The View | The Climbing Life Guides

The View From Here:

Our way of life is
what we share.

The act of climbing requires an unusual blend of psychological, emotional, and physical ability. It is one of the few sport activities that involve mental, physical, and technical expertise in equal proportion.

The Climbing Life Guides grew from a seed originally planted by owner Nelson Day’s younger sister, an avid climber who happened to bring her gear and enthusiasm to a family reunion in Yosemite. Nelson, an engineer at the time, fell in love with the problem solving skills required to ascend a seemingly impossible face. He felt the steepness of the face match the steepness of his learning curve as he ascended, with every tiny move, a whole new lesson. He was hooked.

"Whether it’s a small change in body position relative to a hold that makes all the difference, or a better understanding of my fear and mind space while climbing, any learning that occurs keeps me coming back for more."

As Nelson’s climbing experience and skill set grew over the years, he found that climbing was changing him in ways that weren’t just physical. Frequently encountering his psychological limits as he learned to handle the fear of falling, problem solving under pressure, and keeping a cool head -- usually in beautiful but unpredictable wilderness -- meant that he came to know himself better, and developed the courage to question things he’d simply accepted before. This courage and love for climbing nurtured the seed that would eventually grow into The Climbing Life Guides and its uncompromising approach to sharing the experience of climbing with others.

"I love the process of teaching the technical aspects of the sport to those interested in pursuing the activity on their own. For those who don’t want to learn the technical aspects, I still enjoy enabling them to have their experience while I handle the details. This is the essence of guiding."