HC was featured in the Danish magazine Homotropolis. You can view the full issue here.

I think this article is proof that the new way forward for HC is for me and Kelly to write blog posts, have them professionally translated into Danish, and then Google Translate them back into English.

I’m not sure how I feel that the Google Translation of what we’re saying is funnier than anything we’ve originally said in English when we were trying to be funny on purpose, but who am I to deny advances in technology?  Thus, I present to you the Google translation of the article:

A feeling of being the only gay in the world with an interest in climbing gave Alex Rowland idea for ‘HomoClimbtastic’ – a spacious association that aims to lead climb lustful LGBTQ’er together. The club is today both incredibly popular and respected, and the reason lies in the culture that we have managed to create.

“Although we are most LGBTQ’er, so the door is open to all. It turns out that many heterosexuals are at least as interested in stepping out of the hetero-sexist culture we are. And it’s not so much that they want to be with us because we are queer, but more about that we all have in common that we appreciate diversity, “says founder Alex Rowland.

Talking more about dick than other climbing clubs Kelly Gray, a climber from Austin, Texas who has been with the ‘HomoClimbtastic’ for several years, says that one of the benefits of being part of a LGBTQ club just the freedom to be themselves .

“We talk a lot more about dick here than they do in the other clubs. Both cock, wax treatments, the lesbian scissors, gay movies and drag queens come regularly to the court and it would never talk about in a ‘regular’ climbing club ‘.

“To climb with an LGBTQ group means that I can be myself all the way through. I do not hide my sexuality or worry about whether I get thrown somewhere back in the face because I talk about my husband, “said Kelly Gray.

Both the heart and brain are

Regardless common denominators as sexual orientation, gender identity and queerness, it’s rock climbing that binds members ‘HomoClimbtastic’ together.
The hearts banks of the great moments in the company of nature’s self-created challenges. It’s all about unique experiences seen from angles that only those people ever, and so challenging at the same time the brain.

“It requires full brain activity and a really intense focus when you have to figure out how best to forcing a cliff,” says Alex Rowland, whose
most unforgettable experience with climbing is at least as much about romance.

“My guy and I was in New Zealand, where we hired a boat to take us out of this one small, secluded bay with instructions to pick us up again exactly the same place 48 hours later. We steamed mussels, was naked and read books, climbed part and had more sex in two days than I thought was humanly possible. It was really amazing times, “recalls Alex, who normally works as a lawyer and lives in a small town in the state of Georgia.

For Kelly Gray is rock climbing also to see the world from new angles:

“I love to dwell outdoors, I love the equipment, and I love how a climber will be able to see amazing places from a completely different perspective. Yosemite National Park in California look, for example, much more spectacular from a high rock face than it does from hiking trails. As a climber you get the opportunity to see the world in a different way. ”

And the Danish original:
En følelse af at være den eneste homo i verden med interesse for klatring gav Alex Rowland idéen til ‘HomoClimbtastic’ – en rummelig forening der har til formål at føre klatrelystne LGBTQ’er sammen. Klubben er i dag både utrolig populær og respekteret, og årsagen skal findes i den kultur, som det er lykkedes at skabe.

»Selv om vi er flest LGBTQ’er, så står døren åben for alle. Det viser sig nemlig, at rigtig mange heteroseksuelle er mindst lige så interesserede i at træde ud af den heterosexistiske kultur, som vi selv er. Og det handler ikke så meget om, at de ønsker at være sammen med os, fordi vi er queer, men mere om at vi allesammen har det til fælles, at vi værdsætter forskelligheder«, siger stifteren Alex Rowland.

Taler mere om pik end andre klatreklubber Kelly Gray, en klatrer fra Austin i Texas som har været med i ‘HomoClimbtastic’ i adskillige år, fortæller at en af fordelene ved at være med i en LGBTQ-klub netop er friheden til at være sig selv.

»Vi taler en hel del mere om pik her, end man gør i de andre klubber. Både pik, voksbehandlinger, den lesbiske saks, homofilm og dragdronninger kommer jævnligt på banen, og det ville man jo aldrig snakke om i en ‘almindelig’ klatreklub«.

»At klatre sammen med en LGBTQ-gruppe betyder, at jeg kan være mig selv hele vejen igennem. Jeg behøver ikke lægge skjul på min seksualitet eller bekymre mig om, hvorvidt jeg får smidt et eller andet tilbage i ansigtet, fordi jeg taler om min mand«, siger Kelly Gray.

Både hjertet og hjernen er med

Uanset fællesnævnere som seksuel orientering, kønsidentitet og queerness, så er det klippeklatring der binder medlemmerne i ‘HomoClimbtastic’ sammen.
Hjerterne banker for de storslåede øjeblikke i selskab med naturens selvskabte udfordringer. Det handler om unikke oplevelser set fra vinkler der kun er de færreste forundt, og så udfordrer det samtidig hjernen.

»Det kræver fuld hjerneaktivitet og et virkelig intenst fokus, når man skal regne ud, hvordan man bedst muligt forcerer en klippe«, fortæller Alex Rowland, hvis
mest uforglemmelige oplevelse med klatring handler mindst lige så meget om romantik.

»Min fyr og jeg var på New Zealand, hvor vi hyrede en båd til at sejle os ud til denne her lille, afsidesliggende  bugt med instruktioner om at hente os igen nøjagtig samme sted 48 timer senere. Vi dampede muslinger, lå nøgne og læste bøger, klatrede en del og havde mere sex på to døgn end jeg troede var menneskeligt muligt. Det var virkelig fantastiske tider«, mindes Alex, der til daglig arbejder som advokat og bor i en mindre by i staten Georgia.

For Kelly Gray handler klippeklatring også om at se verden fra nye vinkler:

»Jeg elsker at opholde mig udendørs, jeg elsker udstyret, og jeg elsker hvordan man som klatrer får mulighed for at se fantastiske steder fra et helt andet perspektiv. Yosemite National Park i Californien ser for eksempel meget mere spektakulær ud fra en høj klippeside, end den gør fra vandrestierne. Som klatrer får man mulighed for at se verden på en anden måde«.