紀念我的好友 Chris Hale

Chris Hale
在美國爬岩的朋友
沒想到在我離開優勝美地沒多久
他也到了優勝美地，本來希望整個夏天在這邊打工，卻在受訓的時候墜崖身亡
才23歲
其實我跟chris 算是還挺熟得。也許也因為我跟他爬岩爬得級數差不多，所以時常會一起爬岩。我來美國不到一年，他就因為很喜歡爬岩所以從佛羅里達Gainesville搬到田納西chattanooga。他在Gainesville 的 farewell party我也有去。2007年六月我跟Sophie在美國的road trip, 第一站爬岩在 foster falls, 我就跟他約在那邊，一起度過了美好得一個爬岩日。2008年triple crown 抱石比賽，第三場LRC在Chattanooga 近郊，因為附近沒有適合camping 的地方，又是12月，外面很冷，所以幾乎一大半從Gainesville來的攀岩者都去窩在他2 bedroom的家裡。一個小公寓裡擠了超過20人，大家都排排睡客廳，還有人搭帳篷在院子睡。禮拜五很晚都陸續還有人進來。禮拜六比賽玩，大家又都回到Chris的家裡。大家就喝啤酒，聊天，輪流去洗澡，party。禮拜天，早上起來Chris 又照例煎鬆餅給大家吃。煎20幾人份的鬆餅可不是開完笑的。然後禮拜天大家又開車去另一個地方抱石，然後我們才開車回佛州。
大家對Chris的印象都是很和善，雖然他話不多，但是對人很好，很有耐心。自從他搬到 Chattanooga,因為朋友都在Gainesville，又都是爬岩的朋友，所以不時有人會去 Chattanooga（號稱美國東南爬岩首都）拜訪他，睡他家裡。
2008年底我們一群人在德州 Hueco Tanks 爬岩的時候，Chris 因為是那邊的 Guide, 所以總是能讓我們一群從佛州來的人可以一起爬岩。總是盡量讓我們有個開心的爬岩時光。我也還記得是我開Jeremy的那台 Van 去 El Paso 機場接他，當他看到我們幾個人的時候，真的笑得很開懷。跨年那天晚上我們還拿衝天炮互射，Chris穿t shirt, 衣服背後還被射穿了一個洞。
我能爬上 v9 那天，就是Chris 當天早上志願當volunteer guide,帶我們去 east mountain 爬岩，但是因為很臨時，所以他跟state park 講好得deal 就是隔天他要在帶另一個 volunteer tour，帶一群他不認識的人去爬岩。當天因為我爬了那條 career best ascend，我說晚上要請Chris 吃飯，感謝他讓我們有爬岩的機會，他還一直說不用，還好後來我還是有堅持幫他付錢。（hueco tank 因為生態保育問題，一直有入園人數限制，有時候在旺季要進去爬很不容易）。跟Chris Hale 有關的回憶非常多。包括第一年去 hours pens 40…..Jeremy 的第一條 v7 red house….等等，聽到他意外的消息，這些回憶都忽然變得很鮮明。
我在6/15 聽到他身亡的消息真的很錯愕。之前在台灣就有朋友因為爬岩意外身亡。這次卻是來美國第一次。而Chris 是那麼的年輕，時間就在我離開優勝美地沒多，他就在那邊出了意外。我只能說希望大家在戶外作任何活動都要很小心
Christ 希望你在天堂過得很好，我會永遠記得你的，記得我們一起擁有的美好時光。


新聞報導
Former resident died pursuing his passion - rock climbing
By Christopher Curry
Published: Wednesday, June 17, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 11:52 p.m.
Christopher Hale enjoyed acting and playing chess, but friends say his true passion was rock climbing.
This week, Hale, 23, a former Gainesville resident and Eastside High graduate, died doing what he loved - traveling to state and national parks across the country seeking rock formations to climb and conquer.
"He was spending a few years of his life really enjoying himself," friend Lee Friedlander said. "He was traveling and climbing. It was what he wanted to do."
On Sunday, Hale was reported missing in Yosemite National Park in California, where he planned to spend the summer working and climbing. His body was found Monday afternoon. It is believed Hale fell from a cliff.
Friedlander and Hale met a few years back at the Gainesville Rock Gym, where Hale was well-known and well-liked. In the fall of 2006, Hale moved to Chattanooga, Tenn., the closest rock-climbing destination to Gainesville. Several months later, Friedlander moved there as well.
He recalled how Hale would invite friends up from Gainesville to go rock climbing in Chattanooga and then end up gladly playing host to at least 20 people in his one-bedroom apartment, cooking breakfast for them each morning.
"He was just a really, really nice guy, very giving," said friend C.P. Santos, who also met Hale at the Gainesville Rock Gym.
Santos, who now lives in Colorado, said he last spoke to Hale on Thursday. At that time, Hale was excited about a summer job he had taken at Yosemite National Park and his plans to spend the next few months climbing there.
On Sunday morning , Hale, who was working for the park's largest concessionaire, Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite Inc., was reported missing. Park rangers found his body at about 1 p.m. Monday and said in a released statement that it appears Hale fell from "an unnamed cliff face above Mirror Lake in eastern Yosemite Valley."
An investigation is ongoing, and the exact cause of death is not yet determined. On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the National Parks Service said investigators do not believe Hale was rock climbing at the time.
Before reaching Yosemite National Park, Hale had spent several months traveling to climb at places such as Hueco Tanks State Park near El Paso, Texas, and Bishop, Calif., in the Eastern High Sierras.
Friedlander said Hale apparently was writing a book chronicling his travels.
Before he threw himself fully into rock climbing, Hale enjoyed acting, said family friend Chris Meyers, a Gainesville resident. Meyers said his wife taught Hale in the theater program at Eastside High. Hale also used to perform at the Hoggetowne Medieval Faire as a member of the Thieves Guilde acting troupe.
After graduating from Eastside in 2004, Hale studied theater at Santa Fe College for a year.
His friends remember him as subdued and quiet, yet well-liked.
"He was extremely popular," Meyers said. "He had a huge extended network of friends."