioneering new routes. Often, once committed there is no way to
down-climb so continuing up into the unknown is the only option. So it
is crucial to connect to intuition and discernment before making that
level of commitment.
Confidence > building ability and
confidence with each climb completed.
Adventure and pioneering > climbing
new routes. Knowing in the middle of the route that I am on ground that
no human has ever been on before!
Contribution and service > My love of
creating, grading, cleaning and outfitting new routes so that others can
come and enjoy the journey as well.
Camaraderie, trust and interdependence > bonds are
formed quickly when I am literally putting my life in the hands of a
climbing partner. On climbs that are hard enough to need a safety rope
in case of falling, there is a complete dependence on my partner to
secure the rope when I fall off. Moving through fears and joys together.
Communication > Full undivided
attention is learned and needed when belaying (managing the safety rope)
my climbing partners. Communication is essential to keeping my partner
uninjured.
Sharing wisdom > Every climb creates a
unique experience for each climber because of body size, strength, and
flexibility; and because of attitude. Yet there will be some moves that
are similar giving lots of opportunities for climbers to share wisdom
about how to climb a particular route.
Encouragement > Supporting my climbing
partners with encouragement to sooth the fear that sometimes wants to
take over as they face challenge after challenge.
I am in deep gratitude because in many
ways the mountains have trained me to be a much better person in my
life, including in my work as a facilitator because many of the skills
learned transfer over to everyday living.
