Ciaos From Italy
Sadly, my email server was not forwarding any messages sent to this site for two months! I hope to catch up with everyone as soon as possible. Thank you to everyone who wrote me after I visited Italy in January!! I really appreciate your letters.
Hi Steph,
I’m the blond girl in the first row during Milan Meeting, on 30th of
January. First of all I would like to thank you for the precious experiences
you wanted to share with us.. I’m a Phd Student in geology and
geomorphology, I LOVE climbing and so the occasion of meeting you has been
very important for me..
I am very keen on mountain and so climbing is a way to feel as a part of
that environment, in deep contact with rocks, especially in the very fisrt
moment of skin adhesion on the stones..
You are a courageous girl; in my personal experience I made a choice,
opposite but similar in meaning: I left my sure job to pursue my passion for
academic researches.. even if this choice has not been shared by the most, I
was sure it would be the best one for me..
Now with the same courage I’m trying to win my scare of bumping from rope..
I used to climbing only top rope and now that I’m starting to experience the
beautiful sensations of bringing up the rope by myself I would like to
improve my skills to reach the best that I can..
I share your opinion about the importance of entertainment during climbing
and for that reason I don’t pretend to reach starry levels but I would like
to live deeply the climbing experience.. But I’m now still afraid.. I need
to thank a new friend of mine who spurs me to go on ad on, trying, falling
but not leaving the sponge (as we say in Italy). I Want!!
Again thanks for the tells and I hope to see you soon again in Italy!! There
are some special cracks also here.. :-)))))))))))))
Cheers!!!!!!
Irene
Hi Steph,
My name is ivo and I saw yesterday your slideshow in Lecco.
The slideshow was beautiful, but what I liked most were your words about free soloing. One can tell from your eyes that you are at your ease in free solo climbing.
I also climbed and climb a lot in free solo, but it is very difficult for me to explain the emotions you feel while free soloing.
I wish you so many vertical and “in yourself” adventures for the future.
And if you come again to Italy and you want to climb Monte Brento, and not only jump from it, e-mail me.
Best wishes
Ivo
HI STEPH!!!
I’M SO HAPPY IN THIS PERIOD….
ONE MONTH AGO I SAW YOU AND YOUR VIDEO AND SOMETHING TURNED IN ME!
I READ YOUR BOOK AND AT THE END I FOLLOW WHAT I HAVE INSIDE OF ME,IT WAS SOME TIME THAT I DIDN’T DO IT….
NOW I’M FEEL BETTER AND WITH A LOT OF ENERGY AND IDEAS FOR THE NEXT SEASON!
I RECOGNIZED SOMETHING ABOUT ME IN YOUR BOOK,I THINK, LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN MOUNTAINS….
HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN AND MAYBE CLIMB TOGETHER…..BUT WITH A ROPE!!!!!
TAKE CARE ABOUT YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS
TEO
Hi steph!
I’m Alex and I live close to Lecco (Italy) where you were last night.
I’m writing to you because there is something strange about how I keep “meeting” you in this last few days…and I’m sure that nothing happens by chance in this life!
A couple of days ago I was talking with a friend of mine about some climbing that he did at El Capitan and looking in internet, randomly, we peeked up your website and that was pretty cool becouse you love my 3 foudamentals :
mountains, dogs and fly.
… I starded to be curious…
Friday by talking with another guy that I didn’t see for long time he started to talk about you and your good performance last night in Lecco.
…and so I was more curious…
Yesterday I went for dinner to my uncle’s house and there, over the table, there was a picture of you, of the presentation of your event…
…so I’m writing to you becouse I’m finally curious…
how can you cross my live 3 times in 3 days?
All the best for you!!!
