Ethics of Free Speech and the Internet

"Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people."

-- Eleanor Roosevelt

While I am ambivalent or even a little wary of our constitutional right to bear arms, I am a big fan of Free Speech. Eminem, Sarah Palin, and Sean Penn…. It doesn’t matter who you are, you can say whatever you want. Explaining the concept to a teenager in Pakistan made me acutely aware of how deeply embedded it is in our culture. I believe our world has become tainted by bitter, ugly debate; all made acceptable because it is our inalienable right to do so. What I have noticed lately is the role the internet plays in this Free Speech free-for-all. I don’t want to step on anyone’s right to elocute and I’m not preaching about political correctness – just manners. Ethics. Think about it. As climbers, we embody the American expression of the right to live as we please - weekend warriors and full-time dirtbags alike. It is our form of 'the pursuit of happiness.’ In this pursuit, we are shaped by ethics – whether or not to bolt a route originally put up on gear (Mighty Aphrodite), using heel spurs or not (insert steep mixed route of choice), using bolts to ascend when maybe you just shouldn't be on top in the first place (Compressor Route), breathing supplemental oxygen (any 8000m peak)... the list is endless. So why not apply a little of this self-regulation to how we treat each other as fellow Americans, as human beings? Take, for example, emails (that often begin with fw: fw: fw:) that spew apocalyptic, factually-suspect venom out to any and all who are willing to scroll down far enough to read it. A couple examples from a recent email in my inbox (titled ‘Obituary’... as in Obituary of America): If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then we can say goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years. Little known fact, Obama only won 19 states in the 2008 election. The first statement may ostensibly be about an immigration; but the statement makes an emotional argument that is more about fear and bullying than discourse. Personally, I get stuck on the poor taste and lack of compassion, but I suppose that’s my bias – we all have one, you know (but unless you live on a reservation, your ancestors were immigrants at some point, too). And the second? IMO, it isn’t about anything. It is noise. Seriously, what purpose does it serve to circulate obviously factually incorrect statements about an undisputed election a year later? (Turns out, it is rehashed from 2000, only the Montagues and Capulets have traded costumes. With this context, it made a lot more sense to me. Remember 2000? Hanging chads? Florida?) So now I find myself in a plagiarized, re-imagined debate that is totally irrelevant in the context of our current politics? (unless I'm missing something) Really? Are we itching for a fight that bad? The internet is powerful; but it's important to see the differences with this medium than say, the dinner table. Consider this as you engage in email 'debate.' Email does not stimulate collaboration and discussion; it is a soap box. Before you send (or worse, forward) that next email, take some ownership of what you pass along. These statements become yours once your name is at the top of the list. Maybe ask yourself the following: Did you really read it? (if you want me to read it, I expect you have, too) Did you fact check it? (Google is your friend) What is your intention with sending it on? (do you want to piss me off?) What is the likely effect of sending it on? (regardless of your intentions) Would you type that email yourself? (forward makes it too easy to pass on spam) I'm not trying to do away with Free Speech. I’m just saying, if we took an ounce of the energy that we put into protecting the climbing style of a Mugs Stump route or the cryptobiotic soils of Canyonlands and poured it into the ethics of how we communicate, what could we come up with? Perhaps we would worry less about protecting our right to say any thing we desire - true or not, constructive or not - and put a little more thought into what things we say (and what it says about us). Maybe our country would be a happier, kinder place. And now I will step off of my soap box. Peace out

Backstage at the Ouray Ice Festival

For those of you unfamiliar with it, the Ouray Ice Fest is a weekend in January where thousands of ice climbers come to town. There are tons of events (all with New Belgium beer); lots of climbing; and good energy everywhere.

A few years ago, I volunteered to assist with the competition. The process is pretty simple - the athletes rappel down into the canyon, wait for their turn, and then climb as high as possible on a route set up specifically for this occasion. They get one try. When they fall, they lower back down to the bottom of the canyon, and then walk or climb back out of the canyon via a different route. In a typical year, one climber in 25 tops the competition route out and everyone else falls at some point along the way.

