New Wineskins
El Capitan stands as a granite monolith that dominates the beautiful Yosemite Valley. As a kid growing up in California, a trip to Yosemite and El Capitan was a regular occurrence. I remember sitting in the lush green grass of the valley, staring up at the overwhelming edifice of El Capitan, watching climbers scurry back and forth like ants on an oak tree.
This morning we all woke with the news that two climbers scaled the face of the imposing El Capitan over the course of nineteen arduous days. The fact that they did the entire thing in a ‘free-climb,’ meaning they didn’t use ropes or climbing aids that are considered essential to make it to the top is what has lit up the climbing world. The congratulatory tweet from President Obama is well deserved.
But when I read the article this morning, here was the most impressive thing: the determination. One of the climbers, Kevin Jorgeson, came to a particularly difficult stretch of the granite wall. Without climbing aids, getting past it is practically impossible. He tried it. And failed. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And then he got it. He failed (and fell) eleven times over seven days. He came close to quitting, but he didn’t. His friend who chose a different route and could have finished six days ahead, waited a week for his friend to conquer his giant. That’s what was most impressive to me.
The free-climbing success of Kevin Jorgeson and Tommy Caldwell isn’t just a story of skill. It’s a story of determination, the power of friendship, and what happens when you don’t give up. Come on now, that will preach! That’s what we need more of in our world today.
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