Читать книгу Edge of the Map. The Mountain Life of Christine Boskoff онлайн

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Mountaineer Conrad Anker, who has spoken frequently of the ethos of climbing, states, “If you’re not scared at least once a week, maybe once a month or once a year, you’re not living life. Some may think it’s a very frivolous pursuit, obviously we’re not curing cancer, we’re not even curing the common cold, but there’s this drive that humans have to explore and to see what’s over the horizon.” While climbing does indeed foster a connection with the world in a unique way, it’s hard to argue that the sport is not also one wrapped in danger. Entering the orbit of climbing means hearing refrains like these:

My family told me when I got into this that they’re worried they’ll lose me.

I was warned that I was going to lose people I loved.

If you can’t handle death, you shouldn’t be in the business of climbing.

Given that new methods and equipment are constantly being developed, breaking climbing down into all its varieties is a nearly impossible task. Rock and ice climbing are perhaps the most accessible and well-known forms. The advent of climbing gyms has allowed beginners to swiftly master new skills no matter what the topography or climate of their surroundings. Once adept at working with the necessary gear, climbers can incorporate what they’ve learned into mountaineering, which often includes both rock and ice climbing.