Fred, Belief, and My Jumpshot

I spent Fred's last day in the Rocklands with him. Right up until we hiked out in the dark with enough time for him to pack, sleep and fly back to Switzerland. When climbing with him I'm like a fucking magnet for his energy. Every word he said, every gesture or remark that comes from him, is soaked up like a sponge into my already overloaded brain. My respect for him is only personified by the respect the respected have for him. He is the man, but you knew that already.

I have such high respect for Fred as a boulderer that I must have looked pathetic too him. The 3 years I've been praticing the sport was obvious too him and probably quite painful to watch. But I thought I am Andy, and he is Fred. I can't help that, I am a student and he is Michael Jordan. Well turns out that he knew I couldn't dunk a basketball from the foul line, and probably never will. So he gave me some pointers on my jump shot instead. "Use your feet Andrew!", he'd say.

What attracted me most to quitting my job and flying across the world, only to get to climb a few times with Fred Nicole, was the unsteady focus, respect and belief he has in the sport that I love. Bouldering is his life too and i want to know what the hell he still gets from it. Well save your money because it is no real secret. Climbing gives him focus and climbing gives him belief. We all need these things to escape our struggles, and he is no different.

Here a competetive Fred is trying to figure out a not-so-classic problem Chuck beat him up just moments before, as his wife Mary, is begging him to just give it up and leave, because she is getting cold and hungry. Like a kid ignoring the dinner bell, Frederic Nicole just wants to play for right now. "Just one more try honey."

photos:me