A mountaineer doesn’t choose Everest for his first alpine climb.  A figure skater doesn’t begin with a triple-axel.  And you can’t expect your sweet bundle of joy to turn into a cragbaby overnight.  You’d better take a few runs on the bunny slope first before tackling the moguls. In the climbing world, the term “approach” is used to refer to the initial hike that one takes to get to the base of the route you are going to climb.  Depending on the climbing area, the approach could be anywhere from a few feet away from your car to a multi-day hike.  Before your…Read the rest of this entry →