Conquer.

Only You Can Conquer

2012-03-24T01:06:00.000-05:00

You remember that visceral feeling you had the first time you ever rode down a steep hill on your bicycle? How it shook those butterflies in your stomach but your senses were sharpened, what a feeling indeed. To the best part inside of us, this is the best feeling in the world; the edge of control, the heightened sense of life.

If we don't have that feeling at least somewhat often, are we really living our life? If every moment of our life is something that we're used to facing, no matter what our past experiences, then what kind of life are we living? Is it even something worth living? Do we bring value to our world? Do we matter?

Incredibly hard questions that we ask ourselves are questions that cause emotion: anger, disgust, bitterness, sorrow. Of course we matter! Why? Are you bringing a service to the world no one else can? Is your existence something that couldn't be replaced by someone else who gets paid less and is much more handsome? I occasionally look at myself and wonder if what I'm doing is making the world a better place, and I look for ways to increase my positive output. To bring value and to improve others, the world. To help. This blog didn't have much of a point for a while. I'm working on bringing it about to what I had originally aimed at: "Philanthropy: altruistic concern for human welfare and advancement,usually manifested by donations of money, property, or work to needy persons, by endowment of institutions of learningand hospitals, and by generosity to other socially useful purposes."

--Hook

Evergreen

2011-07-05T13:15:00.000-05:00

A bit of mountain prose for everyone! Enjoy!

Young as the saplings of fresh charred forests.
Full of unbridled vigor for all things unmeasured.
Lay down before him at his feet are the tools for which he can conquer mountains.

Beyond his grasp--both physical and thought--the summits are which we all aspire.
But we will some none ever dare to take that first step, for fear we may stumble.
Let us not be held back by what society now calls 'maturity.'

Instead, let us be free of mental burden and strive for the summits of faraway heights.
The strength lie within us to conquer all things that come our way.
It is our choice whether we use it or not.

--Hook

Pushing Your Boundaries

2011-06-22T13:23:00.000-05:00

Have you ever made an analogy in jest, only to have someone say to you, “you could never do that.” Oh now, then it gets personal, as if they have just slapped you. What you said was initially in jest, but now you come to realize, after thinking about it: “ What the hell do you know about me, to tell me I can’t do something?” I remember when I was young, for some reason or other, making a joke to a friend that I could climb a mountain, and he said with the utmost seriousness, “you can’t climb a mountain.” It rocked me to my core! How insulting! You, a supposed friend, telling me my limits!

Such a snub! I shrugged it off later, but the memory of my anger would surface any time someone else told me I couldn’t do something. Eventually, I learned to realize that I should never worry much about what others doubt about me. I know who I am, because I have and will continue to push my boundaries.

It’s not always easy to know when to take that leap. Especially if you’re hearing everyone else express their constant doubt in you. “You can’t do that.” “It makes no sense.” “You’re going to get hurt.” These people may feel like they’re looking out for you, and in some extreme cases they may be, but in a lot of cases, when pushing boundaries, they say these things because subconsciously they are afraid you’re going to succeed. Maybe they’re fully aware and know that you very well could and don’t want you getting even close to your goal. In the end, you have to live with you choices, they don’t. So when you choose to make a decision, remember, you have to live with it. That’s a hell of a lot of responsibility; the possibility of failure is a constant companion when you’re walking close to the razor’s edge. But does that mean you should live your whole life afraid?

Never be afraid to fail, but never be afraid to take guidance. It takes more than just you alone to succeed. Friends and family are usually there to help you realize your dreams. Understanding that may take a few failures on your own. Sometimes it even takes someone pushing you to go beyond your limits before you can realize that you've rested idle for too long. So learn as much as you can from other's mistakes. Never rest idle, continue to learn every day, improve yourself, either by going back to school, learning a new language, learning a new hobby, just learn more about life and mankind, do or learn something to improve the world.

My main quote on here isn't there for vanity. It’s there because conquering and fear come hand in hand. If people were seeking safety all the time, there would be no advances in just about anything. Someone had to be the guinea pig, someone had to be the test pilot. Someone had to risk failure to strive for success, and there are always those who can laugh at that person who falls, but those people are but the scum of society that end up doing nothing of consequence of their lives.

Let ‘em laugh.

