For those of you new to this site, The Interview Series is a way to highlight those in the world of climbing who view life through a different lens. These folks have found a way to balance life’s passions amidst a whirlwind schedule of family and work obligations, not stopping to consider the easy way out. Rob Pizem does it. And then he does more.
Aside from being a prolific first ascensionist and all-around blood-thirsty vampire for all things rock climbing, “Piz” juggles the responsibility of a modern family man. Rob is a married father of two young boys (ages 6 and 8), teaching science at an alternative high school in Grand Junction, Colorado.
Most folks would slot themselves in the “busy category” just based on a full-time work and parent schedule, but Rob also finds time to be the head trainer at Grand Valley Climbing Gym. Somewhere in there he pencils in his own training and climbing. Oh, and Rob also scours the local deserts and backcountry, endlessly in search for new routes. But most importantly, he prides himself on being a good husband and a loving father.
Rob Pizem on Hard Climbing
Grades don’t make me proud, but what does is learning and mastering the skills required to complete a route (be it new or old, big or small).
Rob Pizem
Pre-Family Days
Rob: I am a Zion junkie. I have traveled the world for climbing and it’s still my favorite climbing area.
A number of Rob’s big accomplishments occurred on the towering desert sandstone walls of Zion National Park. During the early 2000’s Rob and Mike Anderson established a number of new routes and freed existing aid climbs in the southern Utah park, traveling often from their then-homes in Denver and Colorado Springs, respectively.
But this was also a different time for Rob. Employed as a science teacher, Rob had some real-world obligations, but there was no wife and kids in the picture.
Rob took this freedom on to bigger objectives, eventually freeing Arcturus (19 pitches, 5.13+) in Yosemite National Park, also with Mike Anderson. And this was no typical objective. Rob broke his back on an initial attempt of the route, as described in detail in this Climbing Magazine 3-part series and with Chris Kalous on the Enormocast Podcast. Many climbers would have left the sport all-together after such a traumatic injury, but the team returned with photographer Andrew Burr to eventually fire the damn thing. Can you teach that kind of determination!?
Rob later married his wife Jane in 2008, but the climbing progression and dedication to first ascents didn’t slow down. A period of establishing new roof crack routes in Canyonlands National Park preceded life as a father. Even after kids came along in the 2010’s, Rob was able to return to Zion and establish the Human Centipede (V 5.13), a 21-pitch ground-up ascent on the Sentinel. No slouch, huh?
A Day in the Life of Rob Pizem
CC: Can you break down a typical day in the life during the school year? Where are you creating space for what’s important to you?
Monday/Wednesday/Friday
Rob: On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I wake at 6:00am and I’m out by 6:30am. I’m at school early to get my planning completed, and I work until 3:00pm.
I then pick up my kids from school and do sports, piano, homework, and other household duties. We make sure the kids are in bed after bath and reading by 7:30pm. I am in bed by around 8:00pm.
Tuesday
On Tuesday I wake at 4:45am to leave for the gym by 4:55am. I open the gym and run training from 5:00 to 6:45am. I shoot over to school and arrive by 6:55am, again working until 3:00pm. After school, I head directly back to the gym to train on routes from 3:15 to 4:45pm. I run a training session from 5:00-8:00pm, before heading home and off to bed by 8:45pm.
Thursday
Thursdays are largely the same as Tuesday. I just do the morning training and then pick up my kids at 3:00pm, skipping the evening gym session. I get on my treadwall after the kids go to bed.
Making Space
So, you thought you were busy, huh? It’s clear that Rob makes time for what’s important to him. I can’t help but notice some of the standard time-eaters that Rob has chosen to give up to create space in his life, and I need not spell them out. Below Rob lists the items that are obviously of great value for him and his family and how time must be created.
Rob: I create time to pick up and play with my kids and coach their athletic teams. I make time to train. I make time to get my work completed at school and be around my kids as dad as much as possible. All my personal work is done after they go to bed and not when they are awake. I make time for my wife to get to run and do the things that motivate her.
Finding Time for Outdoor Climbing
Rob: I fit in outdoor climbing on one weekend day or just a morning if there is a lot to do.
Normally once a month I will plan a whole weekend for climbing, but sometimes that doesn’t happen for months if there are a lot of family obligations.
CC: It’s obvious that Rob has a passion for establishing new routes, which is a far cry from just grabbing your gear and guidebook and getting in some quick pitches. Establishing new routes requires hours and days of (often fruitless) searching, cleaning, and equipping.
