ADVENTURE MAG EDITION 1 - OE EDITION 56 37AUSTRALIA’S BEST CLIMBERSthat puts you in a good headspace.
When there is too much other
noise in your head, thinking about
sore skin, poor conditions, the
vacuuming that needs doing, that’s
when you can’t climb well.
ANDREA: One of the precious
things about climbing is that while
I am doing it, I am 100% immersed.
It is one of the few times in my life
that I feel a sense of “flow state”
in which I have a highly energised
focus without any distraction. I
am completely absorbed in the
present moment and I am able to
string together perfect complex
sequences and fight through
physical and mental discomfort.
Fear, pain and doubt get overrun by
strength and determination.
What was your biggest climbing
achievement?
AMANDA: Being brave enough to
jump off the path I was on, leave
my whole family and life in Western
Australia and follow my heart to
create a climbing life. Climbing has
given me such an awesome frame
work for a healthy life, the juggle
is worth it. It’s fun having to think
outside the box to create a career
and life that allows for enough
climbing and climbing training
time and that works in the Blue
Mountains. Working as a dietitian I
get to see inside people’s lives. As
a general rule, the happiest people
are the ones who have found a
passion that keeps them engaged
and feeling young, who feel
purposeful and who have stayed the
most active. Climbing ticks those
boxes for me.TOM: I think deciding to move
out of home in Brisbane and
driving 1000km south to the
Blue Mountains is my biggest
achievement. At the time, it didn’t
seem like a big thing, however, that
one little decision has completely
shifted the course of my entire life.
I am loving my life now and can’t
imagine anything different!ANDREA: My biggest personal
climbing achievement is free
climbing Freerider in Yosemite,
ground up. For me, this
accomplishment encompasses so
many challenging and different
aspects of climbing. It representsmental fortitude, physical resilience,
trad climbing competency and
diversity, sport climbing strength,
on-sighting tenacity and skill.
Pushing a grade of one area of
climbing, like sport climbing for
example, represents skill or strength
progression, but for me it doesn’t
represent all that climbing has to
offer.What advice would you give
those who are scared to try rock
climbing?
AMANDA: It may just be the best
thing you have ever done. So, give
it a go! If heights aren’t your thing,
then try one of the bouldering
gyms. Climbing has taken me to
some of the most beautiful places in
the world and through it, I have met
an awesome community of people.
If you want an awesome way to stay
fit and strong, climbing is it.TOM: Walk into the bouldering gym,
grab some shoes and chalk and
pretend you’re six years old. Kids
don’t think about it; they just play
and want to move around. Climbing
is super fun! Get some friends
together and go check it out. TheANDREA HAH, Photo Credit Lee Cossey“Fear, pain and
doubt get overrun
by strength and
determination.”