Keep these climbers in your hearts and thoughts

This is great writing. I like that Andy doesn’t water it down. Those are big moments, and big decisions, and it sucks when people chip them down to cliches and to (ironic) bumper-sticker banality.

Terror can suck. And death sucks. And yeah, that’s no reason to stop doing things, maybe. But it’s no reason to say it doesn’t legitimately suck too.

It’s not that you think “it won’t happen to me.” You know it could...in theory. You’ve come close a few times, and you remember your low-key terror while things were unfolding. But it never totally got you, and you were so elated when you got out... everything goes back to normal, so its weight fades. In the meantime, everyone else’s tragedy is just your learning experience. You can do better now. You can always do better.

(Until it does happen, and then you’re just in the thick of it, so you don’t get to casually make the choice to avoid things at that point)

I don’t know. I obviously don’t make big decisions like the pros do. But if someone tells you that they‘ve never—not once—had a moment when they thought they were going to die, and really just wanted to push the “pause” or “rewind” buttons (or call someone to get them out—yeah, even their mom), then they’re either too naive to appreciate risk, or haven’t really walked too far outside their comfort/control zone.

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