Terra Ludis: Play Ground | Meet Carter Smith

For this week's oral history feature we listen to Carter Smith, Boone native, instructor at Lees McRae University and climbing coach at Center 45 Climbing & Fitness. He's been climbing since before he could walk. We asked him what makes climbing special for him:

"Climbing is a life sport, it’s a way that you can grow as a person and work through things, learn to be patient with yourself, learn to overcome fear, increase your tolerance for uncomfortable situations. I like to joke that I like to climb because I enjoy it, but I like to teach other people because it’s not that I’m teaching them how to climb, it’s that I’m teaching them to be more confident, like climbing is the vehicle for these other ends, rather than just climbing is the ends and the means.

It’s hard to worry about taxes when you’re hanging on the side of the mountain It’s hard to not be present when you’re trying your hardest physically, mentally, emotionally on the side of a mountain, and I think that’s really important."

Photo by Daniel Gajda.

Read Carter's full interview at blowingrockmuseum.org/play
@center45
@leesmcrae

#optoutside #climbing #bouldering #wonder #nature