I had a few jobs for the day - rigging lines for the climbers to rappel in before they compete and to climb out after they fall, retrieving stuck tools during the competition itself (sometimes the athletes fall and their tools remain stuck in the rock or ice), and providing backup for the athlete check-in process.

As the day drew on, there was a rescue call from somewhere else in the ice park. Colette (in charge of registration, but more importantly, one of the town's EMTs) was gone as fast as you can say crampons, leaving me to check in the remaining competitors. I hadn't paid much attention to the details of this particular job; but as I took over, I discovered that I was basically just providing a little low-down on the process for the athletes (e.g., where to rappel into the canyon).

After a person or two, I relaxed into my new job. Up walked Josh Warton. It was his first year competing and he had a simple, but new question for me.... 'if I take my jacket down with me, how will I get it back?' I was taken aback by Josh's assumed outcome in his question - that he would top out the route.

My surprise must have shown on my face. Embarrassed, I laughed and said 'no one has asked me that all day.' He laughed and said something along the lines of 'I know it's unlikely, but you never know, and it is cold out here.'

In that exchange, I saw the practice of positive mental attitude, visualization, law of attraction, or whatever label you prefer, in action. Josh had thought through success far enough to realize he would be cold when he reached the top of the gorge.

Josh did not climb out of the gorge on the comp route that day. But two years later, he would. And the year after that (see picture for him topping out the 2010 comp 5 minutes ahead of the second place finisher... that's huge).

I'm no expert, but I can tell you that the most impressive accomplishments on Josh's resume have nothing to do with competing. Let's just say that he's climbed some big stuff in amazing places.

So far my version of this positive mental attitude thing is pretty simple...think UP. Simple, I know. But it (sometimes) works for me.

It's been suggested to me that I employ what I call the 'Josh Warton training program' - climbing at Rifle and the Black Canyon this year. I'm not sure I'll be stalking him quite like that, but I would like to model his mindset. And maybe I'll pack an extra jacket to leave on top.

Kahiltna Basecamp Tweets

As we move into 'late winter,' thoughts drift to spring projects and Alaskan expeditions. Last spring, I made my first trip to the Last Frontier with the objective to tick as many classic moderate routes as we could (thanks, Joe Puryear - Alaska Climbing).

What did I learn in Alaska? What did I take away from the experience? The first words that jump into my mind are big and cold, but I suppose those are intuitively obvious. As for the climbing, Mark Miller and I took advantage of great weather in our nine-day window, ticking Shaken Not Stirred, Mini-moonflower, and Mt. Barrill via the Japanese Couloir. (you can see Barrill on the left).


Mark and I spent a lot of energy preparing for the climbing: ropes, crampons, extra picks, first aid kit, climbing gear planned down to every camelot and ice screw. We also spent hours planning for basecamp: tents, snow-stakes, sleeping bags, clothing, and food; but somehow it was the living part that I was least prepared for as I arrived.

For those of you planning your own trips this spring.... A few things I wish I had packed:

• An Exped mattress (or rather, a working exped)
• Pencils (did I mention the cold? Really cold? As in, too cold for pens.)
  
• Bacon (Mark is a vegan)
  

And conversely, things I'm glad I packed:

• A backup Thermarest (see Exped debacle)
  
• Pee funnel (it may not be worth sexual reassignment, but I can't say how much better it is to pee standing up)
  
• Bailey's Irish cream (although I must admit it wasn't a satisfactory substitute for bacon)
  

Anyway, there were many stories and lessons learned each and every day. I wouldn't nominate myself for MVP of Alaska, but maybe Most Improved.

Got time for a quick story?

So Mark and I were in Kahiltna Basecamp, alone (it was mid-April, no rangers, no basecamp manager... no one). We were waiting for our flight to bump over to the Ruth Gorge the next day. I heard a plane flying low and went outside to check it out.

I’m no expert, but I knew something was odd the moment I stepped outside. This small plane (a Cessna 152) was flying low with his flaps down, as if it were landing. But it didn’t land. Passing the snowy landing strip, the plane dipped down, banked to the right, climbed as it turned towards Mt. Hunter (see photo), and then.... gone. No sound. No plane. Just eerie silence and one confused chick standing on the glacier.

