This was my climbing partner all week in Patagonia. We are hanging off of a rock wall on a tiny piece of metal, stalling before the next pitch of this climb.

I met Claudio on facebook of course.  I noticed that he was in a bunch of pictures with my old climbing buddies from California so I sent him an unsolicited email saying,

“I know this might be weird, but you seem to know my friends and my friends are cool so I’m assuming you’re cool too.  I notice you live in Chile and are a climber. Wanna climb with me when I’m in Patagonia?  I swear I’m not a weirdo!”

He instantly accepted my friend request so we started chatting and planning and stuff.  When I arrived on the mountain after a brutal uphill hike with 70 lbs on my back, Claudio greeted me with a hug, an amazing meal, a plan for routes we’d climb over the next several days, and a warm tent for cold nights.  He also introduced me to the climbing community, so  by the first night I had a big group of friends.  There was no sexual tension or weirdness at all, just two people from far away places who became instant buddies and are willing to get into dangerous situations together.

That’s what’s so cool about the climbing community - you learn how to go with your gut, learn who to trust, and force yourself to put your life in someone else’s hands. It’s one hell of a way to start a friendship, I tell ya!

As much as I hate facebook, and hate myself when I’m on facebook, it makes random, amazing experiences like this possible. I haven’t had this much fun sharing and tent and giggling like kids with a buddy in years!

(Frey, Patagonia)