Stone Palaces

[LUCKY]

I agree with those who say that climbing is not life. It is much more than that. In climbing you get nothing other than what you absolutely deserve. It has no skin color, no gender, no rules that matter, and no lawyers, referees, or pushy parents. You can't get more than exactly what you put into it. There are no dead ends in climbing, no barriers other than the ones we impose upon ourselves. The blend of skill, boldness, and the desire of each route is unique unto itself and yet connected to every other route as if within one long and contiguous passage. Life is hard on dreams, and even harder on dreamers. Climbing was built for them. For in climbing success and failure both lead to the same place, to new resolves and new possibilities. Life should be so good.

From Stone Palaces by Geof Childs

 

I was going to put this under Quotes but it deserves it's own tread

[scot'teryx]

[Dru]

Is Stone Palaces the collection that has the story about the love affair between the climber and the 'local girl" you find out at the end is a goat