To make a long story short, the plane did in fact crash; having lost too much speed and lacking the power to turn and climb. The young pilot and his passenger (both unhurt) snowshoed to our camp, where we called TAT to give them a ride out. As they waited, the poor pilot kept muttering that he could have just straightened out and landed the plane. Can you guess the very first thing out of Paul's mouth when he arrived to pick them up? Yep, 'Too bad you didn't just land.'

One of the last things I heard the passenger say was ‘man, this would be the best Tweet ever!’

Does social networking change how we experience things? Instead of taking pictures or writing journals, have we evolved to experience our adventures through our ability to share them with our friends and followers?

As climbers, social networking provides a means to draw an already-small, but dispersed climbing community even closer. We now have a way to find partners, to locate empty couches, to share our adventures from all over the world - whether it's sending hard routes in Nepal or crashing a plane in Denali National Park!

Am I returning to Alaska this spring? Don't know yet, but I've got the Spantiks and a new deluxe Exped ready for the journey!

Groove is in the Heart

You've heard of kids with imaginary friends? (a sign of brilliance?) Well, I took imaginary friends to a whole new level. Donna and Dosa were my best friends. I communicated with them through the air vent in my dad's Lincoln Continental. But that's not all. My imaginary husband was Danny Verno, but I'm sorry to say that it didn't end well for us. He cheated on me, we got a divorce, and he moved to California. I was five. I remember feeling uneasy when my family would ask why he hadn't been around lately. Crazier than my early childhood relationships was the fact that I created it all in my own head.

Yes, I've been told that I have an active imagination.

Anyway,... As I begin thinking about the spring and long alpine routes, running is my go-to exercise for cardio training. It's a great way to exercise while I take advantage of the sunny weather (sorry, East Coast), watch the eagles along the river walk, and provide an open space for my mind to wander.

I threw some new material in my ipod for my morning run. Before I got to my music, I noticed a new episode of Dirtbag Diaries. The opening for 2010, guests explored their goals for the year. One that stuck out as I trotted along was a woman who wants to find a place to live this year.

It's something I’ve been thinking about for a long time… well, since I left Chicago over four years ago. To those who are more settled, this may be a question of neighborhoods and school systems, but to a wanderer it a much deeper question.

When I lived in Chicago, I had an anchor, for sure (see 'job at Accenture'). Pulling up that anchor was a good thing, sure; but the limitlessness of what comes next can be too much at times. It's a Paradox of Choice.

So what do I need? More floorspace than a backpack, bigger than a Subaru; but not something to tie me down or force me to travel to Houston in July. Hmm, maybe a yurt would do nicely...

What about the wandering? I love traveling, and not in a match.com, Facebook things-I-like kind of way. Traveling each summer has become my status-quo. If I didn't travel, I wonder if I would enjoy Ouray as much as I do each winter.

Maybe the difference is that traveling is an excursion away from basecamp and wandering is the excursion alone, without the basecamp. Perhaps I will graduate from wanderer to traveler by putting better definition around home than 'the greater-Ouray area.'

(While I'm considering my basecamp requirements, I'd like to include: indoor plumbing and hot water, someplace big enough for the dining room table I've been patiently waiting to unpack since 2003, and a place to plug in the espresso machine. I don't need everything. As evidence, I'm actually growing fond of the crash-pad coffee table. God knows I'm not getting much use out of it bouldering.)

Rarely do I solve problems as I run, so don't expect a nice, neat conclusion to these musings. Just a few minutes to consider things. I suppose it was comforting to hear another woman with a similar goal for herself this year.

After a few regulars on my ipod (maybe there is such a thing as too much Abba), I rolled into some new tunes that lightened my mood considerably.

Let me preach for just a moment... I strongly believe everyone should have a hip-pocket karaoke song. Something ready to go, should the need arise. I mean, imagine yourself standing on-stage with a crowd cheering you on to sing. Do you want to be unprepared for that moment? I mean, I’ll admit it may not be as critical as your emergency savings account; but it could happen. Thankfully, I got a chance to practice my Mary Chapin Carpenter set. Hopefully the passersby on my run didn’t mind. Yes, Mary Chapin Carpenter. When the day comes, I'll be ready.

