Preparation
Recently, a climber scaled the extremely challenging wall on El Capitan without the aid of another climber and also without any safety ropes. Until this climber scaled this wall freehand, all attempts had been very involved with multiple climbers, safety ropes and a very slow, planned ascent. The endeavors would take days to reach the summit. The recent climber scaled the wall in only four hours!
His comment was that he had been preparing for this climb for 10 years. He was in top physical condition and had been planning and rehearsing his route for years. He said that he knew all the details of this climb from many other outings on El Capitan. He also said that the climb was easier than a roped climb because he was not encumbered with 10 pounds of equipment hanging from him at all times.
Another climber was asked to comment on how this climber was able to complete this climb. He said the climber had meticulously planned his route and was able to have great concentration on the climb by knowing how to do the movements at the moment and also to know what his next move would be. He also stated that one of the reasons he was able to complete this climb was that he was able to overcome his fears by having such complete confidence.
What a great lesson on preparation and also having confidence in our planning processes. The old saying is, if you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time!