Climbers that are sober.

Just putting an idea out there of starting a community of sober climbers. Thoughts? Ideas?

Go for it! There are quite a few of us out there.
Probably could help quite a few people with the support they need for their addictions or issues past. I always say that climbing is trauma work.

Go for it 

Fyi, there is a sober climbers of albuquerque on Facebook.  

Crimpin Ain't Easy wrote:

Does make me wonder: what about people on medications like Adderall, antidepressants, or anything that allows them to function when they would otherwise chose to not get out of bed or leave the house?

My opinion, it’s all good.

https://thephoenix.org/

They climb and do a lot more.  Great organization with chapters is several cities across the country.

Lil plug for osat.org

Seattle area, recovery based outdoor club with a cool basic level mountaineering class. Been kinda hard on the outings with covid and all, but it's a great place to socialize and adventure with a sober crowd. Has played a huge part in enjoying my sober life. 

10 years alcohol free today! 

From northern Ut, love, love, love this energy!

Mark Vecchiarelliwrote:

My opinion, it’s all good.

Wait, for real? So you're just hating on people who medicate with a certain drug?

Been in AA for a year now, more stoked for climbing than ever and it helps with addiction honestly. As for climbing specific meetings or anything like that I've never heard of any but that'd be awesome.

Short Fall Seanwrote:

Wait, for real? So you're just hating on people who medicate with a certain drug?

Where did you sense "hating"?

One of the best threads on Supertaco was Caylor's sobriety thread.   I haven't had a drink since august 25th 2006. 

i'd really appreciate this actually. anyone have ideas/links in the SE?

14 years sober. I’ve been on some climbing trips exclusively with people in recovery and it’s always a rad experience. 

12 years and change here. turns out people in recovery seem to like being intensely present!

I am regularly amazed at how much program concepts and principles are applicable in climbing. Whether it’s fear and leading, ego/expectations and performing, etc

Of course plenty of alcoholic/addicts that are given the gift of recovery seem to find program in everything. Suppose that’s part of the deal, with it being a map for living. 

Love to hear it everyone. Sober since September 2018

If anyone is interested, my home group does a campout in the Uintas (1.5 hrs east of Salt Lake City) over the first weekend in august. Usually about 30-40 guys attend. (It’s a men’s meeting.) $40 includes the camping site and all food. (We have scholarships.) There’s usually about 5-10 guys that climb every afternoon at Ruth Lake. It’s a riot. DM me if you’d want to attend.

PS it’s an AA group but anyone with a desire to stop drinking is welcome. 

There is a Utah Recovery Climbers group on Facebook which has occasional meetups, and you can create partner-finder posts.

There are a bunch of such communities, and I encourage the OP to create/find his own. Based on my observations, climbing appeals to the same sort of personality/pathology that is prone to addiction: childish, self-centered, grandiose, etc; and to nervous systems that require intense stimulus to release dopamine. To those who might take offense, I am describing myself. We aren't hard to find if you're looking; most of us just aren't very explicit on social media for obvious reasons.

Logan Petersonwrote:

There are a bunch of such communities, and I encourage the OP to create/find his own. Based on my observations, climbing appeals to the same sort of personality/pathology that is prone to addiction: childish, self-centered, grandiose, etc; and to nervous systems that require intense stimulus to release dopamine. To those who might take offense, I am describing myself. We aren't hard to find if you're looking; most of us just aren't very explicit on social media for obvious reasons.

Shoot, this makes me want to do some research! See if there's any correlation in terms of Big 5 personality and other traits and likelihood to climb. 

I know I definitely fit the easily addicted to things category, so anecdotally it seems to be true. Maybe when I'm in grad school I could put some study together with the local climbing population. It would be sweet to develop an adaptation to AA that incorporates climbing principles to teach people about recovery. 

For me, climbing quiets down my brain just like alcohol did. Works great for forcing me to stay present and keeping  anxiety in check. I climb A LOT. 42 pitches last week in Red Rock!