Yes, that’s very true. And yes climbing does give me an adrenaline rush. But it’s so much more than that. It’s life.

You can stay in your comfort zone climbing routes that are easy. Looking strong and graceful. Or you can venture outside that, but then it’s about dealing with a lot of mental and physical battles.

It becomes about thinking ‘I can’ and ‘How can I’ rather than, ‘Urgh that’s too hard, I won’t give that a go’ or ‘I don’t want to fail, fall or look silly’.

It’s about self-belief, and the tenacity to go on because you know you can do it, you know you will do it — even when you don’t feel like it, or because it’s bloody hard. Or because it’s too hot. Too cold. It’s too busy. I’m too tired.

Climbing is about redefining what success means. It’s about replacing the idea of failure with progress. It’s about being humble and empathetic — because your own battles, your struggles, joys, and pain are the exact same battles others are facing.

So you see Denis, climbing for me is writing. It’s life :)