Q: How do you get started? Does height make a difference? (I'm 6'3"[191 centimeters].) Do you ever look down and get scared?

—Will
Phoenix, Arizona

You should start out either in a climbing gym or by hiring a guide. The hardest part is really just taking the initiative, picking up the phone and figuring out when and where to go. But here's the deal: climbing is a real, tangible adventure, and it's literally right at your fingertips. All you have to do is grab on and start pulling. So many things in life are ethereal, constantly beyond our grasp, but not climbing. I love climbing because it's the only aspect of my life where I can sit down and cook up a totally hair-brained mission—then actually go and do it! Is there anything better than this?

Height can definitely be an advantage because often a tall person can reach right past what would be a stumbling block for someone shorter. However, the trade-off is that tall people are usually bigger and heavier, which is definitely a disadvantage. It really depends a lot on the particular climb. The most important thing is strength-to-weight ratio.

I usually don't get scared when I look down, unless I happen to be stuck in a particularly precarious position. I've never had a fear of heights, in fact, I'd say I have a love of heights. One of the reasons I've focussed so much on big walls is that I really love exposure—the higher off the deck, the better!