In one of those political moves that you simply cannot make up, the Northern Territories Chief Minister promotes a drunken sandbar party - "freedom and fun" - as a reward for hard borders and Covid zero. Once again I am struck and, in truth, saddened by the extreme dichotomy of human behaviour. Because, the sand bar party occurred on almost the same day that The Alpinist, the new movie about Marc-Andre Leclerc by Sender films (makers of The Dawn Wall and Valley Uprising) premiered in main-stream movie theatres.
Few Australians will have heard of Marc-Andre Leclerc, undoubtedly one of Canada's best, brightest, most talented, creative, driven alpinists whose brief but illustrious career was marked by audacious solo climbs of some of the world's hardest routes.
I first encountered Marc-Andre on a backwoods hiking forum that was largely ruled by chest-beating males whose big accomplishment was a seven kilometre backpack for a weekend camping trip. Leclerc, whose voice had barely broken (he was 15 at the time) was attempting and pulling off audacious alpine trips, often solo, in the Cascade Range close to his home town. I remember thinking at the time that he would either die young or become a brilliant alpinist. Turns out both can be true at the same time.
Yesterday, I ran 22 kilometres up Bolaro Mountain in Buckenbowra State Forest. It was a beautiful day out, chilly in the wind with grey skies and threatening clouds scudding past blown by a stiff southerly. On the final run along the ridge, I had views east to the ocean and south to the Deau National Park. I explored some big and hard - for me to climb - boulders, scared up a couple of small wallabies, and even saw a pack of wild dogs. Near the end of the run, I was getting a wee bit foot sore, wondering how far I had to go, thinking "is that enough, can I just walk now?" when I started thinking again about Marc-Andre, and how unlikely it is that he ever thought "is that enough?"
Very few of us will experience what Barry Blanchard describes in The Alpinist: "Moving over the mountains unencumbered is about as close as you're going to get to sprouting wings and being totally free. Absolutely awake. Absolutely alive." But, we can each, in our own small way try. Whether that is running up a small mountain in the woods, carrying a backpack seven kilometres to camp, or climbing Torre Egger solo in winter, the key is to do something that stretches you today and everyday, something that requires more grit, more determination, more skill and perserverence than drinking yourself senseless on a sandbar.
Tell me, what it is you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver
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