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Common Climber interviews climber and photographer LieseLotte P who was born and raised in Belgium, but has been traveling Europe in her van climbing and taking photos. LieseLotte is an artist and performer. You can see that creativity in her work. She has composed a series of thematic climbing photo exhibits, which are shared as part of this interview. One of the exhibits explores the female body and feminism.
INSTAGRAM: @liese_lotte_p WEBSITE: www.lieselotte-p.be |
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Monkey business in a tufa playground in Greece. Alberto (IG: @albertillodelaselva) is on “Tufandago” (8a+/5.13c/30) at the Twin Caves, Leonidio, Greece. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
Thank you for taking the time to talk with Common Climber and share your work with our audience. Let's begin with the basics. Tell us about where you are from, where you currently live, and your personal climbing journey.
I was born and raised in Belgium in the Flemish speaking region.
I adore Belgium for its beer and chocolate, but when I was a teenager I started travelling to the southern (and more sunny) parts of Europe and the world.
Currently I am working in Switzerland. I have been travelling for more than a year with my man and animals in our van. We are both passionate climbers and are combining our passion for climbing in beautiful places with work and living simply in the van.
I started rock climbing about six years ago in Freyr, Belgium. Freyr is known for slippery old-school routes with long run outs on the easy ones.
After some short pleasure climbing trips to El Chorro, Spain and Ulassai, Sardgena, I fell slowly but deeply in love with climbing.
I have been working as a belly dance teacher and fire art performer since 2014. When climbing I notice how similar it is with dancing a choreography - you forget yourself and the world when performing a route, linking the moves together, working your body and mind, focus and breath, and how the body flows. A true vertical dance. With both dance and climbing, it is all about losing myself, mentally and physically. It's about about the paradoxal concept of taking control and at the same time letting go.
Although dance has been a major element in my life and a professional career for a while, I have the feeling the tides are turning. I find myself focusing more and more on the movement of climbing.
I adore Belgium for its beer and chocolate, but when I was a teenager I started travelling to the southern (and more sunny) parts of Europe and the world.
Currently I am working in Switzerland. I have been travelling for more than a year with my man and animals in our van. We are both passionate climbers and are combining our passion for climbing in beautiful places with work and living simply in the van.
I started rock climbing about six years ago in Freyr, Belgium. Freyr is known for slippery old-school routes with long run outs on the easy ones.
After some short pleasure climbing trips to El Chorro, Spain and Ulassai, Sardgena, I fell slowly but deeply in love with climbing.
I have been working as a belly dance teacher and fire art performer since 2014. When climbing I notice how similar it is with dancing a choreography - you forget yourself and the world when performing a route, linking the moves together, working your body and mind, focus and breath, and how the body flows. A true vertical dance. With both dance and climbing, it is all about losing myself, mentally and physically. It's about about the paradoxal concept of taking control and at the same time letting go.
Although dance has been a major element in my life and a professional career for a while, I have the feeling the tides are turning. I find myself focusing more and more on the movement of climbing.
SKIN Project
What does mean 'skin' for you? How does it feel like, living in this shell of yours?
Our skin: the biggest organ, we breath with it, we sweat in it. We touch, we get touched. It can be ripped apart, leaving marks we call scars.
It absorbs and separates.
It connects and also abuses.
The skin tells a story, marked by tracks telling secrets about our past.
As a snake sheds its skin, it renews its body by a fresh peel.
This project can be about transformation, to renew your skin, to rebirth your body. A process that gives us a symbolic fresh start.
Trough a ritual you give meaning to this process of transformation. A photo can give a meaning to this ritual, presenting a documentation of your process.
Memories that lay down on your skin-canvas.
The skin absorbs and separates, it connects and defends.
I am interested in collecting all these different memories, transformations and adventures.
From all these different bodies. Honoring what was or what will be.
As every story evolves, so does this project, capturing different witnesses and translate them in to a picture.
What does mean 'skin' for you? How does it feel like, living in this shell of yours?
Our skin: the biggest organ, we breath with it, we sweat in it. We touch, we get touched. It can be ripped apart, leaving marks we call scars.
It absorbs and separates.
It connects and also abuses.
The skin tells a story, marked by tracks telling secrets about our past.
As a snake sheds its skin, it renews its body by a fresh peel.
This project can be about transformation, to renew your skin, to rebirth your body. A process that gives us a symbolic fresh start.
Trough a ritual you give meaning to this process of transformation. A photo can give a meaning to this ritual, presenting a documentation of your process.
