Why?

From the Mountain Athlete front page:

"WHY CLIMB"
by Mattie Sheafor-Hong

You get to explore beautiful places with an intimacy that only a bird, a spider or a lizard might ever get to know...and maybe not even another living thing.

You get a window into yourself. You cannot hide, not really, and not for long. It is humbling, consistently demanding, and ultimately richly rewarding--sometimes briefly satisfying--when you meet the challenge to the best of your ability. Climbing asks everything of you mentally and physically: problem solving, creativity, full on-all out-effort, and self possession, sometimes all at once. Sometimes fiercely. It is absorbing, cleansing, pure. It is a crucible to make yourself stronger (not just physically), richer (not even monetarily), broader (in every good way).

Climbing often requires keen partnership and sincere, even if brief, communication. It tends to breed deep friendships, indelible memories, and a rich respect for the present.

Climbing is a refuge. A place where gravity prevails, where the elements are master, and if you r-e-a-l-l-y listen to what they tell you, and use your tools and judgment well, you just might get to be a part of it all, for a little while. Plus, on occassion you get to feel like your 6 years old again.

I can subscribe to that!