So as you cast your sails to the wind and make ready for stormy seas, don’t let fear seize you. But don’t go out unprepared. Know that the seas may swallow you whole, but if you don’t pull up your anchors and set sail, your boat will stay there, safe at harbor with all the other useless yet pretty boats that stay tethered to sanctuary. People like that will have nothing to talk about but gossip. People that set off--people like you and I--will have stories of our odysseys, accounts of the stormy seas pounding down on our heads as we gather the sails. Our hands will be worn, but our lives, our histories will be rich. Their lives will be like stale bread, crusty shells and bland innards; though their hands will be as soft as the day they were born.

--Hook

Blog Videos!

2011-06-16T21:07:00.000-05:00

So I just got a brand new little video cam, a kodak zx3 sport, and I'm pretty excited about it! I just wanted to see what everyone thought about some video blog topics. Here's some ideas, but feel free to something out there; gear reviews, simple introductions, controversial topics, best trails/areas in Austin. What do you think would be some good ideas?

--Hook

Two Fingers at a Time

2011-06-10T14:59:00.001-05:00

From outside or at a distance, the problem is less absolute. Less menacing. Approaching it, you may seem outwardly confident, or maybe you’ve even convinced yourself on the inside that you are sure. You take hold, placing your hands and feet ever so slightly, yet very purposefully, on each hold. As you ascend, there isn’t much that crosses your mind. Only ‘left foot here, right hand there.’ ‘Right foot there, left hand here.’ ‘ Now lift.’ ‘ Got it.’

Each step is a mark, like a number 2 penciling scrawled in the scantron of the school of the route. Follow the tape, no missteps count, no cheating allowed. Some of us are graceful, some of us clumsy. That’s ok, we all start somewhere. But I will tell you this, it’s better to fall a hundred times on the same route than to simply skip a step and claim to be good at climbing. I’ll gladly chalk up one more time for another go. There’s no honor in cheating. So two fingers at a time, I wrench my way up from hold to hold, feeling like superman, feeling stronger than I’ve ever felt before. Each 2 finger-size refuge like the rung on a ladder to my next step of pride. Then there it is, the intimidating overhang. I reach past the overhang, and then finally gain two hand holds over the cliff, but my hands, jeeze, they’re sweaty, my fingers are getting tired. I don’t have enough time or strength at this hold to chalk up. I can only reach for the next hand hold so I can pull and push my body beyond this thing. I grab hold, and when I do, it takes just a few seconds to slip from my hands. There I go. I head down to the floor, step back a few feet, and chalk up again.

We try to learn what would be considered the right way, while filtering out so much of the wrong ways. Watching the graceful glide up and over these chalked-up polyresin playgrounds is amazing, for some of them it seems a completely natural intuition, like walking. Inversion, grappling, and pushing in different directions while maintaining motionless stances, these are amazing climbers.

Rock climbing easily interprets to life. It’s easy to lose sight of the whole if you’re concentrating on one step at a time, you have to know to take time to look all around you and make sure you’re using everything you can. You’ve gotta make sure that you’re not putting yourself in a bad position, make sure that you can always take a step down if you’re not sure. Try to rest and chalk up before you hit that hard point. Then there are points where you just have to jump for it. There are moments where you’re not very sure about your footing because what you’re standing on is only as big as two quarters side-by-side. You can’t stand on that forever, so you've got to move upward towards more solid ground.

It’s a beautiful dance that I’m only beginning to learn, but I love it more and more with each passing day. It’s taken my body to these levels of strength I’ve never had. Muscles showing more and more where I don't think they've ever been. My confidence increases more and more with each route crushed. I feel this great rush hitting the top of a route I’ve been attempting for days. It’s even a great social tool, as there are many climbers in this area. There’s a few gyms to climb at around here, each with lots of people. Then there’s places to climb outside, some very famous places in Texas.

Climbing is also a very personal thing for me. I don’t like having people shout to me where to put my foot next, I want to climb this thing my way. I want to do it right, without asking for help, and if I can’t, then I’ll gladly ask for help. I’m new, not a professional by any means, so I’m happy to take advice from the seasoned vets. But if I don’t learn it by doing it and failing, then I’ll never fully learn. That's where we come to my point. I don’t remember who said it, but it’s true: you can’t be afraid to fail. Otherwise you may never even take that first step.

---The Hook

I call it Beautiful.

