Fab’s Friday Field Notes – November 22, 2025
by Fabrizio de Liberali, Southampton, UK
Tired fingers typing this after yesterday’s session with Richard and Andy. That steep 6c+ didn’t go until the third attempt—a route that should have been comfortable territory by now. But here’s the thing about comfort: it’s where growth stops.
The Mirror on the Wall
Wednesday brought an unexpected gift: I met a new climbing partner, C, who shares my philosophy of climbing only onsight. Pure ethics. No rehearsal. Face the route as it comes. Watching him climb was like looking in a mirror—and mirrors show you things you’d rather not see.
Here’s what I saw: I’ve spent years avoiding the mental stress of working routes. The discomfort of repeated failure. The vulnerability of not sending immediately. I called it ethics, but maybe it was just fear dressed up as principle.
Now, at my age, I see this as a limitation. The real principle isn’t avoiding discomfort—it’s embracing it. Train hard, play hard, lean into the stress. That’s where growth lives.
The Discomfort Parallel
This lesson extends beyond the crag. Grant applications? I hate them. The loops, the formalities, the time spent on bureaucracy, when you know your work has value. South Africa, London and Italy meetings still need their summaries written. Medical appointments for Amelie and me need to be organised. All the uncomfortable, necessary work that makes the meaningful work possible.
But here’s the thing: just as I’m learning to project routes, to sit with the discomfort of not sending immediately, I’m learning that the administrative friction is part of the game. You can’t summit without the approach.
The Lines We Must Cross
Speaking of discomfort, let me share what I’ve been processing this week about Meta—because if we’re talking about avoiding discomfort, we need to talk about our collective avoidance of an uncomfortable truth.
Meta is earning $16 billion annually from fraud.
Not a typo. Not an estimate. Their own internal documents show they project 10% of revenue from scams and banned goods. They serve 15 billion fraudulent ads daily. They’re involved in one-third of successful US scams.
They crossed the line. Actually, they crossed five lines:
- The Harm Prevention Line – Their own research shows Instagram drives teenage girls toward suicide
- The Truth Integrity Line – Dismantled fact-checking while amplifying lies
- The Economic Ethics Line – Calculated that fraud pays better than compliance
- The Democratic Sovereignty Line – Capitulated to political power, paid Trump $25 million
- The Accountability Line – Every response is a deflection, every testimony evasion
The Comfortable Complicity
We stay on these platforms because switching is uncomfortable. Signal’s UI isn’t as polished. Wire needs work. Building new networks takes effort.
But isn’t that exactly like avoiding working a route? We choose the comfortable poison over the uncomfortable cure.
I’ve moved to Signal. Not because it’s easy, but because it’s necessary. Every migration matters. Every deletion sends a message. Every alternative we build or support creates space for something better.
The Collective Belay
This week reminded me why community matters. Christmas is coming, and I’m privileged to be planning events with communities that welcome me year after year. Wine tastings. Outdoor adventures. Real people, real connections, real trust.
These are the same people who spot you when you’re pushing your grade. Who encourage you through the crux. Who celebrate your sends and support your falls. This is what Meta monetises and destroys—real human connection.
The 2026 Project
My fingerboard training started this week. First session. Building the foundation for longer objectives that must be shared, not solitary. Because the best sends aren’t solo achievements—they’re community celebrations.
Same with fighting Meta’s toxicity. This isn’t a solo project. It’s a collective belay where we all need to hold the rope.
Planning 2026 means cutting the unnecessary while keeping what matters:
- Technology that serves humanity, not exploits it
- Partnerships that create value, not extract it
- Platforms that connect, not manipulate
- Work that builds, not destroys
Friday’s Truth
That 7a I’m eyeing will come. The 7a+ with its brutal crux might take longer. But I’ll work them now, sit with the discomfort, push through the stress. Because that’s how we grow.
Meta crossed every line that matters. They turned our discomfort with leaving into their $16 billion fraud machine. They bet we’d choose the comfortable cage over the uncomfortable freedom.
They bet wrong.
The route ahead is steep, the holds are crimpy, and the crux looks desperate. But we’ve got good belayers, solid gear, and the knowledge that some lines must be defended.
Even when—especially when—it’s uncomfortable.
Next week: Back to those RSA and Italy summaries. The admin won’t do itself. But first, Sunday’s climbing session. There’s a 7a with my name on it.
This week’s migration count:
- New Signal converts: 3
- Meta deletions witnessed: 2
- Alternative platforms tested: 2
- Grant applications avoided: 0 (damn it)
The Friday challenge: Pick your discomfort. Work that route. Switch that platform. Write that grant. Face the mirror. Growth lives in the stress zone.
#FridayFieldNotes #ClimbHarder #DeleteMeta #EmbraceDiscomfort
Fabrizio De Liberali splits his time between sending routes in Southampton, building sustainable and ethical partnerships, and teaching his daughters that some lines must never be crossed. Except on the rock. Where crossing lines is the whole point.