Memories that lay down on your skin-canvas.
The skin absorbs and separates, it connects and defends.
I am interested in collecting all these different memories, transformations and adventures.
From all these different bodies. Honoring what was or what will be.
As every story evolves, so does this project, capturing different witnesses and translate them in to a picture.
Andrei - Skin Project by LieseLotte Peeters (IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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Inneke - Skin Project by LieseLotte Peeters (IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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You have a Masters of Fine Art, what did you focus on photography as part of your studies? What is your photographic journey and when did climbing photography enter the picture?
At age 17, I was pretty young entering the University of Art, and deeply overwhelmed with all the talents there. I started painting (because I actually had no clue what I wanted to do, I just wanted to do "artistic" stuff, haha!). After 2 years I switched to graphic art and silk screen printing, the old craft way.
It was a wild, crazy and sometimes naive period of my life. I had a lot of fun, but I was not always taking it very seriously. Art education back then was very experimental and hippie. It was during this education I learned to develop black and white analog photos. I mixed my graphic art with my pictures, ending up in abstract collages of trees and landscapes.
Black and white photography stayed in my life after graduating and I continued taking portraits of my friends with my old analog Canon and a 50mm lens.
Then people were telling me I should take it more seriously, so I got myself my first pro digital camera.
I started taking my camera on climbing trips, shooting portraits and landscapes for the joy of it.
The more serious and ambitious I became in climbing the more I also got into climbing photography. Thanks to friends, I learned to work on fixed ropes, and started to focus more on the person climbing: from above!
It was a wild, crazy and sometimes naive period of my life. I had a lot of fun, but I was not always taking it very seriously. Art education back then was very experimental and hippie. It was during this education I learned to develop black and white analog photos. I mixed my graphic art with my pictures, ending up in abstract collages of trees and landscapes.
Black and white photography stayed in my life after graduating and I continued taking portraits of my friends with my old analog Canon and a 50mm lens.
Then people were telling me I should take it more seriously, so I got myself my first pro digital camera.
I started taking my camera on climbing trips, shooting portraits and landscapes for the joy of it.
The more serious and ambitious I became in climbing the more I also got into climbing photography. Thanks to friends, I learned to work on fixed ropes, and started to focus more on the person climbing: from above!
You have several photographic series of women climbers. One explores a warrior spirit, another explores the body and nudity. Tell us more about those - what are they and where did you get the idea? (It would be wonderful to include photos from those and share some of the captions you thoughtfully created for them in your Instagram account.)
It started out as a very wild and spontaneous idea when living on the road for a few months in El Chorro, Spain.
I had fled my homeland, as Covid-19 took over and there was not really a reason for me to return. I had lost my job, I could not teach my dance classes, and there were no events for performers.
During the winter of 2021, together with like-minded people from Spain and elsewhere in Europe, we created a small utopia of our own. It was here, I met these 2 wonderful women: Mara and Yana. We started talking about climbing and art, and how wonderful it would be to combine these two. It turned out to be an artistic project, about women empowering women.
I had fled my homeland, as Covid-19 took over and there was not really a reason for me to return. I had lost my job, I could not teach my dance classes, and there were no events for performers.
During the winter of 2021, together with like-minded people from Spain and elsewhere in Europe, we created a small utopia of our own. It was here, I met these 2 wonderful women: Mara and Yana. We started talking about climbing and art, and how wonderful it would be to combine these two. It turned out to be an artistic project, about women empowering women.
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La Vida Misma
An artistic project about women empowering other women. "A free wild woman, not running away, but instead finding her own way, her own inner truth." “La vida misma” is created by 3 women who found connection and creativity through climbing and living their live differently… |
Mara Richter (IG: @mara_carolin) climbs “Sandokina” (8a+/5.13c/30) located in Desplomilandia, El Chorro, Spain. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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Not realizing it at the time, this project would be the first step to a bigger art project, and it still remains the inspiration for future climbing shoots.
The video and the photos of this period of time completed my circle of life at that moment: living free, climbing, travelling, connecting and photographing the whole process and the travel.
I continued travelling after a summer of work in Belgium, heading to Greece to stay for the winter.
Again, meeting people on my way, and the artistic side started taking over.
The idea of topless climbing (and shooting it) came from a friend, who at the end could not join the project, but Jael and I still moved forward. After, taking the photos, I was texting with Jael and I asked her how she see the pictures. It resulted in an interesting conversation where we openly talked about the female body and our perceptions of it.
