Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w . d i s t i n c t l y m o n t a n a . c o m 77 world and are a great way to connect to this booming com- munity in your home town. Sharing the places we climb is just one of the many ways that climbers can feel connected in such a seemingly individ- ualistic sport. Community events, such as the Tour de Hya- lite duathlon fundraiser put on by the Southwest Climbers Coalition in Hyalite Canyon, provide an incredible oppor- tunity where climbers meet, compete, and enjoy the beauty that is the community of climbing. Just one of the many ways the community greets its members with open arms. The human body understands that climbing is dangerous, as the sheer exposure and heights are enough to make the world's strongest man tremble. But if you develop the mental toughness needed to push past your primordial instincts, it certainly creates incredible experiences. When all your body and mind want to do is quit and give in to the fear of being alone on the wall and you somehow find the strength within yourself to push past it and move up, well, that is an incredi- bly powerful experience. Fear is real, and it's amplified once you're high up on a wall, but once you trust in the gear and your partners, you feel as if you can touch the sky. Climbing is genuinely one of the most breathtaking ways to experience the challenges and opportunities of nature while finding out what you have inside yourself, pushing past men- tal barriers, and doing things that make you a little scared. And that, after all, is what experiencing life is all about. So get a little scared, embrace it, and experience what climbing Montana rock can do for you. CLIMBING IS GENUINELY ONE OF THE MOST BREATHTAKING WAYS TO EXPERIENCE THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF NATURE WHILE FINDING OUT WHAT YOU HAVE INSIDE YOURSELF

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