In 21 years of actively climbing, skiing, and now running-I hope I’m where I am supposed to be, I mean, great partners and the mountains have pushed me and invited me in. I have questioned my potential because of them and heard my own voice of reason and the chance to listen to others rarely offered an opportunity to share their stories. I think that is something I expect from the mountains, there is a line I like to cross when I engage them creatively, physically, and emotionally. I explore that line with my body, my creativity and the relationships I build out there on the frontier.
Today I run and hike long distances hoping to earn an understanding of yet another vexing chapter of exploration; endurance. It is a safe and simple path driven by curiosity rather than accomplishment. An extension of the base I leveraged my youth to build. It is something I can do outside every day, you can follow along if you like: https://www.facebook.com/bclarkmtn/
I have climbed Everest, I have pioneered first ascents and ski descents on 7000M peaks, I’ve skied a few 6000M Himalayan Peaks and left a scratch or two on some faraway granite corners in Sichuan. In 2016 I completed a speed record on the world’s hardest trek in Bhutan and reached the end of my goals and a life committed to exploring different physical disciplines as a means to discover places in the Himalayas. Then I looked around for a couple of years and discovered my next project. More of that will come out in time.
It’s like that when its in your blood, it’s what drives you. There is no stopping, thankfully. But it isn’t without trepidation, or all gain with no pain.
I have failed tremendously and backed out of and away from deadly positions. Sometimes, always with friends, I’ve touched and defined edges of possibility in the mountains. That has forced me to push boundaries and create my own. That drive comes from inside and in pursuits of the high peaks and in respect of their commitments, I never looked to them for a showing of mediocrity. I don’t know why I am called to go and in facing the fear of that uncertainty, I found greater realizations than what I could do, I went there looking for what hadn’t been done…and to do it. I did something and I brought it back to share with the world.
I still do today. I am happy trying. I am happy in the mountains.
bclarkmtn.com 