2011-06-06T18:39:00.000-05:00

Although the collapsed grotto is not exactly the loneliest of an oasis, it is perhaps the most beautiful place I've been to in Austin. Surrounding yourself with such a place grants anyone an insurmountably tranquil feeling that you can't help but stay there for the hours that pass only as moments.

Imagine an emerald green haven of water in the shade of a rocky over cropping, then a trickling waterfall from fifty feet above. The entire interior is a crescent moon of large flakes of rock that fall into the water, disappearing mysteriously into the unknown depths. There is a path that leads from one tip of the crescent to the other, curving back behind the waterfall, behind the angled layers of limestone, up and around to the minimally small beach that remains sun soaked throughout the day. The vegetation that ascends the grotto is a vibrant green, mostly of ivy, vines, and patches of lichens. Just imagine all the best colors of the green part of the spectrum splashed on a canvas with shades of white, dark, and gunmetal grey forming a collapsed blocky background covered by an intimidating thin cliff that reaches out far over head.

A refuge for the depleted and drained amongst the humid Texas heat, hidden well out in the Hill Country. I won't tell you where you can find it, perhaps you may already know, but I'll show you some pictures. You could probably find it if you did a little bit of looking around on the internet, but for the lazier of you, here are some pictures.

The Proper Method Of Enjoying A Cigar

2011-06-04T02:33:00.002-05:00

The cigar is an iconic symbol for a reason. You see leaders, rulers, writers, nobility, white collar, blue collar, all sorts of people enjoying the bundle of leaves that are rolled so carefully and with such passion.

In a cigar elegance is the name of the game. How gracefully does the roller combine the leaves? How smooth are the leaves? How seamless is the wrapper? Is there a triple cap on the head of the cigar? The origin of the leaves doesn't quite matter as much as the selection of the right leaf. You can have leaves from anywhere or everywhere, it's the elegance of the blender's selection that will make perfection.

That being said, a man(or woman), should take time to enjoy such things. It is a requirement, no, an oath, that one takes when selecting a cigar.

The proper selection of a cigar requires taking note that the cigar has all the aforementioned attributes. However, it will take an experienced tobacconist to help guide you through the ever-changing names, sizes, and blends, as well as selecting the correct strength for you. If you follow the selection process correctly, you'll find yourself at the beginning.
It is my belief that a cigar should only be enjoyed in one of two settings: 1.) A completely quiet place devoid of any distractions such as TVs or 2.) A lounge with other cigar smokers also devoid of TVs.

Number 1.) is for strict concentration in any case where one may fully evaluate the cigar and contemplate the day's decisions. Or tomorrow's adventures. It also makes an exceptional muse for writing or a seasoned companion for writing.

Number 2.) is for socializing. Most cigar smokers find common ground somewhere in the lounge. It is an excellent place to consort with all different types of people. Most often they are brimming at the chance to meet new people like yourself and are always at the ready to provide you with advice on a range of topics from cigar suggestions to the best local hotspots. I believe firmly that TVs in lounges are the worst idea ever. Lounges are for socializing not for vegetating in front of a TV. No matter what is on it.

Now that you've selected your environment, I suggest one final thing before start: a drink. It doesn't have to be alcohol but it should never over power your palate. You want to taste your cigar not the kiwi in your lemonade. I would suggest water for the purest smoking experience. However, a well-paired beer, wine, or liquor, is hard to beat. Take care not to partake too much because not only will you not fully enjoy the cigar, you could end up worse if you plan on driving.

You've picked your elegant cigar, your setting is ideal, and your beverage is at hand. Before you can smoke your cigar, you'll have to clip what's called the cap. It's easy to notice because it's the end that isn't exposed tobacco. The best cigars, as noted before, will have a triple cap. This means that the roller took 3 small round cuts of tobacco, laying each one over the end in layers. This helps the cigar to maintain it's shape without unraveling while smoking. You must take care to clip slightly off the first cap at the very edge of the cigar, and then check for a smooth draw by bringing air through this opening. Less is more when clipping a cigar, so take care not to clip too much.

