June 20. This might one might be behind a firewall. If so, I urge you to register. Meanwhile, the link is here. The column begins like this:

It’s not clear whether to file this under the category of “crazy things parents push children to do” or under “wow, that little girl is so, so cool.”

The mind boggles at the story that 10-year-old Selah Schneiter climbed the famously difficult El Capitan cliff in Yosemite National Park. The heart also races. The film of her ascent of the 3,000-foot mountain is enough to give vertigo to almost anyone who watches. The viewer understands that Selah and her father, Mike, are experienced climbers and that Mike rigged all the ropes to make sure Selah was safe.

Still, the thought of a mite of a girl climbing such a steep, high rock face almost exactly a year after two expert climbers fell to their deaths there is, well, bracing. Just a week after Schneiter succeeded in becoming the youngest person ever to summit El Capitan, another experienced climber died on a less-difficult mountain in the same park.

Put all that aside for now, though. The fact is, young Selah made it, both perfectly safely and with what obviously was a sense of great fun. This girl clearly is strong, talented, and determined. On camera, she also comes across as winsome, charming, and engaging. ….

[As a reminder: The reason I never post the whole article here is that they are copyrighted by the publications I write for. As “fair use,” I can republish excerpts — but not the whole thing.]

 

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