On the day before Thanksgiving I met up with Thacher students at Stoney Point in San Fernando Valley for an mid-vacation impromptu bouldering session.  It was a great opportunity to climb with a couple of my current students, such as Alex ’13 and Jackson ’14, as well as to catch up with alumni Katie CdeP 2012 and Cory CdeP 2010.  Alex’s sister Danielle also joined us – the more the merrier!

Climbing is an activity that creates strong bonds between partners, a bond which was evident in the joy we felt when we successfully met up.  While we are all friends, I believe that our shared experiences in climbing — the challenge, the thrill and the necessity for watching out for one another — results in an even stronger connection.  The French alpinist Gaston Rebuffat described this bond as “the brotherhood of the rope.”  I refer to it as the “sisterhood/brotherhood of the rope” or “hood of the rope” in the Climbing Program.  Nonetheless, we had a fabulous afternoon bouldering and exploring the sandstone outcroppings of Stoney Point.  I feel especially thankful to share such rich climbing experiences with the fine young men and women at Thacher.

Climb on!