Introduction: 

This book, as you can figure, is about climbing; rock climbing to be precise. I first started rock climbing when I was 12 but as most people go to a class or lesson to learn I started in another way. I am actually not a frequent climber and I actually barely do it at all however, I love adventure. This is the story of my first climb. I hope your listening because this doesn’t have any boring parts. Ok maybe some but still…

Part 1: Climb the Hill: 

My first climb was in the Malaysian paradise isle of Rawa. I seriously don’t expect anyone to know it either. It’s a tiny island smaller than 1/8 of Singapore (where I currently live). To put perspective into that size (in landmass), Singapore can fit in any singular state in the US two times or more. Anyway, back to the point: climbing. Rawa looks like a overdone postcard that someone photoshopped too many times and it feels even better than it looks. Amazing, wonderful, ecstatic, beautiful, and incredible don’t even contribute even a little bit to the description of it’s beauty (You get the point, sorry). 

During my vacation there I made a friend with a 17 year old Swedish climber. Believe it or not, this guy was actually amazing. I followed him to this dank, dark, cave of swishing seawater . A two foot hole opened up with vibrant, shining light pouring out and blurring my now distorted and dazed sight. Usually, being a dumb twelve-year old kid, this was the part I got kidnapped for being stupid enough to follow someone randomly away from the resort. However as I stumbled out of the cave I found two huge cliffs rising, majestically in front of me in all their glory. In the center a huge steep hill with millions of fist sized rocks towered above me. Now, calling it a hill wasn’t giving the gigantic mound of rock justice. I couldn’t go two feet without tripping on the mass of shifting, broken rocks. This also wasn’t a ‘official’ experience. There was no harnesses, buckles, straps, or ropes to catch me if I fell. I eventually climbed it by holding onto plants sprouting through the huge, hard, and sharp rocky kernels. It was like grabbing vibrant-green ponytails. It took three whole hours to reach the top of 75-meter high mound of pure rocky suckage but I made it. Considering I was 12 at the time I didn’t feel so bad with my efforts but I was super slow in my progress. Looking down below and across the horizon was the most amazing thing ever. For me, it made anything; whether it was a garbage dump or a paradise isle, beautiful. I felt the adrenaline pumping wildly through my veins and as the sun set gold, blooming orange tendrils across the sky I finally felt free…

Part 2: The Water Hears and Understands: 

The name of the second-part in this piece is actually a ‘snippet’ of a quote from one of the character’s in a book called Six of Crows. Even though the book is fiction I still take meaning as a major lesson in my life. The full line/quote is: “The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive”. This quote gives wisdom in it’s meaning and because of that it adds to why Six of Crows is my favourite series and book of all time (So far…). I put this in here to remind everyone (including me) that life can be a lot shorter if we aren’t careful with it. My first climb was barely a ‘fatal’ experience but I learn that danger should always be avoided if possible and not faced head-on and recklessly. 

To conclude this piece I would like to end with I quote I made and follow everyday of my life. I hope you have learned something from my mistakes and also I hope you enjoyed this little ‘short’ of my life. 

“Endure, struggle, and surpass expectations. Never give-up on something that's needed to be done because all life continues and only will continue so as long as people have endurance of courage that makes them share and inspire others into changing all we know and perceive to be. Without endurance there is no passion... Without passion there is no love... And without love the Earth would be a very dull and dark place to be.”