Ciao
Alex
Hi Steph,
it was great to see your presentation in Lecco last week. I am reading your
book … very well written … have you heard of Sabriye Tenberken?
http://www.braillewithoutborders.org/ENGLISH/founders.html
She is a german girl who became blind at the age of 12 … then begun
studying Central Asian Cultures … and in order to study faster tibetan,
she translated the tibetan alphabet into braille. Then, as in Tibet many
people are affected by blindness due to the high altitude, she thought that
it would have been a good thing to teach them the tibetan-braille alphabet
she had invented …
… at the end, as the authorities did not help her, she went alone to Lhasa
… in front of the Jokhang (the main temple), a girl she did not know asked
her: “what are you doing here?” … she explained her goal … and the next
day they went to the villages near Lhasa on horse-back to “see” how the
situation was for blind people there …
… step by step her goal was accomplished with success (as detailed in her
book “My path leads to Tibet”) … now many people who were marginalised are
educated in “braillewithoutborders centers” and can find a job.
why do I write this? Because it is a beatiful story, and when I saw you I
thought you would have been happy to hear this
… many times when you let the flow going incredible things happen… why?
I don’t know … eheheheheheh
I read an interview where you say you had problem with your insurance
company after an accident … are you ok now?
Ciao
Antonio
Ciao Antonio,
I am still dealing with my insurance company, and trying to figure out how to make it work š But Iām sure it will! Thanks for the wonderful story!
XxS
Hi steph,
I’m monica.. don’t know if you remember me..
we had dinner together with giorgio and marta the night before the Gamma evening.
How was your flight back to the States?
..
I was looking at your photos..
they are really beautiful..
you show such a quietness (don’t even know if this is a correct word)
your smile brights around and involves everybody
(forget my english, please!)
..
but meeting you personally was even better..
you spread around this huge enthusiasm for everything you do!
it’s amazing..
I wish I could use my mind as you do..
controlling fear
and staying all alone by yourself for such long times!
..
thank you for showing me how beautiful this life could be!
ps: what was the name of the group singing the last song in your presentation?
what was the name of the song?
I will be glad to read from you..
kisses
monica
Ciao Monica! I was very happy to meet you too. Sorry it took so long to answer, my emails were not coming to me for the last two months! The last song was called Un Ciel Pour Le Soleil by Charles Dube.
Thanks for your sweet thoughts,
xxS
Ciao Steph!
First of all I do apologise for my broken english, hope you don’t mind if I’ll make some mistakes.
Yesterday evening I was in Lecco to… attend your lecture! It was a very nice event! What made me smile was your answer to that guy who asked you if
your feeling during free solo climb is different if there is someone hanged somewhere close to you. I’m sure all the people there were thinking that
having people around can give a more “safety feeling” in case of danger.
Your answer was the opposite: you were worried for your friends!!! So great!
I had lots of questions but I was afraid they could have been boring for the majority of the people there! Anyway, here I am with one question.
Since my “golden age” and even today, in my 46, I do love free solo, obviously my level is not quite high but I like long, easy/moderate routes.
I always thought that my fear about falling was my insurance policy. My personal way to manage fear is to accept it as a “reminder”, just an allarm
bell that does not block my movements, my breath but keep me focused, deeply contentrated, with silent mind and peaceful spirit. Furthermore, in climbing
with rope I didn’t and I do not want to familiarize with falling. I must not consider falling an issue, even if in very safe condition (good pro, close
to bolt etc etc…). This because when you are in danger, in extreme condition, when conscious mind is blown up by fear, I want my subconscious exclude falling at all. Yesterday evening what amazed me was that your path was completely the opposite: you made a research on the fear of fall, you litterally “dive in” your fear. Now, my question is this: don’t you think
this fearless affinity with free fall could be dangerous? Or, in other words, does your awareness about fear of fall decreases the strengt of fear itself as a protection?
Gosh! To share this though is very difficult in mother tongue but in English is driving me crazy! I hope this make sense for you!
Well… one last thing before closing this email: even if I’m not Vegan I am a good Vegan cook thus, if you come again around Lecco you are officially
invited for dinner!
If you have read till this point you are an hero!
Thank you very much for your time and for sharing your thoughts yesterday evening.
Ciao
Mauro
Ciao Mauro,
Spending a lot of time in free fall definitely does not make me want to be there when free soloing! For me the important thing is to face fears, and not to be controlled by them. I understand your idea, though, about not letting your mind go to the possibility of failure. That is the most important thing with any risky endeavour for me. I need to understand all the potentials in advance, and evaluate them. But in the actual moments of performance, the mind can never be allowed to go there. I think it is really the same thing.
I hope to come back for your vegan cooking!
š XXSteph
