Only scenic views for this mountaineer
Meet Geoff Comins- If his story doesn't inspire you to become a mountaineer then we don't know what will.
Two musicians walked into band practice one day and inspired a third to become an avid fellow mountaineer.
This was the case for Geoff Comins who, while playing the trumpet in the Air Force Band, met fellow musicians Gustave van Rensberg and Criss Wyne who introduced him to a sport he will now never let go of.
There was no fear associated with the idea of climbing mountains both great and small for Comins. So much so that it took about four years of climbing outdoors before he purchased his first helmet. Though he does stress that anyone climbing outdoors needs a helmet as there are lots of loose rocks that can cause serious injury or death.
He has been climbing since 1992 and for him it’s crazy to think he has been towering over scenic views for the past 30 years. One of his most memorable moments was when he would train at night at Northcliff Ridge Eco Park. “We would often arrive at 19:00 and climb until 22:00 or 23:00. Looking out over our beautiful city from the top of the climbs in Northcliff with good friends is a memory really worth holding onto. I really wish that we could somehow arrange for the park to be opened up every now and then for the younger generation of climbers to experience this.”
No matter how scenic the view from the top may be, the joys are sometimes preceded by great challenges. Comins shared how every now and then, while he is traditional climbing, he can sometimes find himself off-route which means he would be climbing grades that are far more strenuous than he intended to climb.
He has climbed fairly extensively around the country and encourages anyone who is interested in taking part in this sport to become a member of the Mountain Club of South Africa as this will open your eyes to how many beautiful places to go adventuring in, “Most of my climbing is in the Magaliesberg range,” he said.
Comins wished people knew that climbing is the best way of really connecting with other people. “This is not just because you have to tie into a rope with them but the camaraderie between climbers is amazing because you are really looking after each other on all the mountains of life.”
The mountaineer hopes to one day conquer the Swiss Alps as well as anything else around there.
