A question for Blake Herrington (’07), author and mountain climber

How do you handle fear?

I handle fear by first trying to determine if the fear is reasonable (based on a likely outcome of bad consequences) or just emotional. 

If reasonable, I try to take immediate and concrete steps to mitigate likelihood and severity of whatever I'm afraid of. 

If that all fails, I just take courage from memories of surviving freshman chemistry at Western.

 

Blake Herrington (Economics/Environmental Studies), seen here on the first ascent of Gorillas in the Mist on Mount Stuart in 2009, is a mountain climber and author whose recent “Cascades Rock” guide-book covers 160 climbs in Washington and Southern B.C.