The answer to the second is a little more complicated, and I suspect that my wandering tangents might have almost driven Gus to near-madness (his broken heels are not my doing J), but in short: it just kinda happened. The longer version (in simple form) is that I was driven – passionate - but, critically, I was ‘helped’ (shepherded if you like) along the way. In many respects I owe a great deal to the few who took me out in the early days, let me loose and miraculously kept me from my own desire-clouded stupidity, yet allowed me to make mistakes at the same time. Somewhere in the mix of formative climbing, Ed February, Fran Hunziker, Malcom Gowans and Andre Schoon provided avenues – both obvious and not – for me to grow and develop. There are others, but these were the ‘turning points’.
The net result is that I have been to some pretty neat places – my 1st trip abroad was The Crimea for God’s sake – climbed some amazing terrain (and failed), in spectacular places (both local and abroad), with some phenomenal people. Theirs is a gift I cannot hope to repay to them and while, in some ways I might feel that I have not made the absolute most of their vision, I can repay the ‘debt’ by at least attempting to inspire others, and by providing similar avenues and opportunities to others – and born from this but highlighted by that conversation with Gustav was my inspiration for what has become the Renegade Rock Tour.
My vision is/was not to create a set environment with defined objectives – there is no emphasis on grade (hence none of the photo-captions having any grade), no expectation of ‘achievement’ and no “lessons” or “instruction”. The value, and meaning, in climbing is different in everybody, but in order to find your personal meaning, one kind of needs to get out there and climb – and if you are lucky, to climb in different places, with different people.
To experience life through the tinted lens of climbing.
This is the (my) objective to the Renegade Rock Tour. And as I have to justify it to the accountants, I get to exercise executive authority in this regard ^;^
Time will be the judge of success and sustainability, but if ONE person goes on to live a life fueled by the passion of climbing, then it’s a success in my eyes, and I can scratch away at my debt to society.
Tristan