You've clipped your cigar, now it's time to light up that stick! When lighting your cigar, the most efficient means of lighting is the cigar torch. Some people prefer cedar matches, some prefer soft flame, some prefer cedar planks. I find that the torch is the best. It is clean burning, lacking the odor that zippo lighters, and incredibly hot. At first you need to 'toast the foot,' this is a phrase for heating the end. Take the foot, and take care to make the end of the cigar evenly red. Don't place the end directly into the flame, but right above it. When the surface is evenly toasted, place the cigar in your mouth and begin puffing on it while you slowly spin it. Once everything is evenly lit and your cigar is started, you're on the right track.

While smoking, I find it better to take a breath before breathing the smoke into the mouth, this way you're less likely to inhale the smoke directly. When you draw the smoke into your mouth, make sure it is an even, long puff. Hold it on your tongue for a few seconds and then slowly blow it back out. When you're smoking a cigar, the flavor is all taken from the palate. Over time, as you develop you palate you will notice differences in the leaves, as well as overall differences in brands and sizes.

The basic anatomy of the layers of the leaves of the cigar is that the outer most leaf is called the wrapper, the one beneath that is the binder which holds the internal leaves, the filler, together. The larger the ring gauge, the more influence the filler has. The smaller the ring gauge, the more influence the wrapper has. When trying new cigars, trying to go for the original size that the blender created the blend for, that will give you the best flavor.

Now that you're smoking, continue to learn, and enjoy. Don't get discouraged if you meet a few bad seeds, and don't get too worried about buying a bad smoke. You have to start somewhere, and your local tobacconist will help you best. Do yourself a favor, buy locally, and keep mom and pop shops around. Not only will they help you the best, but they'll be glad to do it.

--Hook

The Climbing Addiction

2011-06-02T00:15:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of my regular climbing area. My girlfriend Rachel getting her shoes on and just a few of the walls. We usually go 3-4 times a week, climbing for about an hour. We're getting better and better every week. I love climbing, it's challenging, rewarding, has a great community. The technical aspects of it are intriguing.

Today I finally ascended a harder route I've been working on the past few trips, then I finished it 2 more times for good measure. Also I worked my way over to the intermediate area and made a couple attempts, but no successful ascents. It's ok, though, because I finally overcame that one I've been working on for a while. Red route, you dirty bastard, you no longer defeat me. Rachel also ascended 3 routes she had been previously working on, so congratulations goes to her as well. It was a great session, full of victories.

Climbing was something I started after being inspired by a documentary the name of 180 Degrees South. I'd been fresh out of the hospital, still overcoming gallbladder removal, and basically watch a lot of NetFlix when I came across it. The founder of Patagonia clothing company goes along on a ride with a guy following in his foot steps, travelling to south america, surfing the coast and climbing mountains along the way. The way it's done, you really feel the rawness of being on the rode, the tireless efforts they go through to continue to that final place. You can feel the dankness and the humidity on your skin just watching them swat away bugs as they trek. You can smell the ocean salt as they sail, you feel fear when they are in danger. If you care about climbing or the environment, you'll like this. It's good to see people aren't afraid to still go and do big things. Maybe you can watch it sometime and be inspired to do new things. Look for it on NetFlix.

--Hook

Memorial Day

2011-05-26T21:54:00.000-05:00

Memorial Day should be an important day for all of us in America. It's a day we remember those who have fought and died for our freedoms. Although it may hit a little bit closer to some than others, let's all observe it, and say a prayer that some people have been willing to pay the ultimate price that hopefully we'll never have to live in chains. At 3 PM Monday your local time, make sure to pause for a minute and think about those who never made it home.

--Hook

The City. Or...

2011-05-25T00:25:00.003-05:00

How Moving To The City Woke Up My Inner Outdoorsman.

When I was younger, growing up in Small Town, Texas, I spent a fair amount of weekends in the woods with my dad, uncle, and cousin. We camped, made fires, told ghost stories, and generally caused a ruckus. My uncle worked for a big international paper company which gave us a lot of room to roam because he knew the best plots of land and had keys to them all. It was awesome. We saw all sorts of forest. So forest is pretty much where my time was spent. When I wasn't out with my dad and uncle, I would learn a few things from a few short stints in boy scouts, but that was more of a place to be babysitted than anything. Our troop never really went anywhere. It was pretty small with a lot of older kids, so I lost interest as a few years went by.