Rob: If the weather is poor, I will walk cliff lines to scope for new routes. I have to manage my new routing passion with my expected/needed climbing fitness. New routing happens a lot in the summer when I have more time to be on the rock (2-3 days a week). I establish new routes in the winter when the conditions are not perfect, preparing for when the weather and/or my fitness cooperates.
On Being on the Move
CC: What I really admire about Rob is a desire to be constantly on the move. Rob attests to the dilemma of needing to accomplish and achieve all the time. It’s a valuable trait in some ways, but also a double-edged sword.
Rob: I hate sitting around so I don’t. There is always something to do and something that needs to be done. I never get to the end of my list of things to do, which is constantly growing.
CC: At times Rob admits that depression can slip in when forced into prolonged periods of inactivity. While a list of climbing achievements balanced with a full-time job and family is impressive, perhaps there’s more to the story. Are the driven folks of the world required to keep the plate full to feel contentment?
Driven and Direct: The Pros and Cons
CC: Why do you think it’s important to be direct in terms of personality?
Rob: I expect directness from those whom I interact with. No games. I am task and goal-oriented, my goals don’t get accomplished indirectly. I surround myself with others like me to create a successful and positive environment.
CC: While Rob knows his personality helps him achieve his goals on a limited timeframe, he admits that his strong drive has repelled others at times. Some partners have been left in the wake.
Rob: I can come off harsh or over-confident or all knowing, which I am not. I’m just direct and to the point.
Career and Finances
Early Career
Rob Pizem began his career as an engineer after graduating from the School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. It wasn’t long though before he found himself disillusioned with this new career path, a very common sentiment for recent college grads. He would move into teaching shortly thereafter.
Rob: The work was not engaging to me. Engineering (as far as what I was doing) was very cookbook, and there was no room for creativity.
I need to be constantly trying to solve problems. Teaching allows me to try to solve the problems of my students which is far more engaging than being an engineer. Climbing is the same way: I need to solve physical and mental problems on every new route.
Income Sources Today and a Plan for the Future
In terms of finances, Rob is now primarily paid through his full-time job at Mesa Valley School District 51, and secondarily as the head trainer at Grand Valley Climbing Gym.
Rob: I used to write and facilitate training programs for motivated climbing athletes, but stopped as it took too much time away from my sleep/rest requirements. I never made a salary from any sponsors at any time. I have occasionally written articles for magazines.
CC: So why did you not pursue a fully sponsored climbing life?
Rob: I would never let my financial health be dictated by my physical health and accomplishments (aka climbing). At one point in what I call my “prime,” I asked a company whether I could be a full-time athlete for them and they simply said no. That was the last time that came up.
I know better than to not have a steady income, retirement, and health care that I provide for myself and my family through a real job.
Financially, I have a retirement savings/investment plan combined with the retirement plan through public education.
I hate having debt, and I pride myself on being a saver. I don’t buy what I don’t need. As Patagonia says, live simply. No more.
CC: It’s worth noting that while a teacher’s salary in the US is notoriously challenging, shall we say, there are many notable retirement perks not available to those in the private sector. I’m no expert, but I’ll refer to someone who’s made a killing on a teacher’s salary, The Millionaire Educator.
“The Piz Workout”
CC: I sort of inquired of “The Piz Workout” for my own selfish pursuits, but I think this description gives a good sense of what Rob is all about.
Rob: The Piz Workout is a collection of strength training movements used in a TABATA style workout.
Basically, I make two groups of four exercises (one upper body/one lower body/one core/one combination) and we complete one group at a time for a total of four repetitions. Then we rest for five minutes and then do the other group, rest five minutes and conclude with five-minute abs. It takes 45 minutes.
The challenge is getting the right order of exercises to maximize the effort. I combine that with climbing specific training for about 45 minutes. That involves hanging on a bar and doing more movements, campus, systems board moves, and fingerboards. We are focusing on what we can’t do, and the body positions and muscle awareness needed to engage those parts of our body to efficiently complete the moves.
I had to pull this video from Rob’s Instagram account. I don’t know if this is from a Piz Workout session, but it made me smile nonetheless.
Alrighty Then
That’s it for this week with Rob Pizem. I hope we can all learn a few tricks in accomplishing success in our lives, whatever that means to us. Trust in Rob that there is time if you make time, but there has to be a drive.
As Rob is known to say….Share that peace you find outdoors, inside.
Check out Rob Pizem on Instagram or his blog, robpizem.com.
Remember, the best laid plans mean nothing if you can’t take action today. Have questions? Need some feedback? Hit us up on the Contact page.
Thanks guys, see you next week.
Please note, all photos were supplied by Rob Pizem and are credited to the photographers listed. Please reach out to Rob or the credited photographers for permission to republish.