During the spring of my 7th grade year (2015) in middle school, my Dad suggested that I spend a month climbing in Fayetteville, West Virginia. We had both frequented Fayetteville and the American Alpine Club climbers' campground before. The premise for the summer was simple: Dad would drop me off at the climber's campground. It would be my task to meet and climb with fellow climbers from the campground, in addition to cooking for myself and generally surviving a month in a tent. Dad came back about every weekend to make sure I was still alive and take me to the store to replenish my pantry and cooler. That first summer was truly magical. Since then, I've gone back for about a month nearly every summer. Even as the faces at the campground change, there is something captivating and magical about Fayetteville and the New River Gorge climbing area.