At the age of 15-16, new interests emerged. I got old enough to drive and it was fun exploring these new cities I hadn't been. Girls notice you more when you have a car. So my outdoors lust died down, and I fell more into the exploration phase of 'city life.' Eventually I moved on from that by moving to Austin, I figured out how much more there was to be had outdoors. Austin is called a greenbelt for a reason. So many parks and trails, so much natural beauty in a format I hadn't seen before; with very few trees! The area I came from had muddy rivers and tall evergreens everywhere. Here there are beautiful flowing hills and squatty semi-mountains. The water is clear enough to see through and there are so many little secret springs that end into many a beautiful oasis. It's all things you'd imagine seeing on a post-card. So far I've only seen a few, but my favorite little area is this place called Hamilton Pool. It's a 75 foot waterfall that falls into crystal clear turquoise water that forms a natural pool into an almost horseshoe-style limestone area with a walking path that circles behind the waterfall and around the other side. It's a gorgeous thing to see.

Trails behind the apartments I live in are only a couple minutes walking distance, and have beautiful little creeks flowing through them, steep rock faces, and narrow, winding paths. I can't say enough about how much I like Austin. It's what I've always wanted in a place that I could call home. I don't need to sell anybody on this place. This place pretty much sells itself, and if you don't want to buy it; you probably don't belong.

--Hook

The New 'Reactions' Rating System

2011-05-22T23:16:00.000-05:00

Ladies and Gentleman,

Just to give you more incentive to give feedback, I have added the following three 'reactions' to the blog posts. "Conqueror," is the rating you give if you loved the article and agree with it. "Explorer," means you like the article but you thought there could have been more said. "Green Horn," means you think I totally missed what you think I was aiming for and should try harder next time. So feel free to leave me all sorts of 'reactions' because it's what makes my writing more enjoyable for you!

Thank you fellow Conquerors!

--Hook

My Awakening

2011-05-21T23:54:00.000-05:00

This isn't happening. This can't be true. It'll go away soon: Things we've all said to ourselves plenty of times. We just can't deal with something so we deny it exists or think it'll be fleeting. That's what I was saying to myself at 14. My freshman year I fell out in the middle of lunch time, hit my head hard on that cold brick floor, and, apparently, had a seizure. My first of many. My first visit to the doctor told me I had seizures, but according to my MRI, EEG, EKG, and everything else, he didn't know why. But that it would be ok, I'll just have to take expensive medicine the rest of my life in such high doses that it will take a large toll on my kidneys. Hell if I was lucky I might even 'grow out' of my seizures in my 20s.

All I could do was think about my dream of joining the military. It was done. I had planned on doing that for as long as I could remember. I never thought about doing anything else. I couldn't contemplate anything else. So, I shrugged it off. Surely this was only a one time thing. I took my meds as I was supposed to. Usually. Being your stereotypical defiant teenage youth, I talked to recruiters and continued on my blind, ignorant path. Recruiters encouraged me to lie with wild fantasies; telling me it would be ok, that once I got in, if I had a seizure, I'd be set for the rest of my life because they'd take care of me. It was overwhelmingly impossible not to think I still had a chance. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized, what am I going to do, carry extra pill bottles into the ocean with me? Or into the desert? While HALO jumping out of a plane? No. Not hardly. If I got in and had a seizure, they'd kick my ass out and say it was my fault for lying. It was my parents who helped me realize that when I finally made the mistake of bringing over a recruiter to the house.

I was angry and confused. I begrudgingly accepted it, though I never felt so lost in my life. What was I going to do? Sometimes I would test myself by going without my medicine without telling anyone. It would be a week or so and I would have one. Thinking back on it now, I had good intentions, but it was very selfish. I scared the hell out of my parents and anyone around more than a few times.

Eventually, once again, through my parents I learned that most people in this world are lost. Most people don't know what they want to do as a career or go to school for. So I went to school just to learn. I didn't have a goal. I wasted my time for about a year. I fell deep into a hopeless relationship with a girl who lived in 2 different countries, part of the time in Mexico, then later, Canada. With the end of that relationship, once again I was lost. I would cling my full attachment to anything I could; I needed a reason to be here and I wasn't finding that reason. After some time spent clearing my head and making some more of life's mistakes; I took an EMT class that my cousin happened to be taking. I mention my cousin because he is a firefighter in my hometown, and he was my main inspiration for continuing to fire academy. Finishing that, I did continue to fire academy where I made great friends, tested myself deeply, and formed some bonds that still hold strong to this day. My life was starting to take on meaning. I had a brotherhood, something I belonged to.