When meeting up with old and new friends, I always open the idea of a shoot. Ilina, whom I had met in Ulassai three winters before, and Aletta, a new friend, were game for an artistic shoot, so we planned a date and a place. Afterwards we reflected about the shoot - capturing the moment of the climb, but also the moment of connection. I am always happily surprised when people want to talk and reflect about the photos. I especially love it when my "models" open up the conversation and share their personal stories.
The video and the photos of this period of time completed my circle of life at that moment: living free, climbing, travelling, connecting and photographing the whole process and the travel.
I continued travelling after a summer of work in Belgium, heading to Greece to stay for the winter.
Again, meeting people on my way, and the artistic side started taking over.
The idea of topless climbing (and shooting it) came from a friend, who at the end could not join the project, but Jael and I still moved forward. After, taking the photos, I was texting with Jael and I asked her how she see the pictures. It resulted in an interesting conversation where we openly talked about the female body and our perceptions of it.
When meeting up with old and new friends, I always open the idea of a shoot. Ilina, whom I had met in Ulassai three winters before, and Aletta, a new friend, were game for an artistic shoot, so we planned a date and a place. Afterwards we reflected about the shoot - capturing the moment of the climb, but also the moment of connection. I am always happily surprised when people want to talk and reflect about the photos. I especially love it when my "models" open up the conversation and share their personal stories.
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La Vida Misma
In climbing we tend to focus a lot on sending our routes, but what is maybe more important is the people you meet on the road. I was lucky enough to meet this pretty strong woman while climbing in Ulassai in the winter of 2021 (or 2020?)… Not only is she a talented visual artist, she is the 1st Macedonian woman doing the 7 summits and reaching the high peak of Mt. Everest. It is women like her that inspire me to keep growing as a female artist and climber and chasing my dreams. Check out her storytelling project “This is HER story”, portraying unique female athletes from different origin, writing history with their outstanding achievements. |
Ilina Arsova (IG: @ilina_arsova) checking out the moves on “Savra ext.” (7b/5.12b/27) in Sabaton, Leonidio, Greece. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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Jael Junge (IG: @jael_junge) on “Pequeno Monstro” (7a/5.11c/24) Olympos, Leonidio, Greece. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
Jael Junge (IG: @jael_junge) on “Pequeno Monstro” (7a/5.11c/24) Olympos, Leonidio, Greece. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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La Vida Misma
Perfection is in the imperfection. Showing skin should not be a sin, but we should cherish our beauty at every stage of our life and in everything we do, as we do in climbing and being photographed in weird positions :) You don’t need a perfect body to enjoy sports and to go climb! Jael: “Through the last two years my image of beauty has changed immensely when I started doing this sport. For a long time, make-up and shopping for pretty clothes were an essential aspect in terms of the value of my appearance. Due to environment, I often felt pushed to perform excellently in my studies and job. In the meantime, I find the simple life with unconditional love and affection for the people around me much more fullfilling.” “Girls just wanna have fun” and a “Free the nipple!” A political statement? What is the big deal anyway with nudity? We are all born naked, without clothes, only skin to wrap ourselves. Photography is an art-form, a way to express myself. A tool for freedom, a way to represent my personal point of view, without judgment. Jael: “Why do photos of female being topless get deleted from Instagram? We are given a distorted body image, influenced by what’s allowed and what’s not because of social media. |
But even in our offline world male nipples are acceptable, while the female counterpart is still considered offensive. And this in a world where the issue of equality is more present than ever before.
We don’t question why the female breast is still sexualized. After all, roughly half of the world’s population is oppressed in their freedom of movement.
It would be nice if we could normalize all body images equally.”
Climbing is about having fun, enjoy, connection, freedom, feeling strong not only physically but even more mentally. To conquer every new challenge, to choose every new path.
It is a lifestyle, a choice to spend so much time, all your energy and willpower into the vertical dance.
In photography, I want to reflect this freedom and enjoyment.
Girls just wanna have fun!
Jael: “I love the spirit of climbing so much that I would consider it more as a lifestyle than a hobby. When I doubt my ability to climb a route and constantly push my limits. We live in an evolving circle of like-minded people who share exactly the same emotions. We project as a community, give each other betas and celebrate together the success of projects that we previously thought were impossible.
A perfect symbiosis of technique and strength, which continuously contributes to the enhancement of my resilience.”
We don’t question why the female breast is still sexualized. After all, roughly half of the world’s population is oppressed in their freedom of movement.
It would be nice if we could normalize all body images equally.”
