Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.
I am a climber. From the rocky mountains, the textured sandstone boulders that my fingers latch onto, and the cold, refreshing air that my body craves, climbing has shaped who I am today. Before I was a climber, I was a shy boy, lacking confidence and physical and mental strength. When I moved to Durango, Colorado, I joined a competitive climbing team, climbed outside more, and became active with the climbing community. Climbing has made me a more confident, social person, with a stronger mind and body.
Even though climbing offers so many challenges, the basic principle is ultimately quite simple: Get to the top. THAT’S IT! Nevertheless, climbers want to find the hardest route possible for themselves to get to the top. When climbers find difficult routes they cannot do at first, they call it a “project.” Sometimes, projects last for weeks, months, or even years. Projects can drive people insane, and climbers obsess over them. Climbers want to climb a certain route so badly that it motivates us to train, get stronger physically, train our minds how to do certain moves, build our finger strength, core strength, and anything else that may help us “send” our project. (To “send” a route means to get to the top without taking any falls.)
The feeling of sending a project is sensational. Climbers devote so much of their time into completing a project, and when it is finally complete, we celebrate, scream in joy, and after a while, we find the next project….and the whole process repeats. Our sub-culture is addicted to the rush we get from sending our projects. A route we thought was impossible at one point of time for us is now possible. The feeling is almost indescribable.
While I loved the challenges climbing has to offer, I wanted a different type of challenge: an experience that would change me into a more well-rounded individual. During my first semester as a junior, I went away to the Alzar School. Alzar is an academic outdoor leadership school based in Cascade, Idaho, where students learn to kayak, backpack, and study abroad in Chilé. With my climbing limited to a small barn wall, Alzar changed me to be a more flexible, well-rounded individual and leader.
I realized that there was a lot more to life than my obsession with climbing. I learned how to whitewater kayak, how to backpack for several days in the wilderness, how to navigate with a compass and map, how to lead a group of students on an expedition, how to trust others, how to become a better friend, and the list keeps going. In many instances I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, which allowed me to grow. For example, when I was “Leader of the Day” during an expedition in the Owyhee desert of Oregon, I had to guide our group through 95+ degree heat, with only a compass, map, and my partner. I had never been in a situation like this before, and it was very stressful getting to our next camping area safely before dark.
After these experiences at the Alzar School, I came home with a fresh perspective on my life. Even though I had missed climbing, I discovered and tried new things, opened up my eyes to the world. For example, after coming home, rather than following the workouts and warm-up routines on our local climbing team, I gained confidence leading the team from my experience, helping people learn techniques and supporting them in trying to send their projects.
Alzar has morphed me into a well-rounded individual and athlete, along with a motivating community leader with a new appreciation for the world. From my experience, I have grown into a man ready to tackle any challenge in front of him.
I am a climber. From the rocky mountains, the textured sandstone boulders that my fingers latch onto, and the cold, refreshing air that my body craves, climbing has shaped who I am today. Before I was a climber, I was a shy boy, lacking confidence and physical and mental strength. When I moved to Durango, Colorado, I joined a competitive climbing team, climbed outside more, and became active with the climbing community. Climbing has made me a more confident, social person, with a stronger mind and body.
Even though climbing offers so many challenges, the basic principle is ultimately quite simple: Get to the top. THAT’S IT! Nevertheless, climbers want to find the hardest route possible for themselves to get to the top. When climbers find difficult routes they cannot do at first, they call it a “project.” Sometimes, projects last for weeks, months, or even years. Projects can drive people insane, and climbers obsess over them. Climbers want to climb a certain route so badly that it motivates us to train, get stronger physically, train our minds how to do certain moves, build our finger strength, core strength, and anything else that may help us “send” our project. (To “send” a route means to get to the top without taking any falls.)
The feeling of sending a project is sensational. Climbers devote so much of their time into completing a project, and when it is finally complete, we celebrate, scream in joy, and after a while, we find the next project….and the whole process repeats. Our sub-culture is addicted to the rush we get from sending our projects. A route we thought was impossible at one point of time for us is now possible. The feeling is almost indescribable.
While I loved the challenges climbing has to offer, I wanted a different type of challenge: an experience that would change me into a more well-rounded individual. During my first semester as a junior, I went away to the Alzar School. Alzar is an academic outdoor leadership school based in Cascade, Idaho, where students learn to kayak, backpack, and study abroad in Chilé. With my climbing limited to a small barn wall, Alzar changed me to be a more flexible, well-rounded individual and leader.
I realized that there was a lot more to life than my obsession with climbing. I learned how to whitewater kayak, how to backpack for several days in the wilderness, how to navigate with a compass and map, how to lead a group of students on an expedition, how to trust others, how to become a better friend, and the list keeps going. In many instances I was pushed outside of my comfort zone, which allowed me to grow. For example, when I was “Leader of the Day” during an expedition in the Owyhee desert of Oregon, I had to guide our group through 95+ degree heat, with only a compass, map, and my partner. I had never been in a situation like this before, and it was very stressful getting to our next camping area safely before dark.
After these experiences at the Alzar School, I came home with a fresh perspective on my life. Even though I had missed climbing, I discovered and tried new things, opened up my eyes to the world. For example, after coming home, rather than following the workouts and warm-up routines on our local climbing team, I gained confidence leading the team from my experience, helping people learn techniques and supporting them in trying to send their projects.
Alzar has morphed me into a well-rounded individual and athlete, along with a motivating community leader with a new appreciation for the world. From my experience, I have grown into a man ready to tackle any challenge in front of him.