I believe that is where most of us find meaning in our life: a sense of belonging. That is what I hope to build this community around. Anyone, anywhere, who is looking for something to grab hold to, we're here for you. I say we because there is more than just me out there. There are people out there who need a friend just as much as you need one, and we're all here to empower each other. Thus empowering ourselves. Humanity depends on it. This is about bringing fellow adventurous souls together, whether you're an armchair adventurer or you truly live it everyday, this is the blog. This is the blog where you belong. Welcome, have a seat by the fire and relax. You are among friends now.

--Hook

For Starters

2011-05-14T05:49:00.001-05:00

www.thecleanestline.com/2011/05/big-boy-and-the-pink-tape-route-.html

I really liked this article because of this author's sincerity. Although I might have to hold it against him for the mullet. The author talks about an attitude a lot of us may take in any of our favorite hobbies or careers: the ace of grace or the enthusiasm of the beginner. Sometimes we look down at those who are just now starting out at something we've been doing forever, and it's time to realize that everyone starts out somewhere. Eventually, that person may catch up and outdo you. So don't be that jaded veteran.

Some Basic "Don'ts" of Climbing, as Provided by Trail's Edge.com

2011-05-10T12:28:00.002-05:00

Skimming through updates of my favorite sites today, I came across a link at Alpinist magazine to a short but informative article on things not to do during climbing. As a beginner in this sport, sometimes I find it easier to learn what NOT to do than the million other things of what to do. Not making a silly mistake in the first place will help everyone out. Though most of it is common courtesy and common sense, some of us being completely new to it might not realize that.

Enjoy

http://www.trailsedge.com/blog/the-donts-of-climbing/

--Hook

Blue Water, Grey Rock

2011-05-08T16:30:00.001-05:00

This is a very cool video that starts a small series of 5 videos with guys from the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. They combine blue water sailing with rock climbing first ascents(in plain speak, the first recorded time someone has reached the summit of a certain rock formation).

It really combines the brotherhood of climbers(of ages young to old). It starts with an introduction of a crazy group of guys, deemed "the wild bunch." And their captain Reverend "Bob." The old soul of the group and the one whose vessel they'll be sailing on. Sounds like a typical guy movie, huh? Maybe. But these types come together and make interesting stories because they're not living typical lives.

Introductions being done, they get up to 'ship shape' and sail out. I really love the folksiness of the music in this, it really brings it all together. There are many beautiful shots in all of this, and some pretty amazing camera work. This little series is sure to inspire.

Check it out and remember, watch all 5 episodes!

--Hook

Such Great Heights

2011-05-06T22:18:00.005-05:00

So I finally got the chance to climb at Austin Rock Gym. I've had a couple gift certificates for the belay training class plus one day of free climbing since my birthday, but since gall bladder surgery had recently put that out of range for a while, I had to take a couple months off. But I finally got the chance. When I scheduled the training, the guy didn't have anyone available for that day so I pushed it to the next day and he got us in for 7 pm. A late class, unfortunately, but the guy told us we could come in and boulder before our class, for as long as we want.

That sounded a little bit better than it was. We scheduled all this at the south location because of the better rope areas(as noted by it's website). When we arrived, we took notice: there were some insane routes, definitely for experienced, conditioned climbers. The 'bouldering' area looked fun, but once again, for the experienced. When we got there, we got some assistance from the guy at the desk, but it wasn't much as far as advice. This color route means hard, this means harder, blah blah blah. Basic safety tips, and that was it. But when you think about it, there wasn't much to it. The rest you either did, or you couldn't. I climbed some bouldering routes, the easiest ones, and had fun trying to reach the top on harder ones. But too late I realized I spent all my energy on bouldering before we could even start our class. So Patrick and I took a break for a few mins, walked around and looked at the top roping areas.

Around our scheduled time, 7, our instructor got there, and we started our class.
Our instructor 'Paul,' was a very enthusiastic younger guy, he had to be 20 or so. He wasn't quite as wiry as all the other climbers, which I guess was reassuring, since I had to be the biggest guy in there(and I'm 6', 210 pounds). He taught us well, keeping a sharp eye on our techniques, correcting us when we were wrong, and doing all that stuff you're supposed to do like not let people fall 25 feet.

