In reply to Sam Maher:
A whole stack of reasons.
To be outdoors in beautiful locations. Climbing takes you to some pretty spectacular places, hanging off a cliff, watching the waves crash up in massive plumes of spume, watching seagulls hang below you, watching the dusk across moors, or smelling the rosemary on sun baked limestone.
The people. I've met a certain type of person through climbing. Intelligent, independent, a bit of a rebel without a clue, thoughtful, gutsy, fun. Not every climber is like this, but lots of them are, and I've met some of my best mates through climbing.
The mental challenge. Be it trying to work out a way of making a move in a way that makes use of your own abilities, trying to find where a route goes, trying to overcome needless fear - it's like a crossword puzzle at times!
The physical side. To get to the end of a day and feel my muscles aching, through my abs and back, my fingers, my arms. Muscles I didn't know I had. To get exercise without even noticing that is what I am doing, I am so absorbed in it.
The culture. To meet people, and to instantly be mates. The black humour, the sarcasm, the sandbagging, the understating of your own ability, the enthusiasm, the obsessiveness, the huts, the cafes, the shops, the places that we all share, whether we live in Brighton or Glasgow.
and last but not least: so that I get to hear jcm's opinions.
Post edited at 10:50