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 The Rage
Reflections on Risk
by Steve De Maio
Risk-taker Steve De Maio explores risk in this eclectic collection of climbing essays and poetry written over a 20-year period. Starting with the "Hard Years" of his youth when he was out of work and moving through to the present, De Maio's stories can be sombre, humorous or just plain outrageous. Yet throughout this collection, the author examines the theme of risk: what it is, how it can be managed and how his attitude toward it has changed over time.
Steve De Maio has been a risk-taker for most of his life, exhibiting an early penchant for tree climbing,aerial-rope and bike stunts before the age of 10. He began rock climbing at age 14 and since then has made over 150 North America, some of which have never been repeated.
excerpt from chapter titled “The East End Boys ”:
"As I ambled over to a pay phone to call a tow truck, I relived Pitch 4 from our climb of Yamnuskas East End Boys the day before:
Near the top of the gently impending crack, both
"Watch us here, Bill!" I went for it ... and missed. Bill recollects: "I felt the rope come tight and then go slack. I knew at that moment that the piece had pulled. I'd never seen anyone fall past me before and I braced myself to see it for the
"You OK,Bill?"
"I'm OK. Are you OK?"
"I'm OK..." Steve glanced down and unclipped the Friend from the rope at his waist. "The Friend pulled." He glanced back up at the high point... "Guess I better get back up there before I get scared...."
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