We learned the figure 8 knot, the figure 8 follow-through, we learned about double-backing harnesses, we learned about the ATC belay device and the Petzl Gri-Gri belay device. It was all very interesting. By the time class was over, about an hour and a half later, we learned everything we needed to belay each other, and we were left with about an hour left to climb. We climbed a couple different routes, but our energy had mostly been burned up by now. This caused a few high up falls resulting in my nearly catapulting my belayer into the wall. Though I struggled using my finger tips after a while, each climb, even on the same route was just as exciting and new as it had first been. It was exhilarating hanging on barely an inch worth of plastic-type rocks and overhangs. It really got my heart racing, and even falling was fun, because I knew I wouldn't hit the ground. The best part was toward the end, on an easier wall, I finally managed to reach the top of a route and rappel down. And these 'easier' walls are nothing like your climbing walls at the Main Event or fun parks. These are 'easy' for real climbers. Not the average joe like me.

I have to say that overall this was a great experience. I was worried my instructor would be one of those jaded know-it-alls, but he wasn't. He made the experience fun, and I'm definitely going to pursue rock climbing as my new hobby. They have many classes, and I'm betting they're worth the money. Although I didn't sign up for another from them yet, I got a great groupon for a 4 hour outdoor guided climbing tour ready to rock!

If you want to check out Austin Rock Gym, go to http://www.austinrockgym.com/

Solitude.

2011-04-29T23:53:00.003-05:00

A Work of Fiction,

I was watching an old Twilight Zone episode, the one with the book-loving banker. 'Henry Bemis,' was his name. One day, while trying to read between customers at the teller booth, he was caught, and soon after, chastised by his boss for reading at work. Poor guy couldn't catch a break. He explained to his boss that he loved to read but when he got home his wife would hide his books, tear up his magazines, and make it impossible. His boss only laughed and canonized her.

One fateful day he takes his little brown sack lunch, a couple of hardbacks, and heads down to the vault to catch up on his reading. During this fateful visit we are shown a newspaper that talks about the capable destruction of the a-bomb. During his devotional reading, the walls and the earth shake, his watch glass shatters and a book is thrust violently open. When he finally makes it out on top of the shattered remains of this bank, he sees a mutilated town with rubble everywhere.

His first day he spends confused on what to do, stumbling around in a daze, so he retires to a well placed couch on the street. In the next days he comes across a pistol, begging for forgiveness, he contemplates suicide. Does he want to be alive?
But in the next few hours, searching for more answers, he stumbles across the public library, with slews of books intact. So he lays out books for days ahead, and months on, stacks and stacks of them. As he walks down the library steps, he comes across the clock. He sighs in relief, 'Solitude. I've never had it. But now I have as much time as I'll never need.' He hugs the clock and as he does so his glasses fall off, and they shatter on the steps below. As he clutches for them, he puts them on and realizes his desperate situation: his only salvation, near-eternal solitude with a colossal selection of books at hand, and no way to read them.

He realized that the choices he had made to appease others, would now affect him for the rest of his doomed life. His most favorite hobby, books, literally surrounding him, in a wasteland where he had nothing but time to enjoy them.
My, what a terrible situation. How many of us are in that same similar situation to the banker? Do we put off the small little things we enjoy because people say we shouldn't? Or because we're told not to? I want you to ask yourself; Do I do things because I enjoy them, or do I do them because it satisfies others and not myself?

There can be a happy medium between helping others and yourself, obviously. But there is also a point where you are giving and not receiving. Figure out where you are in that situation. Then conquer.

--Hook

Common courtesy isn't quite so common.

2011-04-24T23:31:00.004-05:00

Overcoming Simple Obstacles

Cruisin' down the road in my girlfriend's sleek little car, a chain of cars in front of us slam on their brakes.

(Oh crap.)

Everyone is stopped for a few seconds then 1 car pulls onto the shoulder, the others drive around the obstacle. Obviously, everyone is damage free, so they continue on without worrying about who's behind them. They go around the obstacle as quickly as they can. We are stopped - faced head on with it. I step out of the car, the driver of the car on the shoulder steps out as well. We glance at each other and without verbal communication, we both head to the obstacle, throwing it clear of the highway.

If someone had not taken the time to clear the path of a simple obstacle there could have been major consequences. Now this may seem like a small thing, but think about it, next time you see something in your path. I think it can be seen as a metaphor for life. Do you leave obstacles for others that you could have easily removed?

