Search for Free 150,000+ Essays

Find more results for this search now!
CLICK the BUTTON to the RIGHT!

Need a Brand New Custom Essay Now?  click here

Rock Climbing in America's National Parks

Rock Climbing in America's National Parks

Before me spreads an ocean of grey. The granite wall looms above me and calls in its silent voice for me to go on, higher. Focus. My hand reaches out, seeking the depths of the crack before me. I make a fist and weight my body on this new hold, first testing it, then trusting it. I reach out with my other arm and clip my safety line to the bolted belay station. A wave of tension flows from my arms and brain as I breath deeply, and I relax for the first time since my feet left the ground. Finally, I have the time to see where I am. I gaze out over Howe Sound and drink in the sights. An eagle soars over Squamish, sharing my view. A small fir tree struggles against the confines of a crevasse at my feet. Below me, all of the little worker ants are busily following their paths and routines. Some of the more inquisitive ones are looking up with wonder at me and the monolith which I am on. Here I am able to see the world clearly. Here, high above the tedium of our society I feel as though I am truly balanced. I balance myself when I climb, and my soul emerges balanced once I am done. If there is one lesson that climbing can teach us, it is the value of balance.

People have been climbing for longer than history can define. It is one of the most primal instincts we posses. The urge to go up high and see as much as we can is something that we all share, yet only a handful of us listen to this calling. Climbing as a form of adventurous recreation has been gaining popularity now for several hundreds years. In Canada, it was the botanists David Douglas who made the first recorded alpine ascent in 1827(scott pg33). His accounts of the area added fuel to the building fire of interest surrounding the Rocky Mountains of Canada. If only Douglas could see what he had begun.

Climbing has evolved much since the days that Douglas plodded up that mountain with his wooden snow-shoes. There are now many facets to the climbing genre. Mountaineering and alpine climbing are two of these types which are common in parks in Western Canada. Alpine climbing can be differentiated from mountaineering in...

Sign In Now to Read Entire Essay

Not a Member?   Create Your FREE Account »

Comments / Reviews

read full essay >>

Already a Member?   Login Now >

This essay and THOUSANDS of
other essays are FREE at eCheat.

Uploaded by:  

Date:  

Category:   Sports

Length:   6 pages (1,261 words)

Views:   2953

Report this Essay Save Essay
Professionally written essays on this topic:

Rock Climbing in America's National Parks

View more professionally written essays on this topic »