Why We Climb: Nathan Bonnie

NATHAN BONNIE

WHY WE CLIMB Into the minds of a new generation

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Why do we climb?

Inside the minds of Jamin Morris, Richard Marotta, Max Powell and Nathan Bonnie. Coming from completely different backgrounds, each one has found their place in climbing. A common thread between them is that climbing has had a huge impact on their lives. From something as simple as getting stronger to something as complex as helping mental health. Climbing has helped to pave the way for change in their lives. Illustrating this was the driving force behind “Why we Climb”. What initially started out as photographing locals at the gym, sharing information on routes and conversing about latest news, has turned into a project that illustrates climbing’s more profound effects.

When/Why did you get in to climbing?

I did climbing once when I was a kid, when I got older I wanted to find a hobby to do outside of work. I got into it again after that because I damaged my back at work and spent ages seeing a chiropractor. I couldn’t do anything for two years and was trying to find a sport to do.

When I started climbing my back started showing massive improvements, that’s when I decided I wanted to do it all the time. I ended up going outdoors for the first time with someone who used to work at the climbing center in Gloucester.

The effect that day had on me was masive. It helped me to decide that this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

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What’s your favourite type of climbing?

Trad, is definitely my favourite type of climbing. I like the psychological side of climbing. Trad amplifies that so much, and I can become completely in tune with how things are going and how I am feeling.

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What is one of your most memorable moments in climbing?

My most memorable moment in climbing was definitely the first time I went outdoors on a route called King Kong in Wintours Leap. It was an E1, multi-pitch route, but at the time that meant nothing to me. Most of the way up, I thought I was going to die. However, when you get to the top, suddenly all the stress goes away and everything becomes serene. I found my happy place at the top, looking down over the River Wye as birds flew underneath me.

Which climber has inspired you the most?

Adam Haywood has inspired me the most.

He took me out for my first outdoor climb and showed me a world I never knew existed. For me, it’s less about the strong climbers and more about the community. I don’t climb to be strong, I’m not bothered about 9a’s and all that side of things. It’s just what it does for me psychologically. By giving me the opportunity to climb, Adam helped me change my life for the better. It sounds over the top, but that’s what happened.

How has climbing influenced you as a person?

Climbing, especially trad, has taught me to trust my intuition, and has really shown me what I’m capable of. I’ve always thought there was more to life than what I was doing, and climbing is helping to feed that. It’s the only thing that resonates with me 100%.

As soon as I started climbing everything in my life fell into place. I’m making it sound a lot easier than it was; it was hectic making the change but it would have been worse not to. Especially after knowing that it was possible to choose something I loved doing.

A lot of people thought I was having a breakdown. They thought it was just a phase or something, until I kept getting more and more committed. I turned my back on everything so I could continue climbing, but there were a lot of things I should have turned my back on sooner.

Climbing paved the way for that to happen.

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WHY WE CLIMB

“By giving me the opportunity to climb, Adam helped me change my life for the better. It sounds over the top, but that’s what happened.”

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“Sharing climbing with other people is a big thing for me because of what it’s done for me.”

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What goals do you as a climber have for the future ?

Rather than go for a target grade, although it would be nice to be able to climb hard, I want to travel and climb. But whatever I do climbing-wise I’m going to enjoy it.

Sharing climbing with other people is a big thing for me because of what it’s done for me. I know a lot of people in the same position as I was someone who previously wouldn’t have had the opportunity to climb. I’d like to offer them a chance to experience it, immerse themselves in it and really enjoy it. I’m not going to force that on other people and say “climbing will change your life for the better,” but it could.

Climbing helps to provide people with an outlet to do something constructive instead of all the crap that people get up to. I feel like there’s so many people out there that can’t achieve what they want to do. I think climbing can help show that it is possible to pursue alternative routes, and I’d love to show them that.

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What does climbing feel like for you?

It depends on the day. When I went climbing with you and it started raining halfway through the day, I was in a different mind-set on every climb. The first one I was filled with doubt, the second climb I was overconfident and the third one I was raging and angry. But, that’s why I like climbing so much because it puts me in touch with how I‘m actually feeling. That’s why the second time when we were doing trad, I took a few minutes beforehand to calm everything down. It helped me become a lot smoother and a lot more focused, and on trad you have to be. Those are the best climbs when you’re just concentrating on the next move and everything falls into place.

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“That’s why I like it so much because it puts me in touch with how I’m actually feeling.”

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Do you think climbing promotes equality?

It’s a middle class sport and I’m working class. I’ve never experienced class divide in climbing, I’ve always felt it doesn’t matter where someone falls on the scale, people are just people.

Class divide likes to dictate things you can achieve. But if you speak to people who do climbing, they encourage you to pursue your dreams.The more people you talk to that share that same view, the more you start believing you can. I’ve never thought about it like this, but it has changed the way I think about things so much. In such a short space of time. If you’d have asked me these questions a couple of years ago, I’d have told you nothing.

But now I don’t need to pretend one thing or another this is who I am.

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“But now I don’t need to pretend one thing or another this is who I am. ”

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WHY WE CLIMB PHOTOGRAPHY AND INTERVIEW BY JORIAN BIGGS

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