Climbing is about having fun, enjoy, connection, freedom, feeling strong not only physically but even more mentally. To conquer every new challenge, to choose every new path.
It is a lifestyle, a choice to spend so much time, all your energy and willpower into the vertical dance.
In photography, I want to reflect this freedom and enjoyment.
Girls just wanna have fun!
Jael: “I love the spirit of climbing so much that I would consider it more as a lifestyle than a hobby. When I doubt my ability to climb a route and constantly push my limits. We live in an evolving circle of like-minded people who share exactly the same emotions. We project as a community, give each other betas and celebrate together the success of projects that we previously thought were impossible.
A perfect symbiosis of technique and strength, which continuously contributes to the enhancement of my resilience.”
I (Stefani Dawn, Ed.) am a woman and a climber. I have been moved and inspired by your work and these series. The images and accompanying words are wonderful counter-messages to negative thoughts and perceptions that exist in my head - and I think many women's heads. In sports photography, including climbing, it tends to be oriented around strength and fitness. Your female stories are about strength, but an internal strength that then expresses itself on the rock. To me that is independent from a climbing grade or difficulty. Your other story is about the female body, but not an objectification of the body. Instead about an acceptance of our body as it is and the beauty of the female form. These were what I took from those photos and captions - what are you are hoping to express or achieve with these images of women?
I am deeply honored with these words, Stefani, because this is exactly what I am trying to do: cut the crap out of social media and the clichés about female strength.
It is more than that. Every person (woman or man) I am working with, has a true personal story, they all have a reason why they climb.
Maybe in the beginning it is about getting stronger, fitter, better... we all go through this process of the ego. But what I always hear at the end, is that the "why we climb" is bigger than ourselves. This is because life is about living it, in that moment - connecting, sharing and exploring.
Even more, bonds seem to be stronger between women in a sport that is mainly dominated by male - especially when making an art project together, when encouraging each other and sharing female beta, when exploring together the concept of nudity... These bonds, despite time and distance, are glued in your heart. And that is an amazing thing!
Women supporting each other, creating a sisterhood, it is so important. Especially now when politics and social media is trying to mislead us and tell us what to do, eat, wear, climb, dance, be.
It is more than that. Every person (woman or man) I am working with, has a true personal story, they all have a reason why they climb.
Maybe in the beginning it is about getting stronger, fitter, better... we all go through this process of the ego. But what I always hear at the end, is that the "why we climb" is bigger than ourselves. This is because life is about living it, in that moment - connecting, sharing and exploring.
Even more, bonds seem to be stronger between women in a sport that is mainly dominated by male - especially when making an art project together, when encouraging each other and sharing female beta, when exploring together the concept of nudity... These bonds, despite time and distance, are glued in your heart. And that is an amazing thing!
Women supporting each other, creating a sisterhood, it is so important. Especially now when politics and social media is trying to mislead us and tell us what to do, eat, wear, climb, dance, be.
Aleta Bunge (IG: @aleta.bunge & @rock.n.beyond) is on “Copied From Our Guidebook (7b/5.12b/27) at Theos Cave, Leonidio, Greece. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
La Vida Misma
Because life is about living it, in that moment, when connecting, sharing and exploring. And I am here, sharing my pictures of Aleta: an inspiring woman, a beautiful connection, an exploration of a woman’s heart and passion. Her story unfold, recognizable and intense.
As the of a climber is, intense...
Aleta:
Yes level improved, I am stronger. But not specifically climbing wise.
Personally wise.
I remember being in Spain on my first ever climbing trip... with the goal of red pointing my first 7a.
Being around strong female climbers was intimidating then...
Seeing them project and crush 8a’s while I was still struggling on 6c’s...
It actually brought me in contact with my own insecurities about my worth, which at that time I connected it to on what I was climbing (and as well as other achievements obviously), as my partner at the time was a strong climber. Wanting to impress, wanting to be good enough, and seeing them being good made me feel small, boring and insecure.”
Since that trip, a lot of things changed.
Yes, I did improved a lot in climbing, I feel a lot stronger, but less climbing-wise, then in general.
Actually my bigger achievement was my personal development and the point of view on female connections.
Now I climb and train, because I love to push myself, feel strong in my body and I love the way movements feel when climbing.
I am not trying to impress anyone (except maybe myself).
I now feel enriched, inspired and empowered by women doing their thing, standing for themselves and living their passion.
I love the exchange with other female climbers and also love to encourage other girls on their climbs and celebrate every personal achievement no mater the grade.
Sharing joy instead of envying someone...
