c u on top - satyabrata dam

  Stewart on the summit of South Gateway Rock, Garden of the Gods The American icon, Stewart M. Green is synonymous to the challenging arena of rock climbing for over half a century, especially in and around Colorado, Utah, and anywhere else that has a vertical piece of rock. I doubt if there is any rock climber in the US who doesn’t know this legendary, larger than life individual, or haven’t consulted his climbing guide books. Despite coming from the two polar opposites in climbing; he climbing rocks from sea level to up to around 15000ft, and I climbing ice and snow from 15000ft to up to literally the top of the world. In short where his climbs ended (in altitude) mine began. Yet we became the closest of virtual friends more than a decade back. We have many things in common: we share the same zodiac sign (Aquarius) our birthdays separated by only 9 days. Our names start with the same alphabet. But primarily what bonded us was our shared similar views of climbing, life and the ...

  As an individual, I like my own company above all and spend weeks, months at a stretch away from all human in high mountains and forests. I often climb big mountains solo, with very little on my back. I also free solo ice lines, frozen waterfalls, far from any human presence. And I am often asked why do I do it, since it is also very risky, dangerous and generally not done by many. Many free solo climbers do it once in a while. I do it more often.   Right from my childhood, from the time I took to the mountains, I was an introvert and just loved the majestic sky kissing icy peaks and the sprawling glaciers all to myself. The gaping crevasses didn’t scare me, rather drew me into their icy depths and the lofty summits ignited deep within an unquenchable thirst for those forlorn places. Places where no man has ever been before, or very few before me. I started climbing with people much elder to me in age and experience and I was fortunate to learn from some of the world’s l...