Thank you, Mr. dark blue VW, for your uncommon courtesy.

-- Hook

Jack of All Trades, Master of None.

2011-04-24T02:32:00.003-05:00

Greetings, my fellow conquerors!

In my first post I told you about the blog, and now in this post I shall tell you about myself. I am an introvert. It's a very natural thing, a part of my skepticism of people in general. I like to overcome this by pressing myself to make new friends. Being that I'm in a new area, it's been hard to do, and until now, I haven't tried very hard. So that's one of my first goals.

Now my history has mostly been me growing up as a normal kid in a normal cozy town with normal parents. All great things that have actually given me great opportunities. But I want more. So coming out of high school not having a clue, I dabbled in a bit of college, a bit of hard labor jobs, a bit of this and that. One fateful day my mother told me about our community college starting a new class. So I found myself back at school and I got an emergency medical technician certificate and eventually, through influence from my cousin, I got my firefighter certificate and have been in the emergency services in paid and volunteer form for 3 years now.

Now it hasn't been easy doing this 'hero stuff.' There's been a lot of hard things that I and my fellow professionals have had to endure. But it's something we all understand that is part of what we do. There are some people out there who think we're just a bunch of altruistic individuals, and some of us are, but for the most part, we just want to be part of something greater than ourselves.

Now to keep you all updated on how this blog thing is going to work, I'm going to post a new blog at the minimum every 2 weeks. I'm going to provide everything inspirational for adventuresome conquerors like ourselves; from links to other blogs, books, movies, short videos, speeches, quotes, real stories, interviews, and whatever else you ask for. I'm here to help, so give me some feedback.

OK now here's my first endorsement, and I just want to say that this guy has really helped me open my eyes to what the world can be. His book 'The Art of Non-Conformity,' is basically a life strategy book on changing things and living outside the boring system. It's not for everyone, but I think that you guys should probably appreciate it. He has a lot of free content in his blog and on his site, so check it out.

-- Hook

Veni, Vidi, Vici!

2011-04-23T12:14:00.003-05:00

Why did I create this blog?

If you've ever doubted yourself. If you've ever had second thoughts. If you've ever had butterflies in your stomach. If someone has ever called you the underdog -- and not in a cute way. Then this blog is for you.

This blog is dedicated to you, Mr. Underdog. This is for those butterflies in your stomach.

This blog isn't for the "naturals." This is for the rest of us. This is for the ones who struggle. This is for those who persevere. This isn't for the quitters. It's not for the whiners or the losers.

This is about bringing people together to be a part of something bigger than just themselves. It isn't just about me and my experiences or just you and yours. It's about everyone's. It's about even more than that.

How am I going to turn this into reality?

With your help we're going to turn this into something important. It all starts with an idea. An idea that will turn into action. Actions that will help inspire others to take action. This isn't about hugging trees in our birkenstocks and singing kumbayas. It's about really doing things. But in order to get there, it's going to take teamwork towards a common goal.

What is the goal?

Our goal is to get back to the basics. To be the men our fathers wanted us to be. To be the people that society needs. Our goal is to get back to giving to the community. Let's stop this lame life of taking, and start a new life, stretching beyond our limits, and doing a bit of giving. Poke your metrosexual fashion designers in the eyes with a sharp stick. Get rid of those skinny jeans, put on some real pants, and say hello to your mother for me.

I'm going to write about overcoming challenges. I'll put up some interviews with inspirational people, and links to other pages or blogs that I find inspirational. I'm going to push myself. I'm going to take on new experiences and, hopefully, Conquer. I expect you'll do the same. I'm going to meet new people, make new friends, and trample my fears. I hope to find people along the way who share this passion with me.

All of this results in "Conquer." Conquer your fears, your doubts, your disbelief. The period at the end of the phrase is because that is where we end the sentence, but what you conquer, well, that's up to you. I dare you. I dare you to conquer your fears. I dare you to push yourself. It's not going to be easy. There are certain unknowns. If you're scared, then go back now to the safety of your cozy little nest of safety, because this blog isn't for you. If you think you might enjoy this blog, then stick around. Embrace the unknown.

I want to hear your stories. I want you to share with me times when you were at the brink and overcame that obstacle.

-- Hook