Climbing, not just in this topic, has taught me a lot and contributed so much to my personal development.
I feel grateful for everything I’ve learned, my lifestyle and being able to share my passion and empower other women with my work, in their climbing as well as in life.
Having the opportunity to combine climbing, mental and life coaching through the experiences at the rock is such a blast!
As was the experience with you, Lieselotte.
Because life is about living it, in that moment, when connecting, sharing and exploring. And I am here, sharing my pictures of Aleta: an inspiring woman, a beautiful connection, an exploration of a woman’s heart and passion. Her story unfold, recognizable and intense.
As the of a climber is, intense...
Aleta:
Yes level improved, I am stronger. But not specifically climbing wise.
Personally wise.
I remember being in Spain on my first ever climbing trip... with the goal of red pointing my first 7a.
Being around strong female climbers was intimidating then...
Seeing them project and crush 8a’s while I was still struggling on 6c’s...
It actually brought me in contact with my own insecurities about my worth, which at that time I connected it to on what I was climbing (and as well as other achievements obviously), as my partner at the time was a strong climber. Wanting to impress, wanting to be good enough, and seeing them being good made me feel small, boring and insecure.”
Since that trip, a lot of things changed.
Yes, I did improved a lot in climbing, I feel a lot stronger, but less climbing-wise, then in general.
Actually my bigger achievement was my personal development and the point of view on female connections.
Now I climb and train, because I love to push myself, feel strong in my body and I love the way movements feel when climbing.
I am not trying to impress anyone (except maybe myself).
I now feel enriched, inspired and empowered by women doing their thing, standing for themselves and living their passion.
I love the exchange with other female climbers and also love to encourage other girls on their climbs and celebrate every personal achievement no mater the grade.
Sharing joy instead of envying someone...
Climbing, not just in this topic, has taught me a lot and contributed so much to my personal development.
I feel grateful for everything I’ve learned, my lifestyle and being able to share my passion and empower other women with my work, in their climbing as well as in life.
Having the opportunity to combine climbing, mental and life coaching through the experiences at the rock is such a blast!
As was the experience with you, Lieselotte.
How about your other climbing photography - how do you approach it? Do you have a photographic style?
Combining climbing with photography and a temporary life on the road, I am trying to search for a mix between making human connections and telling their stories with the simplicity of breath-taking landscapes.
I am truly interested in the story behind the person: why THEY climb, what they do besides climb, and what makes them thrive.
It's easier to be in the shadow of my subject than to have to explain why I am doing this :).
I also don't want to narrow myself and ONLY shoot women. All persons, he, she, they, we have a story to tell.
I have been photographing for a long time with a standard 50mm lens, but in Greece in 2022 I bought a second-hand wide-angle lens. That lens gives me the opportunity to also include the amazingness of the landscape.
For now, I'm still shooting with a Canon 5D Mark II, pretty ancient you can say. But, I love the effect the previous generations of cameras give to a photo. The image sometimes tends to look "less sharp," but it has this old fashion "analog glow." I am considering to get back into analog photography soon.
I am truly interested in the story behind the person: why THEY climb, what they do besides climb, and what makes them thrive.
It's easier to be in the shadow of my subject than to have to explain why I am doing this :).
I also don't want to narrow myself and ONLY shoot women. All persons, he, she, they, we have a story to tell.
I have been photographing for a long time with a standard 50mm lens, but in Greece in 2022 I bought a second-hand wide-angle lens. That lens gives me the opportunity to also include the amazingness of the landscape.
For now, I'm still shooting with a Canon 5D Mark II, pretty ancient you can say. But, I love the effect the previous generations of cameras give to a photo. The image sometimes tends to look "less sharp," but it has this old fashion "analog glow." I am considering to get back into analog photography soon.
Alberto (IG: @albertillodelaselva) on “Winds of Winter” (7c/5.12d/28) at King of Thrones in Leonidio, Greece. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
Do you have a favorite place to climb? Why?
The more diverse locations I climb, the more different styles I do, and the more I learn about how to move.
I am almost in my 40s and am only now starting to understand climbing in high mountains, multipitch routes, and trad climbing.
I am discovering - and still very afraid of - a lot of unknown things :D.
Sport climbing is fun and very social, which I love. But, long routes on granite, that is the place where my ass seriously gets kicked and my ego gets turned off. I am truly grateful my boyfriend takes his time and has the patience to teach me all these new techniques in new territory. I always thought I had a strong mental game - I'm not really afraid of taking big falls or of run outs - but I am definitely rediscovering myself!
