Abbey Smith
Pick up any publication pertaining to the sport of rock climbing, and chances are, you will see a smattering of descriptive chronicles highlighting the travels and adventures of the prolific scribe Abbey Smith. A climber and writer for over 10 years, Abbey travels extensively, financing her jet set lifestyle though her writing, allowing her more opportunities to pursue her love of adventure. Abbey has reported on a myriad of topics. From the exclusive hobby of vintage motor racing, to sassy, healthy-savvy posts on BeThree.com, to being on the editorial staff of the independent green publication elephant journal, a quarterly magazine devoted to living the "mindful life" through conscious consumerism, sustainability, eco-fashion and non new-aged spirituality.
Abbey's energy for writing is ravenous. When she speaks of it, her article ideas roll out of mouth in constant barrage without commas, periods, or other punctuation, but when placed in front of a computer, the word stream subsides into descriptive prose reminiscent of Joanne Harris. Dead Point Magazine is privileged to have her as a contributing blogger.
Abbey Smith: July 2011 Blog
I admit that I often cannot distinguish fantasy from reality. Whether I’m attempting to link a seemingly impossible climbing sequence or starting a new story on a blank page, my experiences have shown me that whatever I continually think about will eventually manifest in my life (just not always how I imagined). For several years I’ve nourished the image of Himalayan bouldering in my mind in hopes that it would one day become a reality. One year ago, on August 15th, my dream crossed over into the real world when Jason Kehl, Pete Takeda, Mick Follari and I traveled to India to establish first ascents on the granite boulders in the high alpine. But I’ll save that story until the next issue of Dead Point...
One part I didn’t daydream about was the grueling editing process that began as soon as we returned in October. We chose to capture and edit all the writing, photography and video footage ourselves, which has been very rewarding, but also incredibly laborious and taxing on our friendships. However, we all know that anything worth doing takes absolute dedication, focus, hard work and heart. It’s been a long road, but the four of us are still friends and ready to share our final piece -- the full length film that will be released on September 1st through HDCLIMBINGVIDEOS.COM
To celebrate the completion of the Zanskar Odyssey, we hosted the film premiere on July 16 at the Eldorado Springs Art Center. We curated the space with Himalayan inspired art from handwoven silk Kashmiri rugs to a photography exhibit by Mick Follari and Jonny Copp, artwork by Renan Ozturk, and a pop-up book stall from the American Alpine Club. Our guests enjoyed free Upslope beer and tasty snacks from GoodBelly, Sherpa’s and the Sugar Bakeshop. Over 150 people gathered in the sculpture garden to watch the film on a portable screen under the stars. It was a magical night that I’ll never forget.
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Now that this dream is reaching its end I’m beginning to envision the next adventure. But for now it’s time to rock climb!
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