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Abstract
Among the rock climbing community exists a subculture of highly dedicated individuals who give up permanent residences for the full-time pursuit of this sport. In doing so, these lifestyle climbers maintain hypermobile and minimalist modes of living as their commitment spans years and decades. This article employs the concept of existential authenticity developed in tourism studies to examine some findings of an ethnographic study of this subculture. As they speak about the bodily practice and flow of climbing, the liminality of travel, life in the outdoors, the camaraderie of fellow lifestyle climbers, and the (re)discovery of a sense of self, it is argued that authenticity is performative. Yet, while a passion for climbing is the primary motivation for taking up this lifestyle, moments of existential authenticity are the result of experiences, challenges, and accomplishments of travel. As such, lifestyle climbing, which is inspired by the bodily practice of rock climbing, framed by frequent travel, and enacted within community necessitates a performance-based authenticity as an analytic.
Notes
Sport climbing is a particular style of rock climbing. There are multiple free climbing approaches to rock climbing, including traditional climbing, sport climbing, and bouldering, among others (Cinnamon, Citation1994). Free climbing means only one's hands and feet, rather than gear (aid climbing) is used to ascend the rock face. Traditional and sport climbing are the most commonly contrasted styles. In traditional climbing temporary protective gear (cams and nuts) are placed in natural rock features by the lead climber and removed as the second climber ascends. This style of climbing emphasizes adventure, danger, and managing risk (Lewis, Citation2000, Citation2004; Kiewa, Citation2002). Sport climbing, however, utilizes permanent protection, usually bolts that have been drilled into the rock. This type of climbing began on more over-hanging rock faces that were not climbable by traditional measures (Mellor, Citation2001; Bisharat, Citation2009). As a result, sport climbers are more focused on endurance, strength, and gymnastic ability. Bouldering takes place over a shorter distance from the ground, most commonly on boulders as the name suggests, so that no gear or ropes are used, just ‘crash pads’ for landing. Therefore, bouldering is considered to be one of the purest approaches to the sport and emphasizes the climber's strength and power (Ness, Citation2011).
A climbing route is a path along the rock face, which has been named and given a grade. A sport route has been bolted with a two-bolt anchor at the top (Bisharat, Citation2009).