Left: scrambling up to the route. Right: trying to spot all the bolts... not an easy task in Joshua Tree!

It is such an empowering feeling to leave, just Jennifer and I in the Westy with all the kids piled up in the back and head to the crag. Joshua Tree routes are not easy to find and you never know what to expect. As I said in my last post, there are often bolts missing, big runouts (long distances without a bolt or protection on the route) and impossible to find anchors on top (which is not a problem for trad climbers who can install their own protections, but it can be a problem for us, sport climbers). So we felt pretty badass leading the kids through a fun scramble in a canyon up to the routes, then assessing the routes with them (trying to spot bolts and anchors), making the decision to climb or not depending on that assesment and finally climbing a different route further down. We came back to the Westy at moon rise (again!) and felt so full from another day at the crag together!

The next day, Jennifer had a fall while leading a route that was supposed to be an easy 5.5 (we renamed it 5.5. My Ass!). And she sprained her ankle pretty bad. Three months ago it was JF that broke an arm in a mountain bike accident, then a month ago, Karl sprained his foot when he fell while lead climbing and his foot got caught... (and no! I am not next!). It is easy to assume that we partake in high-risk sports and that injuries are to be expected. It is in part true and we consciously choose to life an active life doing sports we love even if there are risks involved. Is there anything that is risk-free? Choosing to not be active also comes with a different type of risk (health consequences mainly). Also, a person might be a risk-taker in one sphere of its life and risk-averse in another one (one might bungee jump, but never invest in the stock market, for instance).

JF is right where Jennifer was when she fell. It was about a a 5 feet fall and her ankle twisted when she landed in the crack (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

Due to media-coverage, many non-climbers are aware of numerous climbing fatalities. When a non-climber looks at a rock face and thinks its crazy for anyone to climb, a competent climber might see an established and well-protected route on immaculate rock and rightly judge it not risky.

Of course rock climbing involves a certain amount of risk. But with risk comes rewards. We all know what it feels like to be afraid of something, but to overcome it, to succeed, that's one of the best feelings in the world (inspired by this short movie).

Belaying Alex on his first outdoor climb! It's an honour to introduce friends and family to a sport we love so much (photos by Isabelle Lauzon).

But still, the question remains (at least in our parents and siblings head!):

“So, why are you taking risks? If you look deeply enough, you’ll realize you take risks to grow and growth gives you experiences that make you feel alive. It’s important to recognize when your ego takes you off that path of growth. Take risks that are appropriate for you, learn what you need to learn, and feel alive and fulfilled in the process.” (from this great article). Read on for more excerpts from this article...

“Many climbers begin climbing in a gym. Mark Twight points out that in the gym, a climber expects to confront a minimal amount of fear and to have anxiety managed by others. We become accustomed to someone else managing these risks, which can lead to a false sense of security when climbing outside. In this way we tend to insulate ourselves from the situations we are engaged in. We’ve expected others to manage the risk while we were focused on having a nice, comfortable experience. The more comfortable and safe we make situations, the more separated we are from them.

Cars, these days, lock the doors, turn on/off the lights, and beep when we haven’t put on our safety belt. Decision-making has been taken away in an attempt to keep us safe. Does safety lie in gadgets making decisions for us or in technology that disengages us from the risk? Henry Barber’s maxim is “do more with less”. His approach puts him in close proximity to the risk with minimal insulation. He states that doing more with less [technology] requires creativity. It allows us to be the leader of our life and decisions, rather than succumbing to the sheep mentality. What we need to keep in mind is why we do what we do.”