It was an ordinary Wednesday. I spent the afternoon studying at the library, then wandered slowly to the climbing gym. Once upon a time, I used to pass by that place often—too anxious to go in. Now, it’s a space I move through with ease.
I’m not someone who enjoys sports. Aside from climbing, the only physical activities I’ve done were some badminton and basketball back in high school. Most other workouts—whether cardio or strength training—were done out of obligation, and they never lasted. But climbing brought me a visceral kind of joy. It reminded me of childhood, swinging on jungle gyms in the communal space below our apartment. There’s a thrill in figuring out a route, the nervous uncertainty of reaching for a faraway hold, and the moment of triumph when you finally touch the top.
My palms have split and peeled, over and over. But I’ve come to love these marks—just as I cherish the small scar on my pinky, left by a hot glue gun burn. They are quiet proof that I once did something. The marks may fade with time, but the memory of being moved, of doing something that left a trace, remains. There are also the small bruises—dull aches that somehow spark thought. They reflect a desire to progress steadily, and so I return to observation.
I watch people talk through routes, attempt them repeatedly. But what captures me most is footwork. The subtle pivot of a toe, the press and glide, the stretch and bend and tension of the calf—all in a matter of seconds—before someone floats upward to the next hold. It’s delicate, almost magical. To be in that space, solving the same problems with friends and strangers, pondering different paths to the same point—it’s grounding. And it’s quietly joyful.
一个平淡的周三，在图书馆自习一下午就慢悠悠地去了攀岩馆。曾几何时，那个我常常路过，却因社恐不敢进去的店面，倒也去的愈发轻车熟路了。
我不是一个喜欢运动的人，除了攀岩，也就是高中那会打过羽毛球和篮球罢了。其他的有氧无氧运动纯粹是出于某种目的去完成，因此总是浅尝辄止，杳杳无踪。但是攀岩的过程，让我切身实地体会到了运动的快感，好像回到了小时候在架空层里玩猴架一样。解锁路线的快乐、担忧抓不住而产生的惴惴不安，以及克服恐惧后碰到最高岩点的成就感。
手心的皮破了又破，但我却喜欢这些痕迹。亦如我喜欢小拇指上那块被胶枪烫伤留下的疤一样，那是我曾做过某些事的证明。痕迹或者会随着时间淡化，但被触动的记忆不会。然后是些不大不小的淤青，隐隐作痛着，却也引发了求知者的思考。那是种想要稳扎稳打进步的心理，于是退回到观察。
交谈路线的人、反复尝试路线的人，可最吸引我目光的还要属脚姿。脚尖一踮一蹭一换，小腿一伸一折一绷，时间不过数秒，便见那人去了下个岩点。蜻蜓点水般好不奇妙！置身这方天地，与朋友、陌生人一起尝试相同的岩点，思考彼此不同的路线选择，很踏实很幸福。