Why do you Climb?

To get to the top of course. The view. To hang on the side of a big wall. To leave no trace.

Michael Collins wrote:This really is a silly question... Like asking someone 'why do you eat apples?' Long answer: Apples are great because of the diversity you can choose from. The red apples are softer, being slightly sweeter than green apples and are terrific in fruit salads, blending nicely with the other fruits. The green apples are a little more sour and really are at their best as 'stand alone' apples for snacks or as a desert after lunch. Being a little harder than the red apples, they fill up a little more and give me a little more satisfaction when I bite into them, making that lovely typical 'green apple bite' sound that we all know and have come to love. Apples are very practical, organic and for can be grown locally in many countries. The best of all is that you can eat the core too, so there is no need to throw it away in sensitive locations. Try eating a banana skin... etc etc... Short answer: Because I like them. I don't think there are many people that climb who do not like climbing. So the answer for most people is 'because I like it'. 'Why?' is the never ending question. You can always ask 'why' after someone replies... Why do you climb? Because I like it. Why do you like it? Because of the challenges and being outdoors. Why do you like challenges outdoors? At some point it has to stop... So why not at the very beginning... we climb because we like it.

By your logic all questions from here on out are rendered pointless.

"why are you going to the store" "because I need something"

"why are you going to the movies" "because I want to"

"why did you have sexual relations with that woman" "because I'm in a position of authority and I can"

Either I went wrong in assuming you could see past the obvious and answer what I was really asking in which case we won't get along. Or...you're being a jack ass (why? because you can) just for the sake of being a jack ass in which case we'll get along fine.

cause I can follow women around all day with sharp tools and possibly not end up going to jail

For those who do, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible. Someone other than me probably deserves credit for that phrase.

And:
Because it will never cease to be challenging, no matter how good you are.

Because whether you succeed or fail at your objective, you learned something or improved in some way.

Because even when you fail, you tried to do something that challenged you. Well, maybe not if you have to get rescued; the ignominy of that would suck the mojo out of you... knock on wood.

Adam Block wrote: By your logic all questions from here on out are rendered pointless.

I guess I am just a little tired of the question 'why do you climb?', sorry for being a jerk. It gets asked a lot on different forums and I just don't really understand why it gets asked. A lot of 'why' questions really are pointless...
I'm into a few other activities such as caving and kayaking, and I've never seen this question asked for them although many of the answers read in here also apply to these activities. They are not climbing specific.
You have mentioned plenty of things you like about climbing, but they do not tell me why you climb. To me they seem more like things that have grown on you. Perhaps the first time you went climbing you started at once to love working a route over and over, looking for cracks no one has climbed and linking the sections together. I'll stick my neck out and say that for most of us it takes some time before we get so deeply involved. They are not reasons to why we fell in love with climbing in the first place.

I guess it's just the topic header 'why do you climb?'... your last sentence is really what you are asking, 'what do we each love about climbing?'. I guess I should have answered that, as it's not the same question, instead of being a jerk.

Cuz it beats the hell out of the alternative...

cuz it feels good.

I climb because I fucking want to.....

I was just asked this very question by a friend of my Mom's a couple of days ago. Mom lives in a retirerment community where the average age is 70+. It was really cool coming from her, because she did'nt have the usual, preconceived ideas like " that's crazy, I dont get it,
how do you get the rope up there"...ect.
I told her Mom had been telling me to stop climbing on things since I took my first steps. Told her I'd been hooked since my first climb, Mt. St. Helens in 1972. I shared several stories that spanned 38 yrs of rock and ice. The old women said I was blessed to have been to places and seen things few expierience. Well alot has changed over the years for me...mostly leading moderate trad, and 10s for sport, and I seldom climb above 12g. The main reason I climb these days are the same as when I started, with one exception. I'm passing it on, mentoring folks that have the passion and are teachable. I get way more out of it than just partnered up for another day of cragging.

Cheers !

Brian Verhulst wrote:For those who do, no explanation is necessary. For those who don't, no explanation is possible. Someone other than me probably deserves credit for that phrase.

my favorite quote thus far. nice

Michael Collins wrote: I guess I am just a little tired of the question 'why do you climb?', sorry for being a jerk. It gets asked a lot on different forums and I just don't really understand why it gets asked. A lot of 'why' questions really are pointless... I'm into a few other activities such as caving and kayaking, and I've never seen this question asked for them although many of the answers read in here also apply to these activities. They are not climbing specific. You have mentioned plenty of things you like about climbing, but they do not tell me why you climb. To me they seem more like things that have grown on you. Perhaps the first time you went climbing you started at once to love working a route over and over, looking for cracks no one has climbed and linking the sections together. I'll stick my neck out and say that for most of us it takes some time before we get so deeply involved. They are not reasons to why we fell in love with climbing in the first place. I guess it's just the topic header 'why do you climb?'... your last sentence is really what you are asking, 'what do we each love about climbing?'. I guess I should have answered that, as it's not the same question, instead of being a jerk.

There was a reason I asked, I know somebody that's very competitive and has a tough time if they aren't as good as somebody else at something, they also climb. It got me wondering why the hell they climb or to rephrase what is their goal in climbing.

I have gotten over a dozen people to the anchors this year that have never climbed before, many saying "I can't" the whole way up only to give me a hug once they got down. I love this part of climbing, maybe even more than I like to climb myself. Otherwise, my goal is to unlock problems and put it all together. I have as much fun falling off routes as I do climbing them clean.

So I figured some folks have different motivations to their climbing. I just wondered what others were because I don't have a competitive bone in my body at this age and the ego is long gone.

Anyway, I guess I just wondered what other climbers motivations, goals and so on came from.

I climb because its fun and I like to get high.

i climb because someday i want recognition for it. Im ultimately trying to get sponsored. I train in the Gym for hours every day for the SEND!

I climb so then i can go home and look at all of these dumb forums.

I climb to get my body vicious. Plain and simple.

yes im in but im a girl

wtf mmm threesome what happened?

"why did you have sexual relations with that woman" "because I'm in a position of authority and I can"

Sorry guy, but this is where you got weird. Bad comparison.

Brandy Persson wrote: "why did you have sexual relations with that woman" "because I'm in a position of authority and I can" Sorry guy, but this is where you got weird. Bad comparison.

I can assure you I was weird long before I wrote that. Were you a big Clinton fan, is that why you don't like the statement? I wasn't making a comparison by the way, I had just seen something about Clinton and wanted to poke fun at the pervert (for getting caught not for what he did) though I guess I should have mentioned a cigar or something instead.