And check this one out…. Groove is in the Heart! If you graduated from Northwestern with me, you heard that song 1,000,000 times during Dance Marathon. Basically, Dance Marathon was a weekend-long party, masquerading as a ‘charity’ event. 30 hours of dancing, it was highly memorable and somehow also all a blur. I love how a song can take me to such a happy memory, if a hazy one. We should dance more often. Maybe that's why Ellen is so popular. (Is she still popular? I hope so.)

Anyway, have a great day. Shuffle up the ipod and let your imagination take you away.

Eat Your Ice Cream

So what did I learn about climbing this week? Well, I retreated from Birdbrain Boulevard after ~100m of climbing, and here are my takeaways:

• Just because Steve House climbed it, doesn’t mean it’s necessarily 'in' for me. 'nuf said.
• When your number of pitches exceeds your number of gear placements, it's game-on.
• Maybe 5.8 chimneys are better climbed with hands than ice tools. Just sayin'.
• Ever gone swimming in San Juan facets? With approaches like that, who needs Crossfit?
• When you’re sick, be sick. Don’t go climbing.

So it wasn't the send-fest I'd planned for, but I kept it together through the M5 X (or 5.8, or whatever rating you want to give it), long enough to build a belay and realize I didn't have the energy to keep it up. I do look forward to returning to this choss-pile on another day. Hopefully next time someone else will put in the boot-pack.

Anyway.... After my morning, I proceeded to spend the next three days sequestered in my home - feeling like crap, getting an ab workout from coughing, and remembering a friend's words of warning 'if you are getting sick and you go climb Birdbrain, you'll be sick for a whole week.' I could hear the 'I told you so's' without even needing them spoken.

So I'm sick. What can I do now? Embrace it.

Allow me to digress for a moment... The first summer after I left my job and my life in Chicago, I traveled to Europe. It was one of those unstructured, unplanned trips that you might expect from a gap-year Aussie; but certainly not a 30-something American. On-sighting France without so much as a Lonely Planet. On 10 Euros a day.

As my trip drew to a close, I splurged and took a trip to Bordeaux, not for wine, but a little spiritual encounter. I spent time at Plum Village with Thich Nhat Hanh, or Thây. For those unfamiliar, he is a Vietnamese Buddhist monk and Plum Village is the monastery/meditation center he built in France after his exile. His story is both painful and amazing; certainly worth a read, but I'll leave that for Wikipedia to explain in more detail.

To sum up my own experience with Thây's teaching, it is to be mindful of all that we do, our feelings and experiences, good or bad, big or small. All of it.

To give you a sense of the experience, there are several house rules there to provide guidance on mindful living.

1. First, nothing gets done quickly. New Yorkers, multi-taskers, and moms must need a lot of help adjusting to the pace when they arrive.
   
2. Next, there is very little talking, and none during meals. You chew. You taste your food. You swallow. With less interaction, you begin to experience all of these things that typically happen absentmindedly.
   
3. And here's another, when any bell goes off (e.g., the clock, every half-hour) everyone stops what they are doing and takes three breaths before they resume (which explains why it is so difficult getting anyone there to answer the telephone).

One of my favorite stories I heard there was about Thây explaining mindfulness to a group of children. He told them 'when you drink your tea, you should only ‘drink your tea.’' When the children responded that they didn’t drink tea, Thây quickly countered with ‘eat your ice cream.’ I understand that it was a big hit with the kiddos.

I could go on and on, but it's not the kind of thing you can easily put into words. If this gets you interested, pick up one of Thây's hundred-plus books, subscribe to their podcast, or become a fan of their Facebook group. Yep, they podcast and Facebook just like we do. Well, not just like us... I'll bet they never chat, post photos, and blog all at once.

Anyway, it was a great experience for me and I find myself remembering it as I sit here coughing up phlegm. I know. TMI.

So whatever you do today… Embrace it. Climb Birdbrain. Be Sick. Eat your Ice Cream. Breathe.