Nice article here on John Bachar, the climber who died last month. He started climbing at age 14, in Yosemite, in 1952. On the day of his death he was free soloing--climbing without a rope--and fell. He often climbed without backup. I like to contemplate the kind of skill and confidence that it takes to free solo. Either skill or confidence alone is not enough. Even with both, death is one tiny mistake away.

It's snowing tonight, another strange coating of white stuff in this coastal city. Tomorrow another session of school begins: 10 weeks of classes, 1 week of practical exams and papers due, another week of lecture exams. I am wound tight as a....ball of rubber bands? Not sure what is as tight as me right before one of these races begins. But begin it I must. Providing that I passed all my classes from last quarter, I am 1/3 of the way through this program, not counting board exams. I don't know yet if I passed everything. And if I didn't pass, the remediation exams are this coming Friday. Crazy way to do things. But here goes....here goes.
( I read a book todayCollapse )