I am almost in my 40s and am only now starting to understand climbing in high mountains, multipitch routes, and trad climbing.
I am discovering - and still very afraid of - a lot of unknown things :D.
Sport climbing is fun and very social, which I love. But, long routes on granite, that is the place where my ass seriously gets kicked and my ego gets turned off. I am truly grateful my boyfriend takes his time and has the patience to teach me all these new techniques in new territory. I always thought I had a strong mental game - I'm not really afraid of taking big falls or of run outs - but I am definitely rediscovering myself!
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Do you have a favorite place to photograph climbing? Why?
It sounds pretty cliché, but yeah, all breath-taking views are my favorite! The more texture and colors in the rock and surrounding, the more interesting.
I have been shooting in Spain and Greece, and now am discovering Switzerland and its raw nature... More photos about the Swiss climbing scene will be in my Instagram! Do you do photography full time or do you have other jobs that help pay the bills?
Unfortunately I am working now - haha! In Switzerland I got a job as an aide de cuisine. When I lived in Belgium I used to work part time in restaurants and part time as a dance instructor/fire performer. Artistic life: difficult and hard especially when you have so many fields you want to work in!
Tell us about you as person - what motivates, drives, and inspires you?
Who does not want to travel from one magical place to another? I love waking up in the morning with the only worry of "Which crack will we choose today?" or "Crap, we ran out of oatmilk."
There was something rewarding leaving the working life behind, forgetting about the luxury that a house near a city can bring, dropping out of this comfortable way of living, and tuning into your own rhythm. Loving and living as a couple in an old white Ford Transit with a dog and a cat to take care of. |
Alberto (IG: @albertillodelaselva) on “Queenline” (8a/5.13b/30) at the Solarium in Leonidio, Greece (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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It DOES read as a dream, but it is also just a simple raw way of living, putting myself in an insecure financial position, and just turning on my own sensitive senses, learning with every human encounter, and learning more and more about myself and humanity. It is always adapting to an ever-changing social pattern, where different people with different languages, labels and opinions crisscross each other. Learning how to deal with "empty time" and "empty spaces."
In my Instagram I'm trying to represent this life with my climbing pictures and my UTOPIA-project.
Other projects can be found on my website, together with my more global portfolio.
In my Instagram I'm trying to represent this life with my climbing pictures and my UTOPIA-project.
Other projects can be found on my website, together with my more global portfolio.
UTOPIA Project
To create a safe place.
Connectng and dreaming, always on the move, alone and together.
Our souls stay connected, we grow and fow, we choose and separate.
Never a fnal goodbye, only a change of space and tme.
Memories are carved on our mental stone, and washed away again by the stream of neverending exploraton.
An actve body, a relaxed mind, open for what will come, and go...
Connectng and dreaming, always on the move, alone and together.
Our souls stay connected, we grow and fow, we choose and separate.
Never a fnal goodbye, only a change of space and tme.
Memories are carved on our mental stone, and washed away again by the stream of neverending exploraton.
An actve body, a relaxed mind, open for what will come, and go...
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Any last words for our readers? The connection of art with climbing, and life in general
It is natural we try to answer our deep rooted "Why?" Why we are living? Why do we want to create, to be heard, seen, appreciated, recognized? Why do we climb?
It seems useless: climbing up a mountain via the hardest routes, then walking down the easy way. Or risking our lives for all of this, especially in more extreme alpinism. These same feelings and questions came with art and dance. In the end - in art and climbing - it is not necessarily the ego that wants to show the world what we are capable off. It's a deep need inside, a hunger that cannot be stilled. It is human and it is an endless craving. If you do not create or climb or do your passions, you just feel bad and depressed. Art and climbing is therapeutic. Both create an universal story for everyone to understand. We can acknowledge that we are not the only one. Sometimes though, we set too high limits for ourselves, maybe thinking we will never be good enough. Procrastination. Comparison. Frustration. We get stuck in our head, stuck in our body... these are negatives that can take away from the positives I described above. You can end up feeling even more crappy. We have all been through the process of ego: prestige, wanting more, wanting to be better, maybe even wanting to be the best... But when you stop, you realize it is not about that, it is not about you. It is about the people you meet along the way, the connections you make, the stories you live, create, and tell. It's about listening, telling, and feeling at home in our own body. |
Mara Richter (IG: @mara_carolin) climbs “Sandokina” (8a+/5.13c/30) located in Desplomilandia, El Chorro, Spain. (Photo Credit: LieseLotte Peeters, IG: @liese_lotte_p)
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