Climblife

My name is Joe Castillo, and I am the founder of Climblife. I love to climb and have been climbing for over 12 years. I created Climblife to give the climbing community an opportunity to be a professional climber for a living, without having to climb at professional grades. I have traveled and climbed all around the world, from places like Vietnam, Japan, Russia and Yosemite, and on the course of my journey through life, came to realize what I wanted to do with it . . . Funny enough, I was about twenty feet up on a highball boulder problem in Japan when I did . . .
Honestly, it was a perfect day to be climbing. It was a beautiful granite highball. At least twenty feet tall, and shaped like a tiny version of Mordor. I was matched on a half-decent rail, with deteriorating feet. Taking a deep breath, I poured all of my focus into sticking my left toe, while I heinously reached up with my left hand to hit this tiny little crimp.
Now let me tell you, climbing a highball with pads and spotters is one thing, but looking down from my vantage point on the wall, I was reminded of a brutal truth. I had no pads. Or a spotter.
Feeling the tiny crimp and its unattractive slopeyness, I basically knew at that point that it was all or nothing. Being twenty feet up and terrified is not always a fun place to be, but as a climber you learn to cope with these stresses. Focusing on my breathing, I was able to steady my right foot, and with all my remaining might, power, and courage, I leapt for the final hold.
A glory jug.
And needless to say, it’s one of the greatest feelings on the planet.
Pushing into a mantle, I curled my body onto the top of the boulder, and felt the beauty of a line climbed. Finally coming out of my temporary euphoria, I soon came to realize that the line had no downclimb, nor anyway in particular to descend, with the exception of a single tree . . .
About five feet away from the boulder.
So I did what any like-minded individual would do, bear-hugged that beautiful tree, and slid my way painfully down to the ground. Upon touching down on our lovely earth, I found that I was literally covered in splinters, and bleeding like I had just rolled through a valley of cactuses.
Feeling that rush of accomplishment after sending a hard route, it’s a great feeling. Problem was, that while living in that small temporary state of euphoria, I got lost walking back. The only thing I really remember at that point was seeing this beautiful dragonfly. I don’t know why, but something at the time told me to follow it, and so I did.
Eventually, I could hear voices in the distance. Coming upon a group of climbers, I waved and walked over, but nearly jumped when one of the climbers turned and screamed. Apparently, I was covered in blood. But it wasn’t long before they let me join their session, and new friendships were made. They let me borrow some gear, showed me the routes they were working on, and we just had a blast.
It was a truly great day.
Afterwards, they aided me in navigating back to the cars, and ended up inviting me to some of the best ramen I have ever had. At the end of the night we parted ways, and I headed for the subway, where I happened to sit down next to a woman.
She raised a curious eyebrow over the spectacle of cuts and scrapes all over me. Laughing, I told her the whole story. I told her how I wished it was easier to meet more climbers that want to go outdoors, and to potentially climb with people much stronger than myself.
At the end, she looked at me and said, ‘Joe, I wish there was a better way too, and who knows, maybe someday, someone will create that very thing.” You know how you can feel in your soul when you sense an amazing idea manifesting? Well, this was exactly like that.
There was a spark.
And Climblife was born in that very instant.
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Remember to always follow the dragonfly, for she is always flying on the line between a dream thought, and a dream lived.