respect. responsibility. purpose.
Sacred Stories
A collection of stories of life's experiences from BCA /Sacred ROK students and adults in the pursuit of discovering what it means to be human.
Learning from nature.....
This 20-foot boulder represents a story that has to do with the past, present and future. In the profound reality this boulder is thousands of years old and probably rolled off the Yosemite Valley walls into the valley floor which joined the first people’s camp, and can be recognized to this day from grinding holes in the flat rocks in the surrounding area.
Later down the road of history, rock climbers began to camp in this very same area and practice the art of climbing on the small boulders. My personal journey found me in this area as a teenager, which inspired me and a group of like-minded friends to see what was possible for us to add to this rich history of such a sacred place. We eventually found our own hand and footholds through ways of looking at things that seemed impossible.
Through our dedication and discipline to train ourselves to hang just off our fingers, we started to take rock climbing bouldering to a higher level. In 1978, I found myself pulling over the top of an overhanging piece of rock that promoted a bouldering revolution throughout the world of rock climbing. To this day, it has remained a test piece and has inspired climbers from all different counties of the world to a find a passage through the unique and rich history that unifies the connection and deeper understanding of the adventure that resides within one’s self to see what’s possible. Due to the era in which this climb was established, we named it after a Jimi Hendrix song, “Midnight Lightning.”
Ron Kauk, Sacred ROK
This 20-foot boulder represents a story that has to do with the past, present and future. In the profound reality this boulder is thousands of years old and probably rolled off the Yosemite Valley walls into the valley floor which joined the first people’s camp, and can be recognized to this day from grinding holes in the flat rocks in the surrounding area.
Later down the road of history, rock climbers began to camp in this very same area and practice the art of climbing on the small boulders. My personal journey found me in this area as a teenager, which inspired me and a group of like-minded friends to see what was possible for us to add to this rich history of such a sacred place. We eventually found our own hand and footholds through ways of looking at things that seemed impossible.
Through our dedication and discipline to train ourselves to hang just off our fingers, we started to take rock climbing bouldering to a higher level. In 1978, I found myself pulling over the top of an overhanging piece of rock that promoted a bouldering revolution throughout the world of rock climbing. To this day, it has remained a test piece and has inspired climbers from all different counties of the world to a find a passage through the unique and rich history that unifies the connection and deeper understanding of the adventure that resides within one’s self to see what’s possible. Due to the era in which this climb was established, we named it after a Jimi Hendrix song, “Midnight Lightning.”
Ron Kauk, Sacred ROK
When reality sets in.....
Today at Yosemite, it was a great day. The sun was making everything brighter and more beautiful. When I was standing on the edge of the rock and feeling the mist collect on me, I felt as if I could do anything and make things that seemed impossible, become possible.
While I was standing alone and enjoying the view of nature, the waterfall, and the rainbow, I began to look to my left and look to my right and notice no one was by my side. At that point I began to realize its all on me to make the best of what I have, where I am, and where I'm going in life.
So I said to myself, "some people may not like me or understand me for who I am, but as long as I am happy and like who I am; I just need to keep pushing through and strive forward in life".
BCA Student