Source:
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=926481377361989&id=30...
So while reading another round of post Dawn Wall what-does-it-all-mean-to-us-puny-mortals editorials, it occurred to me that the word that is missing from most commenters is "style".
The free climb vs free solo vs aid vs ground up vs supported vs blah blah blah that everyone is dealing with, both civilians and proper climbers is about style.
The boys did there best to continue with style. They did not achieve perfect style because it's an ideal that can never be achieved until the naked free solo.
There is room for future climbers to improve their style- simply doing it in an unsupported push would be the next leap, or a one day (some day).
When those things happen, the world won't notice, but we will.
And this is why we love climbing. 'Continue with style' is funny because it's from an often hilariously bad movie, The Eiger Sanction, but it really is what we all try to do every time we climb- without referees to keep us honest, or the New York Times to make us famous.
Whoever wrote that line in the movie actually understood climbing to its core.
And try as they might, the civilian commentators will never get it until they know what it's like to pitch at the chains and scream "f*ck it, just dirt me. I'm done!" even though a bystander is slack jawed that they were up there at all. The civie is amazed, but you know you blew it in this small, esoteric way, and will be back next weekend to try to do it in proper style.
