Stoney Point Letters

Read your page and it took me back when stoney point was surrounded by orange trees and open land. Manson family lived around the corner but I had this great mountain all to myself. I was free to think and believe that life was sacred. The wind on top of this great rock was as if I just stepped off the edge I too could glide like redtails that soared at my eye level. The swallows would dart past my head and I can remember almost placing my foot in a bee hive, or having a flock of pigeons dart out into my face when I was in a technical climb. Each time I challenged death I became closer to life. Climbing at my time was new. I was fairly poor at this time when equipment started to become more available. I had free climbed for about ten years before I took a climbing class. As I escaped form the city to this spiritual place of intrigue for the first time I realized I, or should I say the rock was being invaded by people that seemed to enjoy the smashing sound of glass against the skin of the earth. I slowly saw this place become a melting ground of the human race at it's best. I hid at the top and would climb down into the crevasse on a hot day and enjoy the coolness this earth had to offer. More and more people started arriving, but then rock climbing was becoming a fad, or sport. Somehow putting a label on something so intensely spiritual bothered me at the time. It wasn't too bad to have so many people enjoying this thing I marveled at so many years. Then it happened, getting to the top meant more to some than climbing. They forced their way up, digging, bolting, and using pitons, conquering nothing but ones own ego. The scares were horrendous, It would rain and the rock face wept the chalk holes dug out by the axes. It was time for me to leave and so I moved to Oregon where the graffiti is less and somehow I still find time to climb.

My response:
Would you mind if I put you letter up on the page...It serves as a reminder to all those hold chippers and ego maniacs around Stoney that climbing is personal and no one else cares if they can send some obscure problem that has been altered because it was too hard. Don't get me wrong...I am no saint when it comes to admiring the completion of problems with high ratings. I am not an accomplished climber by any means, just a photographer who likes it, so I am impressed by those who can climb well. I am most impressed though by the humble ones and the teachers who help me. I seem to have the best time out there when I'm alone, so I guess I have at least a little of the climbing "spirit". Any way..i gotta get going. Let me know if I can put the letter up.

Thanks, Brooks Ayola

Hi Brooks,

Sure you can post my letter... One of the things I do is teach Martial Arts. We instruct our students to pass on what they learn, become leaders, and if all one does is to change the path of one individual toward a better life then we know it will pass to another and another and so on. We need caring leaders to help better our world, somehow I know you are one. You are starting your leadership by posting my letter, thank you. Keep taking your beautiful pictures because one single image can bring so much feeling and power to our selves. Remember the only boundaries we have are in our mind, the only fears we have are an illusion. Never think for a moment you are anything but incredible. Thanks again.